Spring cleaning continued.

Well, that's the downstairs nearly complete; I'll give the oven a clean, maybe tomorrow while the little 'un naps.. but for now I'm shattered and feeling very accomplished - going from this:

and this:

 

to this:

 

  

and a scrubbed floor

I am actually looking forward to getting in there tomorrow and cooking!

Rye has spent many a hour being enthralled with the threading beads:

 

Creating beautiful castles:

The new shelving also means I've brought down most of his books, including the "How things work" and "Cars" etc, it was such a book he was reading here;

 

 Until he heard the camera being turned on and shut the book and protested at me photoing him.  Humph. 

Inspite of the threatening clouds, I togged us both up and outside we went.  Rye had fun racing off ahead on his bike; and I'm finding it great exericse as it's forcing me to walk much faster than my usual slow amble.

The plan is to go out each day, rain or shine for at least a 10 minute walk and for Rye to have a ride on his bike.  In practise this will be relatively easy as I walk down inot the village for various activites during the week with the kids and for me its about a 20 minute walk each way... plus there's the walk to Kidz Planet which is about 25-30 minute walk each way too.

All part of my resolve to eat much much healthier and start listening to my body and stop ignoring the pain my vast weight is putting on my knees in particular, but also my legs in general, ankles and lower back.  

I am NOT going on a diet, nor am I setting myself any goals; instead I want to concentrate on feeling better, feeling more comfortable.  I'm not really fussed what I weigh solong I feel good, and at the moment I don't.

Part of the healthy eating will be to up the amount of raw food we consume and to explore new ways of cooking and to reduce even further refined foods, like white flour, pasta and white rice.  A procedure already much in progress, once the white flour I do have in the pantry is gone, it won't be replaced, I've now started purchasing wholewheat pasta and a 500g bag at a time.  I use to stock up on the 3kg bags, but I found because I had so much I was really over estimating how much to cook and ending up with masses of pasta and of course I would sit and eat it all.  And I'm finding a 500g bag is plenty for myself and the two kids for the week, sometimes longer.

I've changed my Riverford order so I receive salad veggies weekly, rather than fortnightly, and I've added a bit extra fruit to compliment the fortnightly fruit box I order; mainly so I can do some juicing too.

I'll be engaging my witchypooness too :-)  I've avoided using my magic after a spectacular mishap when I was a young 'un in the Craft - I wrote a spell to make me thin and I didn't really think it through... I found myself unable to eat AT ALL.  That was one spell that got de-constructed quick smart. 

It's not spells I need anyway, it's reconstructing how I view food, attitudes I have and working through a few left over issues from my childhood, which actually will kinda compliment my ongoing self work regarding my temper.  I guess 2010 is the year where I really try to become much more balanced.

And I have been getting nudges from the Universe too and really I can't ignore my body any longer, at this rate I'll be a cripple by the time I'm 40.

So it would appear I'm spring cleaning ME as well this year :-)