Photoshop Elements 8......and a whole new world....

Hhmmm Thats it!!  I have spent the last month drooling at the most stunning digital scrapbooking layouts and I've decided that the time has come to give it  a go!!!  Enough sulking and telling myself I can't do it!!  I CAN!  I WILL!!!  I think maybe tonight I'll have to get Photoshop Elements 8...how hard can it be???   (gulp).....

I've always admired my blog world friend Mighty Morphin Mama's amazing pages and now I just see more and more pages done with the digital touch instead of paper - and while I will always love paper pages too, I think I'd like to be able to create both!!

If any of you have any tips for a beginner - or any links to fabby digital scrapbooking stores for 'supplies' then please do let me know!!!  Now I think I'd better head off to Jessica Spragues site - I've never paid attention to anything 'digital' before but I've always loved her other classes....

......still waiting for Lloyd to get home - Chris had a late class sadly so Lloyd had to stay late and wait for him :(  I'm tired - this waking up early thing is catching up with me!!!

First day of school and work.....a return to routine...

Lloyd went back to work today - after much sulking and skulking for the last couple of days lol - I swear all he did for the last couple of days was hang his head and mumble "I don't wanna go back to work"....I think he enjoyed his time off just sooo much he really relaxed so much this time and he really needed that.

Lloyd had coffee with me before he headed in to downtown - and he made sure everyone else was up and about and ready for the bus.  I  sat up all bleary eyed in the dark and then apologised and told him there was no way I could wake up so early and I needed to go back to sleep for a couple of hours - he just laughed and kept talking to me until I was more awake!  Finally the coffee woke me up!

After I waved Lloyd and Chris off and then waved Susie and Laurie off as they walked down to the bus, I sat in bed and checked my Emails - I had some LOVELY Emails to start my day this morning :)  Such a nice way to start the week :)

Sam was still fast asleep beside me and as the house was still silent, I knew Abby was still fast asleep too.  I really should have woken them both up but I was enjoying the quiet all to myself!!!  that doesn't happen too often!!  Tomorrow will be different!!

And so, as the new school/ work year starts I am looking forward to getting back in to our new routine.  We've changed a few things - changed the days Abigail goes to her classes.  We won't be having such a crazy rush day on Thursdays.  Sam goes back to his PreK class this week and is so excited to see his teachers and friends again.  We have some plans with some homeschool friends for some group activities and some other get togethers....and of course our regular breakfasts with Val!!!

There are also 4 birthdays to celebrate this month AND the Winter Olympics torch is coming through our town :)  Ice on Whyte  to enjoy too!!

I've missed Lloyd today and will be happy to see his car come up the driveway in a little while...but it's been a lovely calm day here with everybody out and about at school and work - and I feel all organized having gotten caught up with all the chores around here!

And now, I'm caught up on prompts too :)

Books, magazines and reading plans for the new year....

I'm a day behind ALREADY in my 'year of prompts'....I did sit in bed last night to respond, but got distracted by reading up on the new yoga studio opening up soon and trying to decide whether that one would be better than Bikram yoga....are all hot yoga's equal????  Hmmm

Anyway, Val was discussing books on her blog too and had been saying she was reading several autobiographies.  A friend of hers had mentioned the 'Kindle' or electronic book that she had received for Christmas and that holds thousands of books  in one small gadget and we were discussing the pro's and cons of this.

Yesterdays prompt asked what I had been reading lately.  To be honest, I haven't read much since 'The Book Thief'.  I really have been too busy with Christmas and creating my JYC album.  I've been writing a lot too.  For Christmas I received Oprahs wonderful book, and I also got the book that I mentioned previously, about the pressed fairies.

I have book 3 in The Immortals series to read - I think it's called 'Shadowlands' and it's by Alyson Neil I think.....they're actually teen novels, similar to Twilight and the first two I borrowed from Vals daughter. I loved them and was thrilled when book 3 was released 3 months early!!!  :)

Kelly Rae Roberts recommended the latest issue of Oprah Magazine, saying it was the best issue she had ever read.....and as I hadn't read an issue for a long while (I just buy the books as then you get the best articles without all those adverts) I thought I'd give it a try - I actually love New Years issues of magazines as I find them quite inspiring and motivating - and THIS issue of O Mag is wonderful!!!

