It's a new week!

Ok, so I've crossed out all the things that DID get done last week and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would look lol.

This week, I'm not going to include the 'bigger stuff' in my plan as I think I'm just going to leave that stuff for after school goes back then I can do it while Ellie is sleeping :)

Monday

• load of washing
• strip and make beds, wash sheets
• 15min tidy - lounge, dining, kitchen
  

Tuesday

• wash nappies
• 15min tidy - lounge, dining, kitchen
• picnic at the Fremantle Esplanade for Australia Day with fireworks
  

Wednesday

• load of washing
• bathrooms
• 15min tidy - lounge, dining, kitchen
• WORKING!!!!
  

Thursday

• wash nappies
• snacks, drinks etc
• take big kids to the museum for robotic dinosaurs!!!! (bus and train)
  
• 15min tidy - lounge, dining, kitchen

Friday

• load of washing
  
• toilets
  
• Pick up school books and uniforms from the school 
• meal plan
  
• 15min tidy - lounge, dining, kitchen

Saturday

• wash nappies
• wash towels
• quick shop for fruit and veg
• bake some lunchbox snacks
  
• 15min tidy - lounge, dining, kitchen

Sunday

• load of washing (x2)
• get school bags ready for first day of school
• organise uniforms
• 15min tidy - lounge, dining, kitchen

I've decided not to schedule sewing in as it simply drives me crazy having a time where I am 'meant' to be sewing! I much prefer to do it when I WANT to :)

I can't believe how fast the school holidays have gone! This time next week, I'll be coming home from the school with only Ellie!! Our first day of nobody but us :)



Oh in breaking news............ Richard had a doctor's appointment on Friday and he is now allowed to ride again!!! So, today at work they are getting him to deliver for an hour to see how it goes and they will go from there. He is really excited about getting back to work properly and he went for a short ride on his bike on the weekend. He wants to go full time as soon as they will let him so we can get some money behind us which will be GREAT! So proud of my muchard!

I've started training for a short triathlon that I am going to participate in on February 28th. It is only 150m swim, 5km ride and 1.5km run so it's nothing huge but mentally it is!! The swim and the ride I'm fine with but the run is what I really need to work on between now and then (and for a long time after lol). Last night I went for a 55min ride and Saturday my ride was 45mins. I've done myself a training schedule which includes swimming twice a week, c25k three times a week and riding most days (however I'll only be doing training rides 2-3 times a week). Feeling really good about it all!!

Ok, Ellie is asleep and the big kids are chilling in the lounge room so I'm going to go and chuck a load of washing on so I'm ready to strip the beds as soon as Ellie gets up!!

Doing better at a few things

Ok, so most of my Friday list is done :) Tomorrow when Ellie is down for a sleep, I'll do the appliance cupboard and mop the floors!

Time for me to do the plan for the coming week I think. I'm going to put less on each day and see if that helps in getting it done - maybe I was being a tad unrealistic??

Here goes.......

Monday

• take all of the 'too small' clothes out of the kids rooms - sort into selling, giving and op shopping
• wash nappies (just a reminder of which days)
• 15min tidy - lounge, dining and kitchen

Tuesday

• container cupboard
• cut everything for the NY swap
• decide on what to make for the 2010 January challenge - 'Something for me'
• 15min tidy - lounge, dining and kitchen
• load of washing
  

Wednesday

• sew for NY swap
• wash nappies
• take Taylor to rollaways!
• 15min tidy - lounge, dining and kitchen

Thursday

• snacks, lunches and drinks
• take kids to the zoo!
• 15min tidy - lounge, dining and kitchen

Friday

• toilets
• wash nappies
• strip beds
• wash sheets
• bbq lunch at Bibra Lake - CANCELLED
  
• 15min tidy - lounge, dining and kitchen

Saturday

• wash towels
• organise filing - bills, uni stuff, school, speech etc
  
• quick food shop for fresh fruit, veg and other staples only
• 15min tidy - lounge, dining and kitchen

Sunday

• wash nappies
• 15min tidy - lounge, dining and kitchen
  

I am logging my dietary intake daily at my fitness pal and have so far done it for 15 days straight. I remember reading somewhere that it takes 30 days to get rid of a bad habit and 60 days to forge a new one.

