too many plans!

You may have noticed that my pocket-sized plans are not getting updated weekly. I think I forgot how many other things there are to do.

Also, the things I plan to do always take longer than expected, as they just reveal more things to be done. For example, vacum packing some clothes meant we went up the loft, and discovered mice-droppings and nibbled clothes (we knew about the mice, and had caught and evicted them, but hadn't realised they'd reached these clothes). So rather than just popping some stuff into the loft, we had to get down these other things (mainly baby clothes), do lots of laundry, sort them all out, and vacum pack them, as well as winter jumpers etc. We're nearly done with it now though!

Sorting some scrapbook pics into an online gallery wasn't so easy either, as I realised that our camera has been putting the wrong 'date created' onto our snaps for over a year. I have been going through hundreds of pictures and changing the date on them, so when we look back in years to come we won't be so confused (they had said, for instance, that my daughter's birthday in march was actually in september a year and a half before!). I have re-dated them all now, but not got around to organising the scrapbook pics for a gallery yet.

So, to conclude, my plans were not as pocket-sized as I thought. Even the paper-mache money box is taking longer than expected (so many layers!). But they are still plodding along, amoungst housework, toddler games and the odd bit of crafting!

On the crafting note, I have some exciting news, which I shall publish on a seperate post. For now I'll leave you with the promise that I shall get an online gallery done this week. Yes I shall!

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Getting my priorities right! (pocket-sized plans)

So, off my list of things to do last week, I managed to:

• Update my blog header and background
• Prep my scrap-stuff / desk for Shimelle's crop party
• Make my sister-in-law a birthday card

I did not manage to:

• Clean out the cupboard under my sink
• Vacuum pack our thick winter jumpers and put them in the loft

What does this say about me??

Actually, I'm really pleased that I put crafting above housework for once. I was determined to take part in Shimelle's crop party as much as I possibly could, and with 3 cards and 5 layouts made in one weekend, and a fresh blog look, I think it paid off. Especially as I just found out I won a set of Banana Frog stamps for making this card (the winners were randomly chosen out of the entrants to each challenge). Yay! Can't wait to receive them!

Now, I know I can't ignore the housework all the time, or I'll end up living in a pigsty, but I definitely want to prioritise crafting more often from now on. I feel more productive when I focus on 'creating' for a couple of days - things come together more easily, meaning I enjoy the process more. So thanks Shimelle for giving me that push to devote more time to it.

My pocket sized plans for this week are to:

• Clean out the cupboard under my sink
• Vacuum pack the winter jumpers
• Create an online gallery with photobucket, so that my layout pics can be viewed at a better quality. I had to use photobucket this weekend to sort out the divider between my posts, and it forced me to start using the service, which I'd been a bit lazy trying to understand. I don't know why I haven't done it before. It looks easy enough really. We'll see if I still think that next week!
• Help my little girl to make a money box out of papermache

That will do for this week, as I'm working tomorrow and all weekend. But I shall try to squeeze in a layout or two if I can!

Today we made a magnetic fishing game, by punching eye holes in fish cut from thin plastic, putting paperclips through the holes, and then using a magnet tied with string to a short bamboo stick as a rod to catch them. They were 'swimming' in a large flat tuppaware box. I got the idea from a book called 'Cool Spaces for Kids' by Sam Scarborough (a book which is beautiful but makes me jealous that I don't have a big garden or own my own house).

My daughter loved the game, though the magnet kept falling off the string (I had been too impatient to glue it) so mummy got bored of the game quite quickly, as I had to keep tying the magnet back on! (we had been playing dress-up too, which is why she's wearing a very dashing flowery waistcoat):

I need to glue the magnet to the string so we can play it again, it will be a great game for in the paddling pool in the summer!

I'm off to catch up on reading other people's blogs, instead of typing away at my own...

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Pocket-size plans

I've decided to do a weekly feature: Pocket-size plans. I'm frustrated at getting no-where with things, and I know full well that it's because I try to do too much at once, and they are often things that aren't achievable very quickly. Like writing a children's novel for example (a project that's been going on for at least 6 years!). It keeps me awake at night thinking of all the things I want to accomplish (this includes housework. I lie awake in bed feeling guilty that I haven't mopped the kitchen floor - seriously).

I know it's silly to try and do too much, and then punish myself for not accomplishing anything. After all I do have a toddler to care for (and a husband who's almost as helpful as a two year old). So I'm going to try and tone it down - to aim for a couple of little goals each week that are realistic. Hopefully I'll complete some of them, and therefore get more sleep!

So each week, hopefully always on Monday but maybe on Sun / Tues sometimes, I'll have a list of a few things I want to complete that week. The number of goals will be carefully chosen, taking into account the enormity of the task and what other stuff I have going on in my life that week. Some of them will be craft projects, some housework, and there will be a few random things along the way too I'm sure. I hope you'll find it interesting following me on the journey and maybe inspiring you to tick off a few aims of your own.

Week One: This week I will:

• Update my blog header and background
• Prep my scrap-stuff / desk to take part in the Shimelle.com online blog this coming weekend
• Make my sister-in-law a birthday card
• Clean out the cupboard under my sink
• Vacum-pack our thick winter jumpers and put them in the loft.

I'll let you know how it goes...

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