Coping with Camp Chaos

Ok, so the move to the Mud House, and sorting out how to cope with Camp Chaos (a name aptly coined by my big sister), has been a series of challenges and frustrations to say the least.  Blogging the scenario to date has just not been viable as there has just been so much to do, and so little time, plus it really wasn't pretty!  But I’m starting to feel a little more under control now, and will try and catch up.

I wish, oh wish I’d taken the advice of my younger sister and had the rental home cleaned professionally, but I was just never going to get organised enough with all the packing, so I began the cleaning as I emptied each room. And just like the packing (despite countless carloads donated to Lifeline), it went on and on and on. I thought I had an understanding of how messy my little darlings are, but no… Renting with two small boys was never easy, but leaving the place was really hellish. The pinnacle of the challenge was when I slipped on some wet kitchen floor on climbing down from cleaning on top of the cabinets– I fell onto a bucket and got the most almighty semicircular bruise. Laying there for a few moments, wondering if I was going to be able to get up, I just hoped I had maybe jolted my spine back into alignment, instead of rendering myself crippled.

I’d forgotten that I’d borrowed a bunch of boxes from my sister to move last time, so wondered why I’d had to start feverishly throwing stuff into those stripey laundry bags! I’m still sorting through the resulting fall-out. We ran out of room in the shed too, which was always on the cards, and so the boys keep getting stuck into the “stuff” that is living alongside us under the house. Yesterday I unceremoniously threw a massive drop sheet over the whole lot.. outta site… you know the rest!

Despite the chaos and the ongoing rain following our horrendous move, the house is actually going great! We have walls now and tiled bathroom floors, with the wall tiles half done. I’ve dispensed with the idea of a feature tile to keep it simple, cheaper, and to leave it open for a possible hand-made mosaic feature down the track. I've always wanted to do this, and I'm missing practicing my craft so much!

We cut this wall out so you can look towards the river from the formal lounge.  Our neighbour's idea, after he recalled to us how hot it got in this room.

Elevated dining area.

Can hardly wait to have a functioning bathroom, although the caravan is serving us well.

The house interior is really going to be a reasonably blank canvas, contemporary in its basic design.   Sadly, by the time we get to decorating stage, I’ll be on a very tight budget too.  I’ll be refraining from buying anything too expensive anyway; as such items are just a magnet for breakage with my two small bruisers around.  So there’ll be some cheap, changeable bits and pieces like these gorgeous decals on Etsy.com.   Some might find them tacky, but I think they’re really lovely in the right place.  Can’t wait!

I can see something like this in the bathroom.  Love that if you tire of it, you just pull it off.
courtesy of http://www.etsy.com/shop/annaandnana?ref=seller_info