Van Der Spek Planner Heaven :)

Guess what arrived this morning!!  After the disappointment of the couriers leaving it behind in their depot yesterday when it should have been delivered and the equally unhelpful customer services who told me that they do not deliver on Saturday so I would have to wait until Tuesday...they delivered it this morning!!

Oooh, I wonder what this could be...

Yay!!  At last!!

The uber-softness cannot be pictured!

And my very own Philofaxy card!

Gorgeous, just gorgeous!

Look at that MASSIVE pocket!!

And those MASSIVE rings!!

That's going to take a LOT of stuff :)

Togetherness x

Perfect combination - Senior & Manager size

Wow, I am in awe of this planner, the feel, the smell, the craftsmanship, the everything!  I would like to thank Petra Van Der Spek for being so patient with my queries and the lightning fast delivery as I only ordered it on Tuesday evening and it should have been here on Friday so that is amazing all the way from the Netherlands!!

I am in planner heaven - if you haven't looked at Van Der Spek planners before then you should go straight away to here and have a look at the delights they have to offer - you can even get your own planner custom made with your choice of colour and texture of leather both inside and out, stitching, ring size and colour and additional items - all made with love and excellent skills!!

Mine are both from the Touch Me range which are not customised (other than the ring sizes) as I love the big back pocket and the internal layout so much.  Currently they only come in brown or black but there is talk of another colour being offered in the future...you need to keep a check out for that, and if its red then I'm definitely having another set!!

Right, I am off to play/set up my planner so I will be back with an update!

Until then, take care xxx

Paperchase A5 Planner Inserts

Just in case anyone was wondering, here is a quick post about what you get in an A5 set of inserts from Paperchase.  You get the same in the personal (£5 I think) and pocket sizes (£4) too:

Quite an impressive stack of stuff for a mere £6 especially when you consider that Filofax just a Week on 2 Pages is £10!!  It's nicer paper I think than Filofax too, doesn't seem to suffer as much bleed through (none at all with lighter inks) if you use stamps to decorate.

Until next time, take care xxx

Deciding on which planners to use!!

I have printed, cut and punched the free 2015 Monthly Planner from Lime Tree Fruits and they are amazing! They are available here and if you haven't come across her work yet then you should really go check her out as she has some awesome things available for your planner.

They have the most wonderful illustrations and 'feel good' quotes, I love these and normally print a few copies in various sizes so I have them in all my planners but this year I am not doing that, this year I am going to try and dedicate a planner for specific things rather than have things all over the place between the different ones as that has really not worked - surprised?!

So, as my gorgeous VDS A5 Manager Touch Me has not turned up (see previous post for a rant on why!) I am now wondering which planner to put them in...then it dawned on me that I was going to end up repeating what didn't work and we all know "if we keep on doing the same thing we are always going to get the same thing" and I need to sort it now before I get carried away doing exactly that!

I have a few things on the go at the moment and I have enough planners to be able to designate each one to a specific purpose so all I need to do is figure out which one I can use for what...easier said than done when you want to use ALL of them for everything!  But it doesn't work!!!!!

My projects at the moment are:

1. Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
2. Diploma in Insurance - two courses, Liability and Law
3. Life Coach Course
4. Neuro Linguistic Programming Workbook
5. My life stuff in general - goals, musings, etc
6. Everyday stuff - calendar, lists, etc (this one is easy as it is all in my VDS Senior that stays with me so this one didn't really need to be on the list but for completeness of thought...)

With that in mind, the planners that I have available for these purposes - all in A5 - are:

1. VDS A5 Manager - when it turns up!
2. Grey Malden
3. Grey Holborn
4. Domino Bronze Snake
5. Original Nude
6. Cuban Zip in Chestnut
7. Black Aston

To summarise what will be in each and to try and figure out which one would be best for the job, I think as follows:

No 1 - Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - there are going to be lots of notes and research for this one so I am thinking maybe the Black Aston for that...looks professional for when I attend workshops and is one of my favourite planners.  Although I do have a lever arch folder for this subject too as there rather a lot of text book that I printed out so maybe my notes would be best done in this one?

No 2 - Diploma in Insurance - Liability and Law - this is currently being done in an A4 notebook along with the text book that I need...so I guess I should just keep it there too, it seems to be working at the moment so why change what isn't broken?

