On the whole I am very much enjoying being a stay at home mum and I spend a lot of time trying to make sure that the monkey is entertained and happy, and also that he is learning as we go. I also try and keep the house tidy and I am enjoying lots of cooking at the moment. But recently a feeling of boredom has snuck up on me. For quite a while I was really into my crochet and made a few toys and bots and bobs. I have been working on a project of a big granny square blanket, but if I’m honest I haven’t really been bothered with it lately.

I am hugely impatient and it is going to take a while to make the 168 granny squares I need to make this blanket, and it is going to take eeeven longer at the moment as I haven’t been doing any. In fact I have been completely unproductive lately and actually spent a lot of time playing angry birds on my phone, of all things. I started playing one day when the  monkey was a bit upset and I let him snuggle up and sleep on me, and in order to stave off complete boredom I had a quick game, and well, got a bit hooked. Until a week or so later when I was getting bored of it.

So I decided that in my odd bits of downtime (usually during monkey’s naps) I would read. I’ve reading a book my mother in law lent me -A suitable boy – which is really good and very interesting, but it is extremely long. (Hubby actually thinks it may be the longest book in the English language – I haven’t researched to find out if it’s true.) It is also huge, and not exactly easy to carry around, so it never seems to be in a handy place when I need it. So on another afternoon with a snuggly monkey,I decided to read a book on the kindle app on my phone. I’d downloaded a load of cheapy chick lit books, which are predictable but quick and easy to read, so this kept me going for a couple of days, then one of the books really annoyed me because all of the characters were just stupid and a bit pathetic.

It was at this point that I actually realised how bored I had become, you’d think I would have known before now, but I think I had just been getting on with things and doing jobs. But the problem is that because I have actually been really bored, I was losing interest just in the general tidying and jobs that need doing because boredom led to lethargy. And lethargy is not a good thing when you are a stay at home mum, I find. I imagine you would have the same issues if you are self employed, as you have to motivate yourself to keep going, there is no boss or colleague who is going to pressure you or inspire you to work hard, you have to do it for yourself.

So I have given myself a good shake and tried to re-motivate myself. The idea hubby and I had for using a whiteboard to share jobs out wasn’t really working properly, so I have changed it a bit and it is now just my way of writing a list of jobs to be done over the week. That way I can see easily what I want to achieve during the week, decide which job I feel like doing, and tick them off as I go. It may sound silly but I do like lists and the feeling of achievement when I tick them off. It’s not just housework that goes on there, but other things, like if I want to make some homemade play-doh or cook something new, that will go on there too. (Plus if I tick them off when they are done then hubby can also see easily what jobs need doing and *hopefully* do something like clean the bathroom for me hehe.)

I have also been re-visiting my granny squares project. For anyone who don’t know what a granny square blanket is, there are a couple of lovely examples here and here. I think they are gorgeous but they really do require a lot of time and effort. Was chatting to hubby about it one evening this week and the conversation went something like this:

Me: Right, well I can easily knock out 2 squares an evening while we watch tv/films,    so thats 14 a week

Hubby: How many more do you need?

Me: Errrm I dunno, about another 140? So I should be finished in

Together: 10 weeks

Me: Groan

Which is why I have been so slack at producing the granny squares every day, it’s hard to think about not finishing something for another 10 weeks!! Never mind the fact that they then all need sewing together and then a border being put on the blanket…

Nevertheless I am determined to actually get them done! The jobs checklist is going well and have got lots of jobs done this week, and have been trying to get lots of housework done while the monkey is awake. I normally wait and just do them while he is asleep but I need to use as much time for granny squares as possible, so we had great fun changing the bed together one day (or at least lots of peekaboo and hiding under the sheets while I change them). So the last few days I have managed to make 5 granny squares a day. I don’t expect to be able to do 5 every day but every extra square that gets made per day speeds up the process a little!

Hubby and I also laid the 32 I have made so far out and looked at the colours of wool I have and it is all looking a bit ra! so far, so I need to buy some pastel coloured wool soon to even it all out. Luckily, my mum works in a lovely craft shop – Art & Stitch – and they have just added some gorgeous wools to their stocks, so the next time monkey and I pop by for a visit I shall pick some up.

So stay tuned, I will keep you abreast of my progress, unless I get bored again and divert my attention elsewhere 🙂

N.B, this is how it looks so far!