Category: Motivated Mum

There are definitely mummy jobs and daddy jobs in our house according to the Craftguidelets.   When it comes to fixing things, daddy always gets the battery replacements and I get things that need to be sewn, glued or magic’d back together.

Things appear on my desk and on Sunday the pile had got quite large.   In my quest to be a motivated mum, it was the day to attack it.   Bullseye and Woody were just a few stitches to reattach a saddle and a waistcoat.   And yes I did feel like the Toy Mender from Toy Story 2 when I was doing it.

My hot melt glue gun came out to fix our M&M Christmas decoration from New York (broken 2 Christmases ago) and Peppa Pig’s chair.

Simple sewing fixed youngest’s dog bag and party dress and a pair of my woolly tights.

But some things just can’t be fixed.   OK, this was a cheap toy, probably from a party bag or lucky dip and I didn’t really attempt to go looking for thin elastic as the Craftguidelets are lethal with it.   Rather than risk black eyes and broken windows, this one ended up in the bin.

A bit of sellotape fixed a paper fan and a few drops of glue stuck some jewels back on to little Craftyguidelet’s masterpiece decorated picture frame.

What I am most pleased about is that my girls want things to be mended.   They don’t throw things out or waste them.   Everything is mended, recycled, handed down or passed on.   And they are also happy with hand-me-downs.   Youngest has always had big sister’s clothes and toys and eldest has clothes passed to her from her friend’s big sister.

And yes, mummy can also change batteries!   A lilac job?

I am a magazine freak.   If my Tesco vouchers are expiring, I’ll get a magazine subscription with them.   If someone mentions a new publication on twitter or IG, I’m planning a trip to my nearest big town to get a copy to try.   I suppose I’m the same with craft books and craft supplies.   They keep coming into the house and I manage to find a place for them.

This year I have started addressing the craft supplies issue.   I have kept to my plan and stopped buying anything that isn’t necessary.   It’s hard when I see beautiful fabrics or pretty papers, but I’m also enjoying working my way through my WIPs.   At the moment I’m concentrating on a special gift so no pictures until after I hand it over.

I am now looking at my magazine mountain.   Every night I am trying to look through a few more, rip out only the projects for me (nothing for the shop at the moment) and then recycle them.   I decided that I wouldn’t really be looking through them again and again so out they go.

On dragging out another batch from the bookcase, I had a glance at the books there and started thinking.   Do I really need some of these books?   One had a dentist’s appointment card from 1988 in it.   If I haven’t had the inclination to read it in the last 25 years, would I manage it in the next 25?   Do I really need a copy of the books I read for O level English Lit and A level French?   Do I need 3 books on Feng Shui when I live in a house with 2 little girls who like chaos and hate tidying up?

I’ve now got 2 carrier bags of books for the charity shop, some free downloads on my tablet, and space on my shelves to properly display my craft books and recipe books.   And a floor full of magazines to sort through, but I’m getting them out faster than the postman can deliver them.   Feeling declutteration in my living room and my head and that is good for me.

At the beginning of this year I turned 41 and wrote myself a list of things to achieve in my 42nd year.   It was a long list and a bit vague at times.   I’ve had mixed success with it but I really don’t mind.   Unless I devote my time in the next 4.5 days exclusively to my list, I’m not going to achieve much more so here are my results.

