"look at your big bum, mum"
mother bodies, what we learn when we pay attention and planning a spring clean
Watching the Matildas game last night was exactly what I needed. Considering I’d never watched a game of soccer before 5pm yesterday, it was quite a marvellous feat to call myself a fan for life three hours later. The calibre! The tension! The skill! The ponytails! So good.
It was the golden energy I needed after another big week of all the normal stuff that everyone seems to be navigating at the moment. There’s a bit of heaviness about, isn’t there. Is it end of winter weariness? The disappointment of seeing daffodils and blossoms so early and the unsettled feeling that things aren’t quite right. If you’re in the northern hemisphere perhaps it’s summer holidays coming to an end; looking forward to routine again but knowing that you’re heading towards the shorter, brisker days of autumn. And then there’s the dread of a grocery shop that, regardless of where you live, costs so much more than you thought was possible and the realisation that it’s now officially cheaper to buy cookies than make them at home because the cost of butter and choc chips alone is more than the packet variety. If you’re feeling a bit lacklustre right now, you’re not alone.
If I consider years past, this feeling isn’t altogether uncommon at the end of winter. All of a sudden the small corners of clutter and fingerprints on windows must be dealt with - stat. I look at what we have and think that perhaps it’s too much and start pondering what I can let go of to make more space. Our small home isn’t getting any bigger but the kids aren’t getting smaller, either, and this is starting to become a bit of a problem. Juggling normal life and a decent spring clean isn’t ever straightforward but I find that going in with a clear plan and an achievable to-do list keeps me on track and ensures the seasonal refresh actually gets done. Here’s how I do it: