So I’ve always been a huge fan of DIY (I follow Builder’s Warehouse on Instagram and initially got my own DIY kicks from Live Love DIY one of my favourite bloggers, who coincidently is also now a mom and also secretly DIYs in the evening hours) and home décor inspiration; just let me loose in a Mr Price Home, bric-a-brac shop, Coricraft store or Block and Chisel.
But since having kids three and a half years ago, my total (singular, just me) DIY contributions to this house has consisted of: a Christmas wreath, some painting in my toddler’s room plus putting up a giant wall art sticker of the World across his cupboards and some vintage picture frames that I re-purposed.
I’m sure there are some other things but I’m drawing a blank.
We HAVE however (collective ‘we’ as in myself, hubby, mom and father-in-law) done the following: repaint the kitchen walls, cupboards and remove wallpaper, repaint the bathroom walls, tiles and floor, repaint the entire INSIDE of the house including skirting (Never. Again), spray painted a vintage mirror frame and hung it (my mom), repainted and fixed up: our outside bench, two cupboards in our lounge and outdoor table (again, my mom. I should pay her), install shelving in our laundry and toddler’s room (hubby) and a couple other things.
So we have certainly done a fair amount of work but I still feel my individual efforts are a bit lacking. It has nothing to do with the fact that I have children. Oh no, none at all. Do you see the sarcasm spilling out onto your screen. SERIOUSLY! How on earth do we get ANY DIY done when we have littles running around? It is enough to make sure the house is clean and tidy (to an extent), the laundry is done and everyone has something to eat.
I sometimes start the day thinking, When I get home tonight, I’m going to hang those picture frames! I’m going to sort out the linen cupboard! I’m going to make a craft centre for my toddler! Um, no. First of all I have a H.E.C.T.I.C job, especially at the moment. I’ve been working many evenings with the scrap of energy that remains to me, and any thought of doing anything ‘miscellaneous’ is just not going to happen.
It’s hard as parents to try have energy to be productive in the evenings. Once I’ve gotten home, fed the kids, bathed the kids and put them to bed with cuddles and stories, made supper for us and watched a bit of TV, I’m pretty much almost ready for bed. That’s probably why this blog has suffered the last month or so – I’ve just not had the want or energy. Anyone else feel like this?
I do look ahead and know that at some point I’ll be able to do some DIY on the weekends once the kids are a bit older (well, especially my 14 month old), so until then I’ll hang in there and get excited about making an A4 potty chart stuck up with prestick in Benjamin’s room, or that I bought new proteas on the weekend and set them out with a flourish on the bookshelf. #lookatme
I would love to paint a feature wall, dye our couch covers, get new cushion covers, raise our curtain rails, create a photo wall, build an Instagram photo frame… and so much more. I’ll let you know once I manage to get any of those done by the end of the year!
Good night, I’m off to bed. The Kids are Sleeping.
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