Seriously, people, what were you thinking??

As you can see in my to do list for today, I wanted to try a Zumba class. It is new, and they had a free trial session today. So far, so good, right? Yeah, except it's free, it's back to school time (and people may be making more resolution now than in January!) and consequently the class was jam-packed. There were at least 150 people, no space left in this huuuuuge room... awful! As I arrived "only" 5 minutes early I had a place in the back, and I couldn't see anything because of the 12 ranks before me. It wouldn't be a problem if the teacher would explain what was going on... Yeah, right, in your dreams! This was probably the less teaching teacher ever, she didn't say anything but counting the steps. I felt like I was at a show to watch her shake her (terribly firm... nope, I'm not jealous) butt, not to shake my (not as firm) own. Anyway, I stayed there for about 5 minutes, did the warm up, and when I saw how terrible the instructor was, I left right away. This was really a shame.

Okay, all that ranting is pretty negative, but I'm really amazed at how bad people are at marketing. If you have a trial session, it's to make people want to join (and pay for) the real class, right? Not make them feel like idiots because they can't understand, even less make, a single step. Okay, with all the people that was there, she will probably have enough paying clients, but still... Is that really smart to be that bad of a teacher for the first (and probably the only) contact you'll ever have with some of them?? After all, I'm glad I went there because I might not have a butt as firm as her and I don't rock the Zumba steps as she does, but at least my brain looks fitter! LOL

Tuesday

Let's see how I'm doing on my to-do list...

• morning, midday and evening routines
• maintain e-mail and RSS reader to zero unread
• catch up with TDC and SSD + other websites if needed
• 15 minutes digi decluttering
• 10 minutes working on my happiness project
• create one LO and post it
• try Zumba class with Chantal
• go to bed at 10:30, lights off at 10:45

I'm not sure if I'll try the Zumba class with Chantal because I have a torticollis starting. Hopefully the heat pad will help, and if it doesn't I'll go to the class another day.

Monday

Okay, hopefully I'll be able to do all I planned, since I just finished planning and it's 6:00 PM already!

• morning, midday and evening routines
• maintain e-mail and RSS reader to zero unread
• catch up with TDC and SSD daily + other websites if needed
• 15 minutes digi decluttering
• 10 minutes working on my happiness project
• clean microwave
• create one LO, post this LO + the one I did yesterday
• go to bed at 10:30, lights off at 10:45

Weekly plan

Back to work this morning, I feel way more in control than last week, this whole back-to-work time was quite rushed and stressful! Anyway, I still have lots of things to do this week, so here we go again!

Daily tasks:

• morning, midday and evening routines
• maintain e-mail and RSS reader to zero unread
• catch up with TDC and SSD daily + other websites if needed
• 15 minutes digi decluttering
• 10 minutes working on my happiness project
• 20 minutes indoor bike (starting Wednesday)
• track spending (starting Wednesday)
• go to bed at 10:30, lights off at 10:45

Specific tasks:

• Monday: clean microwave, create one LO, post this LO + the one I did yesterday
• Tuesday: create one LO and post it, try Zumba class with Chantal
• Wednesday: meeting at fertility center, clean downstairs fridge
• Thursday: iron while watching episode #1 of Flashforward and manicure during episode #2
• Friday: next week's menu + grocery shopping list + maybe go shopping?

Weekend plan

Since this week wasn't really productive, I have to get back on track and get some things crossed off my list this weekend. I want to catch up on the organizing I planned to do last week and I also want to get some scrapping done. SSD's challenges must be done this week, so I have to get working if I want to get the 40% discount (30 points). And there's a CT call I absolutely want to apply to!

So, without further addo, here's my to do list for this weekend:
Saturday:

• make appt for hair salon
• morning, midday and evening routines
• write down menus for next week and grocery shopping list
• go grocery shopping
• filing: empty my "to file" box
• 3x15 minutes on digi-organizing 1 done
• finish hybrid album, print it and assemble it, take pix and post
• create 3 BOM (book of me) LOs 1 done and post
• start organizing my studying for the November exam.
• maintain RSS reader and e-mail inbox to zero unread
• catch up on my fave websites
• give the cat his treatement
• mend clothes if/when I watch TV
• call Nanie spent 1:15 on the phone... so good to catch up with my BFF!
  
• 2 loads of laundry: wash and hang up to dry

Sunday:

• morning, midday and evening routines
• pampering time
• change cat litter
• create 2 BOM LOs + all additional LOs to get 30 points and post them BOM LOs posted
• post hybrid album
• 3x15 minutes on digi-organizing
• filing: empty my "to file" box
• give the cat his treatement
• start working on my happiness project: review the website's "basics"
• send CT application
• maintain RSS reader and e-mail inbox to zero unread
• catch up on my fave websites + youtube
• clean downstairs fridge
• iron if/when I watch TV
• clean microwave
• keep organizing my studying for the November exam.

Our friday...

... was so fun! Well, first of all, it was Friday, which is already great. And my cleaning lady comes on Friday, so I came home after work to a clean, smelling fresh, orderly home. And in addition to those already freaking cool two things, our friends Anne and Christian called to see if they could come over impromptu and we spent the evening together. It was great to see them and we had a lovely time. Of course, as I told them, an half an hour notice is great on a Friday (after the cleaning lady) but on a Thursday they should have given us a 2 hours notice! LOL I love it when good things add up like that to create even better things!! Yeepee for the good maths!

