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Your Pinterest space.

Don’t you love all those pictures of perfect rooms on Pinterest… Just perfect. Everything in its place. Neat and tidy. Colour coded. That would be my perfect world. I describe such places as PINTERESTY. I find myself wondering how these superhuman people do it. They have the most amazing storage ideas and everything is labelled and in its place. By contrast, my house is a roller coaster of various degrees of untidiness and clutter. In the morning I whizz around neatening up as much as I can while the kids are at school, and before I get on with all my other chores. Then, when the kids get home it slowly but surely becomes yet again less and less PINTERESTY. I find that I spend so much time striving too hard for perfection and that ultimately my ideal version of what should be PINTERESTY becomes PINTERES-TRY: good attempts but ultimately disappointing.

I have yet to meet someone who actually has a Pinterest worthy house. Social media often creates a pseudo reality which actually could be detrimental for one’s mental health. The truth is that there is NO such thing as Pinterest perfect house. At least not in a home where there are adults and children and very often pets. People walk, live, read, cook, eat, drink, play, climb, dress, fix, sleep, bath… you get the picture. For my house to be perfect I would literally have to run after every single member of the family, all the time, day in and day out. And let’s be honest, life is more than that, right? In fact, there is no Pinterest perfect anything – it’s all an illusion.

Thus I have decided to compromise, and I have now allocated a single place in my home where I can have my Pinterest showroom… that single part of the house which I can look at, at any given time of the day and I can say to myself, “Now that’s Pinterest worthy, that is PINTERESTY.” It makes me happy. A few years ago it was my PINTERESTY coffee station, and now it’s my Ginger jar display in our family reading room.

Try make a list of every room you would like to improve and then choose the one that will make YOU happy and start with that. Maybe you would really want start with the kitchen because it’s often a mess, and being the place where the family’s nourishment comes from it affects everyone. But maybe you have always wanted a nice space in your house where you could just relax with a cup of coffee, or glass of wine and read a book while you unwind. If that makes you happy then start with that. Make it your PINTERESTY room.

The level of organisation and tidiness is personal and no one can tell you to what extent exactly things have to be neat and organised. What’s fairly cluttered for me might be cozy for someone else, and what’s sufficiently organised and neat for some might be too minimalistic and clinical for me. We are all individually unique and should create unique environments for ourselves and our family as a whole, which suits and works well for everyone.

You are in control of what you want to change, and how much of it. If you strive to reach someone else’s apparent perfection you are setting yourself up for disappointment. So pick a room, visualise your ideal, comfortable, revitalising space and go for it.

Use blogs and social media as inspiration and remember what the goal is: a space to make you and your family feel at HOME.

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My new Venture…

Did you know that Professional Organising and Decluttering is a THING? I was first introduced to this concept when I came across The Japanese queen of decluttering, Marie Kondo. I was so impressed by her and the way she expressed her love for organising and I realised that I had a natural tendency for organisation from a very young age. If you google organising and decluttering you will find so much about the topic now. If only I thought out the box back then and realised that it was something i could invest in and do as a living,

But, it’s never too late.. well, it maybe too late for me to become a professional opera singer, but not to become a professional organiser 😉

Organising is something that is part of My DNA and I have thoroughly enjoyed it for as long as I can remember.I started a cleaning business in the UK and loved organising while I cleaned. In a matter of weeks I had a well established clientele. I enjoyed transforming peoples spaces. It made both the client and myself happy.


I then decided to invest more in myself and do a course in professional organisation and decluttering so that I can create a business doing what I enjoy the most. I have been a member of ADPO (Association of Professional Declutterers & Organisers) since 2022. This allows me to keep on evolving and learning more about how to assist others.


I now aim to assist my clients rescue their treasured spaces by creating organisational systems that are specifically focused on the individual client. We are all different and we all have different needs and expectations from our desired spaces. By working together as a team we would create unique GOALS for YOU, designing a harmonious environment that is easy to maintain.

Let’s work together as a team at your pace.We can create a space that YOU are proud of. I will help you to independently keep your space neat and tidy long after I am gone. We will get to understand the psychology behind your story and break any barriers hindering you from controlling your space.


I enjoy meeting people and I take time to understand each person’s journey. Understanding and compassion without judgement is my motto. 