My fitness/health goals for this week are:

• >30mins exercise every day
• log daily at mfp
• drink 2.5L water daily
• use the cross trainer >2 times

I am really pleased with the way things have been going over the past couple of weeks :) I've been exercising regularly, eating well and drinking plenty of water so my goals are simply to maintain that plus add in the cross trainer - it will NOT beat me hehehe

My creative goals for this coming week:

• sew something with a pattern (or strictly follow a tute)
• cut all pieces for the NY swap before starting sewing!
• keep my sewing cabinet at least usable (instead of a huge big mess)
  

It's not failing if you keep going, right?

Ok, so this week so far has gone completely NOT to plan!

Tomorrow was going to be a trip to the zoo but I've decided to do that next week instead and tomorrow catch up around the house :)

So, here is the NEW plan for tomorrow January 15th

1. Washing - wash two loads, bring all washing in, fold and put away - one done!
   
2. Meal plan - 14 meals for the fortnight and shopping list to suit done!!
   
3. Dining room -  sweep, chuck crap, organise sewing area (this is a BIG job and I've done half so far)
   
4. Floors - sweep and mop (will be done after the kids are in bed tonight)
   
5. Clean bathrooms - showers, toilets, vanities, bath
   
6. Appliance cupboard - sort and wipe out
7. Bake something with the kids for snacks 
8. Do the shopping
   

There, that's enough for tomorrow. I will log in during the day and cross things off the list as I do them :)

Oh and what DID I do from my lists this week???

• sort out the linen cupboard - in desperate need of being done! I'm thinking I'll follow the hint of putting the sheet sets inside the matching pillow case so things don't get separated
• plan what I am making for the EB new year sewing swap

Gee, didn't get much done at all did I!!??

Hello 2010!!

Ok, so this it my first post for 2010 - can you believe it?? It is almost half way through the month already!!

This year, I want to get organised and stay that way (at least on some level!)  With the kids in full time care, the house wasn't too bad but with them all home all the time now, the house is looking like a warzone pretty much every day (and I'll admit, it was never 'good' to begin with!).

So, for the coming week I have the following plan......
Monday 11th Jan

• go through all of Taylor's clothes and sort into wearable/chuckable/op shop-able etc and get them OUT of her room!!
• sort out the linen cupboard - in desperate need of being done! I'm thinking I'll follow the hint of putting the sheet sets inside the matching pillow case so things don't get separated
• vacuum James and Taylor's rooms (Ellie's was done today)

Tuesday 12th Jan

• sort James and Ellie's clothes the same as Taylor's
• clean both bathrooms (including toilets which will then become a Friday chore)
• plan what I am making for the EB new year sewing swap

Wednesday 13th Jan

• container cupboard - chuck all the odds and tidy - wipe it all out
• appliance cupboard - make sure all the bits for each appliance are there, wipe out cupboard
• clear out our wardrobe - it is SHOCKING! I want to be able to actually use the space in there and to do that, I need to get HEAPS of stuff out of there and organise it, find new homes for it all and vacuum

Thursday 14th Jan

• take photos of all the items I want to sell on EB and/or ebay (while Ellie is sleeping)
• tidy my bedroom (which is appalling currently)
• bake something with the kids for snacks
  

Friday 15th Jan

• take the kids to the zoo - with snacks, lunch, drinks etc (catching the train and ferry)

Saturday 16th Jan

• change and wash all towels

I'm hoping that after the next couple of weeks, the house will be in a state where spending 15mins on each room will be enough to keep it looking tidy and comfortable. This week, I will also be spending 15mins each day on a problem area which at this stage is my sewing area - whoops! I need it all organised so that I can get in there and sew without being surrounded by clutter!

2010 is just ONE sleep away!

Richard and I have had numerous talks and I am deferring uni this year in favour of spending the year at home with the kids. I'm really looking forward to getting really involved withe the kidlets and getting them immersed in the things that I love.

Taylor has asked for a sewing machine for her birthday in 2010 which I think will be a great lifelong present and to go with it, I think I'll make a little pack for her with her own scissors, fabrics, threads, and I already have some patterns for her :)

James has been so reluctant to be involved in craft for a long time now. At the op shop a few weeks ago, I bought a craft pack with Thomas on it which he is excited about so we might open it next week after swimming lessons and get to making something!

Ellie and I are going to be spending a LOT of time together hehehe. She is up to so much mischief at the moment getting into cupboards and the fridge lol. I can't wait to start doing things together :)

I'm planning on being very creative this year and as such, I've joined in Carolyn's 2010 challenge to make something each month in order to challenge myself.

