Callaloo Soup

It's Spring! The Perfect Time to Regroup

 

Now that one quarter of the year has gone by, I am feeling the urge to reflect and regroup. To reevaluate the goals and plans I made for this year to see if they still feel authentic. I am still happy with the word I chose to guide me this year : Action. I am less happy with how I am implementing it in my life in some areas.

I have definitely made strides: I am working out more, and eating better. I switched my clothes around this weekend, and found that some items that I couldn't wear last summer now fit again (and I am grateful that I held on to them despite the usual decluttering tenet of getting rid of things that no longer fit). I not only got my shop on Etsy running again, but I opened a second one. I am slowly working on getting and staying clutter free.

But I still struggle with some basic things that I know will have a positive impact on my life. The hardest one for me is waking up early. I have never been a morning person. I am pretty sure I will never be. But why is it so hard for me to just get out of bed and get going in the morning? Waking up earlier will mean more time to work on my goals. It's a total no-brainer, right? It seems like such a simple thing, so why can't I do it?

I am drinking more water, but I know it's not enough. I read somewhere that you should drink half your weight in ounces in water. That is, if you weigh 110 pounds, you should be drinking 55 ounces of water a day. I think I maybe drink 16 to 24 ounces on a good day. I am considering setting up an alarm to remind me to drink more. But knowing me, I'd just shut it off and keep on doing what I am doing at the time!

In the next few weeks I hope to rearrange some stuff so that my main computer is in my craft room and not in the living room. I am hoping that this will mean me spending more time in the room where I actually create, thus leading to me getting up from my desk and doing more, instead of just pinnning, and repinning and repinning...... anyone else suffer from that disease?

Overall though, I am happy with all that I have done in the last three months. I am especially happy that we have an early Spring (knocking on wood), because we have been able to get the garden going, and Kieran and I are spending lots of time playing outside, which can only be a good thing!

But if you have any tips on the getting out of bed thing, and the drinking water thing, tell me about them in the comments! Maybe with a little help I can beat this thing! Or if you struggle like me, tell me anyway so we can have a pity party.....I mean support each other! Plus I'd love to hear how your One Little Word is working for you so far. So, let's talk!

 

Project Simplify 2012 | Kieran's Toys

The first area we tackled this year was kid's clothes and toys. I usually keep on top of Kieran's clothing, so I had no real need to tackle that part, but the toy situation was out of control. Kieran was sick for most of last week though, so I wasn't able to do as much as I hoped. But I knew I had to tackle the major toy hot spot: the living room

BEFORE

 

 

 

 

It was seriously out of control. When we moved in we decided not to have a lot of toys in the living room, and he has quite a bit upstairs in his room, but then Christmas happened, as well as some other random toy giving episodes (not pre-approved by this Mummy) and we ended up with what you see above. I forgot to take a photo of inside the toy box, but it was filled with a number of smaller random toys that he hardly touched anymore.

While Kieran napped on Saturday afternoon (first time in eight months! He really was feeling poorly) I attacked. I emptied the toy box and filled a bag with the things he doesn't use anymore, like his first set of plastic cars, his V-Tech book and a few other random items. At that point I decided that I would put all the large vehicles in the toy box, as they were the main source of my irritiation.

I also separated out all the outdoor type toys, and will eventually get a storage chest for them outside once Spring is well and truly here.

I tidied up the shelf that held the train sets, crayons and markers, activity books and papers for art, and found a plastic box to use to coral his dinette sets and other loose toys. The rocking horse is also gone as he is no longer obsessed by it as he once was. Here's the result.

AFTER

 

 

 

A closer look in the toy box

 

 

And on the shelf

 

Ahhhhh. Much better! I can look across the room without getting all twitchy. I'd like to eventually get rid of the random plastic boxes and find a more unified storage solution though. I'll be keeping my eye out at flea markets and garage sales for unique vintage storage options!

 

Are you working on Project Simplify this year? How do you keep your toy clutter down?

 

 

One Month In

It's January 31st, 2012. Do you know what that means? Only 328 days until Christmas!!!!

Seriously though, that first month sped by didn't it? I decided to take a bit of stock in how I am doing with my goals and plans so far and came up with this list:

1. I am blogging at least four times a week.
2. I have been working out three times a week.
3. I started and have kept up with Project Life: my major scrapbooking project for this year
4. I am waking up earlier
5. I decluttered the kitchen counters (although that is a never ending undertaking....)
6. I am being better at organising my time
7. I am engaging in creative play
8. I am making sure to eat well when it's just me for lunch
9. I am working on my personal photography in a couple of ways.
10. I am implementing changes in my Etsy shop

Looking ahead to February I plan to start working out five times a week, and my big project will be to art journal everyday, along with some dear freinds of mine.

Anyone else want to check in about their year so far?