No 3 - Life Coach Course - this is currently residing in my Domino Bronze Snake.  I was using my Original but I was too worried about scuffing as it goes to college with me so I'll keep this one in there.  The elasticated closure makes it easy to stuff additional handouts in so I can keep them safe until I get home to hole punch them in properly, so that one is working well.

No 4 - Neuro Linguistic Programming - this is a workbook that I got to learn the basics of this course to see if it is something that I would want to do at college later on.  The workbook has space for you to write as you work through it but I hate writing in text books!!  I think the Original Nude would work well for this as I wont be taking it out anywhere and it will stay in my study,

No 5 - My life in general - this one is screaming for the VDS Manager!  I ordered it from Van Der Spek with 35mm rings and so this is going to be a beast of a binder!  I am very excited to receive it (when UPS stop messing about) and there is already some things that I have got ready pending its arrival - like the Lime Tree Fruits monthly planner above and a full set of dividers and inserts from Paperchase for just £6:

I want to put the Leonie Dawson's "Your Amazing Year 2015" in this one too.  I want to find something that I can use for goals and projects and how to break them down into do-able chunks so this will include my study timetable as they are part of my goals (although I will have duplicate ones in the respective place too).  It is going to be a reflective place - but not my journal which I have a separate bound book for that (I've tried moving out of it but always come back to it so again, it's working as it is) - but somewhere that I can just doodle and muse, maybe mind map my ideas and try and figure out what is going on in my head!  I'm definitely going to need the massive rings for that!

No 6 - Everyday life, that lives in my VDS Senior that accompanies me everywhere.  I love this planner sooooo much!  

With all the above in mind it looks as though the Holborn, Cuban and Malden are going to sit unused again, and maybe even the Aston!  Oh no!!

I guess I don't like to study using A5 - seems that I end up always going back to A4 so I suppose I'd better leave it that way...

It is time to admit defeat I think - I just cannot use all of my planners.  I need to simplify my life (there's enough going on as it is as you can see!) and this is just not helping.  The additional stress I am giving myself because I feel guilty that I have beautiful planners going unused is ridiculous!!  The question is, what do I do with them?  Do I just put them on a shelf to admire and feel happy that I've got them even though they aren't used or do I sell them on to someone who would love and use them? Would I end up with seller's remorse?  Do I have time to feel that??? 

Dilemmas, dilemmas...until next time, take care xxx

Tomorrow is VDS Delivery Day - NOT!!

Oh my, I am getting very excited about this!  It has been confirmed by UPS that my beautiful A5 Brown Touch Me will be delivered by the end of the day tomorrow - ok they didn't actually say that but that's what they meant by your parcel will be delivered...obviously.

I haven't ordered any inserts as I like to sort my own out and today I am off to Paperchase to get the 2015 Week per View full set up - which comes with dividers, notes, addresses, etc, all for the amazing price of £8 - and it's better quality than Filofax paper too!  The dividers themselves are quite 'meh' but I don't like dividers anyway so they'll be discarded.  I love the simplicity of the Paperchase inserts though and I quite like how the single refill papers have the multi coloured edge, adds just a little pop of colour.  

I haven't quite decided what I am going to end up using my A5 for, although with the massive 35mm rings I can probably use it for everything!!  Lol.  My dilemma is do I use it for 'me' stuff or do I use it for 'life stuff' - and by that I meant the courses I am doing.

UPDATE:  After telling me this morning that my planner was 'Out for Delivery' my status changed to 'Delayed' - because they'd left my parcel at the Depot!!!  UPS you are rubbish!!!  Now because it is a Friday I may have to wait until possibly Monday or Tuesday for it to be rescheduled for delivery...I am not a happy bunny any more :(

I did go and get my inserts from Paperchase yesterday too :(  I know another couple of days isn't the end of the world but I WANTED IT/NEEDED IT NOW!!!  Grrrrrrr

Oh well, I suppose I can still 'set it up' without it actually being here.  Or I could just study like I'm supposed to be doing!  I have an assignment due in tonight...and I am nowhere near done with that, so I guess it might be a blessing in disguise - bah!

