Dining Room Progress - Part 2

So hubby has plastered and ripped up the old flooring and the weekend just gone has seen the commencement of the painting...So far ceiling and architraves have been done, hoping to get to the walls sometime this week!

This was just with undercoat...more pics to come :-)

Renovation Planning...

This is how we do it :-)

Two Options...

Today I had two options:

Option 1: Stress about the astounding amount of housework I have to do, rush around trying to get it done while my "needy" two year old keeps hounding me for things..."I need milk", "I'm hungry", I want shoes on", "I want shoes off", "waaah I don't know what I want..." resulting in stress, feeling like my head is going to explode, frustration (in both of us) and a day that would snowball as we would both not be feeling calm, me getting angry coz she's making too much noise and the baby will wake and then her fighting me for two hours in the afternoon trying to avoid going down for a much needed nap...throw an unsettled baby into the mix this is what we call MAYHEM!!  Get to the end of the day with a headache, feeling like I haven't achieved anything, rushing off my feet and a ball of stress to greet my hubby when he arrives home after a 12 hour day at work...Feel guilty about everything and be too tired to even think, let alone hold a conversation with my worn out hubby!!

Option 2:  Write a list of the things that I 'need' to do today then forget about them!! Put my full attention onto the needs of my children...If my two year old makes too much noise when the baby is sleeping take her outside to run around in the sunshine, sing songs, dance and LAUGH!!! Forget about being an adult and rediscover the magic in the world through my darling little princess' eyes and see the beauty that comes shining out of her heart every time our eyes meet.  Play hide and seek in between the sheets that I am hanging on the line, jump on the trampoline until I am puffed, push her on the swing and watch her close here eyes and relax as the warmth of the sunshine lands on her shoulders.  Take pride in the priceless smiles, goo's and gaa's that my baby boy makes and feel grateful for the two precious souls that are in my world.  Make housework a game that can be played by me and my two year old and feel privileged that she wants to be like me and copy what I do.  Be calm, happy, talk openly and LISTEN to the words that come out of her little mouth.  Marvel at the things her little brain thinks of and feed her imagination and creativity.  Cross off items on my list of things I 'need' to do in my spare moments because I have calm and contented children and feel a sense of satisfaction and achievement at the end of the day, not just for ticking of the list but for the moments shared with my children in which we shared a special spark, a moment that brings a burst of love from our hearts...Greet my hard working hubby with a relaxed smile and boasting of how proud he should be of his amazing kids and telling him about all the new and clever things they are learning and see him smile with pride and join in our relaxed and happy environment.

It is a choice. Children are such receptive little creatures and feed off the way we are feeling, even though we may not think we are showing it.

Today I chose Option 1 for about 5 minutes, then thought screw it I'm going to enjoy my life and went with Option 2...Life is grand!!

Dining Room Progress - Part 1

 

Started on the dining room last week... architraves and skirts sanded...now to clean and patch the plaster!!  Go here to see before shot.

A Simple Day in the Sunshine :-)

Simplifying Home Finances...

In what seems like another lifetime I worked in the financial planning industry (in fact it was only 6 months ago) but after many experiences over the 8 or so years that I worked in the industry I was left with a sick feeling in my stomach and swore I would never EVER go back...

I wasn't (nor am I now) the type of personal who would make a successful "financial planner" as I am not a ruthless salesperson looking to fill my pockets full of $$ whilst flogging of expensive products to clueless clients...ahem...did I just say that?!?

I have completed an Advanced Diploma in Financial Services (Financial Planning) and worked as a "paraplanner" which is pretty much the person who sits quietly in the back office and develops peoples' financial plans using notes the financial planner makes during client meetings and outlining the nuts and bolts of strategies that can be put in place.  A thankless job really but I do appreciate the knowledge it has given me to be able to apply to my own situation.

I fully believe that financial planning mostly consists of common sense...that together with patience, goal setting and determination and of course knowledge of a few facts and figures come in handy!!  There is certainly no "quick fix" financial solution that's for sure!

Now that I've been away from the industry for a while I finally feel like I can think about it again and think it is really time to get my own home finances in order... I am LOVING being a stay at home Mum and now that we are living on one income it is more important than ever to ensure our financial future is on track.  Being organised has never been a strong suit of mine but I'm going to go through the stash of paperwork in the cupboard (mainly because I need to move Ivy's clothes into that cupboard before the baby comes!) and hopefully share a few tips, tricks and strategies I come up with along the way...

Step 1... Organising
Step 2... Budgeting
Step 3... What's in your pots?
Step 4... Determine your goals
Step 5... Work it!!

As I'm trying to live a "Simple Kind of Beautiful" Life I'll endeavour to make each step as Simple and Beautiful as I can and maybe even try to include a few charts and tables along the way... Hope you enjoy and I would love to hear any feedback you may have!!

Please note that anything written by me on this blog is not a form of financial advice and that it is only general information.  You should consider seeing a reputable financial planner should you wish to receive advice in relation to your own financial situation.

My Grandparents' House...

When I was a child I remember my grandparents' house being a grand home with a large well manicured lawn and an abundance of flowers in the garden.  It was a holiday haven where I would spend hours playing hide and seek and other games with my brothers and cousins.  It was alway kept immaculate by my grandparents who were retired farmers and there were always fresh baked biscuits in the tin, rolled oats and freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast and red cordial in the pantry for hot days when we'd come inside after a good game of tennis.

I was browsing realestate.com.au this morning and there it was...for sale!  My grandparents sold it nearly 10 years ago when they were in their 70's and no longer needed or were able to care for the large yard and home. 

Now, the home is a bit of a shadow of its former grand self which is a bit sad...boy do I wish I had the money to buy it and give it some love!!

Sadly at $580k it is very much out of our price range...

Oh the many games of tennis that were played on this court!!

Kitchen is still as I remembered it with the exception of the bright blue wall...

Sunroom (used to be the TV room) has had the old cream lino removed and floor boards polished and the walls painted yellow rather than the old neutral cream.

Formal dining room...used to be carpeted but original wallpaper still remains

Formal lounge opening onto a front street facing balcony

Backyard looking back up to the house...My grandfather "Gundy" had a beautiful large vegie garden which is now just grass.

Back of house...

Main bedroom...eek!! Not a fan of the wall colour!!

Mum's old room...these people really weren't afraid of bold colour!!

Sue's old room...again...the colour...really?!?

Bathroom...Pink skirting....say WHAAAT?!?

Toilet / vanity...oh now I see where they're going with the pink...that doesn't mean I like it!

Other than the pink, bathroom area is still the original.

My grandma's old sewing room...now office.

Back deck with clothes line.

Downstairs games room...

The setting for many a family get together...Christmas and Easter Lunches and hours spent learning to play pool.

Might go buy a lotto ticket...