 

Message from the Universe

Sometime last year on the recommendation of my friend Amy, I bought and read The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield. In the book Pressfield, the author of The Legend of Bagger Vance, explores the struggle faced by artists (e.g. writers, painters, photographers and yes scrapbookers) in doing their work. He talks about the idea of resistance (think procrastination) and how it stops us from doing the work we want, even need, to do. 

Raise your hand if you're guilty. I sure am. And even after reading the book I did nothing. But this is the year of action. And this past week I kept coming across references to Stephen Pressfield everywhere. Nat talked about the book in her video for the Creative Jumpstart Summit. Ali Edwards tweeted a link to an article which mentioned Pressfiled again. Then I followed another link to a visual representation of the book by Sunni Brown

 

 

Alright! Enough! I get it! It's time for me to pick the book back up again, and not just read it but apply the principles. Because yes, Pressfield does give us ideas on how we can fight against the resistance, and what happens when we do. 

 

 

I highly recommend this book if you find yourself struggling with doing the work. Doing your work.

Have you ever received a message from the universe?

 

 

Action 2012 | Mapping Out The Year

As I was thinking about my plans for 2012 I decided I wanted a visual way to map out the year, one that would be right in front of me. One of the things I noticed about the last couple years is that I would suddenly decide to start a project because it looked interesting or fun. I wouldn't stop to consider what else I had going on at the moment, I just jumped right in. This pretty much led to many projects being abandoned when I couldn't fit them in. This year I want to have a better idea of what is going on in any month before I take on new stuff.

So here is my 2012 wall calendar

I cut up a roll of whiteboard contact paper that I've been hoarding (I knew it would come in handy eventually!) and stuck the pieces to some sheets of yellow letter sized cardstock. I've also held on to those for ages. The right side is a glittery textured cardstock that I never found a way to use. The back sides were the perfect shade of yellow for this project! Then into my Thicker letter stash I went to label the months. I used a strong double-sided tape to then stick each sheet to the wall close to my desk.

It's already getting pretty filled up!

 

10 Things I Want to Do More of In 2012

1. Dress nicely

2. Bake : cakes, breads, cookies

3. Teach: myself, Kieran and others

4. Give: of myself, my time, my talent

5. Play

6. Explore

7. Create

8. Write

9. Cook non Crockpot Meals (like some of these)

10. Connect & Reach out: with friends, family and YOU!

See more lists of 10 here

Creative Play

In keeping with my goal to play more I enjoyed some creative play today.

Both these ideas came from Dina Wakely. In her video for Nat Kalbach's Creative Jumpstart Summit, she talked about doing a warm up before actually starting to create an end product. I really love that idea!

My Vision Board for 2012

I first read about making vision boards over on Karen's blog and always wanted to make one. Fast forward to September last year and I started making one as part of her Pathfinder  workshop. Of course this was during our big move, so needless to say neither the board or the class got finished (another lesson learned from 2011).

However, I knew that I wanted it to be a part of my goal planning for this year, so once Christmas was over I got all the bits and pieces out again, and today I finally got it finished!

Here it is in progress:

And here is the completed board on my wall:

I cut out images and phrases from magazines that resonated with me, then make a collage on canvas. I tried not to over think things. In fact the in progress version has been sitting on my desk all week, and today I decided that I needed to take action and get it finished!

Here are some closer shots:

The process of making this has really energized me! I think I am going to love looking up at this when working in my scrap room.

Have you ever made a vision board or similar project?

52 Projects for Play

Last year I read two books that prompted me to create this special project this year: 52 Projects by Jeffrey Yamaguchi  and Play by Dr. Stuart Brown.

In the 52 Projects book, the author, who also has a website,  extends an invitation to indulge one's inner artist by committing yourself to one creative project a week for 52 weeks. 52 Projects chronicles the author's artistic journey over the course of one year and how it changed his life - and also offers 52 jumping-off points for the reader's own creative inspiration. That sounded pretty good to me!

In summer when I read Play I had an AHA! moment as I realised that I wasn't doing much crafting just because. According to the research presented in the book, play is essential for shaping the brain, opening the imagination and invigorating the soul. 

So this year I want to play more, and specifically play more with my scrapping & crafting. I plan to spend some time each week playing with my supplies and enjoying the creative process. Who knows where this might lead?

 

 

2012: The Year of Action

Source

I am my own worst enemy. This is probably the most important lesson I learned about myself in 2011. I have notebooks filled with plans and ideas that have yet to see the light of day. I had great intentions but I failed to act. So for 2012 my word is Action. I need to just get out of my own way and do it already.

I don't need to make any new goals and plans, I already have a lot of those. This year it's time to get moving and make things happen.

Source

I am getting started now, because I really don't want to come to the end of 2012 wondering where the year went, and what I have to show for it. Not that I acheived absolutely nothing in 2011, but I don't feel like I pushed myself to do more than the bare minimum. And I don't like that feeling. I know that I am capable of much more, and this is the year I prove that to myself.

What is your word for 2012?