So, keep an eye out for my new website and the links to all my social media platforms… I choose to concentrate on finding new clients by word of mouth. I feel that this method is based on a degree of trust and therefore is intimate from the word go. Allowing me into your home humbles me and I am looking forward to celebrating many success stories in the near future

Looking to create memorable partnerships with my clients.. so go on then, spread the word 😉

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South Africa my love…

This is going to sound like a bit of a love letter, and why not? Like any relationship my love for South Africa is one that has grown over many years. These years have been full of intrigue, drama, sadness, happiness, tragedy, forgiveness.


I moved to this beautiful country with my parents from Greece in 1984. I was actually born here but we moved back to Greece (Athens) when I was very young. I remember playing with my cousins at my grans house in Kensington and then I remember being back in Greece for a few years and then back in South Africa.


My first impressions as a 9 year old were the following; russian & chips from the local portuguese “fish & chips” shop down the road from our house, biltong, simba salt & vinegar chips, beautiful roads with no potholes. Oh ! How simple life was.


I was told by my parents not to speak of my friendship in Greece with Oresti (my best friend in Greece) as he was black and my parents were afraid that I would be labelled a communist and sent back to Greece. I had no idea what all the fuss was all about but I was terrified of being sent somewhere alone so I never mentioned my friend again.. never contacted him either.


My heart missed Greece, my friends & my family but in no time I fell in love with South Africa and all that it had to offer. I made amazing friends whom I am still able to call friends to this day. Studied, Graduated, worked from a young age, met my spiritual father (Fr Petros now his Eminence Bishop Petros Parginos), met my husband, now Father Justin Venn, had 2 beautiful baby boys, Gabriel & Raphael.


We are about to embark on a new family adventure. Moving to the UK to meet up with my family who immigrated a few years ago. It is a bitter sweet move because of the love I have for South africa and the appreciation I have for all that it has offered me over the years.
Johannesburg, my city, with all your diversity and passion. You have so much potential and so much to give. I hope that you are able to overcome the challenges that you are facing and love your people and nurture them.
I could write for hours and I will in time…You cannot capture 30 odd years in one go. South Africa is not a place one can explain to anyone that has not lived here.. South Africa is an experience like no other and I often tell people “It’s not something I can explain, it’s something you have to live in order to understand”


I am trying to take some of South Africa with me. I have recently invested in some boots from PeaceofAfrica and I received a gorgeous farewell gift (one of many) from my colleagues Datafinity from a PE shop called Sanni Apple . I love Proteas so when I received a shopping bag and an apron with Protea design fabric, I was over the moon. I have always tried to support local industries over the years but especially now during these tough times…

my journey towards “Minimalism”

I want to write about my journey . Skip all the parts that you find boring and read what you feel you can relate to. I won’t be offended, hahaha.

I was brought up in a traditional Greek family. I spent my early years in Greece and then my teenage years and most of my adult life in South Africa. I have always been a people pleaser and so from a young age I tried to be helpful around the house by ironing, organizing, even doing the garden, etc. I guess it made me happy too.

At some point, somewhere between trying to please people and being practically helpful, I lost a bit of myself, and as time went on a bit more and more. This may sound a bit dramatic but it’s not. In fact, I think we all lose a bit of ourselves and get stuck in some form of perpetual complacency, and life goes on (unless you are a narcissist, but I am not qualified to go into all that, haha).

Then you get married (which I never thought I would), have kids (which by the age of 37 I kind of gave up on), and you become consumed by the needs of others. Moving to the UK enhanced that. I have worked paying jobs from the age of 16, and so to find myself staying at home with kids was a new experience for me. I was now officially a home keeper, a house mom.

Even as I built my own successful little cleaning company (in a very short period of time) I was essentially a home mom. SAHM, homemaker or housewife. So many words for the same “profession”.

Being a homemaker has been the most humbling and exhausting job ever. And most of the time incredibly rewarding. But at the same time it can feel unappreciated. (But that’s a blog for another time.)

It was during this new period in my life, as a homemaker, that my interest in organising and decluttering became more that just an interest. It became an essential survival skill. When you are home a lot of the time, you are faced with STUFF all the time. The more STUFF you have the more you have to dust, clean, organise. At the same time, when you are no longer earning a steady income you become a lot more aware of wastage and being a spendthrift.

Throw perimenopause into the mix, and the fact that I am an older mom, and I’m left with an overwhelming amount of STUFF looming over my head and having to make peace with. I quickly realized that STUFF is not just physical items that you can easily donate or sell or get rid of, but it’s also things you cannot see, you cannot donate or just sell. If only it were that simple, haha. STUFF starts to accumulate and cutter your life… It’s time to declutter all of it.

