My Month in Numbers

So, here it is my first Month in Numbers! I'm very excited to be joining the count for the first time - if you want more info or just want to know what I'm talking about visit Julie Kirk's notes on paper and check out her August Month in Numbers :)

First up we have the Communal Count.

Q a(1) To be honest I have no idea how many visitors we had during August, but I put this down to the fact I only started recording my Month in Numbers on the 29th. But looking back one of Zoe's friends seemed to be here every time I turned around, my Mum came over for dinner a few times too and some neighbours dropped by but I don't think anyone actually stayed the night.

Q a(2) Four - me, him, and two of them (both of whom are taller than me) plus a spoilt dog and supercilious cat.

Q b(1&2) I normally get up at 6.38am, weird but true, and since I can't recall any mornings of note that was probably the earliest I got up.

Now down to the nitty gritty. Here's how August looked. It was a month of low numbers. But included:

One important Birthday (and six others)!  

One very cool camera

One giant lemon (it weighed in at 800 grams)

Two books - which I've read and two CDs which I'm enjoying very much!

I completed all 6 challenges over at Scrapbooking Top 50 - my favourite is below -  I also did another 2 LOs bringing my month's total to a healthy 8.

I was sick for 16 days - a record I hope never to repeat - which meant I missed 2 out of 4 Sunday running group sessions with Team Bliss.

I attended 44 work meetings...

I also increased my washi tape stash to new grand total of 103 rolls. I now need to buy a new bag to keep them in. Here's the latest addition:

And that pretty much sums up August, an atypical month!

A Scrappy update!

Finally, after admiring all of the Jot Mood Board entries that kept appearing in my facebook feed, I played along.

Here's the board:

And here's my LO. Not my usual colours, I found this quite tough, but the subject made me happy!

I also had a play with a pagedrafts sketch (CSI#80) from July. Here's my take on it, I flipped it and used a Basic Grey kit from SFS plus a Charms Creations page runner.

I was terribly lazy and took the photos on my iPad, thinking I could just use it to post this blog update but no, I couldn't get Blogger to access my photos and had to switch back to the lappy. That'll teach me to cut corners! But because I am a recovering perfectionist I used the crappy photos anyway. Oh how that pained me! But you get the general idea of how they look, right?!

 Thanks for stopping by :)

Getting well, cyber-sightseeing and delving into my handbag!

One of the only advantages of being sick is the recovery phase. It's that in between time when you're not yet well enough to return to the real world, because you still need to have regular naps and can't-cope moments, but you're actually well enough to catch up on all the things you were going to read, create or comment on.

Yesterday afternoon I spent a lovely afternoon in cyberspace. I finally sat and read the articles in Jot magazine (as opposed to just looking at the pictures). I even clicked on the links and that was when my adventure began! I read the article about A Piece of Cake Designs and next thing I knew I'd placed an order for some flair buttons and kits - I'm looking forward to their arrival, I've got a scrapping itch I need to scratch. Then I wandered through the wonderful blog of Janna Werner before completely losing myself in Julie Kirk's notes on paper. The Jot article was about Julie's way of recording her memories through her my month in numbers documentation system. But her blog has so many more goodies to offer, I was there for hours :)

But given that I'm a bit of a numbers junkie, I do love her Month in Numbers concept. So, I've decided to give it a whirl. Since August is still in motion I took a peek at last's month's post and discovered that July featured the inaugural  Month in Numbers Communal Count!

So even though it's almost September I'm giving this one a go. The handbag bit that is!

First up we have my bag. 

I love this bag, its shape, colour and functionality speaks to me! It's from Blue Illusion in case you want one too :)

But what's inside? 

 iPad, phone, drink bottle and my No Sweat Fashions In Your Hands Bag.

Only four things? No! This is where things get numerous :) This awesome insert goes from bag to bag, corralling my belongings in place so that I always have my essential items regardless of which outer bag I'm toting. 

No Sweat Fashions is, like its product, an amazing organisation: Its mission is to create meaningful and long-term social change for newly arrived refugees and other migrants who face social isolation and barriers to employment and education. By means of its trading activities, No Sweat will address these problems by creating jobs, providing training, facilitating community engagement promoting social inclusion. 

