Back in Business

Hello Friends!
I have been working hard to get my act together. Getting the clutter out, both physical and mental, organizing my life and home. There have been setbacks and madness but the show must go on. It's not so much about perfection as it is about not giving up.

I am glad January is over, I'm ready to move on to a new challenge. Though maintaining the organization I have done is a huge priority.

Here's my February goal-

can you guess?


I am going to make a quilt. Sew, Mama, Sew is having quilt month and I am totally going to play along.
The first one is going to be for Laila. Clarabel has a crib sized one that my very crafty Aunt Paulette made and I thought best to start small, so Laila gets round 1.

I am also working on a little something for Clarabel, I am almost finished and will post pictures, asap! This is the fabric.


I even have a FO to show. (Is it still an FO is it isn't knit?)

A tote. It was pretty tricky for my first project and my sewing machine gave up half way through. On a whim I dug out my Nanny Ferne's ancient Singer and it worked great. I even found the manual. It's been in my house for years and all this time I thought it didn't work, I'm starting to think that I might not have known what I was doing.


Just a little housekeeping- Extreme Makeover Blog Edition was by and helped me out with a little redecorating. What do you think?
I feel it only fair to fess up that I have totally lost my knitting mojo and have become obsessed with sewing. So if you are here for the knitting, sorry you might have to wait a while. I think it's the Kauni, it's taking me forever. I might try casting on some socks and see if that helps.
Also I have a new motto- ME- while I don't intend to ignore everyone else in my life, I'm just going to take a little better care of myself, have a little fun and indulge.
My blog goal is to post a minimum of 4 times a week, with pictures.

On Hiatus

It would appear that I am a little short on time these days and quite long on things to fill it with.
And truthfully I'm a little worn out. Something's gotta go.
I am, reluctantly, taking a blog break.

I'm working pretty hard on my monthly goal of getting my household in order and I am pleased with my efforts. Next month I am thinking of something a little more hedonistic than shining my sink and menu planning.

I leave you with the current state of my Kauni cardigan. I am past the arm holes.


And a complete Swell toque.


TTFN!!

My New Plan

One last post with me ranting on about what I think, then onto pictures and knitting. Promise.

For 2007 I made goals for the whole year. To recap, they were to stay positive, challenge my knitting skills and write. I believe I deserve a top mark in challenging my knitting skills, a needs improvement on staying positive and a did not finish in writing.

Moving on.

For 2008 I am going to do monthly goals instead of annual ones. I think it will be easier to stay focused. I think. Though I do have one annual one. In Canada parents receive $100 each month for each child under the age of 6. It's called the universal child care benefit and it is to help with the expense of child care. As I don't have to pay for child care my $200/ month just goes into the pot. I've decided (drum rollllll) to save my money instead of spending it on groceries or gas or library fines. I will cash my cheque and stash my money away for a raining day to spend on whatever my little heart desires. Likely I will have to give myself a little monthly allowance for treats at the yarn store and such but mostly it will be saved. My plan is to build a little nest egg for next Christmas.

Again, moving on.

For January my goal is to get my act together in the home maker department. I've been falling short. I've already started a tidy up routine thanks to the FlyLady and I'm sticking to it. I buddied up with sewing Heather. Saturday I'm having a meal planning party. My team is coming over and we are going to get our menus organized. I do a great job at planning and shopping for dinners but then when snack time hits Clarabel and I are stuck eating flour or leftover candy canes.

Also we're putting the hard court press on the home renovations. We've got a powder room to finish and I want it pretty for Valentine's Day.

Oh and thinking postive. I'll do that too.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

All day I have been thinking about my New Year's post. I was all set to write about my idea that Jan 2 should be the first day of the new year, you know with the hangovers and exhaustion of Jan 1. But then I had a revelation. The first day of the New Year should be (and will forever be in my household) Jan 3.

Here's why-

January 1st is a lousy choice to begin anything new. Almost everyone has been up too late, kids and adults alike. Most grown-ups have had a little too much to drink and are regretting it. While it is a great day for taking down decorations and putting away presents, it is not the day to get to the gym or begin some kind of new regiment.

January 2nd is the day that everyone goes back to work after a vacation. At my house, we are used to Dad being home and suddenly he is gone. Culture shock is an understatement. While trying to get dinner ready I threw a tantrum, a real one with yelling and feet stamping and everything. I believe the same thing happened to me last year when Ken went back to work after the holidays.

January 3rd is the perfect day to start the New Year!! You have a day to clean up the old year, a day to get into the swing of things and then you can get going on whatever new system or regiment you've resolved. Plus there is way to much pressure, the New Year shouldn't be a race.

Who's with me?!?

Kinda like a Charlie Brown Christmas

I am immensely thankful that the holidays are over. I love Christmas and all the hoopla but this year....

Remember Laila had that puking thing. Well, she shared it. With everyone.

We arrived at my parents the evening of the 23rd, about 11pm. The house was dark and freezing b/c the power was out. We snuggled under the covers and slept. Of course when the power came back on at 5am the bedside lights were shining in our eyeballs.

The night of the 24th Clarabel woke up as we were going to bed and started throwing up. Yuck! She was up a few times in the night. Christmas morning she was better and was able to get up and get into her presents. She didn't eat much but drank a lot and was pretty quiet.

By the time with finished Christmas dinner Ken and I were both down with it and by morning both my sisters too. We were all in bed boxing day and my mom was running ginger ale, water and turkey soup up and down the stairs with Clarabel and Laila in tow.

The 27th my mom got it. Ken and Shelley were much better so they took Clarabel off to the Biodome so my mom could rest. Lindsay and I were in charge of Laila, which exhausted us Laila being such a mover and shaker and all.

My dad finished it up the evening of the 28th, though he tried to say that he wasn't sick, his lunch just wasn't sitting well. Whatev Dad.

Oh and during this Laila staged a nursing strike. She bit me and I reacted very badly. I cried and screamed, she cried and screamed, then didn't want to latch on. She cried if anyone else held her but she cried when I held her. Fortunately it ended quickly. It was a battle but I got her to nurse in the night once she fell asleep and by the morning she was good as new. I was really glad it was short. I don't have a pump so I would of had to get one and bottles and the whole thing.

I believe this Christmas surpasses the Christmas of 2003. The one when I was 3 months pregnant with Clarabel and had morning, noon and night sickness, Lindsay had surgery and couldn't lift her arms and needed help to cut her food, dress and wash and Shelley broke her arm snowboarding.

We can laugh about that now.