What made an impression on me as I woke up thinking this morning is how everything links together. As a society we are somehow trained to compartmentalise life. Home, Office, Church, Spiritual, Health, Kids, Exercising. We create different rules for all of these different compartments. I have reached a stage in my life where I have realized that it’s all linked. All these compartments flow into one another and you need to sort out so much more than just items. I realized that I could follow the same principals in all aspects of my life and that I was able to reduce stress by following one basic principle. Get rid of STUFF.

There is no ONE formula for everyone and we all have to spend time developing our own. In my 49 years I have been blessed with loads of ups and down and that’s the way we determine what works for us and what doesn’t. And in that way we are able to apply what we learn through experience, and not simply by reading someone else’s blog or adapting to someone else’s lifestyle that may look spectacular on social media.

Declutter and organize. KEEP IT SIMPLE. And apply it to all your compartments.

Declutter your home – probably the easiest place to start because you’re dealing with physical items you can see. You can also see the immediate result of reducing the physical items you have. So the rewards are easy to achieve (even though for most it’s a daunting and less than fun activity). This is where people like me can help you. If you have the funds and you want to invest in yourself then book an appointment with a professional declutterer and organizer. If you don’t have the finances get a friend involved and ask them to help you, and then return the favour by helping them.

Shopping – I have absolutely nothing against Amazon and online shopping, in fact I should have shares by now if you add up all the purchases I have made during my time in the UK (Covid being the catalyst). However I feel that in general, the quality of the items is decreasing and the prices are increasing. I have made a decision to practice what I preach. Instead of purchasing something I want/need and often falling into the trap of wanting it NOW and purchasing it online at that very moment, I will save up for a better version of that something. Very often you will realize that that NEED fades away and you never actually buy that item, or you sacrifice and save up and spend the money for something that is worth keeping for more than just a season. We are programed to fall into the consumerism and instant gratification trap. I am ashamed to confess that I fell prey to Amazon and similar online stores when I arrived in this country. It was all new to me and it was super exciting to be able to order anything I wanted and have it arrive at my doorstep a day later. I mean WOW. But in the long run I accumulated inferior quality items that I actually did not really need or value, and had to throw out loads of cardboard boxes. Reducing my online consumerism and saving for something that was of a superior quality has helped me reduce the STUFF that I have, save more money, be kinder towards our planet, spend less time organising and more importantly love what I own. Less is more

Spirituality – Declutter your mind and explore your abilities. I am married to a priest who thankfully has faith enough for both of us. I have realised that I am not an academic, and I am not a theologian, and I am not blessed with the ability to read deeply enriching spiritual books, and pray the way that he does. However, being Orthodox my whole life has made me realize how attendance at church and participating in the sacraments of the church helps me to be present and to appreciate life and the real riches we have. And none of those are material items. I pray while cooking or cleaning or working or training. Not all the time but it’s become my connection and perpetual fountain of meaningfulness. By accepting my limits I have grown in my spiritual life. It has also allowed me to think in a more minimalistic way which feeds into the way I live my life. It does not have to be complicated. My husband points out that humility is very close to simplicity.

Health – Less is more. And this is true even when we are dealing with health. Eat less, train simply, eat simply and live longer (God willing). My relationship with my health started young when I discovered I was double jointed (now known as hypermobility). I had to train or else I would literally fall apart, haha. At some point I felt like I would not get married young as was the social norm at the time, but I decided that in the unlikely event that I got married and became a mom it would be in my best interest to stay as healthy as possible. And, to my surprise, I met someone and had 2 kids, one at 40 and another at 45. I have been on anxiety medication for almost 6 years now, and I am happy to note that recently I have been able to wean off them very slowly. Almost everyone I meet is suffering with anxiety. Some don’t even know it. Decluttering my lifestyle has given me the means to wean off my medication.

Health is a very interesting topic for me because it also permeates every single facet of our life. Health doesn’t mean beautiful and thin with stomach abs and perfect hair. Although it would be an added bonus. Health means clarity of mind, lightness of body and a calm demeanour. It means having a healthy body and mind and working with your body and not against it. Health means learning how things work and learning how to assist your body function the best way it can even in some cases healing itself. As a mom it’s very important for me to set a healthy foundation for my kids by setting an example and as an older mom it’s important to stay healthy and alive as long as possible for my children and my family. Your bodies are incredible. Woman are incredible. Declutter your life by choosing to spend time learning about how YOU work and what makes you function and reach the best version of yourself.

If you think about it it’s all interconnected. Everything about our body mind and soul is linked together and our aim in life should be to learn more about this miracle of God’s creation called our body and look after it as best as we can. Minimalism for me is how I choose to live my life with what I have been given. I try and make choices every day that help me simplify my life and reach my goal.

