Vision Board

Using this tutorial I made myself a wicked cool vision board. All up it cost me about $30 and something like this would go for $50 - $100 in stores so I'm rapt! What makes it better is that it isn't some boring old design either, it's mine.

SO happy with it.

At the moment it just has a few bits and pieces on it including a tonne of my 'Bucket List' cards.

Annnnnd it's another thing crossed off my 52 in 52 list! YUS!

Silent Sunday - Done and Almost done!

Weekly 10 19/8 - 26/8

“It is not enough to be busy... The question is: what are we busy about?”

First things first, to recap on last week - I did plan my speech on Sunday night, going to inspire my fellow toastmaster to live a more positive life, and 'live', 'laugh', 'love' words were completed by lovely husband on Sunday as well. Hoping to finish up the photo wall they were for tonight. May even post a photo tomorrow for Silent Sunday.

Here's this week's productivity...

1. Talk to Damien about Mum's patio furniture and getting a trailer to move it. Tuesday

Yes, I have to schedule talks to my husband. Lol.

2. Plan food for Leah's birthday. Monday
You can see the labels I made for the food here.

3. Paint nails. Wednesday

4. Buy bucket for Oscar the Grouch trash throwing game. Saturday.

5. READ! Monday/Wednesday/Friday/ Saturday
I have a novel I have to finish for this Thursday's upcoming book club meeting. Only 52% through it even after all this reading. Can't quite get into it!

6. Fix up the rip on Leah's christmas present. Monday
I wonder who did that?

7. Draft up TM speech #3 Wednesday
I've started anyway. I don't have to present until October so still plenty of time... I hope!

8. Complete and send job application. Monday

9. Clean up office at home. Monday

10. Plan vision board. Wednesday
Not only have I planned it but I've bought all the bits and pieces to make it. Just waiting for Leah to wake up so I can whip out the gun stapler and get into it!

How are you being productive this week?

Sesame Street Birthday #1

We have a 2nd birthday coming up in our house.

Preparations have been going on for a few weeks now and I've use a couple of different sites to help me out with ideas. These ones I've found particularly handy:
Night Owl Corner
A few of my favourite things
Smile like you mean it
On one hand

Not only have I plain and simple stolen some of the ideas from these sites, I've also been inspired by some of them and made my own things.

On this post I thought I would share what I have made so far. You're more than welcome to use them. Happy to share and help :)

Sesame Street Food Labels

Chocolate mouse with gummy bugs throughout

Cookies (duh)

Little red sausages

Skittles

Fruit platter

Chips

Mini bacon and egg pies

Club sandwiches

Selection of volovants

Juice boxes

Curried Eggs

Marshmallows on sticks dipped in pink icing and edible glitter.

Happy birthday banner

Be sure to check in to the next installment for more Sesame Street Party goodness.

Famous Cars

How freaking cool are these posters from this Etsy shop? In love much?

Bacon and Egg Rolls

So easy, so delicious.

Breadroll of your choice, baby spinach, scrambled egg, bacon strips and tomato chutney.

Done - yum!

“You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.”

As you can see with my 'Silent Sunday' photos yesterday Leah (and me and my lovely friends that came along) had a great time at the first Daffodil Sunday at Auckland's Cornwall Park.

We saw dogs and flowers and beautiful looming trees. We moved along with the throng of people through our beautiful surroundings taking in all that the coming season had to offer. Frolicking lambs and bleating sheep mothers, grazing cows and their new little calves and a stunning barrage of new spring daffodils.

At least... we were having a good time. Until...

...someone's horrible child decided to enjoy the daffodils a little bit too much. Or at least this is what happened in some people's eyes.

I didn't have a problem with Leah walking through the daffodils. She was enjoying them, sniffing them and running through them with a look of pure ecstasy on her face. Enjoying a nice sunny day after a week of wet ones. She wasn't trampling them or ripping them out of the ground. She was simply fostering her appreciation for nature, as a two year old should be.

Mummy was enjoying our time too. Leah is such a happy child and she was having so much fun running and dancing around the flowers. Like a little fairy. Of course I was spending most of my time taking photos and telling her to be careful and be gentle with the flowers. Smiles all round.

Then the miserable grey steam train arrived. An elderly couple walking along with expressions on their face like half sucked throaties. They called out to Leah "get off the flowers, you're hurting them" and "the flowers are here for everyone to enjoy, you shouldn't be near them". Leah stared at them with a bemused face - 'who are these old people interrupting my dancing and what are they saying to me?' Exasperated that a two year old wouldn't obediently obey the two elderly strangers began to stalk off in my direction (I was ahead of Leah taking photos, of course!). As they passed me they gave me a death stare and muttered 'useless parent'.

I was gobsmacked! How unbelievably rude.

What sad lives you must lead to speak to a 2 year old about this in such a horrible manner and not address your problem face to face with the parent of the child. And let me give you a little piece of my mind - if you think 'useless parenting' is giving your child an opportunity to appreciate the nature around them, allowing them to be happy running rather than carry them and let them passively observe what is going on or monitoring your child's behaviour and guiding them along this journey rather than steam rolling them at every turn and sternly growling at them then you are sorely mistaken. Not only am I not a useless parent, I am one of the very best. My Leah will grow up to do great things, you just watch her, and hopefully when she is elderly and watching a small child exuding pure happiness she will appreciate what she sees, not deny it. Up yours!

Silent Sunday 18/8/13

Weekly 10 12/8 - 18/8

“It is not enough to be busy... The question is: what are we busy about?”

I find I'm more productive with a 'to do' list and want to see if I'm more inclined to keep promises to myself if I have you guys keeping me accountable. So what have I been up to this week?

1. Complete cupcake toppers for Leah's birthday.Monday

2. Cut up other party bits ready to go. Friday

3. Buy a ladder.Saturday

4. Get Leah's photo book up to date.Friday

5. Finish T W O letters.Friday

6. Finish live, laugh, love spray painting. 'Life' and 'love' are done. 'Laugh' needs one more coat so hopefully the weather is sraypaintin' weather tomorrow.

7. Take Shakespeare to the vet.Wednesday

8. Leah's baby book - check if it's done up to 2 years and fill in any milestones.Wednesday

9. Plan next Toastmasters Speech. Hoping to do this while I watch telly tonight.

10. Ask Robyn for book club discussion questions. Monday

How are you being productive this week?

I DID IT!

Day 31: Self portrait and what you liked the most about this challenge.

The best thing about this challenge is that I was able to keep it up and post every day for 31 days! Woo hoo! I'm really proud of myself for it and hope that the momentum continues. Oh, and I got to cross a couple of the challenges off my 52 in 52 list. Yus!

“Forget art. Put your trust in ice cream.”

Day 30: What's your favourite flavour of ice-cream.

Orange Chocolate Chip. For sure.