1. Knit a pair of socks – no, but I’ve bought the wool and got a pattern!
2. Learn crochet – I tried.   I’ve also picked up another couple of hints at the Cam City WI and I’ve started taming my hands.
3. Organise craft area of office – more than once!
4. Improve my jewellery making – I’ve now got handbag charms on my website
5. Blog at least weekly – no
6. Start adding pictures to the blog – yes
7. Learn machine embroidery – Poppy Treffry books purchased
8. Scrapbook regularly – not even once
9. Bake bread regularly – yes
10. Bake with the craftyguidelets weekly – my healthy eating kick put paid to this
11. Send birthday cards and presents on time – missed a couple
12. Take part in a swap – several times
13. Tame the magazine mountain – it keeps coming back!
14. Knit a hat – see #1
15. Knit gloves – do mittens count?
16. Use up my lavender stash – I think it is breeding in the bag
17. Begin gardening again – I’ve done some
18. Finish soon to be 3 year old craftyguidelet’s birth sampler – no
19. Finish her Silvermist costume – no, she’s grown out of it before I’ve even started so it’s going to be a birthday present for a friend’s little girl.
20. Make an item of clothing for me – scarf and snood
21. Comment on people’s blogs more, as I love it when they comment on mine – yes
22. Keep food waste to a minimum – yes
23. Cook at least one ‘effort’ meal a week – yes
24. Keep up with my housework app – not exactly!
25. Weekly craft days with the craftyguidelets – got out of the habit
26. Exercise daily – I joined a gym and started going regularly until kids, illness and life got in the way.
27. Regularly get fresh flowers – yes
28. Start badge making – yes
29. Make more time for friends – I’m a bad friend
30. Try felting – see #1
31. Don’t use the exercise bike as a clothes horse – much improved
32. Decorate our bedroom and bathroom – done. Just needs accessorising.
33. Buy handmade/local and make more gifts – still heavily reliant on Amazon but getting better.
34. Listen to more music – yes
35. Sort my office admin area – yes
36. Finish the lacy scarf before it gets too warm to wear it – yes
37. Meet up with some tweeps – quite a few and they are just as lovely in real life as on twitter
38. Clear my sky+ backlog – yes
39. Make more desserts – see #10
40. Start Christmas preparations  in July – no
41. Never put off until tomorrow something I can do today – still not conquered this one

What happened?   It’s all to do with the title – Too many pencils.   I was told this a little while ago when I went for my second attempt at CBT.   You can hold a certain amount of pencils comfortably, but keep adding them, it becomes more difficult and you are more likely to drop them.

I am a Guide leader, I help at my daughter’s Rainbows so they don’t close, I help out at her school, I’ve founded a WI branch, I am a wife, mum of two and run craftyguider.com .   That’s a lot of pencils before I start adding any more.   And if anything out of the ordinary happens like illness, my whole pile of pencils topples out of my hands.

Craftyguider was started to fundraise for the Guides by selling off all my extra crafted cards and projects.   However it has overtaken my personal crafting and I find myself looking for things to go on the website rather than doing projects for me.   I am therefore changing my approach and worrying less about it as a business and more of an extension of my hobby.

I am also going to start saying no.   Even though I enjoy being busy and I love volunteering, there are only a certain amount of hours in the day.   I would like to help out more in school, and it would be easy to fit in and do, but that’s not going to help with my ‘me’ time.

So for 2013, there aren’t going to be any more lists of things to achieve.   I am going to concentrate on my family and my health and happiness and everything else can just sit in the pencil case.

I’ve made the decision to get fit and lose weight.   This is a decision I’ve made several times before but this will be so good for me for so many reasons.   I owe it to myself and to a lot of other people to look after myself.

On twitter, several people have been mentioning the C25K app.   This is an app that takes you from being inactive (the couch) to being able to run 5k.   I’ve done the Race for Life twice which is 5K, but both times I ran a bit, power walked a lot and then ran home.

I downloaded the app, and yesterday I gave it a go.   I live in a rural area which is quite fortunate as I am very self conscious when it comes to running.   The unfortunate thing is that I live at the top of a hill so whichever way I go, there’s a lot of ‘up’ to do.

The app plays music from your phone as well as telling you when the 5 minute warm up walk is over, and when you need to run or walk.   Over the weeks, the run length increases, and each session lasts about 20-30 minutes, so doing that 3 times a week, you get your recommended weekly exercise too.

I did ignore the voice a few times (I was going uphill and my lungs were bursting), and once during a running bit, the app paused so I ran further than I should’ve!   My route ends near two pubs, a bakery and two places to buy sweets but I was a good girl (and the pubs were shut!).

I also used a second freebie app; the Nike running app.   This plots the route you’ve taken, where you were going faster/slower, the time and distance, and how many calories you burn.   As my route was longer than I needed for the C25K, it was nice to see how far I’d gone.   It was 2.63 miles so only half a mile short of my 5k.   You don’t need shoe tags, just your phone.

My next attempt is tomorrow (as long as my thighs stop hurting enough for me to move) and I have a new preparation list.

