A Fantastic Tool For Every Home - but especially if you live with Chronic Pain

One job that we all struggle with in the home is moving heavy furniture and other items.  Since my Fibromyalgia got worse (and now diagnosed with Osteoarthritis too), I tend to avoid the cleaning where I need to move furniture, ie in our bedroom.

However, it became urgent when Milky the Cat recently brought fleas into the house.  Check out my Instagram Stories to see what I am using for flea control.  I needed to move the heavy furniture in our bedroom to hoover behind and underneath, and this is by myself.  We also have a really deep carpet in there.  I did try to move our super king bed, but it didn't shift even a millimetre!  Therefore, I got the EZ Moves out of the cupboard, and then it was relatively easy to move the bed across the room.

I have done some separate Instagram Stories showing this, and promised a link to somewhere where you can buy it in the UK.  It was sold out in most places, but I have found it on Ebay.  It isn't expensive and I think all homes should have one.

I will be doing some more videos and blog posts about how I cope with housework/organising etc whilst living with Fibromyalgia and other chronic health conditions.

WOYWW 636 - A Lot To Show, but none of it is recent!

Good morning from a slightly drizzly Pembrokeshire.  Since coming back from our weekend in Oxfordshire/Warwickshire (EV Festival at the National Motor Museum on Saturday, followed by shopping in Leamington Spa - found the CraftWorks shop! - and visiting my mum in Banbury a couple of times), I have amazingly been sleeping for at least 8 hours per night.  Thought it was just from being tired from the travelling, but now I am thinking it is because we are keeping Milky the Cat out of the bedroom (she still has an occasional flea on her).  Usually she climbs around on me in the night and wakes me up constantly.  Perhaps my sleep issues were that simple?!  

The main reason for being here on this Wednesday (What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday) is to share my crafty space.  If you would like to join in, click HERE.

Crafting - I have done nothing since last week.  The piles of new crafty stash have grown, with another delivery from Create & Craft (some scissors and photo corners, which I ordered a while ago).  I will do an unboxing video of it all either today or tomorrow, and then add a link on here.  Here are the piles - plus the bag of goodies from CraftWorks (they had a job vacancy for an Assistant Manager - I would love to work in there!), some of which is presents for grandchildren.  (The jigsaw is the one passed onto me via Cindy.)

These are the cards we made at my last craft workshop - lots of inky/embossing fun (the glorious dark blue is the new Distress Ink, Prize Ribbon).

I will be back to my scrapbooking class on Friday morning, and then another craft workshop on Sunday (with alcohol inks this time).

Finishing off the Ikea Kallax started yesterday evening - and I got half of one of the pegboard inserts done.  Only another 3 to go!

I am not going to promise anything for next week, but hoping that the end wall of my craft room will be finished, all the new stash played with and put away, and the jigsaw started.  However, life is very busy with the last rush to get the rental house renovation finished before the end of the month.  We have ordered the kitchen/worktop/flooring for delivery next week (thank you to Howdens for their exceptional service).  Carpets were measured up for yesterday and paid for, and most will be fitted in 2 weeks time (our fantastic local branch of Carpetright saved the day).  New front door ordered.  The builders and electricians have been there full-time and got a lot done.  Unfortunately, not all will be complete before my stepdaughter needs to move in (stair carpet not arriving until September, plus gas meter needs to be moved outside), but we are still really proud of our progress considering all the delays getting the keys.  If anyone in West Wales needs an incredible builder, then Mark Roberts is your man (he organised the renovation of the Farmhouse and also the Cottage at the farm).  We also have a lot going on with our farm business, so time in my craft room is mainly taken up with work on the computer.

Health update - I do have arthritis in my feet.  I have stretching and foot strengthening exercises to do every day, plus going back to have orthotics fitted soon.  I have to wear either trainers or walking boots (even in the house - I have some house trainers), or my walking sandals in really hot weather.  

One last thing - we are selling Mr T, our campervan.  Would really appreciate it if you could share my blog post on your social media.  We were told that campervans were selling really fast, but I think we have missed the main rush.  He is better equipped than most vans of his size, and will be fantastic for anyone who tours in the winter.  Here is the BLOG POST.

Keep Crafting!

Ali x

Click HERE to go to my Unboxing video.

WOYWW 635 - So Much To Show Off

First of all, I admit I am typing this on Tuesday evening (whilst watching Tim Holtz on YouTube).  I have a medical appointment (to see if they can start to diagnose my foot pain) tomorrow morning at 9 am, and then I have errands to do, and our latest house renovation project to visit (kitchen design to work on).  It may well be late in the day before I get a chance to sit down, so thought it better to get it typed and scheduled.

