A little lesson in flexible thinking & Mojitos

Something I discovered after moving in, is that the mental list I had been making of tasks that needed doing and in what order, would change on an almost weekly basis.

For someone who flirts with OCD and who can be pretty rigid in their ideas, this can be a tricky challenge. I am by no means a clean freak - far from it, I'm quite dirt blind. However, I do find too much clutter that isn't mine, or isn't in some kind of order can put me on edge. I tend to group things into piles, or sets, that way I know where things are most likely to be if they don't have a place just yet. I also like to do things in my own sweet way, it's probably deemed a little eccentric, I tend to live in my own time frame, but it works for me! I digress....

So, my list was not going to plan, and I slowly and grudgingly came to realise, that it probably never would. I diligently wrote down what I thought were the first jobs (all on the back of an envelope). This list then morphed into a new list (shortly after this I instated my 'list' book), as we discovered more pressing tasks to enable us to actually live in the property as a family. We also uncovered things I hadn't foreseen, or discovered that some tasks were far less urgent than we first anticipated. 

I rapidly needed to address my unwillingness to compromise, or risk being sectioned! I have a handy little trick I do in such situations now....I add things I've done to the list, then instantly cross through them! There... I've achieved! I have discovered that as long as I've done some things, I can be happy. Achieving nothing is what drives me bonkers, I like to sit down at the end of the day and gloat a little about how much I've accomplished. After all it means we are a few steps closer to living the dream. 

My advice to anyone thinking of taking on a renovation project is to BE FLEXIBLE. It is fast becoming my mantra and my sanity. Nothing will go according to plan. You will wildly under estimate timings, and run out of money. You will exhaust your supplies of paint; nails; screws; fittings and fixtures 20 minutes after the DIY store has closed for the long bank holiday weekend. You will pull a muscle, or crick your neck just as you are shifting your last wheelbarrow of rubble and be rendered useless for the next few days. It will never be straight forward, but if you think flexibly and have a bit of fun on the way (oh yes, sometimes it is f****ing hilarious)  then you will ensure at least a little bit of sanity remains. 

Oh and always have some of your favourite booze in the house. Mine is a damn fine Mojito. Here is a recipe for it:

Mojito is a traditional Cuban highball. Traditionally, a mojito is a cocktail that consists of five ingredients: white rum, sugar (I like brown sugar best), lime juice, soda water, and mint. 

Ingredients: A big old splash of white rum (this volume will depend on your stress levels), a few leaves of mint, soda water, some slices of fresh lime, 2 teaspoons sugar

Preparation: Mint sprigs muddled with sugar and lime juice. Rum added and topped with soda water. Garnished with sprig of mint leaves. Served with a straw.

Served: On the rocks; poured over ice, so it cracks nicely before you drink it in babeeee x

The Mojito of sanity & flexible thinking