HERE COMES THE SUN MOMMA:
10 fun ways to shake off your lockdown winter home and bring you and the family into summer!
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It has been a long winter, even longer with the added lockdown and the daily doom and gloom of this dam virus. So much that I started resenting the beautiful four walls I called home. This was my special place, my refuge, my “get away” from it all. And then lockdown happened. These four precious walls started looking like a beautiful prison designed by the many pins I collected on Pinterest.
Summer is about to get in full swing and I needed to change things up a bit.
A rebirth, the renaissance of our little nest. I always felt a good spring clean is good for the mind, body and soul.
I was about to take this to the extreme, without having to buy a new house or even undergo a heavy house flip. Minimal expenditure as I have not been working for at least a year, as the entertainment industry was on full halt and oh yeah I had a baby.
I had to find things in my space that would give me the satisfaction that “times are changing”, and I came up with these 10 things to bring in summer that are easy on the purse and great fun for the family- without it feeling like a chore. It is also a great physical activity to get the blood pumping.
Shake off a winter home and bring you and the family in the summer with these 10 fun-filled activities.
1.Wash the dog
This is always a fun-filled task, especially if it is done outside under the sun with a hose pipe. Get the kids in their swimming trunks, husband too, and let the soap suds flow.
Have halftime entertainment with glazed doughnuts and some fun summer tunes. Keep a treat or two for your four-legged friend, who could be having the time of their lives. Remember to stay hydrated and use sufficient sunblock.
And have FUN!
2. wash rugs/mats- oldstyle
Yeah sure you can get a carpet cleaning service in to come and do it or you can do it yourself. This I must warn you is a high physical activity that could be left for arm or leg day. Carpet stomping is an age-old tradition in our family. It is how my Great Grand-mother used to clean the carpets. It is an honest and humbling activity with a great leg workout.
Gran used to say it is a way of stomping out all your problems in life. It entailed putting all the carpets into the bath or a tub outside, warm water, your detergents and bicarbonate of soda (for stubborn marks), “hitch-up your skirt”, and with your own feet stomp the hell out that carpet. As you watch in amazement how much dirt lingered in that rug, you can’t help but feel like a superhero as you physically restore justice with the power of your legs and feet.
After stomping with soapy water, you will have to rinse it in clean water. Here you need to be in 2 or 3 depending on the size of the rug. The excess water quadruples its weight. Rinse with a bit of fabric softener- according to my gran – “great way of softening those hard calloused feet”. Let the rug or mat drip dry under the sun, and once dry it, is ready to be put back in place. Give it a good vacuum as the final touch. ” BAM” Good as new!
PS: Lactic acid the following day is part and parcel of this soul gratifying workout.
3. wash the windows and mirrors
Anything with a hosepipe is going to be a lot of fun (I see you laughing at this statement). It is true! I have an 11-month-old baby who loves touching mirrors- it is a great tool for self-exploration, so hand and lip prints run rife throughout the house. I also have a 3-year-old boxer dog, whose slobber is attracted to every window in the house. Cleaning windows and mirrors are simply a weekly thing for me.
I love this time. I put on a sarong, tie up my hair and use those yellow latex gloves (more a fashion accessory to finish the look). Play some awesome feel-good Motown and soul music and “BAM” instant “printless” gratification.
4. create a new summer tunes playlist
Make a new and fresh playlist, get your family involved by compiling their favourite songs along with yours. A personal playlist for summer 2021. Whatever playlist platform you use is a great way to start the summer. Play it in the house, in the car or outside in the garden.
Our Alexa devices are all automated to the command “Alexa feel the heat” and we have 5 hours of pure family-inspired entertainment.
Making memories with music is something extremely special, it is how in 10 years from now, you will hear the song and remember what a memorable fun-filled summer 2021 you had.
5. maintain garden furniture
Ok, so it has been at least four years since we got our wooded garden furniture. During the winter they stay closed up and on the 1st hot day of summer they come out and make an appearance. Due to the weather and time erosion, they looked like they should have been put into the nearest fire. My husband said that they only look like that and that the wood was still good. All it needs is a good sanding, a fresh coat of deck paint and “BAM” the garden furniture was as good as new.