Apart from that I'm reading up on the Winter Olympics because that is what we're studying for next month.....and we'll be continuing our China project with the Chinese New Year Festivities in the not too distant future....I'm not actually in the mood to read much right now...I want to write and DO and so if I do read I think it will have to be mgazines for a while or something I can flick through or not have to focus too much on...

How about you?  What are you reading?

Music Monday....

Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy
Uploaded by jpdc11. - Explore more music videos.

Don't worry be happy :)

New Year Tag Time!!!

What would you like to be your biggest success in 2010?

Making this our happiest year yet!!

What advice would you like to give yourself this year?

to just BREATHE and not sweat the small stuff!!

What would you be most happy about completing in 2010?

I would like to complete 52-10 as well as my monthly mini albums.  I'm also working on some yoga that I'd like to stick with through the year.....all part of the 'just breathe' philosophy and not letting stuff get to me as much.

What major indulgence would you like  to experience in 2010?

I want to try caviar this year!!  I have never tried it!!!  

What would you most like to change about yourself in 2010?

Being bothered by other peoples stupid choices that don't effect me - and learning to switch off more when they do effect me.

What are you looking forward to learning in 2010?

More yoga, digital scrapbooking 

What do you think your biggest risk will be in 2010?

driving, starting our new business

What about your work, are you most committed to changing and improving in 2010?

relaxing a lot more and leaning more towards unschooling - removing stress.

What is one as yet undeveloped talent you are willing to explore in 2010?

I am open to whatever the year brings....

What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of that in 2010?

Relaxing, having fun, traveling, going out and about with Lloyd and the family

Who or what, other than yourself, are you most committed to loving and serving in 2010?

Lloyd and my children - and my home.  I also plan to continue to support Malle and Margori - our little girls we 'foster' through World Vision.  I will continue to write to them regularly and send them parcels.  I love receiving letters and updates from them.  

What one word would you like to have as your theme in 2010?

Breathe - whether that be in a way to calm myself in stressful times, when practicing relaxation exercises and yoga, when outside walking in the fresh air, or when taking time for myself doing my crafts and hobbies or on date nights with Lloyd.....I will take time to breathe!!

Check out this heartwarming Christmas story....

A wonderful post over at Life As Lou......go check it out....then head to the rest of her blog and read some of her other wonderful posts - Leah is such a wonderful writer!!!  Witty and heartwarming tales of life as a Mom and wife.....

If you're a crafter/ scrapbooker you should also check out some of Leah's scrapbooks and tutorials - her work is STUNNING!!!  I actually own one of her mini albums - a beautiful little snow themed album that I cherish!!!  :)

When the lights go down...

It was soooo funny - Sam was taking his turn and he dropped the ball heavily and JUST as he did so, ALL the lights in the bowling alley went OFF!!!  Hahahaha  He was sooooo worried that HE had done it!!!!  :)  They had just switched the glow bowling on lol but he thought he had caused the lights to go off!  Then music videos and all the lasers came on and it was MUCH more fun - all music and movies on the screen like Benny and Joon  - woooo bowling AND Johnny Depp :)

Fun at the bowling alley...a few snapshots....

Quit taking my photo Mother!!! -

;)

Such healthy food on offer -

;)

wriggly laser lights....

We went to the bowling alley this afternoon and they switched on these really cool laser lights that flickered all over the place - especially all over the floors!  Sam LOVED them and spent the whole time he wasn't bowling, just dancing around in them and trying to catch the little wriggly lights!!!  He was tap dancing and break dancing all over the place :)

I'm normally bothered by flickering lights because of my migraines, but these didn't bother me at all!  They weren't bright or anything and if you didn't look at them you didn't even notice them - but they were just fun little lights!

52 in 10

Today is prompt one of the '52 in 10' scrapbooking project, over at Dollys Dreamings!!  Are you playing along?  I am really looking forward to taking part in this year long project - doing a page a week to create an album for me focusing on all aspects of my life.    Todays page gave me an opportunity to look back over the last decade and all that has happened!!

Come over and join us in this wonderful year long project - a prompt every Sunday to work on through the week :)

Now I've done my page, I'm off to get showered and dressed before we head out to go bowling for the afternoon.  Normal life resumes tomorrow...back to work, school, homeschooling.....same old same old ;)

Have a great week everyone!!!

Cool veggie pizza, Ped eggs and ignoring chaos......

I am trying to ignore the fact that my house is in chaos...we took the decorations down today and I still haven't finished packing them away.  I've boxed up most of them.....and the rest of them are piled into the corner to face tomorrow.....I'm procrastinating.

