My Intentions for 2014

I am not really a fan of resolutions. For some reason they don't work for me. Maybe it's because of the pressure to be perfect. So the moment I fall "of the wagon" I quit on them all together. So usually by the half of january I just forget about them..

Some years ago I started with "intentions" rather than "resolutions".
Now I'm not saying that I am better at sticking to them. Well at least not all of them. I always try to make my intentions a do-able as possible but sometimes Life gets in the way.
But I like starting each year with an idea of where I want to go. And what I would like to achieve.
I find it hard not to be too ambitious and keep my intentions to a manageable number. I try to chose only 4 or 5 items. And forumulate them as clearly as possible. A clear plan makes it easier to accomplish.

I usually write them down in my journal and then make a copy that I paste in my planner. Because out of sight equals out of mind.

These are my intentions for 2014:

* I will try to listen to what my body tells me. That means making sure I get enough sleep, sticking to my diet to keep my troubles with the fybromyalgia to a minimum, taking my meds and not taking on too many projects.

* I intend to keep my desk clean and organised. That means tackling bills and stuff when they come in and not letting the to-do things pile up. It also means that I will finish projects and put my creating-stuff away when I finish a project.

* I want to expand my blog and post regularly. With that I mean I want to write more posts in advance, find a balance between Life-posts and creative posts and apply to write guest-posts at some of my favorite blogs.

* I want to try generating an income by making things.
   Maybe an Etsy store, having a stall on a market.. yet to be determined...

* I want to expand on my snail-mail activities.
I want to send more postcrossingcards. Well maybe not more (sending out mail across the globe costs a small fortune) but at least on a more regular basis.
And I would like to find a penpal. Someone who appreciates the art of sending letters. (If your interested drop me a line via email of leave me a comment).

I think this is a nice list of things I would like to achieve in 2014.
Do you have any intenstions or resolutions for 2014?
Leave a comment and let me know...

december is for...

* december daily!!

* "sinterklaas"

* setting up the Christmas tree

* sending Christmas-cards

* lots of planning and shopping for our christmas-dinner

* christmas-dinner with the family on the 25th of December

* visiting a christmas-market in Haarlem

* drinking lots of glühwein

* baking "Oliebollen" on december 31st..

* cocheting ( within my limits..)

* cosy evenings in front of the television snuggled up under a blanket with Abby 

* my brothers birthday

* my father-in-laws birthday

* setting off fireworks on new years eve

busy busy busy..

What are your plans for December?

November is for...

.... wrapping up my "week in the life" by finishing the album.
     because it need to get done  before 2014 and december will be crazy busy with the december 
     daily thing.

.... starting "december daily" preperations by ordering supplies and making the basic album.
     Making the album ahead of time measn the only thing I have to do "daily" is take pictures, take         notes and decorate the pages..

... finally getting my hair cut.
    It's long overdue...

... going on a shopping-trip with a friend in Amsterdam

... taking my mom to our local craftstore for her birthday
    and get our hair done, drink coffee.... 

... having a games-night wih friends
    Munchkin, Magic, Monopoly, Career, Uno, Mah-Jongh and what-ever else we have..

... go to a ladies bingo-night with my mother-in-law

And what are your plans for november??

   

Today is for.....

.. getting up early to go to work

... not having to walk the dogs in the morning because Nico has a day off

... working in Oosthuizen

... taking the car to work

... Horseraces in Enkhuizen

... having a (well probably more than one..) drink with friends and Nico in Enkhuizen

...  after I'm finished with work that is

.... having Chinese for dinner

... buying some new nailpolish because it was "buy one get one free" =)


** idea borrowed from the nerd nest

Summer has arrived..

We’re already halfway through my summer vacation but the summer-weather only arrived a few days ago. With temperatures around the 25 /30 degrees all I do is trying to stay cool.

Wich means staying indoors during the afternoon heat and taking the dogs out for their walks early in the morning and in the evening when it’s cooler.  In the afternoon we only do a small round around the block.

The dogs are also suffering from the heat. Abby doesn’t want to walk at all. And Keyser hobbels along for a small walk. But mostly they just lounge around and take long naps.

The weather also means I am way behind on my summer projects. 
First of all I am way behind on my Find your Voice project. I have filled out the worksheets up to week 4. But I’m having a hard time with the prompts.  I have lots of ideas about what to do but my inner critic and prefectionist is telling me I can’t do it. And frankly at the moment it’s too hot to tell him to shut up.
I’m printing out lesson 5 later tonight so I am keeping up with the worksheets. And taking notes of all the ideas that pop into my head so I don’t lose them. 

Secondly I’m just not getting around to finishing up all sorts of “little” projects I have been saving up to do in my vacation. Still on my creative to do-list:

 * make a fold it in album of Abby’s  doggie trainng.
* finish  my “lines” album
* make some stamps; I promised to make a stamp for a friend and also want to make some for myself. The materials finally arrived so I could start…
* Sew some new hammocks for the rats
* I need to shut up my inner critic and get started with the prompts from Find your Voice.

But sadly my creative to-do list is often pushed aside by my other to-do list. The one that includes vacuming, doing the dishes, an endless amount of laundry and other small household tasks.

How do you keep your creative goals from being overrun by your daily tasks??