Van Der Spek A5 Manager Touch Me

I've ordered it!

In brown.

With 35mm rings!

I am so excited!!

This is it, this is THE ONE, I cannot wait for it to arrive and I will do an update of course! :)

This beast of a binder will be living at home on my desk and I am intending to use it for my Diploma Studies and general NPL and Life Coach stuff so will end up being something of a life manual to help with getting the best out of me.

So no pressure then....

Eek!! I cannot tell you in words how giddy I am!!

Until next time, take care xxx

A5 Aston is the Victory Book!

It's nearly time to give some serious thought to those plans for 2015 and all the things that you want to achieve, all the new habits that you want to get in to and all the ones you could do with losing...and what a better way to enable you to do this than using your filo as it is meant to be used...for planning!

All printed, ready for cutting and punching :)

Punched and inserted

Beautiful illustrations

So I decided on my trusty black A5 Aston for this year (or rather next) and I have a few more things to put in to make it into my 'Life Book 2015' - nothing to do with everyday planning, just a 'me' planner for all the nice things that I want to achieve, treat myself to and my successes - a kind of 'Victory Book' - there is enough doom and gloom everywhere else, it'll be nice to have something that just radiates the good stuff :)

I'll keep you updated, until next time, take care xxx

Leonie Dawson's 2015 Workbook - Life Edition

I have just ordered Leonie Dawson's 2015 Workbook and Calendar Life Edition and I cannot wait to get it all printed out and put in my filofax...dilemma - which one to use?!

I had this last year and it was a pretty good tool to use for making you think about where you've been and where you want to go - figuratively speaking.  I didn't complete it all and I blame the fact that I fell head first into the Filofax Hole of Dilemmas to that, I got sucked into the whole frenzy of buying, selling and changing filofaxes more than I ate hot dinners and then there was the decorating thing...it kind of took all my spare time (and then some) and that left no time for contemplating.  

I am not getting sucked into the complications that there are in finding the ultimate planner unicorn - I have it now and so it is time to sit back quietly and comfortably to plan and find that elusive 'Life peace' instead!

I am now at planner peace and the time is now mine for contemplation of a gigantic measure!

So where do you start this amazing journey of wonder?  I guess the beginning is as good a place as any so with that in mind I need a starting point.

There are a few things that are deemed important by us mere mortals - Health, Relationships, Career, Wealth and Spiritual - seem to be the most popular.  So I'll start with those and see if anything else crops up along the way.

Health - it could be better, I guess most of us can say that!  I should take better care of myself, both in diet and exercise as both are severely lacking!  I have the ideas, I have the tools, I have everything I need to successfully execute both of these things but for some inane reason I am not doing anything! This seriously needs addressing.  My youngest wants to start running, I have said that I will do that with him but to date nothing has happened - my fault.  He needs trainers and I need to get them!  I will do that this pay day and we will get started asap.

Relationships - I have no complaints or issues here thankfully.  We are coming up to our 18th Wedding Anniversary at Christmas and we are still blissfully happy :)

Career - This I need to spend some time thinking about...I will come back to that!

Wealth - I guess this is linked to the above but as far as things go, I'm not in a bad place here.  We could always do with a bit more though and winning the lottery wouldn't be sniffed at!!  

Spiritual - I don't mean religion here, I am not a religious person but I do mean spirituality in the meditation sense of the word.  I think it is most definitely something I would like to learn how to do and practise.  I love the idea of being able to zone everything out and have some quality time with my head.  I tried Yoga a few times and it definitely is only as good as the tutor.  I went to one in a nice environment with soft lighting and incense burning and that was fantastic...so much different to the one in the sports hall with floodlighting!  I don't have the membership any more for the first place so I can't go back to that one which is a shame.

So other than the above, there is home life or own time or whatever it is you want to call it where you are at home and not doing chores or study or shopping - but the time when you are free to do something else. 

What is the most important thing - the time you spend on your career or the time you spend free? What I mean is, when the saying goes 'Do what makes you feel alive' are they referring to your career or the other time?  Does spending your free time doing everything you love to do make up for not having quite the career you thought you wanted?  Or is it more important to have the career that you love and get not so much from your free time?  I guess we spend more time at work than we do having free time.