Packing away Christmas decorations has to be THE. MOST. BORING. job in the world.....

I made yummy cool veggie pizza tonight:

Lovely delicious way to get lots of yummy raw vegetables into the kids - and garlic too - and dairy!!  The whole lot just vanished!!

I finally got myself a ped egg today.  Anyone have one?  I know Cori does!!!  I've wanted one for ages and always call them foot graters ;)  While we were in Wally World today we picked one up - it works fab.  I showed the kids the contents afterwards though and grossed them out!   Hahahaha  Foot shavings ;)   Ewwww!!  lol ;)  I threatened to sprinkle it in their dinner when they're bad - it looks like parmesan cheese hahahaha!

So now we're going to curl up and watch Ice Age 3.  I'll leave you with some cute pics of Sam I took just now:

Lloyds favourite Festive memory...

I think I blogged my entire Christmas for you, and so today instead of my favourite memory for Christmas, I am going to blog one of Lloyds favourite memories.....opening the presents.  Not because of the material side of things - the gifts - but because he loves to see the children's faces as they get excited around the tree and as he passes around each gift - and as they rip the paper off and see the gift they have received - also as they watch their siblings open the gifts they have chosen for them.

Here are a couple of pictures of those moments from this past Christmas:

The first day.....

It's been a lovely first day of the year.....such a late start after our very late night last night!  I scrapbooked quite a bit today - working on finishing my JYC album.  I also started my January mini album - I have so loved the one I created for December/ Christmas, that I thought I'd like to have a go at making one for each month of this year.  January's will be all in shades of blue - to emphasize the cold weather!!!!

I also decluttered Sams room and managed to get rid of two big sacks full of STUFF!!!  I feel really pleased to have got rid of so much as he really only uses a few things - his Lego/ k'nex, his toy soldiers and his cars.  Apart from that his favourite things to play with are duct tape and cardboard boxes etc that he can 'create' with.  I went through his book shelf and got rid of all the books he has outgrown too.

We had a lovely big New Years dinner - a repeat of our Christnas meal, with roast chicken and crispy oven roasted potatoes...brussel sprouts, swede, parsnips, yorkshire puddings etc etc.... we even had Christmas Crackers to pull again AND a yummy Marks and Spencers Christmas pudding!!!

I really missed having Laurence here though :(  he chose to stay at his friends house for another night!!    I chatted with him online for a little bit but will be glad to have him home tomorrow so I can wish him Happy New Year properly.

After dinner we played a game that Sam had for Christmas which turned out to be soooo much fun - it's based on the 'I Spy' books and I was soooo useless at it that Chris ended up coming to help me but he was no better at it than me!!!  Susie won both games we played....she was great at it!!!

Then Abby and Sam headed for bed and the rest of us curled up to watch the Star Trek movie which we hadn't seen yet.  We really enjoyed that!!!  Now Lloyd and I are watching the news and about to go to bed.

Tomorrow we are off out to get Laurie....we have some errands to run and we may even head to the movies.....only two days until school starts and Lloyd goes back to work :(  Time is flying now!!!

I hope you have all had a lovely first day of January wherever you are and whatever you have been up to!  Have a lovely weekend!

2010

This is me.  Now.  The morning after a VERY late night.   The morning after New Years Eve.  It's mid day and I'm sat in bed still.....THINKING about getting up......Chris is still in bed - and I'm sure wherever Laurence is, he is still in bed.....but everyone else is up already.  Only just though.  Blegh....iphoto doesn't do you many favours does it lol!  Almost as bad as passport pictures!

So,  I thought I'd try and work my way through a list of prompts I have for a year of blogging...and the first one is to post a picture of myself.  So. Here I am.  2010.  January 1st.  Almost 40.  Well, in a couple of years ;)

What is 2010 going to bring?  Actually I have no clue!!  Most years I have had a vague idea of what the year is going to have involved...or at least a few things...a trip or an event....or SOMETHING...but this year I don't think we have any plans really - except for Lloyds new business - and of course thats VERY exciting!!  The rest - we'll take it as it comes and enjoy the unknown.

Oh, we do have our little trip planned - but I don't know much about that because Lloyd won't tell me exactly when it is or where we are going!!!  Hhmmmm!!

So, 2010...a year of surprises...a year of relaxing and I'm quite interested to get to New Years Eve and look back and see exactly what it brought us!!!

Happy New Year!!!