Keep Calm and Cook Bacon

Change is not easy.  I am the first to admit that I resist it.  It takes effort, and its so much easier to sit here in my Pit and let things go to hell around me.

I've taken on a lot of change over the years. And these days I'm getting the hang of it.  One thing I know is to Keep Calm about it.  Don't stress, otherwise it will collapse on you in days.  Set your goal/s, make sure they are realistic, then head steadily towards them.

Bacon will help. Unless you have moral and/or religious grounds against it. In which case insert comfort food of choice.

What I mean is, REWARD yourself.

There will be up days and down days.  You will succeed at some goals, and you will utterly fail at others.

But regardless, be KIND to yourself.

Every time I make changes some of them stick, and some don't.  But I always end up in a better place than before.

So, today/tomorrow I launch myself into the next phase of change in my life.  Nothing dramatic, just life-style adjustments, needed ones.

1. Taking being a Work At Home Mum seriously - this means a set routine of running the house / writing.  I've been figuring out what works for me/family over the last few weeks and now have a schedule.  Yep, it gets derailed every single day, but already my productivity is up and frustration is down.
2. Weightwatchers - Put on 8kgs over the last year, clothes too tight, look like a sausage bursting out of its skin and double chin developing (shudder).  Weightwatchers has worked for me over and over. Also, on Weightwatchers I can cook and eat bacon.
3. C25K - Excercise. I walk, a lot.  I used to run, a lot.  Am taking on the Couch to 5k to start running again.  Do not expect to see me in a marathon anytime soon.
4. Month of Happiness - Naomi over at Seven Cherubs is doing a month of happiness.  Check out her blog to get the details.  We all need to focus on the good stuff.

How about you? Thinking about change? In the midst of change? Wanting to change but overwhelmed by it?

From Chaos to Control: Part 2: The Laundry

Step 1. Airing out the House is complete

The next step in bringing a feral house under control is to get the washing on.

Even if you haven't got the time or the energy to do anything else, when you stick a load on you're making a dent in the whole horrible crap-heap.

Step 2. Get The Washing On

• Place a washing basket in a central area
• Toss every article of clothing that is on the floor into the basket
• When the basket is full empty it in the middle of the laundry floor
• Repeat until there are no more clothes on the floor - this may take a while if you are a parent to girls who have to change outfits every 14 seconds
• If you have trained your children/husband to actually use the laundry baskets in their rooms, empty them on the pile - you will be amazed what you will find at the bottom. Amazed. 
• Add in all the dirty towels and bathroom mats
• Forget the beds.  Do them another time. Nobody ever died of sleeping on dirty sheets (well, not at my house)
• Have a rest and contemplate your pile of dirty laundry. 
• Now is a good time to photograph it and post it on the internet (unless you phone has a flat battery, ahem), 
• Also to check facebook, twitter and your blog stats,
• Sip your tea. Microwave it if its gone cold
• Next, sort the whole heaving mess into colour coordinated piles.

My teeny weeny laundry

• Now wash the pile that has the most important things in it
• Your own clothes first - I always used to do mine last, and never had anything to wear 
• Then, whatever you need to get you through the following day - eg school uniforms, underpants...
• Go and have a sit down and watch Dr Phil.  You've earned it.  Also he might be talking about 'abandoned child reunited with siblings,' or 'tarty girls get called tarty,' both excellent daytime viewing.

Home Made Laundry Powder

• Home made laundry powder is excellent stuff
• A lot cheaper than commercial brands
• Easy to make
• I use two parts lux flakes, one part borax, one part washing soda (NOTE: I'm having a lot of trouble finding lux flakes these days)
• Down To Earth has loads of info
• If you are overwhelmed and the house is trashed, its likely you have neither time nor energy for making your own laundry powder. Save it for when you've got time, and use the bought stuff for now.  That's what I do.
• Certain loads always need a bit more oomph (like when the article has been soaked in bodily fluids and left in a knotted up plastic bag for a week).  I always keep OMO and napisan on hand for loads like that (also tongs).

The brilliant thing about the washing is that it takes time - so if you are busy with other stuff you can do a load now and then, and still feel like you're getting the house under control.

Use the dryer, or hang-out the wet stuff - whichever is easiest. Be virtuous and save electricity when the house is calm and you have the energy.  Now is the time to use the short cuts like the dryer.

Time taken: About an hour.

From Chaos to Control: Part 1: Introduction and Smells

Stressed out, over-whelmed, over everything, stacking on weight, exhausted, short tempered and my blood pressure is on the rise.

It does not take Einstein to figure out that maybe one or two things need to change in my life.  Sadly several of the things causing the most amount of stress are beyond my control, and not able to be changed. Living with a child with Aspergers, for example.

But, a lot of things can change, and I can also arrange things so that stressors have less of an impact.  Calm Cait reacts so much better than frazzled Cait to a no-holds-barred tantrum.

My house slips out of control on a regular basis.  The clutter creep is endlessly persistent, and it only takes a few days before a clean surface is chest high in dumped stuff.  I'm inside these four walls all day, every day, and the environment being so messy irritates me constantly.  It makes me feel overwhelmed, and it takes three times as long to find anything, which is exhausting and frustrating.

The first part of the journey from Chaos to Control is getting the house in order. This is going to be no small task.  Especially as we are enduring foul foul weather so everyone is inside and messing it up the moment you get it tidy.

I begin with making the place smell better.  It really helps.

1. Smells

• Tea
• When tackling a job of epic proportions the first thing I do is make a cup of tea - true, today I couldn't actually get the kettle under the tap due to the pile in the sink, but I persisted and got a brew on.
• Tea will keep you hydrated, and give you a chance to stop and contemplate how far you've come.
• I recommend you don't put your nice hot cup next to an old half-full cup.   Just sayin.
• Open the doors and windows
• Stride around the house flinging open doors and windows.  Air the place out, banish the stale mustiness. Banish it, I say.
• Deodorise
• I use essential oils - get the burner out and get some good oils wafting around
• Lavender
• Tea Tree
• Eucalyptus
• Any citrus based oil (orange, lemon, grapefruit)
• My fave combination is Lime, Frankincense and Lavender

• Incense 
• Yes it makes the place smell like you've been smoking pot, but it keeps away flies and mozzies
• Glen 20
• I am not one for spraying chemicals about, BUT, we have a dog and we let him sit on the furniture - well, we forget to kick him off it.
• Glen 20 is awesome for getting rid of dog/cat/kid smells that may have seeped into your furnishings.  Its also a disinfectant.
• Air fresheners
• I don't use them, but there's heaps to choose from in the supermarket.  
• You can make some beautiful chemical free ones to squirt about - I occasionally do (emphasis on the occasionally).  I'll do a post on them next week.
• Scented candles
• Brew some coffee
• Stick the bread-maker on

Time taken: around 10 minutes.

So, it may seem like a weird way to start getting your house under control. Its always worked for me.  Cup of tea and freshen the place up.  Then you can get stuck into the rest of it.