Finally Scrapping!

Finally done some scraping today, its been a long time!  I have completed the first 2 pages for Document 2011 for January & February.  Come to a standstill now as I am waiting for prints.  Like last year I am using a calendar on my first page but this year I am using the KI Calender pages instead of a cut up desk calender.  I purchased all 12 designs of the KI pages last month and have got 3 of each design so with some luck I can find a colour to match each month.  

This is January:

This is February:

I have taken the 6 x 4 cards out of the protectors to photograph because as hard as I try I just can't get rid of that glare!  I am going to use Studio Calico monthly kits to complete this project.

Ten Days Old...

...3 little baby bunnies!

This Year I Will.....January Review

• Kiss and cuddle my little babies at least once every day. CHECK

• Find something to smile about each day.  Tried hard with this but sadly there have been some ups & downs this month and on a few occasions I've struggled
• Have a minimum of 30 minutes every day of ME time, no children, no TV, no computer, no telephone, just ME.  As selfish as this may sound, it needs to be done for my own health, both physically & mentally.  As with the above goal I've struggled with this one but have made a more concerted effort to meet with friends for coffee or lunch chats.
• Make Fridays (my day off) part housework/errand - frees the weekend to spend time with Liam & Freya - and part 'me' time.  Too much of the housework/errand stuff last year!  Total fail, no more needs to be said
• Go for a walk every day, even if it is only for 5 minutes, I will go outside and walk to clear my head and think about life.  Started the month with a positive, but sadly I have developed an injury to my foot and have been on crutches for the last 2 1/2 weeks
• Eat 5 portions of fruit & veg a day. This has been achieved, but sadly I don't feel any better for it
• Have a wonderful Summer holiday; a 3 1/2 week tour of Europe to include my Brother's Wedding in Lithuania. On Target for achievement Planned the route, need to start booking ferries & hotels now.  Have brought the kids new summer rain coats (not that it is going to rain!!!) - bargain at £3 each from Millets
• Get organised; 2010 was really not a good year and this year I will get back to the place where I am in control of what is happening and not depending upon others, who quite frankly let me & my children down.  Just feel so out of control at the moment, partly down to the foot injury as I haven't actually done anything to it!
• Choose carefully those people I let into our lives.  Seen a side to someone in my life that I have not seen before and I don't really like how it makes me feel
• Start organising presents for Christmas - Its going to be a stress free one this year unlike the mayhem of 2010!  Nothing achieved yet but the aim if to get stocking fillers by end of September and main presents by end of November
• Have a professional family photo shoot.  Not started on the goal yet
• Do something new every month. Fish Pedicure in January
• Finish decorating my scrap space & bedroom. On target. 1 black bin bag sorted and new bed clothes purchased
• Decorate Liam's room.  Not started
• Decorate the lounge.  Not started
• Decorate the hall stairs & landing.  Not started
• Finish the roof on my garage, laundrette and downstairs toilet.  Not started
• New laundrette cupboards.  Not started
• Decorate down stairs toilet.  Not started
• Sort out the plumbing.  Not started
• New window in bathroom and landing.  Not started
• Find a baby sitter so I can go to Bromsgrove Crop on a Saturday.  Achieved!!!
• Attend a retreat.  Booked and first instalment paid
• Complete 12 LO's a month.  Achieved
• Complete 12 Granny Squares or stripes a month.  Only managed 6 this month
• Catch up on unfinished scrapping projects from 2010; JYC 2010, Document 2010, LSNED 2010 & Liam & Freyas Year In The Life Of albums.  Didn't catch up on any projects that need completion
• Complete a family scrapbook for 2011; something on the lines of Document 2011.  Ordered some KI calendar pages to use which came this week.  Plan is to start scrapping January at Bromsgrove crop on Saturday 
• Complete Liam's and Freya's '2011 Year In The Life Of' mini albums. Not started 
• Use more scrap stash than I buy.  Not really achieved this one but I have cancelled a kit subscription with Scrapagogo, partly down to being swamped with stash and partly needed to save some money for Summer hols and work on the house
• Finish all the crochet projects I have started before I begin anything new.  Worked on my striped blanket but have purchased some wool for a new project which won't be started until the 4 projects I have on the go have been completed
• Knit myself a pom pom scarf.  Not started
• Take time to rediscover cross stitch.  None done this month 
• Bake lots and lots of yummy things.  Baking a batch of carrot cakes & apple & walnut cakes, plus assisted Freya to make some chocolate tiffin
• Win the lottery (got to have one thing that won't happen on the list).  Fail

Summary

Getting there slowly

My Month In Numbers - January 2011

-5.....degrees, a cold cold night

1.....Birthday to celebrate

and 1.....litter of bunny pups (not sure yet how many babies we have)

2.....holidays planned

4.....trips to A & E - 1 to my local hospital with an eye bleed, then sent from there (after 6 hours) to Midland Eye Hospital (all day) followed by a trip for a tetanus injection after one of our bunnies took it upon themselves to bite me and a visit after my GP sent me with a foot injury.

