The Great Eight

Our beautiful Lockwood home nestled on the side of Mount Ngongotaha is bathed in glorious sunlight …. until 2.17 pm, where it plunges into dark and dampness in the winter. UGH. So because of this, we have discovered ridiculous amounts of mould. On the walls, on toys, clothes, furniture and sadly a bunch of carpet we had to rip out. 

Welcome to our winter reality.

By mid-afternoon, while the rest of the world is basking in the last golden rays of sunlight, we’re pulling out wool socks and checking the windows for condensation. If I had a dollar for every time I said “Is it colder inside than it is outside?” I could afford a fancy dehumidifier by now!

I did not realise the extent of the mould until my self diagnosed ADHD kicked in and I suddenly had to declutter because the mess was touching me (IYKYK) and found it was waaaaay worse than i had thought. Then all the pieces started to fit together. The constant stream of bugs we have had, and no, I’m not talking about your average creepy-crawly. I mean those invisible, ninja-like, respiratory bugs that slither their way into your lungs and lay waste to your immune system. The ones that take down the whole family one by one and everyone recover at a snails pace. We’ve been sick on and off for weeks…months…years even. Discovering the mould made me lightbulb moment! We aren’t just full of bad luck. We are full of mould 😭

Thankfully, our walls are Lockwood, so wiping them down, although tedious, is easily done. Unfortunately, some items were not so easily saved. BUT I do love a good cleanout and minimalising. Something that has to be done on a regular basis with 10 people in the house!  The house is starting to feel lighter, clearer, and far less sneezy. The kids have rediscovered the floor in their rooms. I’ve rediscovered that I can actually part with things I swore I’d need “one day.” And we’ve all started breathing a little easier. Literally and emotionally.

So, to all my fellow chilly-house dwellers with mystery coughs and suspicious smells, check for mould! And if you find it, don’t panic. Put on your rubber gloves, crank some music, and go full Marie Kondo. If it doesn’t spark joy or you haven’t used it in 6 months – bin it.

And if you need me, I’ll be in the sunniest corner of the house (up to 2:17pm), sipping a hot lemon drink and watching Aurikatariina to feel both inspired AND grateful that my house isn’t that bad.