Secondly, I am taking a break from social media.  I need more time to look after myself, the house, business stuff, family moving to the nearby town and, of course, crafting!  I am missing a lot of the Facebook groups I was active in, and my beloved Instagram - but I know I need to try to go 'cold turkey'!  Pinterest and YouTube are still in my life, plus blogs/some forums, so I am still around 'online'.  

I missed last week, as the weather forecast changed and our family, who were in Pembrokeshire for the week, asked if they could spend Wednesday with us, instead of Thursday.  I hadn't seen my 2 granddaughters for over 18 months, so of course we immediately changed our plans.  Here they are on one of our nearby beaches.

I have made a lot of progress with my craft room makeover, but it isn't finished.  Been busy with family, the house renovation and then we found fleas on Milky the Cat.  I have been hoovering every day, plus she has a spot-on flea treatment and twice daily combing.  There hasn't been any spare energy for my craft room!  The good news is that all my hard work means I haven't found any fleas on her today, and the house is very clean.

The bulk of the Ikea Kallax cubes are in place, and I put together the specialist MDF storage for the top row.  I will do a separate blog post detailing it all.  There is also another single row of 4 cubes on top of the right hand side now, and I have pegboard doors for those, so I can display photos etc.  Not sure if I will have it all done by next week, as we are away for a long weekend (trip to Oxfordshire to see my mum and also go to an EV, electric vehicle, event at the Motor Museum at Gaydon).  

I have also had various crafty deliveries recently, including needle felting and sewing goodies, the new Distress Ink colour, the latest Crafters Companion Year of Craft set, and more!  I promise to show it all off soon.

I have been to some craft workshops, and again will do a blog post showing what we made (using heat embossing, stencils ...).

I intend to get round as many blogs as possible on Wednesday, but who knows what the day will throw at me.

Ali x

WOYWW 631 - Still Living With Piles!

Happy Wednesday from a damp Pembrokeshire.  The fields and garden needed some rain, but it is chilly too - and me and Milky the Cat definitely want some warm sunshine (she is 14, had metal put in her hip after a road accident 11 years ago, and the cold/damp makes her sore like me).

Other lovely crafters will be sharing their crafty workspaces today.  (If you would like to join in, click HERE.)  I cannot do that, as my craft room is still in a state of transition (from old brown bedroom furniture to nice shiny new Ikea Kallax storage).  The 2 old wardrobes (were my hubby's as a child - he is 54) are still in the room, but they have moved to the other wall by the door (they are too heavy for 2 people to carry them downstairs, so they are waiting to be dismantled).

We started putting together the Kallax units yesterday afternoon.  The smaller one (2 x 4 cubes) is done - and looks great.  Hopefully hubby can help with the other one (4 x 4 cubes) later today.  However, he is off into town this morning for a hair cut, followed by helping with the continued clearing of the rental house (more wallpaper stripping and carpet removal), so I might have to wait another day (I am so impatient - I just want to start filling up the cubes!).

In other crafty news - I went to a craft workshop on Sunday afternoon.  We made 3 cards - none of which I have photos of.  I will write a separate blog post eventually.  There were also some boxes of stash for us to shop from (a local crafter was having a destash).  I rummaged through the boxes of treasure and found some stamps, Distress Ink pads, Distress Stickles and an embossing folder.  No photos of our crafting, but I couldn't resist the gorgeous colours on the shop shelves (yes, we do the workshops actually in the craft shop, which could be very dangerous, but I am strong!).  If you are ever in Haverfordwest, then go and see Ben at the shop in Bridge Street (or shop on their website - they often beat the TV prices - click HERE).

On Saturday I went to a Craft Sale (in aid of Macmillans).  Sadly, one of our local crafty ladies died recently and very kindly the contents of her craft room were donated to be sold.  A large hall at the British Legion had to be used, as there was so much stash.  She had every Tattered Lace magazine and all of the dies, plus most of the Hunkydory products, Kanban and a lot more.  A lot was unused.  I went looking for embosssing folders and inkpads, which I did get - but also some stamps, a couple of Tattered Lace magazines (because I loved the dies that came with them), embossed cardstock and some goodies from the £1 table.  It is a shame that we couldn't all have been there, as you would have loved it!  I forgot to take any photos to show how much stash was in the hall.  If anyone is in Pembrokeshire soon, there was still a lot left to sell and that is in the craft shop at Milford Haven Marina - InHouse Crafts.

I will take photos of my new stash and show them off next week.

I have been doing more housework than usual this week so far, and definitely needing a rest - so this morning I will be assembling the plastic boxes that will be in the Kallax cubes.  Done one (which took longer than it should have done) and I am sure the next 11 will be easier!  I also have 6 denim boxes arriving on Friday, which will go on the bottom row.

Progress photos on my Instagram - @aliwadedesigns

Ali x