Author: Caroline

Teal Ribbon Day

Today (Feb 24th) is Teal Ribbon Day here in Australia.

Each year we wear a teal ribbon to show our support for women living with ovarian cancer, to remember those we’ve lost and to honour the 1480 women who will be diagnosed this year.

No One Fights Alone

Ovarian cancer has the lowest five-year survival rate of all women’s cancers. All funds raised by Ovarian Cancer Australia (OCA) goes towards research, raising awareness, taking action on behalf of women living with ovarian cancer and to help Ovarian Cancer Australia continue to provide the best support possible to everyone in the community who has been affected by the disease.

Do you know the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?

Women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer report four types of symptoms most frequently:

  • Abdominal or pelvic pain.
  • Increased abdominal size or persistent abdominal bloating.
  • Needing to urinate often or urgently.
  • Feeling full after eating a small amount.

If you have any of these symptoms, they are new for you and you have experienced them multiple times during a 4-week period, go to your GP. To help track these symptoms, download OCA’s Symptom diary now.

You can buy your teal ribbons from your local Chemmart Pharmacy Australia, Black Pepper, and Coles Queensland stores.

Even our pollies (for once) are actually talking about it. Karen Mcnamara MP, Federal Member for Dobell addressed Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and ‪#‎TealRibbonDay‬ in Parliament in this video.

AND 1480 windmills have been planted on the lawn of Parliament House in Canberra in honour of the women who will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year.

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So do your bit and buy a teal ribbon, host an Afternoon Teal, or support one (like mine)

My Declutter 365 journey – January check in

One of the things on my list of 100 things to do this year was to complete the Declutter 365 challenge. The first month is all about the kitchen and, I’ll be honest, is one of the areas I really struggle with. I love to cook but I HATE cleaning. So I’m undertaking this and am blogging as I go, accountability and all that.

To start I found a largish box that was still in good condition after Christmas and have designated that as our donation box. Something we don’t want/need but it’s still in good condition – into the donation box it goes. I’ve put it on the shelving in our hallway so it’s out of the way but still easily accessible.

I’ve also created a household notebook to house (haha) all our important stuff. I may create a separate post about this.

Onto the kitchen *sigh* Here’s some before pictures. Seriously it’s shocking. Christmas and all that, hot weather and honestly it’s the last thing I want to do of a night time. I hate it. I really want to have a clean kitchen. I need less ‘stuff’ in here and honestly just keep what I use frequently. No point asking anyone else in the household because I do the majority of the cooking. Anyhoo…

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Seriously feral *sigh* these were taken in early January. I’ve managed to do counters, drawers, utensils, some of the kitchen cabinets, plastics and made a start on the pantry, fridge and freezer. I’m still working on some of the January bits and pieces even though we are now well into February.

Photos will be coming when I finish the January tasks.

Now just to get hubby & Miss K on board with keeping it clean haha

I love to read

I’ve always been an avid reader. This year one of the things on my list of 100 things to do was

Make a list of 30 books I want to read & then read those books (0/30)

So I have made myself a list on Goodreads and thought I’d share it here too

  1. Spark Joy by Marie Kondo
  2. The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown
  3. Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider
  4. The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life by Francine Jay
  5. The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary Chapman
  6. True Magick: A Beginner’s Guide by Amber K
  7. A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin
  8. Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
  9. Dancing the Sacred Wheel: A Journey through the Southern Sabbats by Frances Billinghurst
  10. The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer (must actually finish this one!)
  11. Branding Yourself by Erik Deckers & Kyle Lacy
  12. Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy by Douglas Adams
  13. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
  14. Life, The Universe And Everything by Douglas Adams
  15. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams
  16. Dreamweaver CC for Dummies (to freshen up my understanding of CC)
  17. I, Strahd by P.N. Elrod
  18. Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris
  19. Living Dead In Dallas
  20. 03 Club Dead
  21. 04 Dead to the World
  22. 05 Dead as a Doornail
  23. 06 Definitely Dead
  24. 07 All Together Dead
  25. 08 From Dead to Worse
  26. 09 Dead and Gone
  27. 10 Dead in the Family
  28. 11 Dead Reckoning
  29. 12 Deadlocked
  30. 13 Dead Ever After

Ok so I did kind of cheat by adding a few series but they are ones I want to read/reread. What’s on your reading list?

Currently #6

Currently #6

TIME: 10pm, 31st January, 2016

LOCATION : Dining room table

FEELING:   good, tired

LOVING :  that it’s nearly the first day of school

READING : Spark Joy by Marie Kondo

DRINKING : Coke or hot chocolate

ANTICIPATING : the first day of school

LISTENING TO : MUSIC : random tunes   PODCAST :  Simple Scrapper member podcast

WATCHING : X Files

PLANNING : on catching up with my 2015 PL albums

LOOKING FORWARD TO : school going back (sense a theme LOL)

CREATING :  baking heaps of food to freze for school lunches

NEED TO FINISH : my JYC pages for 2015 and my 2015 PL albums

WISHING : for more scrapping goodies and it would rain more to help with the fires around the state

MAIN GOAL : to get my PL albums finished for 2015

What are you “CURRENTLY” doing?

Happy birthday week to me

This week I turn 21 (38!) and I’ve decided that I will have a week long ‘celebration’ and do things I enjoy and make some me time.

