Thirty Days - March 2012

Thirty Days starts tomorrow (original post here). If you're embarking on your own 30 day adventure best wishes to you! If you're looking for a pal and an idea for March I'll be doing this:

I've kept up with my other projects (here) and have restrained myself from starting my 30 days early (I can smell a burn out a mile away). I'll be reporting here at least once a week, so stay tuned. If you need a cheerleader, leave a comment or email me. I'd love to hear how things are going for you.

Good luck!

Three New Projects

Warning: this post is long! It's because I'm excited!

I'm adding some new things to my every...I know, I know - am I setting myself up for burnout before I even begin my 30 days? Maybe but I'm doing it anyways. I've been feeling stagnant for a while now and if I have some get up and go...I'm gonna go.

Thirty Days are almost here!

So, I'm gearing up for my Thirty Days Project that's slated to start March 1 (original post here).

My problems are (and I haven't even started...):

• I want to do everything ALL AT ONCE & RIGHT NOW. I am one of those people who loves to start my projects but doesn't seem to mind if my projects don't seem to get finished. (Note: I do seem to mind if other people's projects don't get finished though, especially home reno projects - maybe I should work on that for the next 30 days. Nah.)
• I'm scared to post up 12 months worth of 30 days because what if I want to change my mind and do something different, in say, July? 

I need to set some rules guidelines because I do want to finish what I start (for once):

• If I adopt a new habit in the middle of a current 30 day habit I have to continue the new habit for 30 days and finish the original habit.
• I don't have to start another 30 day habit until the current one(s) is/are over 
• Report @ Diary52 Thirty Days at least 1x/week
• Have fun doing it

Ok. So that's that. Don't think, just do. Here's my list:

Turn your greeting cards into a book!

I came across this on Pinterest. I can't find the original link (seems to be uploaded by a user via an iPhone) but it's really worth sharing. I started one for each of my children tonight and I plan on making one for myself. It's such a sweet idea. One day I'd love to bind them into some kind of book you can keep adding to (instead of a binder) but with that being said, there's nothing wrong with a binder, right?

If you happen to come across the original source, please let me know so I can reference it!

Thirty Days inspired by Matt Cutts (PS I didn't follow through, eh, can't win them all but the concept is inspiring!)

“The next 30 days are going to pass whether you like it or not, so why not think about something you have always wanted to try and give it a shot for the next 30 days?” 

Matt Cutts

Need a change, stuck in a rut, spending too much time on Pinterst pinning things with good intentions (ah hem, that would be me), bored of your every day routine? 

I AM 

so I'm adopting Matt Cutt's philosophy:

Try Something New for 30 Days 

FOR THE NEXT YEAR. 

Diary52 is here...

Hi all,
Same I DREAM IN COLOUR, small difference, a name change.

Diary52 describes more what this blog is all about, stuff that happens around our place, #52. Photos with the new logo are taken at our place and, as always, other photos/images are from other great sites and bloggers (follow the links to their pages for more).

I hope you continue to enjoy the postings. So glad you're able to join me!

Keep well,
Lindsay

Oops...Happy Belated Valentines Day!

I can't believe I didn't post about Valentine's Day this year...

I did manage to string up some red, amethyst and white balloons + a dollar store heart in the front window (it's amazing how balloons can transform a space), whipped up some heart shaped pizzas (get the dough recipe here) and, thanks to my Mom, we had a Valentine's Day tablecloth and my kids were sporting some heart-wear.

Oh well, better late than never! Check out the links from my Pinterest Valentines Board, here...

Yes, if we ever move, I pray the next house will not have a fire hydrant on the blvd.

More great Valentine's Day finds on my Valentine's Day + Hearts Pinterest page.

Cheap and delicious therapy...

I've discovered something, baking bread is cheap and delicious therapy. It involves a lot of punching, kneading and patience. It gives me time to think about what's bugging me, makes it ok to punch something (clarification: dough) and gives me an excuse to take a break from the rest of the world (because I have to stay home and tend to the dough) for about 7 hours. At the end of the day, I have a great smelling house, some delicious bread and (possibly) some insight on my life or a sense of calmness.

Making a great loaf of homemade bread is MY HOLY GRAIL. I've listed the recipe in the Diary52 Recipes site, here. It's the first bread recipe that gave me good results (which P.S. felt like winning a gold medal at The Olympics)...

The recipe is my Grandma's sisters and only includes the list of ingredients...but I've detailed the preparation according to my grandmother's instructions and (finally) what has worked for me.

Good luck!

These mini buns didn't stand a chance...

Another source of good therapy - laughter

photo credit: http://annetaintor.com/product/Magnetic+Stuff/01359

Too many dishes, not enough drying rack (?)

We have used our dishwasher FOUR TIMES in two months. For those of you who don't have a dishwasher feel free to roll your eyes...now. I don't blame you. For those of you who do have a dishwasher, I'll expect a congratulatory note in the mail (ha! joke). When we did use the dishwasher I was pretty sure it would have taken less time and water to have just washed the dishes in the sink. Wah waaahh.

So here's the thing, I'm on a mission. It's a new year(ish) and after watching David Suzuki's documentary Force of Nature/The Legacy I thought the least I could do, immediately was stop using so much water. As an added benefit, it'll save us some money on the water bill and I'm sick of going through a dirty dishwasher to hand wash my one decent knife because I need it for chopping...again. Besides, we go from having a bazillion dishes in the cupboards to waiting waiting waiting for the dishwasher to finish it's job so we can unload it and eat off a dish. Before stopping using the dishwasher we were running the thing EVERY DAY at one point. Not so necessary.

Ok, Not only did I stop using the dishwasher, but I packed away 90% of our dishes - we just don't need all of them daily. It's been so freeing (I'll spare you the details)! Again, those who don't use a dishwasher, feel free to roll your eyes and then come give me a hug...

The purpose of this post was to offer you a tip, whether your a hand-washer or dishwasher loader (we all wash dishes at some point) when the drying rack on the counter gets full (or if you don't own one) and you still need a place to dry your dishes, pull our your strainer and start piling rinsed dishes in there.

Works like a charm.

Cute food...

So much for me giving up on making food cuter for my preschooler...look what I came across, here. How can I resist?! Viva cute!

tons more on her website...