The one in which I finally show you pictures of our lounge

A while ago, before we moved, I read an entry over at Down to Earth about simplifying your bedroom and how important it is to have clear and relaxing place to sleep.
It makes sense doesn’t it? If you want to simplify your life, clearing up the clutter from your house makes a good place to start.

But at the time, reading that entry just made me sad. My bedroom wasn’t clear. My bedroom wasn’t a haven of relaxation. My bedroom wasn’t light and airy. In fact I felt like my whole house was in a constant state of disarray.

It might sound weird to people who don’t give two hoots about living in mess, but it simply isn’t me. I am an ordered person. I tidy up as I go along. It makes me stressed when things are strewn around, and it makes me doubly stressed when I am too embarrassed to invite people round on the spur of the moment because my house is a mess.

The problem I had was storage. I thought it was because our flat was small, but actually having moved into an even smaller flat I now realise it wasn’t that at all. No storage meant that even when things were tidily piled away they were still in sight, and let face it, piles are rarely tidy things. Things were cluttered, got dusty easily, and it was tiresome having to move everything and re-pile it when cleaning.

Add laminate floors into the mix and you have my downfall. I know, I know…laminate floors are meant to be great. Easy to clean and all that. But actually they just show up the dust two seconds after you have swept it and for me that’s just depressing and makes me not want to bother cleaning in the first place. I prefer not to be able to see the squalor I’m living in to be honest.

And that brings me to our current state of affairs post move and the joy that is our new flat.

Our new flat that has carpeting in the hall, living room and kitchen.

Our flat that doesn’t have a dining table in the sitting room so we have space to relax and entertain.

Our flat that has enough space to dry our laundry, so the basket isn’t always overflowing.

Our flat which has enough storage in the bedroom so our clothes are always packed away rather than strewn everywhere.

Our flat that has a sensible hot water system so we can have hot water for washing up whenever we want.

I think you get the picture. I love the new flat!

So, why don’t you see what you can de-clutter and tidy away today? I bet there are a few tops taking up space in your wardrobe that you hardly ever wear. What about all those toiletries that are stuck at the back of the bathroom cabinet? Why not have a swap party with your friends to get rid of some of your unwanted clutter?

What difference could it make to you? It might just mean you’ve got less housework to do, or it could totally improve your mood, your relationships, your motivation…your life!

Too un-cool for school

It seems to me that the majority of the authors of blogs I have read over the last few days have either just had a baby or are going to have one any day soon. It got me thinking about how when you’re a kid you always think that ‘when I have children I’m going to be the coolest parent ever’. Coupled with a conversation I had with a colleague yesterday where I said ‘that makes me sound old’ no less that four times, I have come to the conclusion that at 22 and a half years of age I have already reached (and left far behind) the point where I will ever be seen as ‘cool’ by any child. 

The last time I went to the local (posh) hairdressers I felt about 50.
First the hairdresser (picture stereotypical young hairdresser here) tried to talk to me about Big Brother… “Umm…I don’t have a TV, sorry”… cue eye brow raising.

Then she started asking me about what products I used on my hair and how I style it. (Bear in mind here that I normally get up about 35 minutes before I am meant to be at work and that time consists of a rushed shower and flapping round the house screeching at Josh to get me some cornflakes)

“Well I normally just blow-dry it and see what happens to be honest”…cue further eye brow raising and an incredulous “rigghhhht”. By this time I was regretting my decision to change hair dressers. I am clearly not cool enough for this place.

But then came the final question. The final nail in my coolness coffin.

“So, do you ever dye your hair?”
“Erm…no”
“What…never?”
“Erm…no”
“Well…er…wow, okay”
“Why? You do realise that your hair looks completely unnatural and you look like you’re made out of orange plastic right?” Okay, I didn’t actually say that because that would have been mean and she was holding sharp scissors, but I thought it alright.

How did I become so out of date all of a sudden? Probably at the same time as I got rid of my TV, never bother to listen to the radio, read magazines or to go into clothes shops.

But that’s okay. I’m alright with being uncool. So what, I’d rather look at moths with my husband than watch Big Brother, and my perfect holiday is one that I can wear wellies and not brush my hair. That’s fine.

But I’m still not going back to that hairdresser.