Finding joy in the everyday

Who is a time waster? Lets be honest with each other? I am and I am sure you are to.  I am very good at checking my mail, popping onto Facebook to say hi (I am a friendly gal), visiting Pinterest (someone might have posted something new), reading the next chapter of my book, day-dreaming, talking to Ruby (the cat!), wandering around the garden all because I don't really want to clean the bathroom.   I know every trick in the book to avoid doing something I don't want to do and I doubt I am NOT alone with this one.  Wasting time doesn't always mean I am not doing something - it just means I am doing something  else instead of what I should be doing! I am finding other more interesting things to do to avoid doing the ones that aren't very exciting i.e. cleaning the bathroom!! Sewing instead of making dinner.  Reading instead of vacuum-cleaning.  Surfing the net instead of  dusting. Watching TV instead of cleaning th...

Yesterday was the start of the end of year sales.  I had been waiting for them as I really needed some new manchester.  Off I went at 8am (not that I really wanted an early start on Boxing Day!) and bought what I wanted without any hassles and no crowds.  It was quite a stress-free experience!  By the time I got the car at 9:15am the car park was starting to fill up and I left just in time. Buying a doona cover that suits both a male and female can be tricky.  My DH does not like girly white/pastels/pink covers. So I hunted around for something that we would both like and this is what I found and DH loved it. It is very rich in colour (not that the photo shows this) and in a heavy fabric (unlike many that are in a soft cotton).   This isn't likely to show black hair from one fluffy cat!! Besides the doona, I also picked up 2 sets of sheets (1000 thread Egyptian cotton) and a memory pillow for my son. If you live near a Harris Scarf's store - it is the best...

Enough of vacations - back to the domestic world ..... I am at home all this week on holidays (alone) and I thought Monday would be "cleaning the kitchen day".  With the help of Ruby  (you can see her in the photos "helping") I have spent the morning doing just that and it felt great.  So far I have thrown away 3 bags of rubbish (old/broken plastic containers, lids with no bottoms, things I never use etc...) plus a bag of food past the due by date.  And this is what it looks like now ...... clean and organised ....... however non of the males (husband and sons) will be able to find anything for a while.  Just have to mop the floor, but I will do that when I eat my lunch. One thing I did do was move the herbs and spices - they were in a cupboard (slightly above my head) which that made it hard to see what I needed, now they are in the drawer (near the stove) and all I have to do is open and read the labels - should make looking for what I need much easier. Whil...