We bought this house exactly 8 years ago and about 4 months later Grant was boarded and so our financial situation changed to where I became the "breadwinner" - on a teacher's salary!
So the fact that we'd bought an old house that needed EVERYTHING doing became problematic.
The family who lived here before us had chickens living in the house!! So the lounge was almost uninhabitable as it was full of chicken poo! We had to rip the carpet up and because it was still in so much need of a face lift, that room became the store room for quite a while. (The chicken situation also recquired a complete fumigation before we moved in!)
Slowly we were able to get it painted and a new carpet fitted etc. and it became a room that we could use again. However it was and still is a work in progress - however the progress has become stagnant of late. There is a plan but it is not a happening plan.
Attached to the lounge is a "sun room" which used to be a front stoep (porch) but was enclosed by a previous owner. It is perfect for a dining room but it has been crammed with stuff for the last 8 years.
In those 8 years we have acquired a lot of toys (as you do) and we were being overrun by toys - especially the soft kind (Niaves favourite) and so a plan had to be made. A playroom was recquired!
It was one of those projects that I have been wanting to do for years but just didn't know where to start. It is also the kind of project that can't be done with lots of interruptions.
It is also the kind of project that needs a friend to kick your butt to get going!!!
That friend was Lisa!
She made sure that while Bryce and Abi were at Holiday Club we started sorting and throwing out loads and I mean LOADS of junk. About 5 boot loads in fact!! And also a lot that went with Louise that was still good enough to play with but that we didn't want anymore.
And so we were able to transform this:
into this:
in 3 days:-)
It still needs work and especially a floor covering but the toys are sorted and everything has a place, it's amazing how different the girls have been playing because it's all functional and it's much easier to pack away because everything has a place.
I also got started on a storage cupboard to try and find space for all the stuff we had to keep but don't want in the playroom. In that cupboard I found another boot load of boxes - empty boxes. Boxes from toys that we don't even have anymore!! Why I was keeping them I have no idea!!
They are now at the dump! I discovered a new recycling spot during this exercise and I have visited them quite a few times last week.
The girls are very excited about their new playroom and Lisa even stayed till after midnight one night sewing new pillow cases for old scatter cushions I had lying around.
It's a very liberating feeling getting rid of ones junk! There is still a lot of liberating to be done but 1 step at a time....
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