Finding a Balance

I have been busy working on my business Just like Katie and while it is doing well it takes so much time and drains me of my creative energy. I have to take photos and edit them and put them on the website.  Then I don't feel like mucking around with pics for scrapping. Perhaps I need a better system where I edit the pics I like all at once then they would be ready to go. Anyway, I am having trouble making it all work but I so miss scrapping, pictures and blogging.

I am also really enjoying the new Simple Aussie Girls blog, and they are making me feel very inspired. (After all 4 of my all time fav scrappers are there!)

So I have been trying to find a balance, and while I am not saying I have achieved solving the age old problem, but I am working towards things that work well for our family, and that makes me happy. 

My aim now is to at least spend a little time blogging, it is always a great place to jot down stories I want to scrap. Another aim is to babble less and let the photos speak with just a few words, hard for me but I love the simplicity of it. Ali Edwards does it so well and I love reading those posts.

I am also enjoying my project 365 and happy that I am capturing a lot in there, although I am missing a couple of weeks! I aim to share some more of that with you as well.

So I have been reading this, and although I am only half way through it is helping, in general and I am trying to change my attitudes and thinking and making the days less complicated for all of us. All that I have done has not come from here directly, I am just picking bits that speak to me and going with them.

Noah took a drama class over the holidays and he loved it. They did a little exercise and performance at the end, it was so cute! 

 

Loved them taking a bow!

Over the weekend I tried a little more attention and inclusion with the kids, I also managed to avoid tv for them for a whole day (there was a computer game or two) without making a point of it and they were so proud of them selves, they learned it is fun and you can do other things!

 

These stools have been an integral part of my changes. The kids are sitting at the bench being involved with me, chatting, cooking helping, working, learning. It has been great. And they are new stools, I never had any before (I think I need a third for symmetry)

 

I spent the weekend cleaning organising and tidying out here, and it makes me happy and I feel good to walk around out there, there is more work to do but everything is pointing towards making things easier, smoother and happier for all!

 

Working together to build a very special reward, this provided much entertainment throughout the day we love Australian Geographic! And I am proud of my boy practising self control at school, he is learning so much, and so am I.

 

Coming up with lots of activities for the kids to participate in was fun (after I reminded myself they would make a mess, just let them do it, enjoy and clean up at the end) I am loving them helping clean up, they like to empty the dish washer, and are getting better at packing things up. Noah really gets that it helps and it makes him feel good and that he gets more Mummy time.

Today is a pupil free day for us so we enjoyed a lay in in bed with some cuddles and the tv and just a slow start to the day. Looking forward to a happy week.

Noah's Bear take two

I really loved chatting to Noah the other night about his bear. He has been such a part of his life for the last six years. I made myself scrap the page today before the story was lost.
I totally lifted it from Amy. And Amy you have corrupted me I bought some Oscraps One Little Bird papers - very dangerous!

But love the page. Thanks for the inspiration girls.
PS the page took a while, Im a bit rusty! Off to catch up on some more blog reading.
Sorry if you want the links check the previous post. Too lazy to put them in again :)

Noah's Bear

I really loved chatting to Noah the other night about his bear. He has been such a part of his life for the last six years. I made myself scrap the page today before the story was lost.
I totally lifted it from Amy. And Amy you have corrupted me I bought some Oscraps One Little Bird papers - very dangerous!






Sorry you can't see it at the moment! Blogger won't upload it grrrrr. Any suggestions, using hubby's Mac and pic goes into uploader, but won't import. What was the photo thingy you were using girls?






But love the page. Thanks for the inspiration girls.
PS the page took a while, Im a bit rusty! Off to catch up on some more blog reading.

Look a page ....

Just stopping back in again to show you my page. I made one, yay! I was not quite as quick as I used to be, but it takes a bit to get back into the grove. Hopefully I will get back to whipping up some quick pages soon.
I am also really enjoying project life, as it takes away my need to scrap the little things, it is far more efficient to just pop some pics in the album and then just do a page for the big stories I want to tell.