They made my bag and my friend is also on the Board, but I digress!

Here's what's inside that bag.

1 wallet

1 change purse

1 bag of tissues (I find a zip lock bag way more practical and environmentally sound than the custom purse packs)

1 blister pack of strepsils (a new inclusion in honour of my razor blade throat)

1 security pass

1 notebook

1 gym tag

1 set of earbuds

1 powder compact

1 tube of hand cream

1 note with the name of my dentist on it - Dr Fang!

1 shopping bag (that matches my drink bottle)

1 cab charge stub

1 button

2 pens

2 tubes of sunscreen

2 sets of keys (office and home)

2 packs of mints (tictacs and the itty mint box Qantas hands out)

2 USBs

6 assorted lip products (balm, gloss, lipstick, cold sore and ulcer treatments)

My wallet and change purse contained between them:

13 cards (credit, loyalty, health fund, licence, bus pass etc)

10 receipts (most of which I need to claim back, the rest of which I've thrown away)

1 book of stamps (half used)

1 cheque (really must bank that) 

$15 in notes

$18.35 in change (kids must have missed that stash!)

That's 59 items in total (excluding the money - it probably won't be there by tomorrow). Oh my! But on review, other than the receipts, the only thing I could take out would be the extra tube of sunscreen but then again Summer is on its way!

Oh and the other good thing about the recovery phase - time and energy to blog. Thanks for stopping by :)

Falling off the happiness wagon

Two years ago I spotted a job I wanted, it wasn’t advertised, there was someone already filling the position but, nonetheless I said to myself, that’s the job I want. Nine months ago I got that job.

It’s only now, after being sick for two weeks, I realise with crystal clarity that at some time during those nine months I fell off the happiness wagon. This time last year I had it all, fabulous work-life balance, I was doing interesting, rewarding work which fitted neatly around going to the gym, scrapbooking, friends and most importantly spending time with my family. Life, in hindsight, was pretty comfortable.

But I had put the wheels in motion and I was on an ever-upward trajectory culminating in the new position, the increased responsibility, the long hours and ultimately a complete loss of perspective. This abandoned blog is merely part of the fallout.

Two very  different conversations have made me realise just how far I strayed from the things that make me happy and are of real value. The first conversation was at 6.30pm on a Wednesday evening, the day before I got sick. I’d worked another 11 hour day, collecting Angus from rugby training on my way home.

As we walked to the car our conversation went like this:

“Have you got a new job?”.

 I shook my head, “no it’s the same one I’ve had since before Christmas”.

“Well, you’ve been working really long hours, I hope you’ve had a pay rise, I really think you need to rethink your work-life balance”.

His words stopped me in my tracks, I had successfully negotiated a pay rise just the month before but was that when I started working ridiculously long hours, when I stopped being there for my kids, my husband and myself? How could a 15 year old see and verbalise the things I could not?

Fast forward through a week and a half of truly miserable cold and flu symptoms that left me weak and wrung out. Rob and I were talking to Zoe about The Future – she is struggling with whether her decision about wanting to be a vet is the right one. Both Rob and I told her it’s ok not to know what you want to be and that lots of people don’t.  Rob then said she should be whatever she wanted to be and not be influenced by what others thought she should do. It was then I said:

“I knew what I wanted to do, but I allowed other people to influence me into taking another direction, but eventually I studied it and I’m still doing it 20 years later”.

Both Rob and Zoe looked puzzled and Zoe said “what’s that?”

My response, “PR, darling...” and we all laughed but it’s true. I love public relations, always have and always will. The job I’m doing now maybe a more serious version of it but essentially it remains the same – promoting ideas and actions.

So, where to now? Well first I’m going to get well! Then I’m making some adjustments, using the perspective I’ve gained from my children (again) and prioritising happiness. Life is too short and too valuable to fall off that wagon. I love my job but it should only be part of the package that is my life.