I wonder whether spending the free time doing fulfilling things and having fun makes doing a 'meh' job more satisfying?  Although that said, I actually quite enjoy my job and can't actually think of anything else to do that would suit me but I think that's because it's what I've always done so still in my comfort zone.

That brings me to another question - if it is called your 'comfort zone' why do you feel as though you need to get out of it?  Surely if it is 'comfort' then it's somewhere you're happy to stay or should I say satisfied to stay...if you're not satisfied enough to not think of being somewhere else then surely it isn't comfortable either!?  Maybe I am just over thinking it too much!!

So what is meant by a 'career'?  According to the dictionary it is 'an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with opportunities to progress' - I was doing well until the second half of that sentence!  Doesn't mention that it makes you 'feel alive' though does it or that you have to remotely enjoy it!?

I have waffled on and gone off the tracks a bit here but whatever.  

Leonie's workbook is a great tool for making you think about things like this - and other stuff too - and I am seriously going to give it some head time.  It is a time for discovery and a time to get some much needed answers, even if I'm not sure what the actual questions are yet!  I am positive that the perfect balance is out there, I just need to find it.

I'll do an update once I have printed it out and started working through it, it may or may not be of interest.

Until then, take care xxx 

  

The Organisation of Life

Organising your life isn't as easy as it sounds and I am almost at the end of a Life Coaching course that was "designed for people who are serious about transforming their life.  Learn how to take practical steps to help make important changes, effective time management, discover what motivates you, overcome procrastination, set realistic and achievable goals, make better more conscious decisions and follow through on them"...sounds too good to be true doesn't it?  Well...only a few more weeks left and I can honestly say that it hasn't delivered.

It didn't deliver because it takes more than just going to class and taking notes to make it work. You actually have to do something about it yourself!  I was very naive to think that it would work just by turning up with my new shiny A5 Original Nude Filofax and frixion pen...it is going to take a hell of a lot more than just the organisational tools to make this work!  I have since learnt this very valuable lesson!!

A brief overview of the course (ten weeks) has been as follows:

Week 1.  This saw us doing a personality quiz to find out what kind of person we were, it was very enlightening actually and it would appear that I am an ISTJ (Introverted Sensing Thinking and Judging) type - in layman's terms this means that my primary mode of living is focused internally via my five senses in a literal concrete fashion and my secondary mode is external where I deal with things rationally and logically.  Organised and methodical.  Loyal, faithful and dependable.  Obsessed by structure and doing things by the book.  Strong sense of duty.  Accountable for my actions and end up getting additional work piled on as I am too dependable for my own good.  Tremendous respect for facts.  Not naturally in tune with my own feelings or those of others.  Hard working.  Artistic.  Tremendous amount of potential, capable, logical and reasonable.  Deeply driven.  But under stress I fall into catastrophe mode where I see nothing other than what could go wrong and depress myself with visions of doom.  I'd say this is pretty spot on actually!  I'm glad I appear to have more good points than bad!!

Week 2.  Goal Setting.  We did the Wheel of Life Tree which was very interesting.  It highlighted areas where we were perhaps not spending enough time on or were not happy with.  I immediately went and did some volunteering work for the National Trust as I felt this area of 'giving back' was lacking.  It also highlighted that I didn't spend enough time on me.  It made us think of the goals we would like to achieve and the mini steps needed to reach them.

Week 3.  Self Belief.  "Whether you believe you can or you believe you can't, you're right" - Henry Ford.  This was a very interesting class, it was all about having the faith in yourself to believe that no matter what you wanted out of life you could get it with hard work and good planning.

Week 4.  Fear.  This was a horrible class.  It put me on a real downer and almost to the point of giving it all up.  It is a very necessary part of the journey though and to be able to face your demons you must first be able to acknowledge them and accept them for what they are.  I really hated this one and it was followed by a half term holiday so I had two weeks to dwell on it!!

Week 5.  Questions.  This was about the questions to ask yourself.  It focused on the fact that if you don't ask the right questions then you wont get the right answers.  Fairly straightforward but virtually impossible if you don't actually know what it is you want in the first place, which is my issue.  Still trying to figure this one out but the basis of it is that asking the right questions can change our mind from a limiting one to an empowering one.  The trick is not to ask a 'closed' question, an 'open' question is more likely to have the subconscious mind automatically searching for answers which is quite impressive.  For example - "Why can't I do this?" is a bad question, a better question would be "How could I do this more effectively?" and that gets the brain thinking of solutions.  It does actually work!

