Getting life done
Life with family and kids can be pretty demanding, and you never seem to have the time to get things done at the weekend. Last weekend was a great example of this. Fortunately Albany Mega Centre is nearby and it has everything we need, all in one place. It meant we got all of life’s planned, and unexpected, chores done.
Pete and I had plans to get a few things done around the house this weekend. The first priority was to get the summer garden planted. We popped into The Warehouse, down at the Albany Mega Centre, early on Saturday morning and loaded the trolley up with soil, fertilizer tables, strawberries, tomatoes and cucumbers. Our little ‘Vege Pod’ has been going great guns the last few summers and I was looking forward to its next batch of delicious produce. We headed home and got stuck into the garden, getting everything planted by late morning.
Just as we got going on the weekend’s next big job, the laundry clean-out, our youngest son, Ben, came in and told us he’s got a birthday party to go to but hadn’t bought a present. It’s in two hours. We jumped in the car and headed back down to the Albany Mega Centre. The safe bet was Look Sharp Store, with its huge selection of stationery, toys, gadgets, and other fun stuff. And Ben did what 9-year-olds do best – wanted it all. We got a gift bag and filled it up with a puzzle; a deck of cards; Spiderman stickers; the classic ‘fart in a can'; and a small Star Wars figurine. With the gift sorted, I took Ben straight to the party.
Pete had started cleaning the laundry while I was out. I got in and started cleaning the drawers and cupboards. There was stuff everywhere and I found things that I hadn’t seen in years. Pete had been telling me to get a proper shelving and storage system for ages and today I have to admit he’s right. We got back in the car and headed down to Albany Mega Centre and to Storage Box. They had a huge range of great storage selections and the lady who helped us out was excellent. She gave us some great ideas. We purchased a selection of wire baskets, storage tubs and hangers. We also found two rattan hampers for the kids to put their dirty clothes in (instead of the floor!).
By the end of the day the laundry was done and I felt good about our day's work. We definitely earned our glass of wine.
Sunday’s plan was to give the kitchen a really good spring clean. It was a big job and in the process, I filled two big boxes with old and mismatched pots, pans, dishes, plates, glasses, cutlery and even the toaster. They’ll go to the local op shop. With old stuff cleared out, another trip to Albany Mega Centre was in order. This time to Briscoes for new water glasses, a set of plates for everyday use, and a new toaster.
While I was there, Pete rang me to say that we’d run out of dog food and that Richard, our teenage son, was complaining that he’d run out of his favourite shampoo. A dash into Animates was followed by a quick visit to Chemist Warehouse.
The rest of the day went largely as planned until Richard declared that he needed things for school. I told Pete to take him down to Warehouse Stationery which he wasn’t happy about because he had planned to clean his car.
They were away for ages and I wondered what they were up to. They came back looking pretty happy. It turned out that Pete took his car to The Clean, the car grooming service under The Warehouse. While his car was being cleaned inside and out, he and Richard went to Burger King.
What a weekend. We got everything we needed done. It needed five trips to Albany Mega Centre to make it happen. It’s so convenient having a place like this nearby because you never know what everyday life will throw at you next. Whatever it is, Albany Mega Centre has everything you need all in one place.