Che and Poet have just come home from a mini-break with my parents. Once a year they visit a little seaside town a few hours north and stay in the very same holiday park I visited as a kid. It was quiet with them gone but my hands were still full with Percy who has been croupy and snotty. It’s his first real cold and while he’s still relatively happy he’s either been in my arms or on my breast. Needless to say, productivity levels are low.

Working from home is always tricky when the kids are sick and I’ve found, in the past few months, that Percy’s busyness has made writing almost impossible. But the local library has become my favourite place to work – away from the distractions of washing piles, dishes and home to-dos, I’m free to focus solely on story writing and photo editing for hours at a time. It’s a refreshing change and it’s one I’ve embraced on a twice-weekly basis.

Outside it’s cold and blustery; true winter weather with stark white light and clear skies. One step out the door and you know that there’s snow falling somewhere nearby. I’m sitting beside the heater, wrapped in my new wool throw (Poet’s snuggled in it, above), while the kids push Percy around the house in a washing basket. The noise levels are headache-inducing but at least they’re happy.

The weekend menu includes burgers and a beef stew, apple crumble and hot porridge, plenty of lemon water and tea. I’m finally reading this after hearing years of rave reviews and I’m thoroughly enjoying its quirks. My frequent visits to the library have inspired a return to novel reading which, I’ve promptly remembered, is a wonderful way to relax.

After writing this post and sharing on instagram, I realised that for many of us, simple living is tricky. Making big changes, especially for busy families, seems daunting. But what if you could adopt one new habit a month? Over the next week you could work on planning and building your pantry stockpile and then, come July, look out for my second post in the series. I do love how ideas sprout.

I must go, there is a huge pile of dirty washing awaiting my attention and if I want dinner on the table by 5, I need to get a start on it soon.

Have a great weekend!