LOs for Cherie

I was lucky enough to go to Jules' Shut up and Scrap retreat recently - I finally got some scrapping done - woohoo. Anyway Cherie told me that I hadn't been putting enough scrappy updates on my blog. So, these are for you Cherie, even though you've already seen them in the flesh!

This one is very much in the style of Leanne Allison (I hope) - love her clean lines and layers. Please note that Angus' shoes and ball match his uniform - he's a firm believer that style is eternal ;)

This one is using the February a la Tarte kit from Lime Tart - a final photo of my girl before she disappeared on a jet plane.

And this one is celebrating my new thermomix love! I named him Hans but Rob and Angus insisted that he looked more like a Steve. So, Steve the Thermomix, he is.

And now (just quickly), because I promised, here is my sugar update: I spent my sugar-free day checking everything I ate and am sad to report that there was nothing I had to say no to. Sad?! You say, why? Well I was committed to being educated in the sneaky ways of sugar but in the end I was left disappointed and slightly smug. Seems I have no need to change my ways and embrace the sugar-free craze because it's already how I roll! But just to be clear I eat fresh fruit everyday. I still believe that unless you're allergic to fructose, there is no way fruit can be bad for you. Also I do indulge in the occasional sugary treat and I'm happy to report I'm one of the lucky ones that doesn't suffer any ill effects or cravings the day after. Guess we're all different. Thanks for all your comments on my last post, I really enjoyed reading them and gaining others' perspectives.  I'm very interested in your thoughts and respect your opinions.

Until next time!



PS Yes, Cherie, I do have more LOs to share!

Everything in moderation

Recently a friend came to visit and uttered those famous words, the ones that strike fear into the hardiest of hearts... I know you'll give me an honest answer... Uh oh, emotional minefield coming up! Be alert and very afraid, one wrong utterance and your friend may flounce out of your house and out of your life forever.

I've discovered that most people don't really want to hear the truth. What they want is someone to confirm that their opinion is right (regardless of whether it is or not). I'm talking about those confronting personal truths to do with health, lifestyle and parenting.

So, back to my friend, she had three questions for me (my heart sank even further at this news) but only the first one is relevant to this post.

Did I think she needed to lose weight? Really? Surely the more sensible question was did she think she needed to lose weight? But she asked the question and looked to me for some sort of response so, I took a shot. No, I didn't think she needed to lose weight (and this was indeed the truth) but I did think she shouldn't put any more on either. Her diet is very healthy so I suggested she should consider exercise.

We've been friends for a long time and during the course of our friendship I've watched her change all of her exercise habits, when we met she attended a gym, went on bike rides with the family and caught the bus to work - adding 20 minutes of walking exercise to her day. But slowly over time, she quit the gym, her bike gathered cobwebs and she takes the car to work. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd walked anywhere.

The next day as I was walking to the shops I saw her out with her daughter. She gave me a big smile and a thumbs up. A month later that walk was one of only two that she has taken.

A recent research article suggests that in order to deal with the rising obesity crisis governments must treat it the same way we treated smoking. That, with 30 percent of the world population now obese, we can no longer attribute weight gain to a lack of willpower, instead we had to look to convenience food and a an increasingly sedentary lifestyle as the root causes. No big surprises there. But surely people are making choices to eat these foods and to lie on the lounge? The message is out there loud and strong that pre-packaged food is bad for you. yet people are still eating it. So whilst we may not be seeing a collective loss of willpower we are certainly seeing people making bad choices and succumbing to them.

But rather than addressing those choices in a moderate and considered way, society's reaction, lead by the media, is tinged with hysteria. The common element in all those foods is sugar. So now sugar is the bad guy and we should banish it from our diets forever. Really? Surely, a gradual move from a diet consisting of pre-prepared meals to one based on whole foods would be a more sustainable goal.

Change is something you must want. It's no good setting yourself unattainable goals or a schedule that is so ambitious and challenging that it's impossible to maintain. Setting yourself up to fail means you revert to your old habits all too quickly.