Yesterday we went to ChilliFm’s pre-Australia Day event Skyfire. Mainly to watch the guys from TCW but to also catch the fireworks. Got to have a good play with the camera too :D  I’ll be uploading a few to my Flickr album soon if you want to check out some more of my work 🙂

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Today is Australia Day. We checked out the local Oz Day festivities this morning and I’m having a lazy day of Hottest 100, cricket, the new X-Files and some scrapbooking.

Not really sure what the rest of the week will bring apart from back to school prep for Miss K and going out for tea Thursday evening but I’m making sure to do something for me 😀

Let’s get blogging

It’s that time of year again – the biannual blogathon bash.

Biannual Blogathon Bash

This year I am keeping my list pretty short

  • work on my YIAH blog
  • clean up my inbox
  • check out the blogathon challenges
  • schedule some educational time in my planner (I’m currently enrolled in 3 courses over at udemy)

Are you joining in? If so Hi *waves*. If not, check out this post about why you think you may not be able to join in. 🙂

100 things in 2016

Disclaimer: Links are affiliate

Well here we are. Another year and another list of 100 things to do. It’s all written down in my 2016 Life workbook. Sorry in advance for the loooong post.

For the last couple of years I’ve been posting my lists on my blog, making me a bit more accountable. So no excuses, here is my 100 things in 2016. There are quite a few things from last year that either didn’t get done or I want to continue doing. I’ve split my list into sections this year – Blog/Social Media, House & Garden, Family, Things to do, Work & Finances, Scrapbook/Craft and For Me

As with previous years bold is started, strike thru is finished & red isn’t done

Blog/Social Media

1. Increase my social media following (see 2-4)
2. Increase Facebook followers (Jan 1 – 152   Dec 31 – )
3. Increase Pinterest followers (Jan 1 – 665   Dec 31 – )
4. Increase Instagram followers (Jan 1 – 283   Dec 31 – )
5. Organise Pinterest boards better
6. Learn a new recipe each month and blog it
7. Continue In the Den Kitchen
8. Create a monthly blog backup
9. Try something I’ve pinned and blog the results
10. Start a new blog series
11. Start my YIAH recipe blog
12. Sort bookmarks
13. Blog everyday for 1 month
14. Blog emails to zero
15. Be more active in Facebook groups that spark joy
16. Cull email lists
17. Cull Facebook groups

House & Garden

18. Weed garden beds.
19. Work out what vegies to plant and then plant them
20. Start a Garden Journal.
21. Get a garden shed
22. Finally get gazebo up
23. Do Declutter 365 (& maybe blog my progress)
24. Finish custom recipe books – Thermomix Favourites and non-Thermomix recipes
25. Donate/sell remaining recipe books I don’t use
26. Paint laundry
27. Get laminate up in laundry
28. Get dryer up on laundry wall
29. Get new laundry sink
30. Laundry storage
31. Get floors polished
32. Organise office (I finally have a plan!)
33. Organise garage
34. Work through (& complete) Creating your Goddess Haven e-course (restarting Jan 1)
35. Re-tidy the pantry. Toss or donate stuff we don’t use
36. Sort linens.
37. Redo my herb garden

Family

38. Do something special for 10 year anniversary in November
39. Family holiday – Melbourne or Queensland
40. Have my parents over for dinner
41. Have in-laws over for dinner
42. Get an updated family photo
43. Work on family tree
44. Organise some play dates for the girls
45. Write a letter to Miss K to open on her 18th
46. Write a letter to Miss A to open on her 18th
47. Watch a documentary every month

Things to do

48. Anzac Day dawn service
49. Have a family movie night (complete with popcorn & choc tops)
50. Spend a day at the beach
51. Go on a picnic
52. Go for a drive somewhere for no reason other than getting out
53. Spend a rainy day in PJs watching TV/movies
54. See more of Tassie
55. Go to Botanical gardens
56. Visit QVMAG
57. Go to MONA
58. Cirque du Soleil

Work & Finances

59. Money into Christmas club (starting balance – $0)
60. Put $5 a pay into girls’ accounts
61. Get BAS in on time
62. Keep work accounts up to date
63. Work through the Business Goddess e-course
64. Upgrade RAM & Hard drives in laptops
65. Sort EHDs and make sure there’s no duplicates
66. Work on better backups of important files
67. Work email to zero

Scrapbook/Craft

68. Find an inspirational quote and make it into a piece of art
69. Finish JYC 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
70. Scrapbook with mum more
71. Finish wedding scrapbook
72. Do #30Lists (March, September, December)
73. Organise all my paper scrapbook supplies
74. Scrapbook with others more
75. Backup digital Project Life supplies
76. Start a cross stitch
77. Project Life date at least once a week – PUT IN PLANNER!
78. Do some more classes & make sure I finish them
79. Apply for Scrappy Canary design team
80. Create a scrapping binder
81. Organise craft group days

For me

82. Do something different for Afternoon Teal
83. Do Frocktober
84. Write a letter to myself to open on my 40th
85. Keep a gratitude journal for 30 days
86. Get a massage
87. Make a list of 30 books I want to read & then read those books (0/30)
88. Burn to CD/DVD stuff I don’t need on my PC all the time
89. Sort & cull movie folder
90. Deadpool
91. Create a mini Goddess altar
92. Personal email inbox to zero
93. Get to bed earlier
94. Drink more water
95. No more screens in bed
96. Rejoin the shining life & biz academy when renewal due
97. Cook more with the thermomix
98. Renew Thermofun membership
99. Journal every day
100. Enjoy life