Week 6.  Positive & Negative Thinking.  This one focused on what you think is based on how you feel at the time.  Another common sense one but not something that is obvious unless someone tells you.  It also gave some added advice that if you do something you love doing, something that makes you feel good, then the response to your thoughts will change automatically.  I had experienced this the previous day when I was feeling so fed up with myself that I didn't know what to do.  In sheer boredom I found myself pedalling away on my exercise bike with my headphones in and feel good music blaring out - after 15 minutes I was in a totally different mindset and it is something that I am going to do next time I'm having an 'Eeyore moment' as it really got me out of it without massive effort.

Week 7.  Emotional Intelligence.  I'm not really sure what this one was about if I'm honest.  It seemed to be a bit of a re-hash of the fear, positive thinking and self belief classes.  Maybe it was...  

Week 8, 9 and 10 we haven't done yet.  I will do an update on that and I'm not sure what they are.

I am using my A5 Domino Snake to hold all my Life Coaching things now as I was too scared to keep taking the Original out of the house (that is now tucked away safely in a box!) and here are a few pics...

Getting stuffed!

Dashboard and portable hole punch

A poem I found and retyped

I have since done a LOT of research on goal setting and self-programming techniques I guess you could call them and the whole concept is quite fascinating!  I have enrolled myself on a Life Coach Workshop to see what it entails to be able to deliver this to other people.  Not that I'm thinking of becoming a Life Coach - I am not ready for that - but just to keep some options open, you never know what opportunity awaits :)

I picked up some good thoughts in a book I was reading the other day:

"You're so dead set on doing what you think is the right thing to do that you've actually convinced yourself it is what you want"

"You shouldn't make decisions based on what makes you feel safe.  Make your decisions on what makes you feel alive.  Life might be too short for regrets but it's far too long to live with a compromise"

They both really resonated with me.  On this little journey that I have taken in the last 7 weeks my 'goals' have changed so many times and it is based on being in my comfort zone...I need to re-assess what it is I want for sure.  I know that my studies are most definitely not what make me feel alive, but then does any study or subject do that?  I guess if I was learning to be a ski instructor or a parachute teacher then yes, that would make you feel alive (or maybe just full of adrenalin!) but alas, insurance law and liability insurance do not.  Does that make it wrong?  Does that mean that I am staying in my comfort zone?  Does that mean I am thinking it is just 'the right thing to do'?  What does it mean to 'make you feel alive'?  Is just happy in what you are doing the same thing as feeling alive?  Or does this mean your whole life in general and not just your career path?  As this is my only real issue I'm not sure where to take it from here.  There are a lot of questions that need to be asked and a lot of answers that need sourcing, it's hard to know where to start.  But start I have, and I will continue along this path until I get the answers that I need, I just hope it doesn't take too long!!

I've rambled on enough...until next time, take care xxx

Creative Organising

I don’t know whether it is because I now have a room that is calm and purposeful but whenever I come in here I get the urge to be creative or academic.  I guess that was the whole reason that I wanted to create this room in the first place so the fact that it is actually working as planned is fantastic!!

I had recently decided to give up all my studying for the time being until I figured out what it was I really wanted to do, I felt a bit lost.  But sitting in this room at my desk with all my stationery and tools needed to carry out some successful study made me feel like I actually needed to study something, anything! 

Then an update arrived for the course that I was doing that I’d decided I didn’t want to do anymore and I don’t know whether it was the urge to open a brand new text book or whether subconsciously I decided that it was actually what I wanted to do I don’t know – and I’m not questioning it any further – but I sat down and started…

Obviously some additional planning and sections were required in my Malden to accommodate such a demanding schedule that now needed to be done as I’ve left it late as usual to get started and now time is of the essence so these were created – not sure what they will be used for but I have them anyway – and I am not actually using this Filofax to hold my study notes, just my schedule. 

