The Declutter Continues...

Since my last post we have filled my car three times with donations for the local opp shop (charity store). Hubby has has a reorganise in our shipping container and I have cleared the kitchen draws and found more children's clothing that no longer fits.

I still have a way to go with the master bedroom and walk in robe. It is not a restful and relaxing space at the moment and I'm feeling a bit stuck as to how I can make it the retreat it should be.

I can't believe how cluttered it still feels overall in the house :-( I expected to have a lot more space and calm, but I'm a long way off yet. What should I declutter next? What can I let go of and what will make the biggest impact? 

Steady Weight and a Size 12

I have had a steady weight for a full month now and my body shape seems to have settled nicely into a size 12-14.  

I'm thrilled with the way I look in clothes now and although I'd like to tone up a little more, I don't want to lose more weight.

Although I have been lucky not to have had major problems with stretched skin, I have noticed that the skin on my stomach, thighs and breasts have lost elasticity and there is some sagging and creping of the skin.  

I feel thankful that it is not much worse - I know of other people who have suffered terribly from loose skin and skin conditions after significant weight loss.  So, while I'm happy with my current situation, I am conscious that further weight loss would only aggravate the issue.

The Girls Shared Space

The final room and most difficult to complete has been the girls room. Dismantling and moving the bunk was tough enough, but condensing two bedrooms in one was the biggest challenge.

Luckily the room was a decent size to begin with and with some careful placement, the furniture fits in nicely.  We had to lose an arm chair, but otherwise, floor space has been the only sacrifice.

I'm proud of my eldest daughters decluttering efforts. She was able to let go of several bags of soft toys and books for donating and put four of her beloved pillow pets into storage to help make space in her wardrobe for her sister's belongings.

The ugly cardboard box on top of the white tall boy dresser is thankfully only temporary. It houses week old chicks being raised for my eldest daughters annual school Pets Day. They will be ready to move outside in another 4-5 weeks once they are bigger and the weather has improved.

So that is phase one complete! Kids rooms and the home office all done.  Next I will be moving onto the master bedroom, wardrobe and bathroom.  I'm hoping this won't be to tough as I've been slowly chipping away at it for a couple of months now.  Will keep you updated :-)

Home Office - The Basics are There

Here is the new home office.  There is still another desk to fit in under the second window and a small bookcase in the corner, but they are not in as yet, because we haven't yet bought them ;-)

We are trying to source suitable cheap or free options, so it could take a bit of time before it is a fully functional space.  For now, it is nice to have the space in the room.

The natural light in the space is lovely and the view from my desk allows me to see any visitors that come to the house. I could actually envisage a door from the front of the house leading in to the space to give it separate access.

The very best thing about the desk moving out of the master bedroom is that my 'zen den' is once again freed up for yoga sessions. I have already had my first session in several weeks and it was great!

First Room Complete

This is my son's room all tidy and organised.

We have got the toys down to two bins, a basket of cars and his train set, which is stored in a separate bin on the other side of the wardrobe.

He has kept his 'tree hanger' for hanging clothes / costumes and there is a small laundry hamper for dirty laundry.

His sofa has been replaced with a comfy old armchair and a small table and chairs from the girls rooms.  Probably much more functional than a whopping great sofa!

Now it's time to work on the other rooms and a mountain of washing which has built up over the weekend. I swear I was up-to-date on Friday! Oh well :-( 

Phase 1 - Declutter Kids Rooms

This boot load of books and toys is the result of a major declutter in the kids rooms. 

After we had sorted items for donating, I further edited down the toys, filling three 60 litre storage bins which are ready to go down to our shipping container.

This was necessary to make space for the girls to share a bedroom. Although their room is large and they share a bunk bed, there was still a lot to fit in the space and we wanted some floor space for them to play.

My son now has a load of space in his room, having moved the sofa out into our new home office.  His room is the only one that we have completed so far. The other two rooms are almost there, so I will finish them off tomorrow when the house is empty and I can really get stuck in.

The kids seem happy with the changes overall and are rediscovering toys that had been hidden amongst the clutter.  There has been the odd moment of concern, about not having as many toys or missing the familiar mess, but, it is something they need to come to grips with - just as I will when I come to decluttering my possessions.

More pics coming tomorrow!

Preparing for the Big Spring Clean!

It's that time of year and we are preparing for a big Spring clean and annual declutter of the house ahead of Christmas and the end of year holiday season.

The house seems to be bursting at the seams with toys, books, children's artwork, paperwork, clothes and collectables. We battle it day in and day out, but, ultimately it overtakes the house and an annual declutter is the only way to get it under control.

The difficult thing for me is that I'm not a minimalist. I'd really like to be, but I just have to keep a certain amount of clutter around me. It's hard to let go of treasures that have been accumulated over time, but I'm determined to be ruthless this year and let go of a lot of my stash.

Part of this year's process has been a change in the kids rooms.  The need for a work space has escalated with me working more from home. So we've moved the girls in together into the largest of the kids rooms and freed up a bedroom to become a home office.

It's not ideal, but I'm hoping that they will cope with the arrangement for a year or so, just until we can organise a separate office (probably a converted shipping container) when we can afford it.

This has meant that it is even more important to cut down on the clutter and free up storage space.  I'd like to live more simply and have less mess in my life. I'm hoping for a dramatic change to benefit family life!

Still the Same

Today my weight sits at 78.5 kgs.  That's almost exactly the same as it was 3 weeks ago.  That is quite an achievement! I have been trying to keep a steady weight and so far it is working!

I've been introducing a few carbs back into my diet -  small portions here and there. I've also eased up a bit on sugar - the odd biscuit or sweet.

I've actually found it quite tough to eat enough to keep my weight steady. It takes a lot more than I've been used to eating to keep weight on.

I've been a bit lax on good nutritional choices the past week. I've not been terrible, but I can do better. I'm not worried because I know I'll get back on track. 

Self Care Not Surrender!

I've really struggled through the last few weeks. Everything has felt so demanding.  I really can't say one thing has been worse than the other - it's all been taking it's toll.

I feel I'm doing my best to give as much as possible and in positive ways, but it never seems to be enough. I feel drained dry. I can't be everywhere, do everything all at once or keep everyone happy! Constantly rushing from one thing to another has left my head spinning.

How can I continue on an affirmative course when I'm exhausted and disheartened? There must be some way for me to re-energise and get back on track while still keeping on top of all the demands of my life.

Less demands would be nice - but not realistic :-( A holiday would be lovely, but is definitely not on the cards! I think it is going to come down to very effective planning, to fit in time for myself to recharge the batteries.

Self care is something that I've failed to prioritise lately and I can't see how I can continue to care for everyone else when I'm barely holding it together myself.

Next week, I am going to work in 4-6 hours of time across the week - just for me, to look after... me.  I need some time to relax my mind and sort out how I'm going to get back on track with energy and motivation. Surrender is not an option!