You know we all have those endless lists of jobs that we just don't have time for in the normal world? Well right now, unless you're working of course, it's technically the perfect time to get those niggly jobs sorted. Getting things done now will keep us busy but also make life even brighter when this all has passed at some point in the future and we can enjoy our homes knowing all these tasks are completed. The only downside is that we can't go out to buy supplies and although some shops are open and people are delivering, it feels a bit unnecessary right now to give people extra deliveries to do or people to serve just so we can have things we don't really need. With this in mind, I'm going to focus my efforts on doing jobs using what we have already stashed away in the house/shed and see what we can do to make the house a little nicer to be in, considering how much time we are now spending here! I thought I'd share a few of my plans for lock down, although I'm still keeping both kids busy, attempting to get some school type work done and stay sane all at the same time, so I'm not sure how much will be done. The main thing though is to keep focused, keep busy and try my hardest to keep safe at home so that I can mentally cope with the weeks/months to come.
A mass decluttering all round!
The thing that's getting to me the most right now is feeling like the walls are closing in. It's still early days and I'm already feeling a little hemmed in, so I have started having a bit of a clear out. I'm not following the Marie K book, although this would technically be the perfect time so I may look to that soon, but I have started small with my crammed full sideboard. The sideboard has 10 drawers of different sizes and each one is packed full of all sorts, from ten year old junk, actual rubbish (packaging etc) so many cables I don't even know what they are for and everything else in between. After just doing the two larger drawers I had filled a bin with rubbish and sent lots of paper and old cards to the recycling. I'm sorting my clothes out properly now I have time and bagging them up to stick in the clothes bank when we can get out or stick in a cupboard for now. The kids toys have already been through a bit of a cull, but now they are at home a lot more it will be easier to decide what they will and won't use. Next up is going through my bedroom drawers to get rid of some of my health and beauty products which I love trying and buying, but tend to stick to the same ones for a long time. Anything new can be gifted if I won't use it, but there's bound to be things in there from years ago that I can bin. I can't even imagine a house with less clutter but to keep me mentally sound at the moment this needs to be done!
Make the garden lovely!
As we'll send more time in the garden too, I really want it to be a nicer place to be. Last year we did a lot of clearing, cleaning and planting out there, so there isn't really lots to do, but it still doesn't really have a nice sitting area or enough flowers and plants for my liking. We have lots of pots and have already got to planting seeds. Now we just need to weed, sort the climbing plants out that have grown massively since last summer but will soon be covered in beautiful flowers. We also need to jet wash the patio and concrete flooring, as we have a small yard there is no grass and the floor does get messy after winter, this clean always makes the biggest difference! As for plants, I'm going to try and add a new one to our weekly shop so I'm not making extra shopping trips and hopefully it'll all begin to take shape. At the moment we have two chairs out there, so I may order a bench or something so we have more seating when things calm down a little in the world.
Work on myself mentally and physically
Although this is a horrible time, it is giving me a lot of time to think and realise what's important as well as what I enjoy. I have a brilliant meditation app on my phone which I use when I start to feel stressed, but I've realised how much the daily routine affects my mental health now it's all changed. I am really missing the kids I work with at school, so this gives me confidence that school work is still where I want to focus, but I am also getting loads of creative time to do my art and create work for my own kids to keep them busy which I'm really enjoying. Health wise, I feel like mentally I am able to cope better than normal, which is weird considering the threat going on just outside! I think having everyone home safe where I can see them really helps and I know this can't last forever, but it's a welcome break to the normal anxieties I struggle with. As I can already feel my weight creeping up and my back has been agony this week, I'm going to try harder to eat better and look after myself. It's crazy that in just a few weeks all my old ailments are creeping back, simply from less walking and bad posture sitting with the kids most the day. I need to work out ways to stay active and keep my muscles going strong as it's scary not being able to stand or roll over in bed. I also plan on making the most of our outdoor time, not just for exercise but also for photography, playing with the kids and just getting the most of all the good stuff we normally take for granted, staying away from other humans of course!
Sort out the bedrooms
Our bedrooms are all starting to look like we've been burgled ten times over, so they need a major sort out. The kids wardrobes will need to be sorted as they still have clothes that are too small and so many toys just everywhere. Our room is now Adam's home office so I really need to make the rest of it as homely and comfortable as possible. It's hard not having our bedroom, but we are lucky we can both stay home safe to work while so many are out there putting themselves at risk to help others and keep working. All the rooms could do with redecorating but I know this is unlikely unless this does go on for a few months!
Make use of the play room
The kids play room is just full of storage for toys, the kids art, old school books, craft bits and dress up. We really need to make that into a useable space for the kids so that our living room is left a bit clearer. With every room gradually getting trashed this is really hard to juggle! I'm hoping if we make better use of the play room/kids room then we can keep some more of the house in a better state. As my back has been bad, clearing up has been hard work and although the kids help, it really all needs a good few days purely focusing on sorting, and this is the best place to start.
Clean the windows
We cancelled the window cleaner about 9 years ago because he came every 4 weeks, did only the front windows and cost £11 which for us was too much to be paying out so regularly. Since then, we've cleaned them on and off, but they all need a really good deep clean all the way round. We have a washing broom attachment for the hose, a jet washer and sponges, so I may even get the kids involved so we can get stuck in and let more sunshine into our home.
Do some decorating
This is very likely to not happen but I'm going to say it anyway! Every room needs some kind of decorating or retouch. We have lots of paint, all the brushes, rollers and sheeting we could need as well as time, so technically nothing is stopping us!
The only thing holding me back on all this right now is my back is going into spasm every time I move and I've also just got zero energy! I'm hoping if I improve my food intake and exercise a little more then I will get in the swing of things.
If you're isolating right now, what are your plans?