5.....portions of fruit & veg eaten every day

6.....stripes crocheted

9.....lb's lost

14.....LO's completed

15 1/2.....hours spent in A & E

16.....days at work

Holiday Plans

My 'little' Brother is getting married in the Summer to a lovely lovely lady who was born in Lithuania.  She has some family living in the UK and also some in Lithuania.  As it is like a tenth of the cost to get married over there they have decided to get married in her home town of Radvilliskis (in the centre of the country just above the word 'Lithuania'):

The nearest airport is in Kaunas (about 2 hours away) which would leave us with the hassle of getting to the Town plus all the dresses, suits etc being flown over as excess baggage & heaven forbid they ended up on the wrong plane or left back in the UK.  Therefore we have decided to drive the 1,500 miles.  It can apparently be done in 2 days according to my Brother.  Well I am certainly not doing it in 2 days!  We are therefore making it a 3 week tour of Europe.

The planned route:

Day 1

Travel Day - Ferry from Dover to Dunkerque, (sailing Midday) drive through France & Belgium

5 hours drive, 2 hours on the ferry then 2 1/2 hours drive

Spend the night in Bruges, Belgium

Day 2

Bruges, Belgium

Day 3

Travel Day - Belgium & Holland

2 hours drive

hoping to see lots of these on the way:

Spend the night in Amsterdam, Holland

Day 4

Amsterdam, Holland

Day 5

Amsterdam, Holland

Day 6

Travel Day - Holland & Germany

5 hours drive

Spend the night in Hamburg, Germany

Day 7

Hamburg, Germany

Day 8

Travel Day - Across Germany to the port of Keil (sailing 4.30pm)

1 1/2 hour drive

Spend the night on the Ferry to Lithuania

Day 9

Travel Day - arrive in Klaipeda, Lithuania & drive to Radvilliskis

3 hour drive

Spend the night in Radvilliskis, Lithuania

Day 10

Radvilliskis, Lithuania

Day 11

Wedding Day

Radvilliskis, Lithuania

Day 12

Radvilliskis, Lithuania

Day 13

Travel Day - across Lithuania to the Capital Vilnius

3 hour drive

Spend the night in Vilnius, Lithuania

Day 14

Vilnius, Lithuania

Day 15

Travel Day - Across Lithuania to Neringa (Coastal town on the Baltic Sea)

3 hour drive

Yes this really is the beach!

Spend the night in Neringa, Lithuania

Day 16

Travel Day - Across Lithuania to the Port of Klaipeda (sailing 8pm)

1 hour drive

Spend the night on the Ferry to Sweden

Day 17

Travel Day - Arrive in Port of Karlshamn, Sweeden & travel to Denmark

2 hour drive

Spend night in Copenhagen, Denmark

Day 18

Copenhagen, Denmark

Day 19

Travel Day - Across Denmark

1 1/2 hour drive

Spend the night in Odense, Denmark

Day 20

Travel Day - Across Denmark 

1 1/2 hour drive

Quick stop here (sadly can't find a hotel here or we would have had an overnight stay):

Spend the night in Garde, Denmark

Day 21

A visit to the place where those little coloured bricks are made and the first theme park!

(However, it is dependant upon 2 little horrors behaving themselves)

30 mins away

Spend the night in Garde, Denmark

Day 22

Travel Day - Across Denmark to Port of Esbjerg (sail at 6.45pm)

1 hour drive

Spend the night on the Ferry to the UK

Day 23

Travel Day - Arrive in Harwich, then home

5 hour drive

Spend the night tucked up in my own little bed

This is the plan at the moment but it all is dependant on getting the ferries we need booked with the main one we may have trouble with being Esbjerg, Denmark to Harwich.  We can't do the trip the other way round as there are no ferries available from Harwich to Esbjerg on the dates we need to travel.

Most days are short drives with the largest being from home to Dover, Harwich to home and Amsterdam to Hamburg.  The first day will be the longest time but in 2009 we went to Bruges and were booked on the Midday ferry and actually got there early enough to travel on the 10am boat and were checking in to the hotel before 3pm UK time.  We plan on booking the Midday ferry this year but try to get the 10am one again.  There may not be spaces on a Summer ferry (we went the beginning of October last time) but we will just have a couple of hours in Dover if we have to wait.  

All the ferries sail early evening (earliest being 4.30 from Keil when we are staying 65 miles away in Hamburg) so there is no need to rush.  There is also plenty of sightseeing stop time available on travel days.  

We have thought about an extra night between Amsterdam and Hamburg but are unsure of where we could stop that has something of interest for 3 generations (kids who will be 8 & 9, my Dad (a grump pensioner) and me).   Any ideas?

Now I just need to save those little pennies up!

Sadly scrapping purchases are having to be reduced which is why the Scrapagogo subscription has been stopped.