I’ve tried using a Filofax for study notes before and it’s just not big enough, I need A4 notepaper and I don’t think I want to go into an A4 Filofax as they are just too big!!  I am in a spiral bound notebook at the moment and I am not sure whether that is going to work for me as it is very constricting and it isn’t one that I can tear the pages out and re-punch either so we’ll have to see how that goes but I do kind of like the fact that I HAVE to do it in order (my OCD will not allow me to do it any other way!) as I can’t swap the pages around.  I’m trying the ‘Cornell Notes’ way of doing it, I haven’t tried it before but so far so good, I think it will come into its own for revision purposes…again, we’ll see.

What I wish I understood was where this urge comes from to want to study, to learn more, to achieve higher qualification status – what is the point?  I can see the point if you’re young and have your whole career life ahead of you but I’m not such a youngster and my company have already said that, although they actively encourage and finance further qualifications, it won’t make any difference to either my status or salary...so again I ask, why bother?  If I hated the company it would be rebellious to let them pay for something that was ultimately set me free to go wherever I could but this is not the case here.  I like it and I like the people.  So, big dilemma really!

I guess the only real answer to this is that I am doing it for me.  For my own personal feeling of achievement.  To have proof that I am good enough and knowledgeable enough to undertake the examinations and to enable me to have those designatory letters after my name…

I wish I knew the answers…or even just one would be a start!!  I don’t want to lead a complicated life but I do seem to keep throwing myself into a pit of quandary whenever and wherever possible!!

Until next time, take care xxx



Goodbye Mini Malden

I could not justify keeping the cute mini Malden, I tried, really I did but it was just too small and quite frankly even as cute as it was I could not abandon my VDS. 

So back to the shop mini Malden went and I exchanged it for a beautiful bunny soft throw that Mr Malden and I are going to spend some snuggle time together with and I think he approves...

All we are waiting for now is for it to get cold enough to warrant lighting the fire and we are set!  Happy times ahead...unless of course the pussy cats get hold of the throw first in which case we've had it!

On the run up to Christmas and the new year we will have lots of snuggling down to plan sessions, lots of creative moments and lots of reflection to do so busy getting the room and necessary accessories (such as snugly throws obviously) ready and I can't wait for it all to start!!

So just having a bit of a test run - just to make sure all is working as it should....

Until next time, take care xxx

Weekly Layout in VDS

I hate this type of layout, it does not work for me at all!  A total waste of space on the right hand page...I thought I would love it as it gave me the space for lots of to-do's for the week but I ended up just using a post it note anyway!

So bearing in mind that there isn't much of the year left I thought I would quickly design some new pages to get me to the end of December before my new diary starts and so here it is...


This paper is cut up from an A5 sketchbook that was 110gsm paper and £1.39 for 30 pages so works out at 60 pages of A6 and I am so happy that it is thick enough so that my stamps don't bleed through to the other side :)

It's working well and I am loving this creative streak I have found, love it!

Until next time, take care xxx

Planner guilt

I tried it, I took everything out of my purse and put it in the Mini Malden.  I got out a smaller bag that I thought would work better, put in the malden and my keys etc...I felt sad.  I looked at my beautiful VDS sat there looking forlorn and just couldn't do it.  I took everything out, put it all back into my purse and retrieved my bigger bag and result, big smile again!  The Malden is being returned to the shop so someone else can enjoy him.

So to make the idyllic VDS happy, I have made him some new calendar inserts for 2015 so he knows that I wont even consider deserting him again, not even for five minutes!

The yearly overview for 2015 & 2016

Made an error with the hole punching so washi to the rescue!

Knew I'd missed something - rounded off the corners!

If I could only have two planner tools these would most definitely be it, the perfect hole punch and the corner rounder thingy...I love how classy this little thing makes the whole planner look.  I can't remember how much I paid for it, I'm thinking maybe £6 or so, I know it wasn't expensive but it really does take the whole thing up a notch when it comes to looking professional.  Could not be without it!  

Before anyone asks, these inserts were from an A6 diary that I bought from Tesco for £1.75 and ripped apart - I dread to think how much these would be from an official source, they are true A6 size so I'm thinking that I would only be able to get these from somewhere like Mulberry....and not at their prices!

