5:00 sigh. I wish I could blame it all on the teenagers.

Day One:
It was worse than I thought it would be, the garden was completely overgrown. My favorite was the three foot tall weed growing through my breakfast table. The trumpet vine that I moved to the side of the old chicken coop three years ago has taken over. It is going to take a lot of snipping and digging to get it under control. I don't think I will ever be able to get rid of it, the way it spreads under ground.
It was about 75 degrees F. A bit warm, but the sun was behind a gray scrim of clouds. It feels like it will rain.
I spent the whole time gardening.

Here are the before photos.

 I love the weed growing through the table!

 Not much better, but a start.
After Day one.

I want to go back out there and do more, but that is my typical routine. Go full force on one project and ignore all of the other things that need to be done.

100 days on my patio project.

My new project is to spend one hundred days an hour a day on my forgotten patio. The rules. No electronics, other than a picture or two. I can do anything, garden, read or rug hook, but I must be able to see the patio.  The hard rule is going to be rain, snow or children's activities can not keep me from it.
Why is is this important? I have been feeling so overwhelmed by my large yard that I have been ignoring it.  Staying inside. I especially have been ignoring this section of yard because it is so awful.  Just as awful as inside. But that is what this blog is about, not being picture perfect.

March 2nd, Playroom and Kitchen at 5pm

Five o'clock is the witching hour around here, blood sugars are falling. Homework is usually being fought over. Today somehow I got the kitchen clean. The playroom, well there is always tomorrow. It was hard to post the picture of the playroom. But that's the point of this. Most of us can't be magazine ready, it's a fallacy to set our expectations that high. I love great design. But I am tired of spending so much time on things rather than experiences. This is my struggle.

What is the five oclock house?

I don't know about you but I have become addicted to several blogs. Blogs that I love. Where there may be personal tragedy, many children and more likely or not a Mormon mom. But, when they complain their houses are a mess, and show us a picture... well I am just not buying it. It feels like the stylist just left. Give the four men in my life less than ten minutes and I am sure it would look a little different. That's what this blog is about.

I am going to take a picture of my kitchen and playroom every day at five o'clock. Just for you, just to balance out the beautiful blogs and HGTV in your life. Just so you know that you're not alone. Or let you know that you have it going on! You can get the kids to the game, piano practice, story time, school and still be camera ready. You're welcome. Oh and if you want to play along just send me your shots. Let me know what time, and room.
Cheers,
Carrie