This page captures some great details about Noah now and how he is growing up. And I loved the two pics of him in the same spot three years apart, but they don't have too much of a story on their own. So I got to use them here. Not sure if I will put it on white or anothe colour, but just put it on white here. You get the idea.
It was fun. Back soon and will share some more of my project life too.

A birthday is looming ....

Sounds a little ominous doesn't it? Well it isn't, I am excited and so is Miss almost 4. It just kind of snuck up as I knew it would. I was organised early, and made the invites. It was fun too, I was pleased to do a little scrapping.

 

I even managed to hand deliver all the invites to her little friends in plenty of time, the beginning of May always sneaks up on me, and I knew with Easter being so late I had to be organised. 

That was also my downfall a little. I had everything all lined up and ready to go. Here we are 4 days out and I have just realised I need to bring it all together. 

She is having a low key celebration (because apparently when you turn 5 you have to go to Luna Park, like your brother did, something about being tall enough to go on the roller coaster). We have invited a few of her little friends, at her choosing to a High Tea at the local cupcake shop. She is so excited, we have been in and sampled the wares, and she was concerned there weren't enough chairs for all her friends, too cute.

I have assembled all the presents, still awaiting one to arrive in the mail. Oh so you know it is this, with a pink crystal added.

 She is loving the Barbie movies, and that stuffed dolly she picked out on her own (after Mummy obsessively stalked the site until I could find one that suited) and she will be so excited that it has a tutu.

The dolly is from Lace & Ryde, they are on Facebook and you have to follow to find out when she has more dolls for sale, as they get snapped up in a nano second. I am hoping to make a Just like Katie dress or two for her as well. I think it will be fun having clothes to change her into, I bought the red riding hood cape for her when I bought her. 

So now I need to whip up some clothes in the next few days to add to the package! And I must sort out Mr almost 6's party which is just two weeks later, I know who would have two kids birthdays in the same month. 

By the way, just came across this yesterday, maybe a good Christmas present? Check out the rest of the decor tab, some very nice pieces!

 

And just one last thing, what will she wear? I haven't yet decided if I will buy something or whip something up. Oh decisions and time, what will I do! Right now I am off to do a little scrapping, the kids have gone fishing with Daddy, so a little me time, then onto the boys invites. It is his first school party!

Cleaner =Calmer x 2

I had planned to redo Miss almost four’s wardrobe too. I wanted to do it today, and perhaps I wouldn’t have but for the request of a very sweet four year old we recently met. This is for you, especially after you showed us your room so graciously when we visited.

And thank you, there would still be a mountain of clothes on the rocking chair if it wasn’t for your request.

I had already tidied most of Miss 3’s room. The wardrobe got unorganised and a vast mountain of clothes grew.

I have long wanted to take a pick of all the beautiful clothes in Miss 3’s wardrobe, especially the beautiful selection of handmade dresses, of which I am very proud. I shall have to take a slightly more arty photo to scrap when there is a little more light and we are not doing the mad dash out the door to swimming lessons. I should say that I am typing while at swimming lessons, something must be crammed into every last second, especially with these school days eating into my time!

Miss 3 happens to have the bigger wardrobe (and way more clothes I might add) so her’s is also storage, hence all the containers.

Anyway here are a few more pics of her room, just so the lovely four year old can see around it. Not much has changed since we moved Miss 3 to the big bed, just mostly the toys have been upgraded for more current ones.

And perhaps I was not as productive as I could have been because after reading groups at school I spent 3 hours getting this done! I am happy and it was fun to spend time on me, but by the time I made it home it was almost school pick up time, and I had so many more things on my list today. Oh well there is always tomorrow!

Clean = Calm

I know sounds a little corny? It does though. Since Christmas time I have been wanting to clean out Mr 5's room out. It wasn't too bad early on, but as less things had proper homes, the worse it got. And I found it rather stressful to have to try to operate in there (help me when he is a teenager!).
There was just general stuff everywhere and he was less inclined to put the things that did have a home in their place. We even misplaced a few of the DS games, there was a stern talking to about that, and the responsibility that comes with such things. The DS and all its paraphernalia now has its own special home.

