Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Today has been a day for tidying up loose ends. I have been feeling really frustrated about my inability to get anything done round here.

I get 4 child-free hours during the week and recently, I've been wasting those grocery shopping, cleaning, doing laundry and a hundred and one other trivial household things. Today I decided to prioritise the things I really wanted to do instead.

So, took some photos of lovely buttons from Paula of Simple me and sent her a thank-you e-mail.

Can you ever imagine wanting to part with a stash like this? But I am so glad she did - thank you Paula. I plan to put them to very good use.

Started (and finished - it's a miracle!) a v
ery overdue bag that my Mum picked the fabric out for months and months ago.

It's a Tiny Happy model. Is there anyone out there left who hasn't made at least one of these? They are just so fabulous.

Got those infernal dice out of my house and into school for the May Ball.

Oh and I managed to sneak out of being on the PTA any more. Yippee - you have no idea how happy I feel about this. It's not that I mind helping out, it's those 3 hour meetings which suck every ounce of good temper out of me that I object to.

And took some gratuitous photos - something I haven't done in a very long time.

So the house is a sty and I've got a mountain of laundry piled up waiting to be put away. But I do feel better, much better. We all need to prioritise 'want-to-do' over 'need-to-do' once in a while.

16 comments:

ljm said...

So very true...and your tiny, happy bag came out great!

Anonymous said...

Ok, so I didn't even know about the tiny happy bag, but no stopping me now, except maybe that it is past 3am here, the only way I can currently get some quiet time to catch up on my bloglines - crazy!

Anonymous said...

I think it's all too easy to put ourselves last and dash about doing errands in child free time just because they are easier to acomplish quickly when you are on your own. Those buttons look great.

nuttnbunny said...

Hey! I've never made one! Something else to add to the list now :-) Yours, of course, is supreme.

Congrats on the PTA liberation!!!!

Anonymous said...

Child free hours? What is this of which you speak?

I still haven't made a bag either but I'm planning a small one with a long wide strap for eldest boy for those times when he doesnt have enough pockets. I have it in my head and the fabric in my box but very little time......

Anonymous said...

PTA meetings are an approved method of torture. Congratulations on your liberation.

laura capello said...

absolutely.

sometimes want-to-do is way more important than need-to-do anyway.

and i love your shoulder bag. and for the record, i haven't made one.

caroline said...

love the buttons - have been admiring Monica's too. Love the dice and the bag as well.

As for the PTA why do you think I went back to work?!

Anonymous said...

Love the bag and the buttons!
I know what you mean about PTA thingys, I'm on a similar thing for our Playgroup, and good god, I spend each meeting getting more and more mad inside!!!!
September will be a sweet relief for me!

Angel Jem said...

Want to? Need to? Both the same thing... you need to have childfree & you time. They're what used to be known as mental health days... and I take mine when I can with absolutely no guilt!
Glad to see you get so much done, have a good weekend!

velcro said...

good for you. I used to have 1.5 hours a day childfree when the FB was at nursery. I was damned if I was going to spend this precious time doing household stuff and spent it doing what I wanted. Absolutely lovely. Alas I've lost this freetime now, as walking home from his nursery and then back again is a little hard at present!

Make sure you keep those 4 hours for you

little special said...

got my buttons from paula this week too - wow, we were SO lucky!

well done on your day of success, hope there are many more to come.

xx

Commonplace iris said...

"I have been feeling really frustrated about my inability to get anything done round here."

Me too. It's so good to hear that I'm not alone. My husband's on a business trip (back sometime tomorrow) and I'm looking forward to some time to sew, or read or whatever takes my fancy.

It's all too easy to let the things that "have to get done" eat up all the times when the baby's napping/playing happily, but I must remember that those things will get done somehow (especially once husband's home) and I have to make space to do "me" things to keep sane (and to resent those necessary chores less when I am doing them)!

Oh, and I love that bag, beautiful lining fabric. (I think that pattern's lost among my bookmarks so that's a nice reminder/bit of inspiration.)

Anonymous said...

i have a bag I really need to complete for my mother too. She bought the material over a year ago!..and the laundry yes the laundry my day will be spent in the laundry!!

Anonymous said...

good for you! We all need to have me time. And those moments are really recharging just in time to tackle all those laundry piles

Jane said...

When I am looking for staff to help me I always pick mothers as they become very very adept at time management - squeezing things into naps and nursery time.

It is essential to prioritise otherwise you lose yourself in tidying up lego and dishes that untidy themselves as soon as you turn your back.

This is my first trip to your blog - which looks great, I shall bookmark it to peruse when I have more time.

Well done getting off the PTA - I am currently secretary and am already plotting how to get off gracefully by 2008!

J