If I am to be totally honest with you and with myself, I am terrified of reverting back to the Kate I was six months ago. The Kate who lived here before our adventure. That Kate was happy but I think she was tired. She found it easier to keep doing the same things in the same way rather than making changes. The thought of painting walls or building things or putting new rules in place just seemed too hard on top of everything else she felt she had to do.

One of the biggest gifts from our trip is my new sense of who I am, what I want and what I like. I feel a bit like I did before I had kids. Like I have remembered me. I've come home with a vision for how I want this place to look and how I want us to live. We spent hours and hours discussing all our homecoming plans while we were still away and now it's time to start making changes. Straight away.

We came home with some definites that are keeping us on track; no TV or movies during the week, no microwave, a walk a day, as much outside time as possible and no being a taxi driver between kid activities until next week.

And then there's the decluttering (day two and we have filled the back of my car for the op shop and a skip is arriving later tonight for rubbish), the redecorating, the plans for outside and the farm plans.

I feel such an urgent hurry to get things done and put in place just in case the old Kate returns and I lose my motivation.



And while we were away the latest issue of Artful Blogging came out with my article and photos in it. It is such a beautiful magazine and I am thrilled to be part of it.

I wrote an article about a dress I once made out of bits and bobs sent to me from bloggers from all over the world. A zip from here, a doily from there...after I finished sewing the dress I packed it up and sent it to Miss Deb who then gave it to a little girl who had lost everything in the New Zealand earthquake.

Unfortunately for us Aussies,  I think  Artful Blogging is only available in America. Actually, when I asked Jennifer, the Assistant Senior Managing Editor, she thought I was the only Australian blogger they had ever featured. Just a little bit exciting I think.

I hope wherever you are that you are happy and motivated.
Bye now. xx