As women we generally have to adapt to our environment not only because of changes in our lives but also because we are constantly changing inwardly and in our bodies. Hormones rule us and are there to protect us and we need to learn to stop fighting against changes that are inevitable and accept them, learn about them (yourself) and make it all work for YOU.

Declutter your life. Reduce STUFF and see the benefits in all aspects of your life.

Most importantly make it into a lifestyle. Something sustainable for YOU. Something that will not add to your stress. I will repeat what I mentioned earlier because it’s important to remember: There is no ONE formula that works for everyone. Each of us has to do the groundwork and find what works for us. Even then you will probably change and fine tune a few things as you go along.

The important thing is to start and to continue growing and learning while you are creating a minimalist lifestyle that suits YOU.

TIP: choose a like minded person and have conversations about your health, spiritualism, organisation, kids, etc. Accountability is important, and understanding and validation is priceless.

Brain Health

I follow @the_brain_doctor on Instagram and I love her advice.

Definition of Brain Health: The state of brain functioning across cognitive, sensory, social-emotional, behavioural and motor domains, allowing a person to realize their full potential over the life course, irrespective of the presence or absence of disorders – WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

I am in awe of the human body/brain and how each of us function. Although we are all unique we all function in a certain way and our behaviour is often affected by so many variables. DNA, culture, family, demographics, to mention a few. We are all interlinked and yet we are so different.

But what makes us “tick”? What makes us behave the way we do? Things often seem so simple and yet our brain can be our worst enemy.

I for example have been trying to get into a healthier lifestyle routine and I am finding it super difficult. Why? Because the brain is ingenious it will find every single excuse, reason, justification as to why I should start next week, or why I deserve to have that chocolate biscuit. It is unbelievable how it seems to overpower me over and over again. I am actually laughing out loud as I write this! It sounds ridiculous when I type it. The power of the brain…

It’s the same with whatever we choose to do. We are our own worst enemy / obstacle. What starts off as a slightly untidy drawer expands into a disaster room which we find too overwhelming to deal with, so we leave it till next week, or next month, or when we move into a new home, or whatever other reason we can come up with to delay.

How do we change that? It’s different for each person. For me, I need to lower my expectations and my goals. Instead of starting out by only eating healthy food and training for an hour a day, I will be more realistic with my expectations of myself. First I will reduce the unhealthy food choices a little bit at a time, and then introduce physical training with a walk in the morning, etc. In that way we won’t set myself up for failure. We should choose something we can attain and then work on the feeling and satisfaction that comes with that small victory. Then we work onwards from that. Slowly and steadily.

My first go-to resource is lists. I write lists of what I want to achieve and why, and then I break them down into mini goals. This can be fun and instead of it becoming a chore it can become a “game” which you are in control of. The more healthy choices you make the easier it is for the brain to settle into a new way of thinking, and so the easier the healthy choices become.

It’s the same with anything in life (in my experience). Wake up in the morning and MAKE YOUR BED. Don’t just chuck the duvet over, take time and make the effort to make your bed look neat and tidy. That sets the pace for the day in your home environment, work environment, personal relationship environment. It sets the tone. Prioritise consistency over intensity. This will build up your neural networks and intensity will come later.

I am about to embark on a healthier lifestyle and I am going to get motivation from experts. Choose one part of your life that you feel you would like to change or improve and be consistent. If it’s 10 minutes you can commit to then do 10 minutes. You will be amazed at how easily those 10 minutes will become 15 , 20, 25. You get the picture.

Often we need to be accountable in order to maintain consistency. So I am now making myself accountable to whoever reads this post. Contact me and share your story with me. I would love to hear all about it.

Love xx

me

Third time lucky.

This may be a bit of a boring post for most but it’s basically a blog about a conversation with myself… I guess I get inspired by my own blogs lol. I go back and read them and I get courage from the fact that I am still around and still happy, despite all that life has thrown at me and us as a family 🙂

Just over two years in a new country we now call home and it’s been an adventure, to say the least.

From the time we moved here and lockdown eased up I started meeting people and learning so much about our new surroundings in this unique place we live in, and everything it has to offer. We love you Hoylake.

Being a mom in the UK is very different to being a mom in South Africa. In South Africa most moms / dads have employed domestic help to look after the kids and house, and so they are able to go to work. Here we have no maids, and no family to help and so until we could get our little guy into a nursery I needed to be a stay-home mom.

