House Swap

A couple of weeks ago we had a cyclone coming. To stop the house ending up looking like Dorothy's from The Wizard of Oz we decided at dinner time to move the house around, just until  the cyclone had been and gone but we loved it so much we decided to keep it this way permanently.  Our house is a very odd shape and I've struggled with where to put stuff and how to make it work for us, pretty unsuccessfully so far. 

Before our lounge room was right at the front of the house right next to the kitchen.

Our playroom was at the opposite end of our living area. To be honest it wasn't fabulous but we didn't really think we had much option being a rental. 

So we swapped the two areas around, and I have to say I love it.

!

Its a bit cosy and lovely. Less open and not right at the front of the house so I don't have the neighbourhood kids starring at me daily while I'm feeding Aurelia, always a bonus!

I'm so in love with the playroom, its so open and bright and having a couple of couches for them to hang out on has been a plus as far as they are concerned.

The kids absolutely did well out the swap. I've been found hanging out in that armchair when they are watching yet another episode of Peppa Pig.

Did you spy the sleeping baby? Bless her for letting me tidy up to take some photos!

House Love Part 1

Michael and I have been together for almost 8 years. In that time we've lived in no less than 9 houses. The maximum time we've ever lived in one house was 12 months. I know, you want to be me don't you?

So we've just signed another lease so from next month we will have been in this house for 12 months. So instead of packing and bond cleaning I have this need to re-organise and clean. I have such an exciting life don't I?

So on my list is the pantry, the linen cupboard, my clothes and this mess. 

This is what it looked like before, and no matter how much I tried it kept creeping further and further out towards the rest of the house and in the words of Marge Simpson, I spend 23 and a half hours a day in this house you cant escape me! 

In case you couldn't tell it was all me that was doing it the boys were just watching me like I was a mad woman. Which to be fair is probably what I looked like. 

It took two hours but I managed to cull an entire toy box of stuff and the joy I got from getting the dust and dirt from behind the bookshelf and toy boxes was not proper. 

The finished product! It's been a few days and it still looks pretty much like this. 

And if they do make a mess and don't put everything away its not staring at me. 

Next a big vinyl sticker for that blank wall above their little chairs and I'm done. 

Now what to do next pantry or linen cupboard? 

My husband bought me a robot

Yesterday morning when I took the kids to school I had this baby going.

The closest thing I'm going to get to having my very own maid. Yep this bad boy is a robotic vacuum . For those of you who have seen the state of my floors or met my children you will know this is a little piece of heaven in a box.
This bad boy vacuums in places even I don't, and after 25 minutes it finds its recharging dock so it can charge up and start all over again and tells you when there is a problem like when it ran over a baby sock it told me to clean the brushing arm, how awesome is that?! I had it clean under the boys beds when we left the house and I had the washing machine on, the dishwasher on, the dryer on and the slow cooker on.
Now my life should be easier and my house spotless right?

I said should not will. 




If you'd like to read a proper post that doesn't involve my amazing domestic goddess abilities I'm a guest over here today. 

How do you do it?

This is what I wish, hope dream of. Being a awesome 1950's housewife, pretty dress nice shoes, spotless house, time to bake with the children, enough energy in a day to spend quality time with my husband when he gets home from work.

Unfortunatly this is more realistic, I just don't seem to have enough time, a typical day runs like this:

5.30am- James wakes me up, demanding cartoons. I try to get him breakfast and me coffee before....

6am- Charlie wakes up demanding to be fed and changed. Breakfast followed by half a bottle.

7am- Jack gets up sits on the lounge until I tell him to eat breakfast.

Between 7-8.30- I shower, get myself dressed, get the kids dressed, try to stick on a load of washing, usually give Charlie the rest of his bottle, pack Jack's school bag, make sure he's cleaned his teeth and has sunscreen on before we walk to school.

9am- Once Jack's at school James Charlie and I usually have something on playgroup, swimming lessons, library etc. I try to get Charlie to have a little nap in the pram or in my arms, he usually falls asleep once were in the car on the way home, has 5 minutes sleep in the car then thinks he should be up for another 3 hours.

11.30ish- Give Charlie his lunch, mke lunch for James and I, some TV time for James while I give Charlie his lunch bottle, put both of them to bed by 1pm

between 1-2.30pm- They usually both sleep, this is the time for me you say? No. This is the time I have to get the washing up done, vacum, sweep the floors, clean the bathroom, put clothes away, make dinner for the big kids and I, make pureed veg or fruit for Charlie.

2.30pm- Wake the little boys up so we can pick Jack up from school at 3pm.

3-5pm- Give the big boys their afternoon snacks, put on the sprinkler for them to play in, try to talk to Jack about how his school day was, try to keep Charlie amused and not cranky while I hang out the washing, this usually means giving him his mesh bag with some chopped up fruit in it, get in the washing from yesterday, get the playdough out for the kids to play in.

5pm- Charlie has his dinner. 

5.30- Charlie and James have a bath, Jack has a shower (he's almost 5, which means he's too grown up to bath with his brothers,apparently) which involves me trying to get charlie done quickly so I can wash Jack's hair and get him his body scrubber so he can wash himself while watching James in the bath, listening to Charlie scream the house down while I try to get them both washed.

6pm- Big boys have their dinner and Charlie has his bedtime bottle, poor kid has been up since 2.30 and is exausted.

6.30pm- Charlie goes to bed, I try to eat my own dinner, stop the big boys going crazy.

7pm- Michael gets home, we try to spend some time together and with the boys before...

7.30pm- Jack goes to bed. We try to spend some time with James before he goes to bed at...

8.30pm- James is in bed, I fold washing that came in earlier, make Jack's school lunch, do a quick tidy of the kitchen.

However long this takes then were in bed ourselves. Chrlie doesn't wake us up but James has been finding monstors ,and Jack's been having bad dreams, so I'm up at least once a night.

Now I know your saying yes but you still make it on to facebook once a day and you can blog about how busy you are. Yes I do, and yes I can. With a grumbly Charlie on my lap typing one handed is usually how I do it. Or 5 minutes to myself once the boys have their afternoon nap.

My question is how can I possibly find more time in the day to have me time? Apart from hiring a cleaner or nanny or putting the kids in care?