The Friendly Month

Luke & I have declared this month as 'the friendly month'. What is 'a friendly month' you ask? Well, this month we are not going to bicker, or argue and we're making extra effort to be more considerate of each others feelings. And most importantly, spend more quality time together which at times can be difficult with a baby. It seems simple enough, but when you haven't had enough sleep, you have a crawling 11 month old trying to climb up on you screaming whilst you're trying to make breakfast - it is easy to lose your cool and snap at each other. Somedays I'm so focused on Romy I have to remind myself to be considerate of others & not just talk about Romy, because all day everyday she is my entire world & focus.

We're almost a week into our friendly month and there has only been one small impatient retort so far. It is not as though Luke & I are heading for divorce court - don't get me wrong we're still best buddies, we're just tired and cranky best buddies. So there will be no snapping, no raised voices & no short answers. We will be making more time for each other to sit and talk together rather than sit and watch things together, and not let silly mundane things bother us because we're tired. Let's get friendly!

More Sleep, More Music, More Tea

[ yes ]

Last week I mentioned how I've been trying different methods of getting things done, and how I crossed a couple of 'big' things off of my list. It has been such a relief to get those tasks that really add an unnecessary weight on your mind, crossed off and no longer yours to worry about. I keep track of most of the ideas and projects I really want to work on, but feel like I can't start until I've got some of my creative mental clutter dealt with and out of the way. Yesterday I put a couple of illustration in the post that I have been wanting to complete and send for quite some time, and it felt so good to see them go into the post box. I have one last creative project to work on that I promised to a friend a while ago that has been on my mind and then I'll have a clean slate to start new projects for myself. I cannot wait, I have so many ideas & projects that I want to work - opening an Etsy store being my main focus. But before I throw myself into that project I need to do more of the above.

Making Time

This quote has been running through my mind lately serving as a great motivator to get things done. I find myself wanting to do things, sometimes something super small like rearranging a space in our house, or an illustration, and I say to myself "when I have the time I'll do that". And eventually the idea fizzles out because I never find myself any closer to doing it. This year I've committed to setting myself monthly goals so I can give a small group of things a lot of attention for a month rather than allowing myself the whole year to get around to it. And this month I would like to make more time for the things that I enjoy, and more time for the things that need to be done. 

Three Out Of Four Isn't So Bad

Early November I set myself four simple goals to work on during the last part of the year inspired by Elsie's goals from A Beautiful Mess. I wanted to spend more of my spare time making things, cross a couple of things off Romy's 'firsts' list, be more creative at meal times and step outside my comfort zone. I didn't quite get all four crossed off, so working on creative meals will have to go on the 2014 agenda!

Although I didn't accomplish all four of my goals, I happily crossed off 'spend time making things' first and was very impressed with myself with this one. I find that I have so many ideas for creative projects, and little time/motivation for them. I can't remember where I read this, but recently I came across a really helpful bit of advice that really motivated me with this particular goal, 'you will never find the time to do anything unless you make the time'. So one night after Romy was well and truly asleep I got out my craft box and made a felt Christmas decoration, and after one I was really inspired to make more. Luke & I decided to only put up a small tree this year because we all wouldn't be together for Christmas, so I only made four decorations for our tree and another one for a friend. I really enjoyed making these and will definitely be whipping up a few more for next years tree!

One of the most important firsts for Romy for me was going on her first picnic, and picnic she did! The end of November and early December went by so fast I didn't get to do as much as I would have liked in regards to Romy. She did however get her first tooth, start rocking back and forth on all fours, put her pacifier in her mouth on her own, started to dance to music on her own accord, and can say 'mum' & 'dad' (just not to us on purpose!). 

Setting the goal of stepping outside my comfort zone made me think about just how much I hold back in doing things. I posted earlier in the month about stepping outside my comfort zone with some different dress choices, and for my designated Christmas outfit I made the conscious effort to pick something I normal wouldn't. I have almost next to nothing bright and colourful in my closet, so while I was waiting for my Mum to finish work before we left for our road trip last week I quickly bought a bright pink & orange dress from a local boutique to wear on Christmas day. I also went to a mothers group baby craft day, which is something I wouldn't normally do. And it was even more out of my comfort zone as I only knew one of the mothers there, and it was in Sydney. I have never driven in Sydney so that was a whole other accomplishment in itself! 

Four Simple Goals: Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone

(thanks for the photo Rikki)

Last month I posted about my four simple goals before 2014, and one of those goals was to step outside my comfort zone a little more. And one way in which I feel I have started to do so is with my recent dress purchases. I normally stick to knee length t-shirt style dresses with stockings and flats, but I wanted to get more wear out of my salt water sandals and the only way to do that was to ditch my stockings. So I started looking for different styles of dresses and eventually came across these long, cap sleeved smocks at a no name (literally, the shop doesn't have a sign) dress shop across from a cafe Luke & I go to, and snapped up three of them! They're ankle length sack style smock dresses that go perfectly with my sandals and are a quick and easy dress choice in the mornings. This sort of dress is something I would secretly covet, but not actually buy, so by purchasing three I think I have well and truly stepped out of my comfort zone! One goal achieved!

Four Simple Goals Before 2014

At the end of October Elsie posted on A Beautiful Mess about her four simple goals before 2014. And because my to-do list wasn't long enough as it is, I decided to set myself four simple goals to work on with the remainder of 2013. These simple goals will also help me achieve positive results on my already extensive to-do list. I want to spend more time making things and being creative, crossing a few things off 'Romy's Firsts' list, taking meal times on as a creative challenge and expanding on my cooking skills which at the moment only consists of steaming vegetables and pushing myself to step outside of my comfort zone. Are you taking on the four simple goals before 2014 challenge?