Growing up stinks.

Or maybe that's the trash I forgot to take out.

I am officially a 30-something married female. Last year I was a 30 year old female. This year sounds so much cooler and professional. Which is good since with each passing year my "cool factor" has gotten smaller and smaller. I have a difficult time finding it now. I used to be really cool. Ultra cool. Uber cool. Only the coolest for me. Then last month I ordered a subscription to Good Housekeeping and was uber excited about it. I can't believe I just admitted that.

I used to stay up late and watch MTV while drinking beer. Now I get up early to watch HGTV with my coffee. I still have some drinks, but I have to leave a lot of days in between for recovery. I'm interested in what is happening in the world rather than Hollywood. I print, cut out, and ask for recipes. I know which of my friends make the best deserts and who cooks a killer steak. I <gasp> enjoy cooking. I like crafts, including knitting. I still don't like cleaning up.

But growing up comes with many responsibilities that no one told me about when I was in such a hurry to get here. Yes, I do enjoy to cook a new recipe and impress my friends or family. But night after night of cooking gets a little old. I don't like to cook the same old things, so I end up spending hours looking for new ideas and inspiration. And more time coming up empty handed and frustrated. Some recipes are epic failures, others have become household favorites. I'm still young and I'm still learning how this grown up thing is done.

I also love crafts. I like to make things and display them in my house or give them away as gifts. I like making anything with my hands. I like to find new uses for old things. Often though I only find craft ideas that cost a small fortune or require expensive tools to complete. I like simple and I like pretty.

What I don't love is cleaning. Except for dusting, I love to dust. Many days it seems impossible to even find my motivation. I lay on the couch and look at the mess. I think about cleaning the house, but pass that up to read a good book. I've collected some small ways to help me tackle my biggest enemy and I continue to look for more.

Being a grown up. True, I no longer have a curfew. Well, actually I guess I do. I no longer have my parents telling me what to do. Wait, yeah they still try to. And they still intrude into my business a little too often for my taste. What I don't have is someone to cook my dinner or wash my laundry. I really need to start saving my money for a maid.