Last week of January's Challenge

Here we are our last week of January. How do you feel your first month of 2015 has gone? What successes have you had so far, what joyful experiences have popped into your January? It's all to easy for us to focus on the negative stuff that happens in our lives. Sometime I feel  it's easier to subconsciously let the not so pleasant stuff build it little nest in our brain and live there for a while rather than sweeping it out and letting the good stuff in our lives shine through. With that in mind I think we should all spend a moment each day focusing on the good stuff in and around us. I have decided to break our last week in January up into a new little challenge each day. If your missing in action or can't be bothered writing to much that's fine. All you have to do is post back a one liner with your answer and you have completed your challenge for the day. So to start our week off here's your first challenge question. What 3 things are you grateful for in your life? It's funny sometimes find it hard to see the positive things in their life so please contribute because your gratefulls may just help another person see their gratefulls.  

OK, my gratefulls are - 

1. First one has to be my two kids. Their Dad and I split up when they were young (pre- teenagers) and I am grateful that Paul and I dealt with the whole situation as we did because Shane and Rachel have grown into two of the most AMAZING people I could ever wish to be a mother and a friend to. 

2. I'm grateful for being born to the parents I was born to because my Mums strength and my Dads gentleness helped me grow into the person I am today. 

3. I'm grateful that I live in a country (Australia) that allows me the freedom to get in my car and drive to any corner of it with the freedom I choose. 

So now it's your turn, I really am looking forward to your 3 gratefulls.

January Challenge - Week 3

Part One

Here we go, another week of challenge. OK, your challenge for Week 3 is you have to do something you have NEVER done before. You never know it could bring a new passion into your life, you could meet a new friend or you may just get some pride in yourself that you tried something new. I have decided to tackle two challenges, the first being I am going to work on compiling a "5 Year Plan". As I have been setting myself  goals I have realized there are things I would like to accomplish in the future. So that's where my "5 Year Plan" comes into play. My second challenge is I am going to make Paella!! I have eaten it a few times but never tackled it. So this week I am going to give it a go. What comes to your mind that you can try? Maybe like me you have a recipe you will try, visit a shop you have never been before, go into a cafe/restaurant you have seen but never visited, go have a foot massage or try a craft you have never tried before. It's your choice what you do and how many times you do it. I would really love to hear from you. You idea may just help someone who is at a loss as to what to try. 

Part Two

Hi everyone hope you've had a great start to your week. I am halfway there with this weeks challenge. I sat down and wrote my "5 Year Plan". I've never actually done anything like this before and it actually felt good having a couple of goals to work towards. My other half of my challenge (making Paella) may just have to be sidelined for now. I just can't be bothered making it. I took on these challenges to be a motivator to others but I have had a few things that have consumed my brain this week and don't really feel I can motivate anyone to do anything at this point in time. Hopefully I can get my head around some stuff in the next few days and get back to being me again. but I would really love to hear how your week has gone so far.  

January 30 Day Challenge - Week 2

OK we have all survived Week 1 of our January Challenge. How did your first week go. Mine was pretty successful even though I did only get two of my three challenges completed in time. I did get all my Christmas decorations sorted packed and stored away for another 12 months. I spent a couple of evenings making some birthday cards. I have worked out i need to make at least 30 cards to cover this year. 

So that means I need to do more. 

My dining table became the craft room as the real craft room doesn't have air conditioning!

Well that's a start

 The only thing I didn't get to do was have my long hot bath. But with a week of very hot weather I didn't even want to walk into the hot bathroom. 

But as the weather has cooled down, that challenge is on for tonight. 

OK now for our next challenge. This week your challenge is very easy. I want you to sit down and think of something you used to do in the past that you loved doing. Something you haven't done in a long time. It could be cooking up something you haven't tackled in a while, going for a swim, playing an instrument you once enjoyed playing, a craft you haven't done for a long time. Maybe it's reading a book you loved as a child or playing in the garden. The only rules are, that you haven't done it in a long time and you used to really enjoy it. It should be interesting to see if the something you once loved still makes your heart smile or if it's best left in the past. Once again it's up to you how many times you want to do your challenge, it can be once or as many times as you like. What's my challenge going to be? For many years I did a huge amount of sewing, not only for pleasure but I also made custom made home furnishing items for a store. No matter how much I did I was always relaxed while sitting at my sewing machine, sewing away and solving the problems of the world. My sewing machine now has a lot of dust on it as it hasn't been touched for a number of years. So this week I am going to dust it off and have a bit of a play. I wonder if I will still love it or has this pastime runs its course, we will see. Can't wait to hear what your challenge will be. 

Time to blow of the dust and give this baby a try again. 

Challenge Time

Well here in Melbourne we have had a couple of very very warm days with the weather hovering just under the 40c mark, so I haven't felt much like tacking my challenges. In fact I haven't felt like doing much of anything. But as yesterday was a bit more bearable I decided it was time to pack away all of my Christamas stuff. As I have mentioned previously packing my Christmas decorations, lights etc. is very therapeutic for me. As I clean each piece I think about where it was bought and what meaning it holds in my heart. It may be time for some older pieces to be discarded and some may need a bit of a repair. Then they are individually wrapped and packed away in their boxes until next Christmas. My two other challenges will be tackled in the next couple of days. How has the first 5 days of 2015 treated you? Have you decided to tackle a New Years Resolution or maybe take on our 30 Day Challenge? Please check in and let's us know how your first 5 days has gone. If you haven't got around to doing your challenge as yet, that's fine you still have 3 days before your next challenge will be posted.