Time for Some Work

So after two early (ish!) nights in a row, I’m actually feeling a bit more awake than I have done in quite a while. As everyone heads off out to work and school it’s still really dark outside, and I think longingly of how much nicer it will be later in the year when we can all get up and actually start the day in the light. For today though, I have a small snuggly little girl waiting to cuddle up in my bed and read her reading book to me. It’s moments like this I cherish most as it won’t be long before she’s outgrown wanting to do this, or before she’ll be up and off early like the others. So I take my cup of tea upstairs and snuggle up with her for a few precious minutes, before we too have to get up for the day.

Eager to get going and get some work done today, I’m annoyed when I remember on the way down to school that it’s recycling day today, and once again none of it has been put outside ready. It’s also ‘black bag’, or ‘non-recyclable materials’ collection day, which is only once a fortnight these days. Last time was due on Christmas day, so was put back to the Saturday due to the bank holidays- a fact which we only remembered on the Sunday. I take pride in the fact that although we may be a large household of seven people, we recycle so much that we usually only have one rubbish bag to go out. Even so, with a missed collection and everyone having been home for the last two weeks, even we have not only a full bag outside, but overflowing bins all around the house, so that must be my first job of the day.

By the time I’ve rounded all the rubbish up and put it outside, along with every scrap of recycling I can lay my hands on, it’s already gone 10. By the time I’ve also sorted and put a load of washing on, and washed the breakfast dishes, it’s pushing 11 o’clock and I still haven’t achieved a thing. Such is the story of my life.

Determined to get my day started I grab a cup of tea and log onto the computer. First things first, I check up on my emails, website stats, Facebook page views etc. All good so far, my new blog seems to have had some views too which is good, and the website still seems to be attracting people- also good. Remembering where I left off yesterday, I take the fabric I bought for my Valentine’s dresses, and spread it out to get a decent photo, showing the beautiful bright red colour to its full advantage. Adding it to the website takes a few minutes, but before long the latest addition to Little Dolly Clothes Shop’s range is available to buy online. I’ll have to highlight it on the homepage later, and maybe write a special ad for it too for Google.

By now its lunchtime and both older girls have finished for the week and arrived home. We enjoy a nice shared lunch, and then they take themselves off to the telly to find something to watch together, which gives me a chance to get on with some more work.

Before I can do any actual sewing though, I need to give the sewing machine a little TLC after all its hard work at Christmas. Removing all the lint from around the mechanisms and bobbin shuttle takes a while- it’s amazing how much dust and fluff can collect from what is mainly cotton fabric. Oiling it takes a little longer than it should as I have to Google where to actually drip the oil- the machine instructions are something else I have yet to find from in the various boxes we still have to sort through.

Machine serviced, it’s getting frustratingly near to the end of the day- again, and I still haven’t actually done any sewing. I had a one item order come in just before Christmas, for which I had the fabric cut out ready but never had a chance to start sewing. That seems a good item to begin with as there isn’t much to do on it, but will get a whole order sewn and ready for sending. Half an hour later and the item is finished.

Ok, I may not have got a lot of sewing done today, but it’s a start. Putting the sewing machine away to one side, I’ve got a parcel ready on the table for sending- always a good feeling. I end the day with the last bit of admin work needed- a pointer for the new dress for the website homepage, and publish the next post on the blog. The ad for Google will have to wait though- the post-Christmas tiredness has kicked in again, so I take myself off for an early night with the book I'm currently reading.