Friday I'm in love... with progress

No, not the Take That album, the concept. Sometimes things feel like they're stalling around here. We are busy with things that make it easy to let other little things slip by the wayside. Keeping in touch with friends. Reading that book I got for Xmas. Taking up the curtains that still drag on the floor every time I open them. It's easy to forget the little things when life takes over, and even easier to put them off in favour of crashing on the sofa back to back episodes of The Walking Dead after a very long day.

But slow progress IS progress. That's what progress is. You have to start somewhere. Just start.

This week we've had our spare room in complete disarray, with walls torn down, holes in walls and floors and dust. Dust everywhere. We've both been working, we've had an Arlo who doesn't want to sleep through the night, and had family visiting. So we probably could have been excused for leaving the DIY for a while until things get a little less manic. And believe me sanding and cleaning and painting are not my favourite things to do, but we've forced ourselves to get on with decorating and we're getting there. Yeah we're about one tenth of the way there, but that's got to be better than nowhere, right? I've made a promise to the family (because we all need the room to be functional and not covered in dust, after all) that I'm going to do something every day. Even if it's painting one floorboard. Or another quick hoover to get the day's fresh layer of dust. Just anything to feel like we're moving in the right direction. Because all those little bits of time will eventually add up to a room we can actually use.

And this new ethos (also known as 'just bloody get on with it') does not only apply to floorboards. It applies to everything - work, hobbies, housework, LIFE. It's a new thing I'm trying, instead of trying to do everything at once and feel bad for not keeping on top of it all. Because slow progress is still progress after all.

Walking this weekend #2

We had family staying this weekend from London and we couldn't think of a better way to spend a Sunday than a classic country walk and Sunday pub lunch combo. It was wintry and blustery as we walked along the coast, with Arlo holding his Grandma's hand along the way, and asking to be swung by whoever else was close by enough to hold his other hand. I love the last picture above where everyone is turned to face Arlo, as that's what it was like all weekend really - he had lots of attention and adoration from his Grandma and Aunty all weekend and he loved it.

Proud to be an introvert

Source: 10 comics every introvert will understand

Breakfast conversation this morning turned to someone who was described as 'shy'. I read somewhere this week that 40% of the population are 'shy', (I would link to the piece if I could only remember where I saw that stat - who knows if it's actually true!) because 40% of us are apparently introverts. Cue me trying to explain over eggy bread what it means and feels like to be introverted, and why that's different to just being 'shy'.

I feel like the term 'introvert' used to be a dirty word. Something to be embarrassed to admit to being. I can remember feeling very offended when someone described me as introverted years and years ago when I started uni because I thought of it as a by-word for socially awkward, shy or boring. Until I learned more about how the introverted mind works, I suppose I just thought I was someone who was quite shy around new people and enjoyed my own company. Then I saw things like this that were so spot on that I they felt like they'd been drawn just for me. Next time I get myself in a muddle trying to explain what it feels like, I'm just going to show them that.

Having a little look online about the term 'introvert' and the way introverts are represented has made me a bit miffed actually - it's lazy to just say that introverts are quiet, or like to be alone, without understanding why that is and that it's only half of the story. I love socialising, spending time with friends and meeting new people, but I genuinely find being social tiring. That's why I was always the person happy to leave the party in time for the last tube home (most of the time anyway) and leave everyone else to take the party on elsewhere.

So of course I wouldn't describe myself as 'shy', I'd say quiet. I wouldn't describe introverts as antisocial, I'd say we enjoy our own company. For me, quietness and space is the loveliest.

So then I got to thinking (not a Carrie Bradshaw reference) about parenting and what it means if you're introverted and like your own space and quiet time and not always being around others, because guess what? Being a mum is basically the opposite of all those things. And it changes you all of a sudden and very quickly. Maybe that's why I found it so hard in the first place, having no time to myself whatsoever. I think I'm getting the hang of it now, but it took some getting used to. And I tell you what, having a few mins to myself to write something like this with a cuppa is the kind of thing that keeps me sane. That and nap time.

I haven't done a very eloquent job of explaining the benefits of being an introvert (there are lots, I promise!) but this beautiful animation does a very good job, have a little look see.

Friday I'm in love... with sofa searching

Clockwise from top left: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

The main event in the Lewis-Wild household this week has been all kinds of demolition happening upstairs. We've ripped down a partition wall that's turned one weird bendy beige-carpeted corridor and one weird tiny room with no window into one big empty room with tonnes of natural light and freshly sanded wooden floorboards. The floorboards are going to be grey, with white walls everywhere (have I mentioned that I love white walls?!)

As well as office space for me when I work from home, we've now got space for a proper spare-room set up with a sofa bed for guests when they stay that can also be a second living room type set up. Which means new things must be bought and much pinterest-ing must happen along the way- we need a sofa, art for the walls, a lovely colourful rug...

...actually, maybe I need to look no further - I just need everything below. The pink sofa. The black and white cushions. My intense love for coffee made official via the use of enormous metal lettering. And the dog. OK mostly just the dog.

Discovering puddles

Because I'm in the middle of a couple of a busy work weeks, and Alex was demolishing certain parts of the house all day on Saturday (walls have come down! Before and after pics will follow, I promise), our family weekend this week has boiled down to one day: today. But what a today it's been. The weather has been ace and we drove across the Island to Bembridge, which although only being about half an hour away, is the furthest you can drive on the Island without hitting water, which for the average Islander might as well be the other side of the world. My mum called while we were over there and exclaimed "Bembridge! That's a VERY long way to go for a walk" as if we were on a different continent or something.

Two thing happened in Bembridge: we ventured out along a long thin bridge that lead out to a building on stilts where they keep the local lifeboat, which Arlo LOVED, and then we went for a wander which is when Arlo discovered the joys of puddles.

Wellies went on. Steps started off gingerly at the edge of shallow puddles, dipping in a toe first to literally test the water, but soon enough he was racing through them, wellies full of water, falling over all over the place, mud on hands, mud on face, mud in mouth... it was brilliant for ages and then it really quickly was terrible in a way things quite often are for toddlers. There were tears and a park bench for a quick change of outfit before heading out for lunch at our favourite place. A whole weekend squeezed into one brilliant day.

Oh HAI autumn

Should seasons have a capital letter? Is it Autumn, or autumn? I'm never sure. Either way, it's here. Arlo and I made the most of a short dry spell in what was otherwise a dreary grey rainy day this week to head out to the park for a run around and explore. It's so nice to have lots of space just around the corner - I've never appreciated space as much as I do now that he likes to run around everywhere!

Friday I'm in love... with hibernation

So it's definitely autumn. There were a number of clues this past weekend: It rained almost continuously. The heating was put on for the first time. We made a big pot of vegetable soup. I started to feel Christmassy.

I'm really pleased to welcome autumn. We had a weekend of hibernation last week - no plans and lots of time to spend together. We changed things around in Arlo's bedroom so it's all cosy and warm for him. Here's some of the things I want to make happen over the next few weeks: cosy reading nooks / blankets books and and tea / collecting for Xmas / fires in the wood burner.