Feeling like I should be “doing something”

I get times when I feel a great need to be doing something constructive and artistic, but I haven’t found something that works around the children just yet.

Gardening is great, but the results are slow and I’m more of an instant-gratification type.  Knitting and crocheting the same, even though I am getting a lot quicker at both.

Scrap-booking, painting, sculpture or writing are great, but difficult with pre-schoolers around, and impossible with a speed-crawling baby intent on pressing the shiny blue button on the PC.

I am also easily bored, and need to give myself small, specific goals in order to actually get into a habit of doing something regularly.  With the knitting & crochet I have a list of mad ideas to try, in amongst making practical items for sale in the shop, and I tend to sit down at the end of the day to do that.

With this blog, I am making myself post once a week, and trying to write about 500 words for each post.  If I find I have a lot to say, I am writing out a couple of posts, and saving one for the following week, so I can either get ahead of myself or have a week off.  It also helps me to think of topics if I write notes when I am inspired by something, so I can then put it together later on.  I am carrying a little notebook around in my handbag for this purpose, but as I get most of my inspiration when driving, I think I need to get hold of a Dictaphone or something.

I have also been thinking about New Year resolutions.  I decided a couple of years ago to set 3 realistic goals at the beginning of the year and make a decent effort to achieve them.

The first year I started I planned to: listen to and play more music; learn a new language; learn to run.  I managed the music and the running, and researched what language I might want to learn.

This year I kept the language plan, and aimed to exercise regularly (running was out as pregnant by this time), I also aimed to cook more new recipes and build up a collection of tried and trusted meals.  This ended up very well in me creating a fundraising recipe book for a local voluntary organisation.

I still have not managed the new language, but I will be buying myself an Earworms CD with some Christmas money, so I will add it to my goals for 2011.  I think I can combine my next plan to start running regularly (when Kaitereo is in kindy and Hakopa is asleep) with learning Mandarin by listening when I’m on the treadmill.

So, that’s 2 goals sorted – learn Mandarin and start running regularly – now I have to figure out what else I can realistically achieve in 12 months.  Knitted Taj Mahal anyone?

A bit of R&R

My lovely mother has been with us since 17th July, and I tell you, it's bliss. I've hardly had to do anything around the house, BabyM is constantly entertained and is saying loads more words, and the freezer is gradually filling with family-sized meals in preparation for the arrival of BabyLentil.

Project Update

• Scrapbooking - still got the journalling to finish on this, probably won't get round to it until after Mum's gone.
  
• Mainly Music program - ALL DONE! Animal theme and Father's Day themed programs are recorded and in the folder all ready for use, we've done the Animal songs for a couple of weeks now, and the kids are loving the new ones!
  
• Great Lakes Tournament Market - this is going very slowly, but we've had a couple of confirmed bookings.
  
• Knitting - Current finger puppets are yellow chicks, I'm knitting the body/head and then going to make wings from feathers and beaks from felt, and probably stick googly eyes on.
  
• Photography - nothing done on this yet
  
• Website - I'm going to build up my stock first, then get this finished and online once I have something to use it for!
  
• Bubs Bulletin - Still on hold til other projects done
  
• Toy Library AGM - I really must set the date for this. I need to give people a months notice, so I've got til mid August really.
  
• SIL window sign -Two coats done, I just need to take off the stencils and tidy up any rough edges.
  

Project List

OK, here's what I have on the go that needs to be finished:

• Scrapbooking - journaling to finish on the UK trip album and possibly a little more embellishment on some of the pages. I'm also planning a mini album for BabyM with a single picture of each member of her close family on each page, I think Christmas will be a good time to gather the pictures for this one.
• Mainly Music program - Animal theme for the next month or so, then a Father's Day theme for September. We'll be having an Animal Theme Day on 21st August, and I think that will be the last MM I attend until after NewBaby is born.
• Great Lakes Tournament Market - this is underway, just trying to get bookings for stalls now. I need to follow up some emails with phone calls really, and I keep putting it off
• Knitting - I've been making finger puppets and balls and I intend to use up all my wool scraps on these before I start any new knitting projects (yeah, right!)
• Photography - I have a few nice arty pictures I've taken which I plan to frame and sell, some of them are printed, some are still on the computer awaiting printing. I may upload them onto my online photo service, rather than printing them myself, as they'll come out looking a lot more professional. I also have a load of pictures from our honeymoon, along with two gorgeous kauri albums which need combining, but this is continually being put to one side in favour of exciting new projects! Finally, I have the professional photos we had taken of BabyM which really need framing and hanging.
  
• Website - I'm learning HTML in an attempt to set up my online catalogue/shop where I'll be selling all these bits I'm making
• Bubs Bulletin - Waiuku is in need of a directory for parents of pre-schoolers. A lot of people don't realise just how much there is for tots to do around here!
• Toy Library AGM - I need to set the date for this, write my report and my letter of resignation - ONE less thing to worry about next year!
• SIL window sign - I've volunteered to paint my sister-in-law's office window with her name, never done it before, so keep your fingers crossed!

Phew! I don't realise quite how much I get involved in sometimes!

Projects are GO!

Now we have BabyM sleeping again, I feel like I can get on with my projects again. Today I have my "day off" where hubby takes charge of BabyM for the day, leaving me to get on with whatever project I'm working on.

The first thing completed was a few more emails about the Great Lakes Tournament. This is a jousting tournament organised by Company of the Lance, and involves jousting, foot combat, re-enactment and a medieval themed market. My job is to book the stalls for the market. I organised it last year, and it went reasonably well, but I'm hoping this year will be much better. The guys know I won't be able to be on site to organise (due to Baby2), but I'm going to get all the bookings done and sorted so all they have to do on the day is direct people to their sites.

The craft projects are about to start too, I've finished knitting BabyM's hooded scarf, and it's come out very well considering I didn't have a pattern to work from, so now I'm onto making little knitted balls for babies. I'm going to fill them with different things to make interesteding textures and sounds and then add them to my stock ready for a stall in the summer (or to add to the web catalogue, depending on what comes up first!)
I've also finally got back in touch with my scrap-booking buddies, and we're all getting together on Tuesday night, so I intend to get my UK trip scrapbook all finished then.

Photos soon!