After some time, I decided to try and work for a few hours during the week for a bit of extra money, and for my sanity. I started a little independent cleaning enterprise, as per the suggestion of a dear friend, and I enjoyed transforming homes, putting things in order and making people happy. It was a huge success and in no time I had a list of steady clients, and even had to turn down new work. Some of those clients are now good friends.

However, after several months of hard work I gave up the cleaning because I was taking physical strain – there are only so many heavy sofas and beds I can swing around whilst hoovering; I once even dismantled and cleaned an oven so thoroughly the client thought a new one had been installed. But most importantly I was contacted and offered to work for a company in a field that I was familiar with. It was perfect timing because I was ready to send my youngest guy to school full time. It was time to get back to the corporate working world. I enjoyed every single second of the training and was ready to make a difference, but it didn’t work out for various reasons and I left after my two months of training, (definitely a story for another blog).

And so , it’s two years since the time we arrived and a very different ME has emerged. Admittedly, my ego is a little bruised and I’m a little hesitant to find another job in the corporate environment. What to do, what to do… hmmm.

I have had this conversation with myself many times but recently it’s been different somehow. “Find something you enjoy doing”, and “Don’t just get a job for the sake of getting a job and because you need the money; this is an opportunity for you to finally do something YOU like”…

At the age of 48, and many grey hairs later, I decided to listen to my inner voice. What did I enjoy doing? It would have to be something which involved meeting and potentially helping people. Adding some value to my life and theirs. Something that was gratifying…. and at the same time I needed something to suit my new lifestyle in this country we now call home. And it had to be something flexible so that I could continue being the best mom that I can be.

I have always loved organising and tidying up spaces around me. Over the years I have read blogs on organising, decluttering and about clever tricks on how to keep your space neat and tidy without spending a fortune. I have always found that organising my “space”, keeping things neat and tidy made me feel like I was in control of my environment. I can be calm in my own space which uplifts my mood and inspires me to start new projects or to simply be at peace.

Whilst chatting to my beautiful sister in law about the dilemma regarding trying to find a job that I would enjoy and that would suit my lifestyle, she mentioned a lady in Holland who runs her own professional organising company. One thing led to another and after getting into contact with this lovely human, Lucie, a mountain of opportunity became available to me.

And guess what – it’s scientifically proven that decluttering, organising and being tidy is GOOD FOR EVERYONE. I am a genius after all, hahahah!

“Research shows that physical clutter incites several stimuli for your brain, making it hard to focus on the task at hand. Because of this, cleaning and organizing have been linked to decreased feelings of anxiety. Seeing clutter around you can be draining. Every unfiled piece of paper and item of clothing on the floor is a tiny taskmaster reminding you of everything you still need to accomplish. Taking time to clean and organize your space can give you some much needed mental peace. Working in a clean space can help you to focus and be more efficient.”

But, just like everything else, some people are better at it than others… and it’s something I am good at and will get even better at. I have registered with APDO which is the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers right here in the UK, and have booked my training course for later on this month. Signing up with APDO also plugs one into the professional organisers’ sphere and carries the benefits of work references etc.

And hopefully then I will be able to do something I thoroughly enjoy and I will get the satisfaction of organising people’s spaces and of seeing the transformation in their homes and lives.

Watch this space for information about my new venture… coming soon

Dramatic music Dun Dun Duuuun

My cleaning days are over…

There is something very intimate about cleaning someone’s house. It allows one access to the raw, uncut, unedited version of people and it is incredible.

I have had the privilege of cleaning the homes of a few people over the last year or so and a few of them have become friends. Perhaps it’s the perfect way to get to know your environment. Who better to learn from about a new country (home) than the people who live in it. They’re all so different and interesting in their own way. Each of them have a story to tell, and cleaning their homes is like reading a book, discovering something new about them on every page. Some have given me a glimpse of what my life with my boys might be like in a few years, and some remind me of my life when I was single. It has taught me so much about seeing things in a different light and from a different perspective.

It is an extremely humbling job and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to grow as a person. It just goes to show that no matter what we choose to do in life we can learn and grow from it if that’s what we choose. I have enjoyed being my own boss and I enjoy the transformation of each room as I clean. It’s not for everyone, I know. For me, it was a great way to integrate, and also not to feel guilty when spoiling myself with a manicure or a trip to my favourite hairdresser, Oasis!!!