Here is a before shot, this was after I had done some work (the Lego in the corner of the cupboard had been tidied already).

And the after. I am feeling calmer just looking at these pics. There is still work to do, a few more things could go, and there are some Lego's to be sorted. But this is as much as school time would allow. I had to go get Mr 5 from school so I had to be done by then. And he would have had something to say about my removing some of his things.
Mostly they were things he had outgrown, and won't remember, out of sight out of mind - but if they had become in sight, there would be a renewed love! I am also hoping that the clean out will give more appreciation of the things he has and the way to look after them. There is a rather expensive present headed his way for his birthday, another bargain Lego purchase, so I would like to encourage looking after of his current toys, and putting them back in their places. That said, he is usually really good with his things.
I am also contemplating pocket money and extra jobs around the house to earn it. He has jobs already, that are just because we are part of a family and we work together and we all help. But with going to school and the need for more spending money, now may be the time. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Project Life Week 1

The first few weeks of the year have been busy for me on all fronts. Especially with Mr almost 6 starting school, that took some adjusting.
I have been struggling to find my rhythm and time for me. It has been forever since I scrapped. Hopefully that will be soon. Last week I gave myself a lot of time to catch up on my Project Life. And I really enjoyed it. And I am gradually working a system to keep the wheels in motion closer to weekly.
So here is my cover. Love stopping to look at those smiley faces. Not sure on what will go in the top right yet. Something will come along or I will create something.

  

The week in full view. I am having trouble remembering to keep paper bits and pieces, I am getting better at it. And I love seeing the bits in the album.

 

Week one left side closer up. Some weeks I write a lot, some weeks I write little. If I am organised I will write down something that the kids have said directly onto the card and slot it in. I love these ones the most later on. I do also keep the album out on the dining table (hidden amongst the sewing at the moment) so it is out and easily accessible with the cards handy to jot down stuff.

 

And  the right side closer up. Some days I don't take photos, some days there are a few I love. To put them in and look back over the weeks is already lovely to see. I love looking at what we have done.

And a tip, I jot down on a note what has happened that week. I found I don't always use all of those details, but I wasn't sure I wanted to through them away either. So I have used one of the cards folded in half to jot down the week. Some times this sits in its own sometimes it goes behind another item (they have a tab which pokes out).

 

Are you doing Project Life? What are your thoughts? Anything you would like me to answer?

I do also love the way Ali Edwards has included some extra pages on special things. I am waiting for some 8.5 x 11 sleeves to arrive and I think I will give it a go to. I like the idea of a few things being elaborated on. 

And I have made notes along the way of the bits I would like to do a scrap page on for the kids albums.

Feels good to blog too. Hopefully I can keep it brief and then I can fit in more frequent posts.

If only I could do a post straight from my head, IE plug into the computer, think I would be onto something. 

Hope you are all well.

On the twenty fifth day ....

Is January whizzing by quickly for you also? We are a few days in I am playing with the beginnings of my project life 365 (I gave up last year so I'm using the kit from then) and wanting to make it simple enough to keep up. Will share soon. I am also trying to finish of my December Daily before December blurs in my mind. I am also itching to sew, but I am struggling with so many half done things and wanting to hang out with the kids too.

So here is my pages for December 25, I will get through them all, hopefully picking up pace as I go before January whizzes by too. Hope you are taking it slowly and enjoying the time with family.

On the twentieth day ....

I was on such a roll. And then I stopped to actually try and do a page. It took a long time and I didn't get it finished. Then I gave up and didn't save it grrr you can guess what happened. Since that was 4 days before Christmas I didn't do much more. It was a little busy.
So here is that page I was working on re done. I will have a go at printing and embelishing a little later.

We had a quiet day after our big and very late adventure into the city. That post will come soon.
It seems funny posting this in the new year. Looks like it is going to be a hot one here.
Happy New Year to you all, we are wishing for a happy, peaceful and calm one here. Perhapls calm will be my word for the year. We could all do with a bit of stability, routine and normal here. Xxx