Monday 15 December 2014

Long time no see.......

Or should that be long time no write? I haven't even looked at this tiny corner of the internet for almost 2 years! 2 years people!! That's crazy!!

I've recently returned to my youtube channel and figured why not return here too? I don't intend on running this blog the same way as I had hoped those many moons ago. My main "internet" joy lies in planners, organising and my home. So I think I'll mainly focus on these topics.  Then if anything personal happens to slip in then I'm ok with that!

So an update. I don't use my filofax as my everyday planner anymore but I do use them in a variety of other ways! My weekly updates will be in my Erin Condren.  Although as we all know that can change!

I'll give this little old blog another go for a while and see if I can get back in the swing of writing again. I'm quite enjoying the youtube so that may be my best forum but I will review that further in the new year!

Happy Christmas everyone!

My latest youtube video can be found here


Saturday 13 July 2013

Filo Friday 2

Hi everyone!!

I'm back with the second edition of filo friday. I've been pretty busy this week, although my pages don't seem too full. I've been doing a lot of work on planning for the blog and youtube. In fact I've posted quite a few youtube videos this week so head over and take a look!

The theme worked well..

Close up of the flyleaf

Close up of second half

As you can see this week I went with a Hello Kitty pink theme. I'm really pleased with how these turned out. I was so pleased in fact I went and made a youtube the minute I'd finished! I'm not sure how well you can see them on the pictures (my canon ran out of battery so the pics are iphone only!) but I actually made the hole reinforcers myself. I had been complaining about the lack of cute reinforcers and when I realised I had white and a pen I had a lightbulb moment! I think they turned out pretty well.

So that's week 28 and now I'm thinking of the theme for week 29... 

I hope everyone has a fab weekend! Check back on sunday for the first in my new Love series, where I'll share things I've found this week that I love!







Friday 5 July 2013

Filo friday 1st edition

Over a month since blogging? Bad blogger, bad.  But that month has given me time to think about my blog, the direction I want to go and how I want to work it! So I've been thinking about regular features I want to run, I'm hoping they will keep me accountable to blog. Silly I need to be held accountable to do something I'm doing for fun but that's just how I am.

So very handily today is the start of one feature, which is Filo Friday! For todays edition I'll be sharing a bit about the start of my love affair and an overview of my week so far. I'll try to do that every week but I make no promises!

I've been using a filofax on and off for years. I love the extra space you just don't get in a small diary. I write a LOT of lists (bet you couldn't have guessed that?) and it also gives me an outlet for my organisation ocd. Until fairly recently I had just used it as it came. Filofax inserts and a pen that fitted in the pen loop. Then a month or so ago I was browsing pinterest and came across a photo that changed all of that...



Amy at Filocuteness
Blog entry this first featured in
Used with permission

So these pages were done by the lovely Amy over at Filo Cuteness (she also has a youtube channel which is fab too!) and they immediately grabbed my attention. The colour, the stickers and the general sense of fun in her pages made me realise my poor filo was sorely neglected! Finally a way to combine my love of crafting with my love of organising!

So I got my trusty filofax out and got to work. Well I say got to work but first I realised my  faux filo was, well, rubbish and not suitable for me! So off to the shops I went! I came home with my first filo in years, a purple malden in personal size.

So now I have set it up and I decorate every week and I could not be happier! For more info on how I set up my filo you can check out my youtube video (my first one! Do I really sound like that??)

So here's my week 27 in my personal malden....




One picture this week as the natural light hates me and my son wanted to steal the camera! I will try to get more organised with pictures for next week.

So I went with an all green theme this week. I used
                                                                                washi tape on the top and bottom
                                                                                Green polka dot hole reinforcers from Staples
                                                                                Green post it labels
                                                                                Green arrows from a set from Paperchase
                                                                                Green pilot frixion pen in 0.5

I normally have more than one colour but I decided to go for it this week and I really like how it turned out. I was concerned it would be too in your face but I think it's looks surprisingly minimalist.
It's been a pretty quiet second half of the week but I have kept busy with things not in my filo!

So that's week 27! I'll be sharing week 28 next friday but in the meantime I might try and do some more videos and of course keep an eye out for the new features popping up over the next few weeks!



Sunday 19 May 2013

Day 17 of blog everyday...

Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why




I have no idea how old I am but this is one of my favourite ever pictures of myself. That little kitty was called Peter Rabbit. I named him after my idol. We'd not long had him and he'd scratched me. :-( I also love that it looks like I'm sitting in a large drawer... I'm not sure what I'm sitting in really! 
That kitty was with us for about 15 years or more and was a little star. I loved him and actually miss him sometimes too. 
Also how awesome was my hair?!

Day 16 of blog everyday...

Day 16, Thursday: Something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it

Blogging feels very narcissistic today. I'm not one to go on about things difficult about my "lot in life". At least I don't think I am! I always think other people are struggling far more than me and it's egotistical to go on about mine.  However you asked so I'm answering.....

My health. That's hard lately.  When I was pregnant I had quite severe SPD (or Pelvic Girdle Pain if you're picky). I was on crutches from around 24 weeks and it was hard going. The doctors all said it would go away after my little one came along so I was very optimistic!