Some of you already know that when I finished High School in South africa I studied Dental Technology. I loved the art of building a porcelain crown or creating unique dentures for individuals. Our teeth are like our fingerprints: they’re uniquely ours. It’s another example of the miracle of creation and the attention to detail that people often take for granted. I thoroughly enjoyed the creative aspect of Dental Technology and to be able to create something from nothing, however it seemed that my journey in life would take me on another path.

But now, almost 32 years later (which incidentally is the number of teeth adults should have), I find myself back in the dental industry. I am excited and so very thankful for this amazing opportunity.

Thank you to Sandrine for giving me this opportunity and for the team (Ryan, Lottie and John-Paul – (#DSProud) for allowing me to experience my first ever corporate job in the UK market. I’m looking forward to meeting new people and helping whitin my new role. 🙂

It’s a new adventure for my family. I simply love life and its possibilities. It’s a gripping series, of which I am grateful to be part of.

Woman… woe-man… whoah, man! so I married an axe murderer

I came across this passage when doing some research “In many societies, even as women have entered the labour force, they have also retained primary responsibility for unpaid work such as care-giving and household chores,” the Gender Gap report states. This was a report from 2017. So much has happened since then but I can guarantee that woman are doing even more than they did in 2017 especially since the COVID-19 pandemic surfaced.

By now most households need 2 incomes and generally speaking both men and woman work. More than ever before, men are helping with the kids and the household chores… but are they helping enough?

Now, I am not saying that men don’t work hard but generally speaking woman have always had a lot more responsibilities. The husband may be the breadwinner in many cases but it’s not possible without the wife taking care of a million and one chores and responsibilities.

This pandemic has highlighted the roles that each person is responsible for and I think in many occasions this has been a sore point for many couples. More so for married couples with children. All of a sudden hubby is working from home and the wife, whether working from home or being a homemaker or both, is essentially working a lot more. Why is that?

This topic may add some fuel to the fire or some salt to an already painful wound as many couples argue about their roles within a household especially if both of them are working and especially during lockdown/isolation/working from home etc… But the aim of this blog is not to defend or accuse anyone. The fact is that regardless of the type of relationship you are in, despite the fact that you may be fortunate enough to be living with a very hands-on husband, the truth of the matter is that a woman (generally speaking) works a lot harder for unpaid work.

Little things that we as woman have to remember and consider take up so much time and effort and we very often don’t even realise it. The whole family takes it for granted, even the woman herself. This can’t be good for us women and possibly for those who live with us? Have you considered how much energy and time it takes for us women to do constant daily stock take for household goods and food so as to make sure that we never run out of anything? It’s like we are the stock controllers and merchandisers for everyone who lives in the house. From laundry soap to dishwasher tablets, apples, yogurt, and toilet paper… there is always something we have to consider.

I realised today, and this was hard for me to admit, I find it more stressful to slow down than to just keep on ploughing through my daily to-do list. Now that I am a stay home mom I find this to be the case more than ever before.

I can’t stop, even if I feel worn out and sit down with a cup of coffee, I’m soon looking around the room for something to clean up or tidy. The other day I was following a cardio training video (my time to do something for ME) and I found myself vacuuming with the hand held machine during the 30 seconds recovery time. Even my husband commented as he could hear me from his studio, “that was an interesting workout” he said.

I wake up with my brain going “ping, ping, ping” with all that I must do. I have lists for everything and schedules. Then, instead of crashing on the weekends I feel enormous pressure to make sure I don’t neglect the kids and that we are all busy having fun, so I try to play with them and take them out.

Am I the only one or are other women/moms feeling this way?

I think so: I speak to many moms out there and I can tell you that most are on the brink of mental or physical exhaustion. This pandemic has added another dimension to things that women worry about, and it’s not good

I feel that it is important to understand that we all need time each day when we can just “be” rather than constantly “doing”, because this isn’t a lifestyle that can be sustained healthily.

That means getting into the habit of spending time switched off from social media, mental work and physical tasks.

The more you allow yourself to stop, the easier it becomes.

We simply aren’t meant to be constantly on the go and our brains can’t keep functioning properly if we don’t give them time to rest and recalibrate.

Our bodies need rest and our minds have to get an opportunity to simply wander — otherwise we run the very real risk of burning out and then we will be no use to anyone.

I have realised that something really does have to give.

Instead of letting resentment take over your relationships and being angry with your partner ask them to show you how to slow down. How to do one thing at a time and how to switch off… Discuss how they could help with the running of the household so that you have time to relax and just be.

Don’t be angry with your husband/man in your life… he is actually just being a normal human being and has married a Woman… woe-man… whoah man, who somehow feels she has to be a superWOMAN all the time. But guess what… we don’t.

