Lynn O’Rourke: ‘I attempted a clear out only to make a fatal error’ ’

ARE YOU raring to go yet, or still playing catch up and trying to get back into the school/work/nursery run of a morning with sanity intact?

My youngest keeps waking up and asking, “Is it really morning?” in a confused manner as she peers out at the dark, which isn’t helping my morning routine at all.

The confusion continues as I bundle her out of the door into the cold, followed painfully slowly by her sister with her nose in a book, and packing an assortment of lunch boxes, bags and toys that feels as if we are off on a three-day trek to the Pole. I can’t understand why my home still looks so messy when I appear to leave it every day carting half its contents with me.

I attempted a clear out last week only to make the fatal error of not disposing of things immediately. Feeling smug that I could finally see the floor in youngest daughter’s room, I sneaked off for a coffee break and the posh chocolate biscuits I have hidden from my husband and children. On my return I found all the things supposedly on their way out strewn across the bedroom floor as the little one ignored her new Christmas things and sat oohing and aahing over the long-lost treasures clever mummy had just unearthed. Pop-up books without the pop ups? Pull-along ducks with migraine-inducing sound effects? Armless Polly Pockets? All winners in her eyes. Lesson learned.

This week we take a look at Laura McKenzie’s lovely home in Glasgow’s West End. Former offices, she now runs the top two floors as a luxury boutique bed and breakfast hotel, while downstairs is a fantastic family space. Andy and Gerda Furlong talk about the changes they made to get the most out of their striking Hyndland flat, while you can see what can be done with a small Edinburgh town garden. And finally, How Clean is your House? presenter Aggie MacKenzie reveals her own lovely living space.