If you haven’t gotten cushions yet, they make the world of a difference to the garden, find some great designs and materials and mix it up. You can find some great sales on those pieces online
6. plant some new greenery
Ok, I am no green thumb. I am a lover of flora and fauna. I love Pinterest, and I tend to save some pins for inspiration. Get your Kid to tag along with you as you head out to the local nursery. Don’t be afraid to speak and ask for advice on what plants are, low in maintenance, evergreen, or with a flower that just adds something magical to your space. Keep in mind if you have babies, toddlers or pets that the new plants must be safe for them too.
By getting your kids to choose a plant, tree or flower and getting them involved with the planting helps them get in touch with nature, aids them in nature appreciation and gives them a sense of responsibility. It teaches them that with time, patience, care and love, your plant will grow.
I loved plating the lemon tree, which bears glorious fruit. Great for the baked lemon cheesecake and my mother-in-law’s Limoncello (Italian lemon liqueur).
Check out these great gardening tools for you and your kids- Be sure to check the coupon box if one is available!
7. set up a space outside to have breakfast or lunch
I just love an outside breakfast nook, by changing it up and creating a space outside where you can have breakfast or lunch allows one to have a mini getaway in your environment. In winter, we tend to close ourselves up, hibernating in our own home. Summer should be just the contrary.
Pinterest is my best friend for ideas – and the marketplace on Facebook has almost next to nothing furniture that I glam up and repurpose. The imagination is unlimited so design it to suit your’s and your family’s personality. It is such a big hit in summer that we hardly eat indoors.
8. Car wash and ice-cream
This has got to be one of my favourite thing to do as a kid was soaping up the car. My dad would always have two buckets on hand, one filled with soap and a shammy cloth for the body of the car. The other bucket contained water with methylated spirits* for the windows, with tons of newspapers to make sure the windows were squeaky clean. Of course, that famous hosepipe was nearby for a good rinse.
For sure there are car washes, and they are a lot quicker and come with their own set of experiences, but more childhood memories are made around the DIY of washing cars. Add that music playlist you made to the mix and you are good to go. Have some exciting snacks at hand and turn washing your car into the event of the season (my personal favourite are frozen yoghurt and popcorn with M&Ms).
*Disclaimer: there are more child-friendly, eco-friendly detergents for car washing nowadays
9. install new summer curtains AND BEDROOM LINEN
Curtains and bedroom linen can change the look of your house in a matter of seconds without having to reconstruct the entire space. Summer is about letting the light in and allowing the breeze to flow.
It was a family thing to have a winter set of curtains and a summer set. This would give time to have them washed and stored, waiting to be used or changed by the beginning of the next season.
I always get my curtains and linen at the end of summer sale the season before. It is fantastically discounted and all it does is sit under my bed the whole of winter waiting to be used and then “BAM” out it comes for summer. I found this particularly helpful during the lockdown, giving the house interior new fresh life.
You can go to the extent of adding a few light decorations like a new rug or a vase with some lovely fresh flowers. Everything and anything to add new life to an already existing space
10. clean and reorganise fridge with summer fruits and vegGIES
Ok to be honest, I haven’t gotten to this point just yet. It is still on my to do list, managing motherhood it just accepting the fact that not everything has to be done. Taking it one challenge at a time.
I must say I have just discovers clear plastic organisers and I will just add that I LOVE IT! Gone away with those irritating round bowls that just clutter and make no sense at all. It is all about rectangular perspex dividers. Sign me up to that good life.
I guess you know you are getting older when objects like fridge organisers make you happy.
When cleaning the fridge make sure you have enough cooler bags to empty the contents of the fridge in. Get rid of what needs to be gotten rid of and add in those beautiful fresh fruits and veg.
When wiping down the inside of your fridge make sure you do it with a clean cloth and have a dry one at had to wipe away excess water.
My mom used to make a natural detergent solution of bicarbonate of soda mixed with vanilla essence to wipe down the the interior of the fridge. The vanilla essence used to soak up and lingering bad ouder.
I have put together a Pinterest board on some of the pictures that inspired me to do this change, feel free to have a look and let yourself be inspired.
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All things bright and beautiful 