Happiness Starts at Home

I have started so many Blogs over the past few weeks but I just can’t seem to finish any of them. I trail off and go on a tangent and it doesn’t flow and makes little or no sense at all. Why is that? Well, I guess it’s a true reflection of what I feel like – all over the place and not in control, maybe? It’s a very challenging and humbling place to find myself. Is anyone else feeling that way? Not that I have ever been in control (I mean, I’d like to think so), but to a certain extent people like myself who enjoy order and have lists about lists seem to feel like they have some kind of control over their lives. I feel like I am just going with the flow at the moment. After such a bizarre and unsettling year I have surrendered to the unknown. Maybe it’s good? I am not sure yet.. it’s the UNKNOWN after all, right!

Regardless of what our personal beliefs are regarding the Covid 19 pandemic, in one way or another it has affected every single person on this planet. I have listened to and read all sorts of theories and “facts” about this pandemic and I have decided that none of it matters. We cannot do anything about it in an abstract, theoretical way in any case, so why not do something about things we can do. Like how we treat ourselves and others.

Today was a huge challenge for me and so far everything has worked out just fine. I see that as a little victory. To someone else it’s a normal, average morning but for me it was a challenge and I succeeded: I had to get 2 kids ready and dressed in full winter gear (which we’ve discovered is a serious and elaborate affair) by 8am. I had to, for the first time ever, scrape ice off all the windows and mirrors of my car, drive to the school and drop off Gabriel (I had to walk him to the door while carrying Raphael, and anyone who knows Raphael would understand why that on its own is a challenge #he’safatty!). Then back in the car and off to church in time for Communion and then finally come home safely. Well… both kids and I are still alive and we have no frostbite. SUCCESS!!

It’s amazing how I felt like I had achieved something fantastic. I am so happy and calm at the moment. I had been a little anxious about it yesterday. And then I thought about it and how it’s all relative. We don’t know what challenges people have to face and get through every day. My morning may seem so insignificant to someone else but for me it was an achievement for so many reasons (I won’t bore you with details). We need to think twice before we judge. We judge according to our own standards and so we are judging unfairly. Judging is something we should avoid at all costs.

Think about how many times a day we judge. Try and make notes. Even those who think they dont judge, you do. And judging yourself counts !!!!!

So again during this world crisis I think it’s important for us to be kind to everyone including ourselves and to be mindful of everyone and everything. Start at home. No need to “save the world” , “feed all the hungry”, “cater to all the elderly” etc. Of course all those philanthropic gestures are lovely and welcome and necessary, but try and start at home first. Try by having patience with the kids, spending quality time with your husband/partner, taking your dog for a walk, making a special meal, doing whatever you think may be nice for your family. Telling the people in your immediate bubble how much you love them. Try repairing broken relationships as hard as it may seem. Where there is a will there is a way. Only once you have some peace within yourself and immediate bubble should you try to help others.

Start at home in your little bubble and then extend to your bigger bubbles. Covid seems to have exaggerated everything, in my case my anxiety. But it’s these small victories that we hold close and remind ourselves with that it’s all going to be ok. It’s the small victories that give us the courage to tackle the next challenge, and then the next xxx

If you happen to read this blog, be kind to yourself. Start with you !

God bless and protect us all

Things Can Only Get “Feta”

Picture it: Hoylake, 2020. A Greek, South African lady, with her 2 boys and gorgeous husband has recently discovered that she cannot seem to find Feta cheese in the UK.

Let me rephrase that. I cannot seem to find Feta cheese that I like. It would seem that 95% of Feta cheese in the UK is made with cow’s and goat’s milk & unfortunately I am severely allergic to goat’s milk.

I have been casually looking for over a month now but it has become an obsession now and it’s extremely important that I find the right Feta cheese.

We only realise that we take things for granted when we no longer have them. I took Meze Emporio in Senderwood – South Africa – for granted. Their “Meze special” Feta made from 100% cow’s milk is the perfect Feta cheese for me. Perfect texture, taste… simply melts in your mouth. It can be eaten as a starter, accompany a main meal, in a salad or simply as a snack. I crumb feta into most of my Greek dishes.

I believe my grandfather Eleftherios Nicolatos made a phenomenal Feta cheese made from cow’s milk, back in the day, in Kensington, South Africa. For as long as I can remember, Feta cheese was part of my staple every day diet. My best was the long 3 month holidays in Greece when we squeezed big juicy tomatoes onto freshly baked bread, crumbed Feta cheese on it and soaked it in tons of delicious olive oil. I basically lived on that during our school holidays.