I'm really looking forward to coming up with set items to make each month! I think with being home for the year means I'll be able to really participate in this year long challenge to the best of my ability :)

My new year resolutions:

• Organise my sewing area and keep it that way
• Use a different pattern every month to sew
• Ride the kids to school whenever the weather allows (James and Ellie in the trailer to begin with)
• Use the cross trainer weekly
• Setup and maintain a cleaning and tidying schedule (I will be blogging this and the eventual results too)
  
• Menu plan at least for weeknights
• Establish a reasonable budget and STICK WITH IT
• Home make ALL  Christmas presents this year - including the kids (our focus is shifting to appreciation instead of collection of crap hehe)
•  More may be added.....

Some homemade chrissy present snaps

Ok, so I didn't get pics of all the presents I made but here are some :)

Mel's cooler bag
Front:

Top:

Inside:

Gen's mini-cooler bag
Front:

Inside:

Nanna's wine cooler bag
Front:

Top:

Dad's 50th Birthday Present
Middle strip:

Brown outer & fleece backing:

I also did a batch of around 100 biscuits in jars for extended family, coin purses for Caitie and Lilly and this for Mum that I made earlier this month. Oh, I also made my brother and my Mum cooler bags as well. Jason's was blue drill with a contrasting strip of computer office scene cotton which was also used for the drawstring section. Mum's was black drill with the drawstring section in grey ocean-ish themed poplin.

All in all, I was pretty pleased with how they all turned out :)

Another trip to SL!

Another trip to Spotlight this morning resulted in another craft bag being purchased along with 3 patterns and 1m of Thomas the Tank satin (James came with me lol).

This craft bag wasn't quite as good as the other one I got but after rifling through all of the bags marked down, definitely the right choice!

Bag contents:

The patterns are for tops/dresses for me and pants and shirts for Richard and James. Can't beat $2 for a pattern!!!

Patterns:

Pattern backs:

No sewing but great news!

Today was playgroup's Christmas party so I adorned my youngest kids in their matching Christmas clothes, myself in my new homemade top, grabbed the now wrapped secret santa gift and container with cookies and away we went. Planned was a Dora bouncy castle as well as wonderful face painting by Nikki-Marie.

I'd like to explain that James (almost 4yrs) has had numerous issues with sensory sensitivities including application of sunscreen, hairbrushing etc which we have been working with this year. It's been a hard slog with slow progress.

However, today James astounded me and made me SOOOOO proud!!!!! He had his face painted!!! What an awesome difference it was to the boy we started the year with. We started off with a spider on one forearm (with me verging on fighting the resistance that is James) which progressed into another on the other arm with a web and then - ON HIS OWN ACCORD got another spider painted on his face!

Here comes the web!

Showing off all three spiders!

 More showing off lol

He was so proud of them! When we got to daycare, he showed his carers as well as showing Taylor about 100 times after getting home!!




 

So much to do!!

Ok, thought I'd make a list of everything I need to finish before Christmas. I am hereby pledging NOT to make anything not on the list until two things on the list are completed!

• Complete and wrap secret santa present for playgroup tomorrow!!!
• Jason's Christmas present (sewing)
  
• Mum's Christmas present (sewing and making)
  
• Mel's Christmas present (sewing)
  
• Dad's Christmas present (sewing)
  
• Nanna's Christmas present (sewing and making)
  
• A little something for Caitie and Lilly
• Gen's Christmas present
• Dad's 50th present - needs to be completed!

Gee, not much at all there!!! The upside is that I have started most of it and at least know what I'm doing for all bar one. Ok, off I go to finish the present for tomorrow! Playgroup goes from 9am-1pm tomorrow and I'm hoping to be able to cross something off my list before dinner tomorrow. I think probably Gen's present and maybe cut out Jason's too!

Something for me!

Ok, so I'm always making things for the kids because they are so quick and easy and I am VERY much an instant gratification person when it comes to creating :P

Tonight however, I made something for me!

I found the black print at SL months and months ago knowing that I would make something with it for me but just never got to it till now. I got the green knit from an op shop and I honestly never paired them up till this afternoon when I was perusing my stash. My stash is MUCH too large so things sometimes get lost for a while hehe.

Front:

Side:

Back:

What will I do differently? I needed to cut the neck hole bigger so that it sits under my boobs properly instead of kinda at nipple line. That's why I added the elastic under my boobs - to keep it there lol. I'd also cut BIGGER so that I can alter easier! I do love how it looks from behind! I am still tempted to turn it into a little shrug instead of the top but will leave it as this top for the time being at least! If I do change it, I'll add a black band underneath and probably a couple of snaps to do it up :)