I also did the same thing with a notebook and I am annoyed at myself now for not keeping the outer cover as I can't remember where I got it and it is such lovely paper in a soft ivory/cream colour - suits the chocolate VDS perfectly and that was only a few pounds.  That also didn't have rounded corners but does now!

I love that postcards also fit this planner perfectly and I keep seeing such awesome ones that I can't resist and I am going to end up filling it up too much just with postcards!  But this one that starts my Notes Section was too good to leave out...

Lots of playing, lots of creating but not a great deal of actual planning going on!!

That said, I don't have a great deal to plan as I am intending on becoming a free spirit in my free time and there's little point in scheduling my 'going to work' as that happens regardless!  With that in mind I will continue to use my planner for what I have always done, for notes and musings with the addition of the occasional appointment for the important stuff like hairdressers or vet visits!  Life doesn't need to be complicated and that's my plan going forward :)

Until next time, take care xxx

What uses for a mini Malden?

I am such a sucker for cute! I didn't even need this little guy but found myself buying him anyway just because he matched his big brother...I most definitely have issues but I acknowledge and accept them so that's ok :)

It's been a funny old week, I have had some revelations in my personal life following a conversation on Thursday with my Life Coach and I am feeling a bit odd about it all to be honest.  What I discovered after lengthy conversations and thinking time is that after all this, after all the time I have spent stressing out because I didn't know what I wanted out of life and berating myself for not 'trying harder' to accomplish the 'something' that I had no idea what the 'something' actually was...I have discovered that the 'something' wasn't actually anything at all! I am very happy with my life as it stands, I have a wonderful husband of almost 18 years, I have two wonderful kids that are happy and confident and getting on with their own lives and I have a wonderful home that I feel safe and comfortable with.  Even my job is quite a notable and I like the people I work with. I am very very fortunate and I am very very grateful for all I have. Now I feel a bit guilty for all the time I have wasted feeling as though there should be more...

My eldest son put it all into a simple statement to his Dad the other day and what he said pretty much stopped me in my tracks and brought a lump to my throat.  I'm sure most of you are aware of the thing on Facebook at the moment of posting 5 photographs that make you smile, well my hubby couldn't choose just 5 and put quite a few more on to which eldest said he was cheating, hubby replied with he didn't realise he had so much to smile about (this makes him sound like a miserable coot but he isn't, far from it!) but eldest son responded with this 

"Life's good, whats there not to smile about? Good job, Great Wife, 2 Kids that are still in higher education, Not doping up on corners and a House to call your own, Pretty sure you nailed it"

I'm sure that this is the life most people dream about...it was fantastic to have it confirmed by our child, we have nailed it.  As a family we have nailed it. I am so very very proud!!

It makes you stop and think though. I no longer have to feel guilty for not accomplishing the 'something' because I already have! It has now released me from so much pressure that I put on myself that I feel I can actually stop with the stressing and get on with doing the things that I enjoy, so I have bought myself a Kraft folder and I am going to get creative! I enjoyed my colouring in session so much last week that I have also bought some watercolour pencils and some more stencils and I am going to spend time in my room with my filofaxes and art stuff and get creative!

I am also going to get outside more with my camera and get photographing some stuff, which is what I bought it for two years ago and have never done anything with it! I may even go on a few short courses to embrace my creativity!  Maybe I can use one of my larger filos as a photographic journal of sorts to capture the memories...I think my A5 Domino Snake would lend itself well to that!

I could use one of my others for drawings, I'm not much good at drawing but then neither were some of the greatest artists! I think maybe the A5 Cuban Zip may be good for that with its many pockets for pencils and such...I've been too scared to use it but what's the point of having lovely stuff if it's left unused on a shelf? A bit like the 'Christmas cutlery' that we bought many years ago and only ever comes out at Christmas - probably just so we know we'll have enough matching cutlery for the huge family Christmas Day meal we have always done!  But then we always have mismatched plates anyway...so what's the point?!

I've been watching you tube videos of tutorials on this embossing powder stuff, it looks amazing and with my love of steampunk I have a zillion ideas racing through my head on the things I can create, the first being the Kraft folder - isn't that just crying out to be steampunked!?!

So after all these ideas I'm having, I still have no idea what to use the mini for!

Oh well, until next time, take care xxx