We then moved back to South africa and my mom used to make sure we always had Feta cheese in the fridge. As an adult I would buy from Meze Emporium and if I by some turn of events ran out I would go to the closest store and get any Feta cheese. At all of our celebrations, Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, Sunday family lunches, FETA was always there.

So my question is, why does the UK predominately have Feta cheese made from a mix of goat’s and cow’s milk? I cannot tell you how this has become one of my biggest concerns since moving to the UK.

My first Feta purchase was online from Sainsbury’s. Only after I tasted it did I realise it had goat’s milk and I was a little annoyed but I never anticipated what happened next. Store after store, only Feta with some or other percentage of goat’s milk. I searched high and low but alas, no cow’s milk Feta cheese anywhere? and How am I then supposed to enjoy my greek Salad? How am I supposed to make my spanakopita (spinach pie) and tiropita (cheese pie)? First world problems you may say. Well it is a huge first world problem for me.

O Feta, Feta, wherefore art thou Feta?”

An extensive search began. Costco, Tescos, Morrisons. They all have goat’s cheese Feta.. is this really happening? I searched online for about 2 hours last night and emailed a few companies to find out if they could assist. I found a few with sheep’s milk. Pauline from Tomhixon kindly responded via email and let me know they have sheep’s milk Feta which might do but I am still looking for cow’s milk feta. Eventually I asked for help from Wirral Mums Group on Facebook. How sweet that some mums took time out of their crazy schedule to help my quest for THE Feta? (Thank you Helen Barrett)

Waitrose have an exclusively cow’s milk Feta. Problem is that they are almost an hour away and no delivery slots available. Ocado online supermarket also seems to have cow’s milk Feta and sheep’s milk but they don’t have any delivery slots available.

So, the question is, do I drive to Waitrose and buy Feta or do I wait until they have a delivery slot available which may only be in December…

In my quest to find my cow’s milk Feta I learned so much about the cheese itself. Originally made from sheep’s milk and later a mix of sheep and goat but never cow’s milk. Very interesting article for those who are interested about the real story of feta cheese

Dear Father Christmas

All I want for Christmas is cow’s milk fake Feta cheese.

All my love

Korina

Émigration immigration … same same, but different!

Growing up in 2 different countries allowed me to experience 2 cultures but at the same time I somehow missed out on the foundation of the English language. I constantly confuse words like where and were, past and passed, there and their and many more.

When people asked me if I was a Miss or a Mrs I would simply say “not married” because I could never remember the correct answer. I then created a method of remembering . If you are not married you are “missing” something therefore you are a MISS. Hmmm come to think of it why don’t men have Mr and Mrmiss? Or something like that ?

Anyway, I am married now so I am a Mrs. Crazy English language.

Sayings like “hit the nail on the head” “sight for sore eyes” I never get them right or use them at the appropriate times. I kept on telling people I am a “sight for sore eyes” whenever I felt like a mess. No one ever corrected me until one day My hubby explained the difference to me. So embarrassing! English idioms make me feel like an idiot!

And recently the pain (bane) of my existence (Oops, got that wrong too) …. am I emigrating or immigrating. So I would simply say “we are moving to the UK”.

Wikipedia “Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanently move to a country).” So I have emigrated and immigrated at the same time !?

We finally received our container with our household contents. Oh my fuzzy green hat. Why did we bring so much ? We thought we were being conservative but as it turns out we brought way too much.

Minimalism for my kids. So that they learn that experiences are more valuable than possessions. And how better you teach them than by example? Best I get started because I have failed miserably.

When we first arrived we had a few essentials from my family who prepared our house before we moved in. And it was perfect. It reminds me of you little we actually need. It’s so easy to get carried away and have so much more than we actually need. Minimalism is all about living with less. That’s my goal from now on!

The house we are renting in the UK has absolutely no storage space. It seems to be the norm her but I’m not sure, I’ve only been here a month. Having no wardrobes has been very challenging.

Fr Justin is using one of the living rooms as his studio. Have a look at his work (studiosanctus). So space is really limited.

4 days later and I think we are 99% there. The house looks neat and we somehow managed to pack everything away neatly. It was a challenge with 2 kids!!! insane really. I need a holiday ah ha ha !

My advice for anyone emi or immi “grating” is …. unless it’s irreplaceable, very expensive or has serious sentimental value, DONT bring it! Start fresh. And with the money you save on paying for the container and the insane insurance, re-invert your space and start again!

Next blog post “from Hadedas to Seagulls”