For the first 6 weeks of Isaacs life it was great. The pain had gone and I felt really good. Usual post birth pains but otherwise good! Then it came back... With a vengeance. My body decided it hated me and my SPD turned into all over pain. Everything hurt. My back, my knees, my legs, my neck, my wrists, my hands etc etc etc etc

So for the past 18 months I've been working with various people to figure it out. I've seen Orthopaedics, Rheumatologists, GP's, Occupational Health and Physiotherapists.  I've had lots of blood taken, which all came back normal and now pointed to one thing. Fibromyalgia. Great. 

If you haven't heard of it before I'd say don't read everything you believe.  Otherwise, like me, you could be convinced it's all in your head or you're a drama queen. That's not true.  I'm very lucky to have an understanding doctor who does believe the condition exists and that she wants to help any way she can. 

I've done a lot of research into the condition. I had also heard of it as my father-in-law and sister-in-law both suffer. I've yet to tell them I got the diagnosis which seems odd. However I don't really like to talk about it and it's the sort of condition that is so different for each and every sufferer I don't want to be comparing. It's one of the reasons I don't want to go to a support group. What works for me may not work for you.

So other than the pain killers my doctor suggested a mild anti-depressent which is used as a painkiller.  At this time though I've decided against it. We'd like to have more children and I don't want to have to stop and start medication, or have the dozy feeling associated with the drug. So I'm working on building up my exercise. By that I mean walking further than 1 street, or gardening for more than 5 minutes. I have physio and I'm learning to manage the pain enough to have a life. Some things are out but I figure I'm here, I can take care of my son. Maybe I can't do as much as other mums but I make up for it in other ways. I'm a fantastic colouring in partner... 

So that's my hard lot in life. It is hard as people can't see I have anything wrong with me so sometimes it seems I'm just lazy or exaggerating. Plus I find it hard to ask for help and admit I'm struggling with everyday things, like loading the washing machine or tidying up Isaac's toys. But I'm working on it. I'm determined it won't run my life. So hey my bad lot isn't all bad. It makes me slow down. I get to sit and smell the roses all day sometimes. That can't be all bad right?

Day 13 of blog everyday...

Day 13, Monday: Issue a public apology. This can be as funny or as serious or as creative as you want it to be.

I am very aware I've fallen behind in the blog everyday challenge. I've even skipped some. To be honest I've skipped some I can't write. Not at the moment anyway as the topics I'd want to use I don't think I'm ready to nor am I sure I'll ever be ready. I don't want to make a half hearted attempt at using another subject as that doesn't feel real to me.  Maybe one day I'll be able to but not just now.

One of those hard to talk about topics would be an apology. Except I already made it. Years ago I wrote the hardest apology letter I've ever had to write. Have you ever done something so bad you knew there was no apology good enough? Yet you still had to say it? I have and I did. I said my apologies to the people I loved and who would listen. To the one who wouldn't listen I wrote it. I don't think it was, or ever will be accepted, but that's ok.  I've learned that the hardest part is often accepting the apology from, and forgiving yourself. That I think I've done. 


So if you've been given an apology you don't think you can accept remember this. Accepting an apology and forgiving someone is not for them it's for you. Until you forgive people who have wronged you and let it go you'll never be over it. You can hold onto your anger and hatred but the only person truly affected by it is you. So forgive. It doesn't mean you have to forget, or even have any interaction with that person, but it does mean your heart can let it go.

I don't believe the person I apologised to has done this and it makes me sad. They won't know the peace that come come from forgiveness. I do. From both my family and myself and from God. And it feels good.

Sunday 12 May 2013

Day 12 of blog everyday...

Day 12, Sunday: What do you miss? (a person, a thing, a place, a time of your life...)

So I've missed a couple of days this week. I might catch up with them later in the month but I'm not going to stress about it :-) I've had a couple of rough days to be honest. Nothing too bad but feeling a bit sore and letting things get to me.

In the spirit of that and what do I miss I'm gonna say a few things.

I miss my Gangy. He passed away years ago now but I miss him all the time. He was a very practical down to earth man who could be so much fun. I don't have lots of memories when he wasn't ill but I do remember that even then it never stood in his way. He loved strongly and deeply and you always knew it. I really appreciate that my mum inherited this trait and it even rubbed off on my dad. :-)

Annoyingly I haven't scanned in the picture of him yet, it's on my to do list so when I do I'll post one here. 


I miss the innocence of childhood. However I wouldn't want to go back. I love seeing that innocence in my son. He knows when he cried mummy will be there for him. I can comfort him in his worst moments which are normally very scary things like being unable to reach the biscuits. But I love seeing him discover new things and new feelings. So maybe I can't add this to the miss list as I see it everyday.

I do miss things and people I've lost but in all honesty I don't have a list for this. Missing things implies I want to go back to them. I don't. I am happy with my life. Even in my bad moments and days I am happy. So I don't miss things or times as I don't want to go back. 

Ok maybe I miss Disneyland but I can't live there all year...... Or could I???