Gonna be perfectly honest. Not much got done in the last few months. Just treading water over here, which is why I didn’t get this post up from September onward.
Here is my review of my goals for the last few months and year end, and just basically a “what’s up!” post.
Work is getting easier. There is always such a transition when you start a new job, where you have to try to figure everything (and everybody) out. I think I have the people mostly figured out. The job is getting easier to understand all of the moving parts. It does take time. A workmate quit at one of the busiest times, so I had to take up some of her work. It has been quite busy around here!
Free time has been lacking. I still haven’t really exercised, but have been trying to eat healthier. I had to go on high blood pressure meds in October. It was really high and had been amping up over the past year. Obviously, I need to make my health more of a priority. It has definitely taken the back seat to all that I’ve had to do with and for the family. I am on the verge of getting a cleaning service, since help in that department has been lacking. Actually most help in cleaning anything in the house is lacking. The kids seem surprised each day that I require them to clean up the kitchen. I have to ask them to do it every. day. Why??? Very frustrating.
There hasn’t been much simplifying going on over here. I am mostly trying to get done the bare minimum. I did work a little bit on organizing my overflowing freezer and pantry. I really shouldn’t need to do much grocery shopping other than the basics.
I am trying to meal plan a little bit, and that does help to at least have some ideas on what I will make when I get home from work. I put some ideas in my planner, and then pick what I make during the week from that ideas list. The list is one where I know I have most of the ingredients and don’t need to go grocery shopping for them.
I have kept up with my weekly planner, too. I try to do it the weekend before, so then I am prepared for the chaos of the next week and can figure out when I need to worry about carpools, if a full dinner is plausible and who has time to run my son to his practices that are over an hour away (depending on traffic). It helps me get my head in the right spot for the week, so I know what I have to get done and what is probably going to not get done.
I sent off a box of dolls, some boy gifts and clothes to the Pine Ridge Indian reservation for their Christmas party, so that was a nice thing to get finished up and out the door. Next up is purging whatever I can because we are filling up closets again. The life of an American. Way too much stuff.
In October I helped out with a confirmation retreat for my son that was a day and a half. That was not as uplifting as one would hope. It was a lot of pulling teeth to get the boys in my group to answer simple questions and to get their brains starting to think about faith and the world at large. I thought it was interesting, but it was also stressful. I’m not great at eliciting discussions, so that was hard, but I was the only parent to volunteer to lead a small group. 🙁
We also finally got our patio put in by the house and another patio by the swingset to have a fire pit in late October. It tore the crap out of the yard, but it is done now. Some planting will need to be added in the spring…if we get time.
Not much reading, and no repeat designs in the last few months. I did get a Renaissance cosplay costume done and a couple of pattern tests that I was very late in getting them done. I mostly took photos of volleyball games and then tried to get them edited and uploaded for the girls. Unfortunately where my son plays there is a floor to ceiling black netting separating us from the court. Kinda hard to take pictures with that setup.
This was for the high school girls’ volleyball coach’s card…silhouettes of the girls on my daughter’s team. That was pretty fun to do.
I can’t remember when I got these done, but I think it was late summer/early fall. Pretty much the only thing I have sold on Society 6 are related to these volleyball designs. I may have to think up some more.
I also got the Christmas cards done and ordered around Thanksgiving. The hard part is finding time to address them. I am usually on it and try to get them out right away. Not so this year. They got sent out, that is the important thing.
Don’t stress,
Do your best,
Forget the rest.
I did do some fabric buying, and I hope to get some things sewn up with the fabrics for my work wardrobe and my daughter’s wardrobe. She’s a tough one, though. Not really interested in dressing up, yet has “nothing to wear”.
Renaissance Festival/Galaxy Con costume:
Wardrobe By Me Builder T-shirt:
Wardrobe by Me Esther Top:
Various tops and dresses over the last few months.
I’ll try to get back to my OOTD posting. It helps if I’m not really tired out in the morning. 🙂
Did some leather work:
Now we are onto winter weather and more scheduled time. It is going to be pretty busy over here, but I still hope to get some more creativity happening.
Now I want to get some goals together for next year, but first some relaxing before going back to work.
Have a good one and Happy New Year!
