Our Lounge Room Area

A friend was asking me where we have moved our bookcase to, so I thought it was easier to do a post showing it.

The bookcase was only going to be here temporarily, but I decided I actually like it better in this spot. Our family is also looking at the books more now because it is closer to where we sit in the night time to have a little relax together.

Our lounges are getting a little old. I am looking for some large cream cotton blankets at the moment to throw over them.

You can see the lap top computer in the background which is where I sit to write these posts. I would love to see where you sit to write your posts. If you wish to post about it, please leave a link in my comments section below. I have now put a Country Style calendar above the computer. I would love some decorating ideas. Maybe my lovely friend Kim H could do a post on study/computer areas (actually I think she may have already done so). If you have Kim, could you please leave a link here in the comments?  Kim is an Interior Design Consultant. She is passionate about all things home/nest. Kim is just beginning the process of building a new home which she likes to call her nest. If you'd like to follow the progress of her home/nest building you can at Feather and Nest.

Our Freshly Painted Study Area

The before photo. No, we have not moved into a new home. It has just taken us a very long time to get this area painted. There was always something higher on the priority list......kids to hug, gardening, study....you get the idea. Anyway our children are getting older and they want to help paint, so painting it is. 

I had to put this photo in....an uncluttered bench, love it.

The goal is to only have these things on this bench.

The room minus the skirting board.

The skirting board is on and a little computer area begins. Later on I will move this sewing machine over to the left and the boys will make a table to go in the right hand corner. On the table will be the lap top and a printer.

This room use to contain a lot of clutter. I am going through it slowly and doing a lot of throwing out. Lots of paperwork that we no longer need. It is making me feel so good.

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . .

(inspired by SouleMama)

A Spring Clean

 .......or should I say a winter clean. I have decided that the time of the year that I prefer to do a spring clean is in winter. In spring I am too busy outside in the garden and I don't feel like doing a spring clean too. In winter however, I'm inside more. I still garden in winter because the weather is cooler and I can start preparing garden beds for spring. But in winter I'm inside more. I have more time to notice those areas that haven't been cleaned in a while. I have more time to notice the clutter.

So, it's been declared.......Winter is my official time to do a spring clean and to remove clutter from our home.

Do you do a spring clean? When do you do it?

I hope you have a lovely week.

Love Julie xxoo

Saturday

Walking out into the lounge room this morning it was lovely seeing the beginning of our tidy bookshelves. I had more to work on but I had made a huge start yesterday.

I made my breakfast of porridge with filtered water, almond milk and raisins.

While this was cooking I prepared tomorrow's porridge, rolled oats, raisins and filtered water, and placed this in the fridge to soak overnight.

My breakfast ready to eat with a bit of local, raw honey on top and more almond milk. I often put walnuts on top too.

 It was so lovely sitting beside our wood fire, gazing out at this beautiful view and listening to the rain on our roof.

I took some of  our indoor plants outside to soak up the lovely rain. This is a new plant and I'm going to train it to go around the heart.

Three boxes of books were put into the back of the 4WD and taken to our local library. The ladies there were very happy to see me.

When I arrived home it was time for a pot of earl grey tea. I also enjoy dandelion tea. The pot of tea and the oil burner are simple little things, but they really add enjoyment to my day.

I am a little hesitant to show you this next photo, because it is very embarrassing, but here it is...... our very cluttered and disorganised bookshelf, also the unpainted wall.

BUT, I am very proud to show you our new, organised bookshelf.......ta da. I have moved it against another wall so we can paint the previous wall next weekend. After moving it, however, I think I prefer it on the new wall. I'll show you more photos later when it's all finished.

So, there you have it. This is what I got up to today. I'd love to hear how you spent your Saturday.

I'll leave you with a quote by KC from the 'Little Homestead in the Desert' blog. She did a guest post on Kim's blog 'Mothering with Mindfulness' a couple of days ago that I really enjoyed:

".......stuff is just stuff. And stuff takes up precious space and creates clutter. With clutter comes chaos and with chaos comes stress."

 I have put this quote up on my wall to remind me why I'm taking the time to declutter. Thank you KC for these inspirational words and thank you Kim for inviting KC to do a guest post on your blog. 

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . .

(inspired by SouleMama)

A Woman on a Mission

I got up at 5am this morning which is early for me. The sky was a bright pink colour. Have you heard the saying: "A pink sky in the morning is a shepherds warning." Also "A pink sky at night is a shepherds delight." We have big rains forecast in the next few days. We could do with some more rain so I am pleased.

Looking down the back paddock was Milo the pony. She was in the chook yard. Very naughty. She had broken the fence overnight and had snuck in. I think the photo is blurry because it was still dark when I took it.

I had my first breakfast for the day and gave myself time to wake up.

7am I called my Health Coach. As part of my course we have to have phone or Skype sessions with a Health Coach who is assigned to us by IIN. My Health Coach is in the USA and she is lovely. We chatted for 1 hour which is the requirement. During this chat I talked to Deirdre about some new goals I want to focus on......... the main one being to declutter our home. We have lived in this home for eight years now and the clutter is beginning to accumulate. It is beginning to cause stress for me. So the only thing a wise woman can do is to get stuck into it and get stuck into it I have. I have begun in the book/study area, well that is what it is becoming anyway. We did have a bookcase against the wall and surrounding the bookcase was clutter. Clutter that I had collected from other areas in our home, other areas that I had decluttered. Now however, it's time to get serious. I have moved the bookcase to the side of the area. I am going through everything that was in the area and REMOVING things from our home. Before the day is over I am going to get the things that need to go and I'm putting them in the car. Then when I have finished they will be taken elsewhere. Then the room is going to be cleaned and then painted. I am thinking at the moment about how I want the area to look and what I want in it.

So, I had better get back to it. I AM going to finish going through the books today and then what we don't need are going to be taken to the town library tomorrow morning. That way I can't change my mind. I have taken some before photos and will take some after photos when I'm done. I can't put the before photos on my blog until I'm finished, it is too depressing. I'll do a before and after post when I'm done. Please send some great decluttering vibes my way, I need all the help I can get.

Hope you are having a lovely Friday.
Thanks for reading.
Love Julie xxoo