The Joys of today

Today I had one mission and that was to get my hands on a copy of The Art Of Crochet weekly series that has just been issued here in NZ. It has been available elsewhere for quite some time but only just arrived here. I had a look online and found that it was a 120 issue (Eeeek! at $9.99 a regular issue....) to complete the weekly square to form the blanket they make. So I have decided that for $3.99 for the first copy I would take a look and see what I think before deciding whether I might buy more.

 For just $3.99 this week I have received 2 balls of yarn, a crochet hook, issue one and a starting out Dvd. Will let you know what I think once I get a chance to sit down and have a look inside.

I also managed to get my hands on a Jan 2011 Creative Keepsakes mag at our local recycled mag shop today for $2. I have in the past had wonderful Helen who has passed on her copies when she has finished reading them. But as she has excitingly moved to Aus on a new adventure I sadly have to get my own now!

Helen had some awesome pics on her post today with amazing pics of Bean in autumn leaves that made me have some fantastic scrapping ideas. I am looking forward to sitting down and getting out some things that have been away by themselves a little too long.....

I also got an amazing early Mothers Day present that Quack brought home from school for me this afternoon.

He was so proud of his very first handmade efforts

This is a picture of me out walking with the pram

Inside is a beautiful handwritten message: 

I love my Mum because she takes us for walks and she buys me puzzles. I like my Mum because she helps me do my puzzles. 

Love From Zac

(In the holidays we found on a walk our local bookstore had second-hand puzzles which we have been buying and doing together which has been lots of fun)

And inside it is filled with some of my favourite things!

Marshmallows and coconut ice - Yummmmm

Looking forward to sitting down tonight, once the kiddo's are in bed, with my new reads and some yummy treats.

The list experiment

The list is something that holds all of the days tasks and jobs as I see need doing. The list isn't physical, it is mentally held in my head. The list is always changing and updating as the environment around me changes. If the children need something done, depending on the urgency, is where it fits into the list. The problem for me at the moment is I come at the bottom of the list. As the day progresses more and more things fill my invisible list and I never make it to the last task - which is me.

I have been learning a bit about self care and needing to take the time to do things for yourself. This is very challenging for me. Something inside me get anxious and nervous if I put me before doing what I see is on the list. I feel like I am cheating if I take time for me before the washing is done, or the lounge is tidy, or the dishes are put away. If I take the time to sit down before my list is complete all I do is sit there feeling guilty about the things I should be doing or the time I am wasting that could be more efficiently used.

But my challenge is to put me near the top of the list and learn to overcome the bad feelings I associate with this. So for a week my goal is to do something for myself, leaving something else that is on the list aside. I know that just thinking about this makes me worry as I feel the nerves build. But unless I make myself a priority I won't have the time to take a mental break towards wellness and other people will also expect that I will always put them first. Sometimes it is important to do things for other people but I am learning it should never be at the expense of your own well being.

So today I did some yoga and Pilate's before I hung up the washing (yes I will admit that before I did take the time I had already put the washing on, done the dishes, tidied the lounge, given the kids breakfast) but it is a start right? I left the washing, and what do you know, the world didn't fall apart. The washing was still waiting for me when I finished.

So this afternoon I once again took some time for myself to test the theory again (that the world wouldn't end if I did something for me without completing my mental list). I took some time to do some scrapbooking for Monkey number 3. I completed his birth page and his first month - so another two things off my scrapbook list but not off my household chores.

It is now time to start feeding time at the zoo, followed by bath and bedtime. But before I started I wanted to let you know about my experiment and let you know I would love to keep you up-to-date over the week that follows. I am also challenging you to look at where you put yourself and to take some time for self care over the next week with me.