Me Time Monday - 4 January

Well, Happy New Year!

Here's hoping it's fantastic....I love the feeling at the beginning of the year when it's like a clean slate, full of promise and expectation!

I've written a long list of things to accomplish this year.....we shall see what actually gets done....lol

Hope it's a great year for all in bloggyland!

Oops! "Me Time Monday"....on Tuesday!

Well I kinda slipped up already.....it's Tuesday, but yesterday (and last week) were kind of hectic.

We had a fabulous Christmas and hope you all did too. We were very spoilt with gifts, ate lots, slept lots and generally loved catching up with friends and family.

I love Christmas and it's my aim this coming year to bring a bit of the magic and special nature of Christmas to every day - celebrate year round!

Me Time Monday - 14 December

We are officially in the countdown to Christmas mode in this house. Every day my three and a bit year old daughter wakes me up with the question "Is it Christmas yet?"....it's kinda the yuletide version of "are we there yet?" and is repeated with alarming frequency for the rest of her waking hours...I'll be glad for the day when I can say "yes!!". And then it's all over too soon.

Personally, I love the whole festive frenzy - people rushing around the shops with a manic grin on their faces, carols ad nauseum, everything sparkly and bright.....ah, it's Christmas!! The weekend before last hubby and Sophie made a gingerbread house - it's the cutest thing and we've decided to open one present each on Christmas Eve and eat the gingerbread house and sing Christmas carols - it will be the start of our little family tradition.

I'm excited about Wesley's first Christmas too - he's only 7 weeks old, so he won't remember it, but I'll have fun with it all. Have bought him the cutest little bib that says "Mummy's little pudding" and a Santa hat - so adorable!! I'll try and capture a photo when he's awake and not feeding.

Right, well better go - have lots to do while the little man sleeps - see you next Monday!

Alrighty then....I'm coming out of the fog!!

The last 8 weeks have been a bit of a blur really.....I became a hermit in the last few weeks of my pregnancy and just mooched around at home in a nesting frenzy. Then of course there was the birth of our gorgeous son, and then those first six weeks just flew by in a haze of feeding, not sleeping and wondering how on earth to get through another day with a high energy toddler to cope with!

But, we made it, and now he's starting to sleep, so I can get some semblance of 'me time' back into my life!! Starting with - my poor, neglected blog!!

So, from now on I'm going to try and post once a week - I'll call it 'Me time Monday'....it may not be interesting, and it might not even make sense, but I'm going to try and be accountable.

Wish me luck!

Seriously lost my blogging mojo....

I've been so busy with being pregnant and nurturing a new life that I've lost my blogging mojo. Hopefully it will come back at some stage, but until then, I'll continue to lurk, occasionally comment and if the mood strikes me - post!

Take care out there in bloggy land!!

Joanne
xx

Sock Monkey

I have been wanting to make one for ages seeing as they are so expensive in the shops, but hadn't gotten around to it until earlier this week. I think it's pretty good (if I may say so myself and especially because I had to do it all by hand because my sewing machine decided to chuck a tanty!) for a first attempt, and now I want to make more!

Sophie loves it and has carried it round everywhere (and I mean everywhere - it has to sit on the potty when she is on the toilet!!) for the last few days and taken it to bed every night. She told me she loves it like she loves Mummy and Daddy - awwww!

Next I want to make a stripey one for a friend's baby shower - I figure it will be something quite original!! For the baby though, I'll embroider the eyes and nose instead of buttons - safer I think!

Thanks to Heather for her instructions so very long ago....I finally did it!!

Without further ado, here is the as yet unnamed sock monkey...

Progress on the '34' list - almost done!!

1. Declutter the house – 1 room per month should be quick enough!! (All done!)
2. Clean out our garage and sell/donate what we don't use (this goes for #1 also). (Done!)
3. Make our bedroom pretty and functional. (Done!)
4. Stick to the budget – create weekly shopping lists/meal plans. (Done every week so far)
5. Plant (and maintain) a garden for and with my daughter. (Done! and she loves it!)
6. Do one activity per term with my daughter (dance, swimming, music etc). (Swim T1, Music T2, Playcentre T3 and 4 - so Done!)
7. Go on date nights with hubby – aim for one per month......this one isn't going so well - we've done 3 this year!
8. Sell our house.
9. Buy a bigger house.
10. Wear nice lingerie under my clothes. (Did so, well until I got pregnant anyway!!)
11. Listen, instead of just hearing, what people say to me. (Trying....)
12. Read 50 books. (Up to 46 so far - nearly there!)
13. Create an artwork.
14. Frame all the pictures and artworks that are waiting to be framed. (Done! and finished the picture wall too!)
15. Socialise more with friends – make an effort! (Have definitely been doing this!!)
16. Start Christmas shopping early in the year. (Almost finished Christmas shopping - only have hubby and Gran to go!)
17. Take a family holiday. (This is in planning stage...)
18. Blog more often. (Oops!)
19. Cut and colour my hair. (Colour is done.....cut I've decided not to do now...)
20. Do something every week that's just for me.
21. Start sewing again. (I've been doing quite a lot of sewing for Sophie)
22. Get to goal weight by the end of the year (that’s 6kg to lose). (This one is on hold until AFTER the baby arrives!!)
23. Exercise one hour, at least 3 times a week. (Same as #22)
24. Sort through my wardrobe – be ruthless! (Done!)
25. Take my daughter to the zoo. (Did and it was awesome!!)
26. Visit my gran every week. (Loving this one!)
27. Spend more time with friends and family – enjoy them! (Yes if Mum isn't busy!)
28. Practice more ARK (acts of random kindness). (Done!)
29. Sort out the garden – make it low maintenance – and then actually maintain it! (Done!)
30. Find a pair of sunglasses that actually suit me. (Done!)
31. Write in my daughter’s journal more often. (Have done so every fortnight so far)
32. Play more and be silly more.
33. See at least 2 movies IN the movie theatre – perhaps with hubby?
34. Try a new recipe at least once a month. (Have tried quite a few new recipes this year, so yes!)