• Ditch all the unsuitable music (Tinkerbell, Barry Manilow ballads etc)
• Buy suitable clothing (M&S shop now done)
• Put the phone in a pouch to avoid it pausing again
• Pack a tissue
• Prepare better to deal with the symptoms of giving birth twice, once to a 10lb baby, without doing any pelvic floor exercises (mums, you know where I’m coming from!)
• Wear a bandage/plaster over my grazed knee after my a*** over t** fall last night!

I’ll look forward to a different type of running afterwards – running a nice hot bubble bath!

On my 41st birthday, I blogged about what I hoped to achieve in my 42nd year.   It’s been a tricky 3 months with sciatica, flu and tonsillitis, but I thought it was time to review.

1. Knit a pair of socks – Wool bought, pattern sourced
2. Learn crochet – I’ve had a lesson with the lovely @meanyjar but not progressed any further
3. Organise craft area of office – Done!
4. Improve my jewellery making – I’ve made a bracelet, earrings and a handbag charm
5. Blog at least weekly – Probably not, but I’m working on it
6. Start adding pictures to the blog – Done!
7. Learn machine embroidery – I’ve done a bit more research so I’m on track
8. Scrapbook regularly – Big fail. No scrapbooking done at all.
9. Bake bread regularly – Yes! I love baking bread.
10. Bake with the craftyguidelets weekly – Regularly, perhaps not weekly. No one wants a germy cake!
11. Send birthday cards and presents on time – So far, so good
12. Take part in a swap – Many times. I’m a regular @popularcrafts swapper and I’m doing a @skullsandponies one.
13. Tame the magazine mountain – Tamed while I was ill
14. Knit a hat – Pattern and wool ready
15. Knit gloves – Ditto!
16. Use up my lavender stash – Lavender bags planned for my craft fairs in May.
17. Begin gardening again – If it ever stops raining!
18. Finish soon to be 3 year old craftyguidelet’s birth sampler – Not yet!
19. Finish her Silvermist costume – I know where it is, but, erm, you know!
20. Make an item of clothing for me – Pattern and fabric ready
21. Comment on people’s blogs more, as I love it when they comment on mine – I’ve tried but can do better
22. Keep food waste to a minimum – Doing really well with this. Need to try harder with bananas though.
23. Cook at least one ‘effort’ meal a week – Apart from when I was ill, I’ve done well with this.
24. Keep up with my housework app – Does anyone really sweep their porch weekly?
25. Weekly craft days with the craftyguidelets – They love craft.   Can’t stop them!
26. Exercise daily – Daily? Ever? Oops!
27. Regularly get fresh flowers – Definitely.   They really make a difference.
28. Start badge making – Badges ready for sale at May Fair.
29. Make more time for friends – Who wants to hang out with a germ infested person?   Apart from that, I’ve not turned down any opportunities.
30. Try felting – The wool was finally delivered so it’s ready to go when I have time.
31. Don’t use the exercise bike as a clothes horse – Occasionally it is, but generally not.
32. Decorate our bedroom and bathroom – Still at an impasse with husband over wallpaper.
33. Buy handmade/local and make more gifts – Trying, but could do better.
34. Listen to more music – I love my ipod!
35. Sort my office admin area – Sorted.
36. Finish the lacy scarf before it gets too warm to wear it – Finished and worn.
37. Meet up with some tweeps – I met the lovely @meanyjar and have plans for a big tweetup soon.
38. Clear my sky+ backlog – I finally came to the conclusion that I was never going to catch up on 12 hours of Desperate Housewives!   Delete.
39. Make more desserts – Must try harder!
40. Start Christmas preparations  in July – Fingers crossed.
41. Never put off until tomorrow something I can do today – Yeah, right.

I give myself a C+ must try harder.   Second quarter starts on the 4th May, but I’ll see if I can start again tomorrow.   Or should that be tonight? (see #41!)