But just in case I'm wrong about sugar and it is the root of all evil (not human nature after all), HerCanberra is challenging its readers to a sugar-free day tomorrow. That means no added sugar in anything you eat. So, in the interests of research and fairness I'm taking the challenge. I'm not expecting to have to change my food consumption dramatically but I'm also prepared to be surprised and to honestly report my findings.

(Oh, and in another point of fairness, my friend knows that I'm blogging about our conversation and she said to let you all know she wants to change but she simply doesn't have the willpower!)

What's your super power?

I enjoy reading everyone's posts around this time of year. They're filled with highlights of the past year and hopes, dreams and resolutions for the new year. Or maybe they're just a pictorial summary of your favourite creations! I like that too. Lots of people choose one little word or to play along with the photo a day challenge or embark on project life.

Last year I decided that 2012 was the year without a plan. I think it worked out ok. It certainly put me outside my comfort zone. I like to know where I'm going, what everyone else in the family is up to and to know there is order in my somewhat chaotic life. That said, planning had been the undoing of me in previous years, sometimes to plan is to be disappointed and sometimes disappointment can lead to depression and despair.

So, how was 2012? Well the big ticket item would have to be that none of my friends died. 2010 and 2011 were extremely rough with the cruel and abrupt end for too many good people I knew and loved. The end of 2011 also saw one friend diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. The outlook was dire but he's still here today, 17 chemo treatments later. Alive and rejoicing!

In other news I took two overseas holidays (New Zealand and Bali), got a promotion and bought a new car and a thermomix. Not bad highlights when you reflect on them. Sometimes not a having plan works out nicely. None were expected activities or purchases but they were all were fun and rewarding in their own way. One day in February I also walked past a gym, decided to go in and took out a membership. I then attended regularly and, got rid of all that nasty doughy flesh that had crept up around my middle - not planned but very rewarding!

The things about not planning that I didn't enjoy were having to go to the supermarket everyday, having no idea about what I was going to wear to work each day and missing the bus regularly.

So, what did I learn? I need and desire simple things to be planned. It's easier not to sweat the small stuff if you're organised and in control. 2013 will see a return to menu planning, outfit identification (at the least the night before if not for the entire week) as this will also solve the bus problem. I won't be running around deciding what necklace and belt to wear when I should be ambling up the road to the bus stop.

2012 was very much a mixed bag. I suffered from skin cancer, a condition that took the best part of twelve months to diagnose and mere (but extremely nasty) six weeks to treat. I had surgery for ovarian cysts and suffered both a shoulder and hip injury (exercise induced). Rob was diagnosed with life threatening cholesterol and a foot injury that may mean he can never run again. It makes me pause to wonder what condition we'd be in if we lived an unhealthy lifestyle... I think the classic moment was when the dietitian said she'd like to cut Rob open and see what was going on inside as he has no outwards signs of a cholesterol problem (he's a slim, fit, a non drinker).

Zoe and Angus continued to grow and prosper. Both scored jobs at McDonalds and are steadily building up their millions. Zoe finished year 10 and we waved her off to France for seven long weeks (only two weeks until she's home again). Angus has been enjoying his single child status, watching far too much sport on television, in between attending futsel, touch football, surfing lessons and the gym. It could be worse!

So I guess that brings me back to 2013. Apart from the obvious stuff - small plans and getting healthy - I'm going to be kind. What kind of kind? All sorts really. I'm already kind to strangers, small children and animals. I treat my friends and family with respect and can be relied on to be there and do the right thing. But all too often inside my head there is a very different dialogue to the one that I'm speaking and modelling.

Here's the deal - call it my character flaw. I love logic and am solution-driven. My super power is common sense, so if you ask my advice expect it to be practical and doable. I will give you sympathy but not over and over. If you refuse to change and help yourself, my sympathy will dissipate. And therein lies the problem, I know some people don't want to be helped, they aren't looking for a solution, just a kindly ear to listen to them. So, I will try to be kinder, I will silence the voice in my head that's saying "oh come on, this old chestnut again, pull yourself together" and just smile and nod.

Being internally kind can also take many other forms but I'm still mulling them over in my head so for the moment let's see how these quiet acts of kindness play out.

Be kind to yourself!