Planning For February

I think that February is going to be a busy month for us, there is a lot that I want to achieve and it makes me feel excited.
In January I planned a fun activity for Boris to do every day, I didn't share them because I didn't start it at the beginning of the month, but seeing as I am trying to be super organised I have managed to put together a similar list for February including lots new activities and some from January that we didn't manage to complete.  I have also included some fun activities that relate to holidays that occur in February (they aren't really holidays but I don't know what else to call them, days of note perhaps?) I like doing this because, even though Boris won't understand or recognise them it somehow makes the days seem more special and with time seeming to pass so quickly these days it feels like it makes them stand out within a month that is sure to fly by.

2 - Candlemas - Make an earthen candle, make a candle cake, have a candle lit dinner,

3 - Black and white zip-lock-bag painting,

4 - Put music on and dance,

5 - Make and play with sensory play doh (glitter, essential oil etc)

6 - Make tin can stilts and tin can telephones,

7 - Send a card to a friend day,

8 - Kite flying day,

9 - Throw balls into different sized containers,

10 - Play with coloured sensory rice,

11 - Potato printing,

12 - Pick up and transfer cotton wool balls with tongs,

13 - Play with puzzles,

14 - Valentines day activities,

15 - Go on a train ride,

16 - Sort stones and pebbles,

17 - Random act of kindness day,

18 - Visit a museum,

19 - Bang on sauce pans with wooden spoons,

20 - Make a cherry pie for Cherry Pie Day,

21 - Play pairs with pairs cards,

22 - Colour pasta with food colouring and thread onto pipe cleaners,

23- Play with sensory fabrics,

24 - Love your pet day (20th) let Boris play with the guinea pigs when I clean them out,

25 - Practice using cutlery to cut up play doh,

26 - Sort buttons and beads,

27 - Polar bear day - polar bear activities,

28 - Play with packing puffs.

I have a few other things planned for February, I read somewhere that February is self-care month so will be doing a few things for that throughout the month. Of course there is Valentines day, so will be doing some extra fun activities for Boris to mark that day (as well as a few for me and my husband) It's also Boris' 2nd Birthday (excited!) so am planning for that too, and we are having both our babies Baptised in March so I have planning to do for that too!  So much going on! 

What do you have planned for February?

Word of the year - Organise

Choosing a word of the year is not something I have done before, I normally just produce a lists of usually somewhat un-achievable new years resolutions and attempt them with a typical end result of failure and disappointment. I had heard about using a word of the year through other bloggers and thought it was a good idea, although most bloggers who do this choose words like "brave" or "mindful" or "gratitude".  These words seemed a bit airy-fairy to me and didn't appeal, I wanted something a bit more concrete which involved things I could actually do and which would have visible results.
With life being so chaotic since the birth of Biscuit, I had been having a strong desire to get my life in order, I had been wanting lists, calendars, plans and schedules.  I also felt like I wanted to get things done, weeks and months were passing without me feeling like I had achieved anything, and valuable weekends were coming and going without seeing friends, making visits or travelling anywhere.
So it didn't take too much thought to decide my word of the year - Organise.  (I also really like the look of the word because it looks a bit like the word "organic".)
So what do I intend for this word to inspire me to do?  Well essentially I want to get organised by:

• Tidying my home, creating systems for our stuff and keeping it in order, and organising and sticking to a cleaning schedule,
• Making plans for the year, organising meeting with friends and family who live further away, planning activities and holidays,
• Re-vamping my diet and health routines, cleaning up our meals and introducing weekly and daily rituals to ,my health routine,
• Being more active in  engaging Boris in fun, educational and creative activities.

I have already started putting my word into practise by starting the 21 Day Junk Food Challenge, putting together a family planner, starting a 30 day toddler challenge and a 30 day organisation challenge.  I really hope I can keep my momentum going on this one, I want to get my life together and stop it being one long blur of sleepless nights, pooey nappies and endless breastfeeding sessions! I think I will keep re-reading and referring this blog post to keep motivated. I think 2014 is going to be an exciting year of me and my family.

Do you have a word of the year, what is it?  Please share a link if you have blogged about it. 

2014 Here I Come!

Before I had children time used to go really slowly, I would be counting down the days of the week till the weekend came, weeks would pass agonisingly slowly as I would tick them off till the next school holiday and months seemed like years. When I went on a diet they would only last a few days because I just could not foresee keeping it up for a month let along any longer.  When I was pregnant with Boris it seemed like I was pregnant forever.  Time had little meaning, I barely noticed the seasons, there was little change in life.  Now time has taken on a new meaning.  Since having children it seems I can't keep up, time slips through my fingers like sand and before I know it a month has passed and I wonder what happened! My second son is two months old today!  Two months!  How did that happen? where was I and what on earth was I doing all that time?
Since having children I feel far better at envisioning achieving goals that could take months than I ever could before because it seems I can see time in  new way, it feels more physical, I can see it pass through the changes in my children, through the rapid drift from one season to the next, so as we approached the new year I started thinking about all the things I would like to change about my life and how I can go about making those changes over the coming weeks and months.
I have put together a Pinterest folder of images and links relating to some of the things I want to do and to help inspire me to get them done.  I would love it if you clicked on the image to take a look at some of my ideas.  Let me know what you think.

 

I love making New Years resolutions don't you?  It's a fresh start, anything seems possible, you have the whole year ahead of you, and let me tell you, I have made a few, so many in fact that I have had to categorise them!  My first category is Self Care, and I am beginning the year by completing the 21 Day Junk Food Challenge; no fast food, crisps, chocolate, sweets, biscuits, cakes, pastries, white bread, fizzy drinks or alcohol.  I have really pigged out this Christmas and feel like I need a bit of a cleanse.  It hasn't been a great start though, on the 1st of January I accidentally ate a packet of crisps and a bar of chocolate.  I know what you are probably thinking "how on earth could you forget!"  I guess it's because eating junk had become so habitual that it was just automatic to pick them up and eat them without thinking.  I am not giving up though.  My altered perspective on time reminds me that one day out of 21 makes little difference and it is still worth doing in spite of my lapse of awareness.  

I will share my other resolutions over the coming weeks (one is to blog once a week!) I think it will help me stick to them if I have shared them in a public arena!  Are you sharing your New Years Resolutions if you made them?  Leave a link and I will take a look.

Here's to a brilliant 2014 for everyone!