Going well

• Crafting with the craftyguidelets – they did stickers, a windchime, started decorating a jewellery box and aquadoodles.   I started decopatch!
• Birthday cards and presents on time (just!)
• Blog commenting – when technology complies, I do
• Fresh flowers in the house (thanks hubby!)
• The exercise bike is no longer a clothes horse and the laundry is moving from laundry bin to washing machine to wardrobes much quicker now.
•  The lacy scarf is the prescribed length but I’d like it longer.   Next on the needles are probably the socks.
• My bread is coming along well and tastes so much better than everything except my dad’s, but as he’s a master baker and confectioner, I’ll let myself off that!   OK, baby sis and bruv’s bread is good too, but I don’t want to let them get big headed!
• My food management is going well.   Some of my meal offerings at the moment are a bit samey, but once I’ve gone through what’s there, it’ll  be easier.
• I’ve spent 2 days sorting out my office admin and I now know I’ve raised about £130 for the Guides since September.

Finished

• My button and owl themed swaps from Popular Crafts are en route.
• The badge machine is now here and I’ve made a couple of badges for the craftguidelets.

Going badly!

• Exercise daily (hmmm!)

Most of the other bits are going OK.   I’m currently watching Dancing on Ice on Sky+ so I’m always working!   With 41 items on the list, it’s a bit of a challenge for me, but I’ll be realistic and do my best like the good Guide I am.

Last January I turned 40.   It wasn’t a big deal.   It looks a mean old number, but as long as I don’t feel 40, I think that’s fine.   This January I am 41.   This is worse as I am now ‘in my forties’.   I still don’t feel old enough to be a grown up though as I believe the saying – growing old is compulsory, growing up is not.

As I wasn’t blogging for my landmark birthday, I’ll have to do my list of things I want to achieve in my 42^nd year on the planet now.

1. Knit a pair of socks
2. Learn crochet
3. Organise craft area of office
4. Improve my jewellery making
5. Blog at least weekly
6. Start adding pictures to the blog
7. Learn machine embroidery
8. Scrapbook regularly
9. Bake bread regularly
10. Bake with the craftyguidelets weekly
11. Send birthday cards and presents on time
12. Take part in a swap
13. Tame the magazine mountain
14. Knit a hat
15. Knit gloves
16. Use up my lavender stash
17. Begin gardening again
18. Finish soon to be 3 year old craftyguidelet’s birth sampler
19. Finish her Silvermist costume
20. Make an item of clothing for me
21. Comment on people’s blogs more, as I love it when they comment on mine
22. Keep food waste to a minimum
23. Cook at least one ‘effort’ meal a week
24. Keep up with my housework app
25. Weekly craft days with the craftyguidelets
26. Exercise daily
27. Regularly get fresh flowers
28. Start badge making
29. Make more time for friends
30. Try felting
31. Don’t use the exercise bike as a clothes horse
32. Decorate our bedroom and bathroom
33. Buy handmade/local and make more gifts
34. Listen to more music
35. Sort my office admin area
36. Finish the lacy scarf before it gets too warm to wear it
37. Meet up with some tweeps
38. Clear my sky+ backlog
39. Make more desserts
40. Start Christmas preparations  in July
41. Never put off until tomorrow something I can do today

I know lots of these are vague and not easy to tick off, but it’s something to aim for.   Wish me luck.   I’m going in!

I’ve made so many good friends on twitter since I joined in April.   Some I hope to meet.   Others may cross my path at some point.   No one who I would ever avoid.

As I was struggling to stay awake last night after Guides, I had a light bulb moment.   I was looking through a Christmas gift catalogue and saw something that I thought would be a perfect present for one of my twitter friends if I actually knew her in ‘real’ life.   Then I thought, why don’t I just go ahead and do it?   I could tweet details of Christmas gifts that I would choose for people – no expense to me, it’s just for fun, but it shows I’m thinking of them and it’s the thought that counts.   It couldn’t be something I couldn’t afford though.   I would love to give people diamonds, cars and exotic holidays, as well as the gift of World peace, but an amusing mug, box of chocolates or a hat, scarf and gloves are more in my price bracket.

I will start thinking about my Christmas twifts and hope to tweet some soon.   If anyone would like to join me, use the hashtag #twift and I look forward to reading some of your ideas for people.

And if you are a squillionaire, feel free to tweet me a house #twift with my own personal craft suite, or even better, just DM me with your credit card details and I’ll help myself.