Following on from yesterday's post, here are my answers to the questions.


1. How do you fill your space?
With sewing stuff, scrapbooking stuff
With books - a mix of gardening, novels, and parenting/self-improvement

With a lot of stuff waiting to be scrapbooked...I'm very sentimental and keen to scrapbook so I have heaps of stuff just waiting to be scrapbooked. Sigh... some would call it clutter...


2. How do you spend your time? (aka, what do you always make time for)
- being Mummy
- discussing parenting with online buddies
- sewing
- hanging out in sewing forums
- blogging (not enough!)
- making lists :) DH tells everyone that I make too many lists lol.
- decluttering - not that you can tell tho

3. How do you spend your energy? (on activities that energise you, not leave you feeling drained)
- sewing for me (but not sewing under pressure - that can be draining)
- playing with DS
- with good friends
- going for walks with DH
- getting organised/decluttering - this is very freeing, when I'm doing it because I want to, otherwise it can be a big drain.

4. How do you spend your money?
- fabric, patterns
- socialising with a few good friends

5. Where are you most organised and ordered?
- um... nowhere really! I like to be organised, and I strive to be organised, but it doesn't happen that often. I'm getting there tho!


6. Where are you most disciplined, reliable and focused?
- In my list making lol.
- I realibly research everything (this is very annoying, even for me!)


7. What dominates your thinking?
- how to be the best mum I can be - at the moment I'm thinking a lot about communication
- sewing - the next project, what fabric to buy
- our next house - where will it be, when will it be?

8. What do you visualise and dream about that is becoming a reality?
-raising a happy and healthy little boy - he's a stunning little boy and I love his personality
- our new house - tho this one is a little slow on the 'becoming a reality' part

9. What do you talk to yourself about? (what ideas are you constantly telling yourself you would like to persue)
- a tidier, more organised house with less clutter - I guess I notice it a lot more now that I am home full-time instead of out at work all day
- being more self-sufficient in terms of food items. We've been slack at this house as we were never really going to be here long... there's been lots of reading about it and planning but little doing
- that new house of ours - it seems we are going around in circles, don't know what step to take next
- regaining my fitness. It has disappeared since I became a mum. I miss the dancing and karate days...

10. What do you talk to others about?
- DS
- sewing
- gardeing
- strawbale homes
- life
- parenting

11. What is it that inspires you and has consistently inspired you?
- talking to people with similar ideals as myself - it is always inspiring to discuss your thoughts and plans with others and to hear theirs

12. What are your longest held goals?
- um... apart from the big stuff, like a happy life-long marriage (which is coming along nicely), it would be that new house that we have been dreaming of building for many years now. Too many years, it is time to make it happen!

The results? My values and goals:

What does this show about me? That I'm hyper-focused on DS? and my desire for a new house! And that I love being creative and making things. Hmm... I guess that translates into the ultimate desire to provide a homely home for my family and to be part of a loving and happy family.

What are your responses to the questions?

Should Should Should...

Only a couple of hours left in 2009.

I found this over at Romi Jade a few days ago, and a lot of it hit home. I thought I would share it here, as it is so relevant, particularly when so many people are making New Year's Resolutions.

The following is a direct copy of what I read at Romi Jade...

I just read this fantastic article in the current Good Health magazine and it has some really inspirational advice that I thought was worth sharing - so many of my friends (and myself included) deal with these issues and I thought this may help offer another perspective on things :)

The article is called Reach Your Goals and was written by Angela Donaldson, with advice from Dr John F. Demartini, human behavioural specialist (that sounds like such an interesting career!).

Here's a summary:

"Every individual lives by a set of priorities or values, things that are most important in their life. All our perceptions and decisions are based on these values." The reason we don't succeed in achieving our goals is that they are not aligned with these values. We often set regular goals that are unachievable and damaging, because we end up being hard on ourselves for failing.

'I should...'

• Any time you hear yourself saying that you 'should' achieve a certain goal, it's not you talking. A 'should' is somebody else's value that has been forced into your life.

• People who live with 'shoulds' can end up with health problems because it's not their own agenda they're working towards. They've got the brake on instead of pressing the accelerator.

• You will recognise your highest values because there are no 'shoulds' about doing them. You don't need outside motivation to achieve them and you can always find energy to do them. This is because they are inspired from within.

• You only need outside motivation when the goals you set come from a 'should', or if they're goals that are low on your list of values and priorities.

• The life you are already living is the biggest indicator of your true values. So, if you say you really want to get fit but, on closer inspection, see that you don't do a scrap of exercise, then it's not among your highest values and it probably won't happen.

The secret to achieving your goals and transforming your life is to be TRUE to what you cherish most in life - it could be family, work, making money or spending time with others.

When you set goals according to your highest priorities, you'll be rewarded with more energy, vitality, confidence, certainty and purpose.

"You'll be doing what you love, you'll be inspired by your life, work more efficiently and give yourself permission to delegate items low on your priorities list, so you can get on with top priorities."

You can change your values..

..but you need to assign a massive list of benefits to that value. When you associate a benefit with a value or goal, the value will move up the list. We're motivated by rewards and if you can't come up with a big list, then it probably means you don't have the drive to do it.

"Quite simply, you feel you have better things to do!"

Anyway.. that's the main body of the article, the next section helps you work out what you value by asking 12 questions and writing down your top three answers for each. Then you group your answers into similar categories and are left with about four to seven main priorities - the primary values you live your life by. Then you just set your goals to match those values and you'll be on your way to honest fulfillment!

I'll post my answers to the questions tomorrow, along with my New Year's Resolutions.

For now, I'll just say "Happy New Year!"

Mr Purple Pants

This may look like a non-sewing related, cute child shot, but it's not! I made those pants my adorable little man is wearing.

Honestly, I couldn't resist sharing this photo of my poor little boy, he was so sick with weepy eyes and runny nose, but he still wanted to smile for the camera. I just love this outfit! LOL, it's a hand-me-down singlet teamed with a pair of pants I made from an old pair of my pjs :) Now that's thrifty. But I think he looks so cute in it!

Christmas Sewing Part 2

Did I mention I was making hats? Here are some photos of them!

Here is DH kindly modelling the first batch of christmas hats - he's got five on :) One each for my nephew and two nieces, DS and two of DS's little friends. It's a great hat pattern although it does call for a heap of hand-sewing. I'm not sure whether to look at how other hat patterns go together or to stick with this one now that I know it so well.



This is about the best photo I got of one close up. I was in such a rush to get all the sewing done and then wrapped and given that I forgot to take proper photos.


And here is DS and one of his favourite little friends. DS is wearing another version of the same pattern that I made as a test run a while ago. Little Friend is wearing her just-opened chrissy present along with a dress I made her ages ago (I think it was nine months ago but it still fits!). I really love that fabric.

Christmas Sewing Part 1

I am so late posting these but I'll do it anyway!

First I brought some fabric - lots of it!!

The first four fabrics are to make bags for SIL and MIL - the birds has orange edging/lining and the stripy has the brown edging/lining. The yellow is for the lining of a couple of hats. The last two are furnishing fabrics for cushion covers for my folks. I got all of this from my local spotlight, so I was pretty happy.

This one is definitely my favourite, I was very surprised to see this at Spotlight.