BORING BLOG

Living the Dream

As everyone knows, social media is just a way of self promotion so, even though I'm not on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, am guilty as charged! 

Googling "self promotion" provides reams of stuff about what I should be doing to increase my profile, provide value, promote products, get those views up. Think I have a way to go though  before I get 73 million subscribers on You Tube, per recent battle between PewDiePie and T-series (what do you mean, you've never heard of them? Suppose you'll be telling me next you don't know what a vlogger is  either - Mr. Google will tell you)  

Anyway, the blog etc., will always aim to portray the glamorous lifestyle (see Goop etc.) or perfect body (see everywhere), so thought I would take a break from stunning beaches and sunny skies and inject some reality when "living" rather than holidaying - Carole and Dave will know from months of boat living and Lin and Rob need to know for their 1 month living experiment in the Algarve this winter.  The mundane day to day essential stuff from home creeps in!

So here are some of the more boring things we are doing, with suggestions for others doing longer term living getaways - albeit in new environments that make them seem so much more interesting eg. Why is washing up so much more pleasurable in someone else's house?

• Washing up - dishwashers not always available.  See above comment, but not as relevant when you've done all the prep and cooking yourself! 
• Shopping - includes really boring stuff like toilet rolls, washing powder, soap, food, etc. 
• Food cupboard/fridge/freezer - before Shopping item above, try to determine how long the assorted herbs, oils, frozen peas, ice cream, etc., have been there - 2 months, 2 years or last week
• Using said washing powder - undies and more have to be done after a week, at best.   Get that machine on - or if unlucky enough not to have checked beforehand, find launderette and waste lots of valuable chilling time. 
• Shopping for all the pharmacy items you now need, as yet again you didn't bring the ones you actually want.  It's OK, they can just add to the huge home stock when you get back. 
• Cleaning - unless you are somewhere with daily cleaner, but this is unlikely if you are away for more than 1 or 2 weeks. Includes toilets, basins, showers, sandy floors, etc.  Oh, the joys - just like home.
• Cooking - unless you are on unlimited funds and out every night, or on a month long cruise and aiming for fatty-of-the-year award, gotta eat in. (Top hint - take a sharp knife with you.  Self catering places never have one) 
• Barbecuing looks exciting, but (at the risk of being so totally sexist, but so totally right) us ladies still have to prepare shopping list, buy food, prepare salads, dressings and marinades, chop veg and fruit, find utensils for man to hold, give him meat on correct plate and paper towels, remind him to start bbq instead of drinking, eating nibbles (he who shall be nameless) and socialising (or soaking in the evening sun, whilst lady is inside in kitchen) - and then sharing the washing up because today he did the cooking instead of you! 
• Watching TV - so often a complete waste of time in non-UK countries.  Experts in streaming Netflix, Spotify and other online goodies can reap the benefits here. 
• WiFi/mobile usage - see last item.  Sort out before you go how your mobile/tablet is going to work or you will spend precious hours agonising.  Alter your settings before you go.  Hopefully your place will have free WiFi - if not, organise a local sim data card.  Especially if wanting to stream. Data on your home phone can cost the price of the whole month away! 
• Making beds, washing bed linen and towels.  Ultra tedious. 
• Cleaning up top to bottom before you go - especially important if your brilliant friend has loaned you their house.

I know, I know - you still don't feel sorry for us having to do all this day to day stuff.  But at least this post doesn't have self promoting beachy or beauty photos all over the place to remind those of you in frost mode that you really hate us. 

Back to normal bragging soon.