TGIF

Pfew, it's been a long week. Considering how painful it is to go back to work, I'm starting to think I should not leave for vacation ever again! LOL Seriously, though, it's not that hard, I had a lot to do but I was productive and I'm 95% caught up, so this is great! Let's see how today was to-do-wise:
Daily tasks:

• morning, midday and evening routines
• 15 minutes digi organizing
• 15 minutes filing (my "to file" box is overflowing!)
• maintain e-mail and RSS reader to zero unread, catch up at least once a day with my fave websites and FB
• go to bed at 22:30 max, lights off at 22:45

Specifics tasks for today:

• Friday: plan next week's menus and grocery shopping list

Mmmm, considering how much I'm in the "TGIF let's relax" mood, I'm not sure I'll get much accomplished! LOL

Thursday's to do... how am I doing?

Daily tasks:

• morning, midday and evening routines
• 15 minutes digi organizing
• 15 minutes filing (my "to file" box is overflowing!)
• maintain e-mail and RSS reader to zero unread, catch up at least once a day with my fave websites and FB
• go to bed at 22:30 max, lights off at 22:45

Specifics tasks for today:

• call back health insurance,
• tidy up house if needed,
• iron while watching first episode of Flashforward 
• and then give myself a manicure during second episode.

Wednesday's to do's: how am I doing?

Daily tasks:

• morning, midday and evening routines
• 15 minutes digi organizing
• 15 minutes filing (my "to file" box is overflowing!)
• maintain e-mail and RSS reader to zero unread, catch up at least once a day with my fave websites and FB
• go to bed at 22:30 max, lights off at 22:45

Specifics tasks for today:

• tidy up kitchen, 15 minutes PPW, call back health insurance tried again, busy again, call Nanie

Tuesday

Well, that's not what I call a productive day...

Daily tasks:

• morning, midday and evening routines
• 15 minutes digi organizing
• 15 minutes filing (my "to file" box is overflowing!)
• maintain e-mail and RSS reader to zero unread, catch up at least once a day with my fave websites and FB
• go to bed at 22:30 max, lights off at 22:45

Specifics tasks:

• Tuesday: get in touch with Lydie to see how she will prepare her exam and get inspired, call back health insurance still busy every time I try

Monday to do's... how am I doing?

Pfew, it's tough going back to work! I'm been running non stop all day, even though I started 30 minutes earlier than usual. I had 150 e-mails in my inbox (plus 460 spams), a huge pile of newspapers to read, tons of things to go through, plus a meeting tonight to prepare. Next time I will give me a couple "free" days when coming back from vacation so that it's not that hectic. I'm surviving, though! ;) Of course, with all that busy-ness I had nothing else in mind than work and I'm afraid my to do list will suffer of this. Let's see...
Daily tasks:

• morning, midday and evening routines
• 15 minutes digi organizing
• 15 minutes filing (my "to file" box is overflowing!)
• maintain e-mail and RSS reader to zero unread, catch up at least once a day with my fave websites and FB
• go to bed at 22:30 max, lights off at 22:45 Uh oh, considering I came home at 10:30, this isn't going to happen!

Specifics tasks:

• Monday: call back health insurance it's ringing busy every time I try!, give book back to Max, late meeting

Weekly plan

I'm going back to work, and after a 2.5 weeks vacation, I'll be busy catching up. I already have a meeting Monday at 7:30 PM, that gives the tone of the week: it's work time! LOL

Here's what I want to do this week:
Daily:

• morning, midday and evening routines
• 15 minutes digi organizing
• 15 minutes filing (my "to file" box is overflowing!)
• maintain e-mail and RSS reader to zero unread, catch up at least once a day with my fave websites and FB
• go to bed at 22:30 max, lights off at 22:45

Specifics tasks:

• Monday: call back health insurance, give book back to Max, late meeting
• Tuesday: get in touch with Lydie to see how she will prepare her exam and get inspired
• Wednesday: 15 minutes PPW
• Thursday: tidy up house if needed, iron while watching first episode of Flashforward and then give myself a manicure during second episode.
• Friday: plan next week's menus and grocery shopping list

333th blog post!

Ha... That's something, isn't it?? To celebrate, let me share Inception's trailer. I just saw the movie tonight and I absolutely loved it!


The visual effects are especially great, and as many of them as possible were done "for real", like when the world is "spinning", they were in a big set that was actually spinning, so that they were really walking on the ceiling. I really liked Di Caprio and Ellen Page (who played the leading role of Juno, another movie I loved) and the relationship between those two characters is interesting. It's directed by Christopher Nolan, who also made the fabulous "The Dark Knight". With so many good "ingredients", the results couldn't be anything but a great movie!

If you saw it, what did you think?

August and september goals

I really want to get back to my resolutions, and the back to school period is great for that, I find it really motivating. It's like a second New Year's Eve for me! So, my word for the year was PEACE, and here are my goals for (the remaining of) August:

• Personal: happiness project
• Job: plan the study for my exam
• Organizing: digi

And here are my goals for September:

• Personal: happiness project + start preparing IVF (appt, tests, ...)
• Health: 20 minutes/day indoor bike
  
• Job: create procedures and study for my exam
• Finances: track all my spendings
  
• Organizing: digi

I will create a card for september's goals and print it, it really helps when I have a visual reminder: no "I forgot about my goals" excuse!! LOL

Sunday

Last day before going back to work, still a lot to enjoy and do today. Here's my plan:

• Get up quite early (7:30 max) to get used to it again and be able to get up early enough for work
• morning, midday and evening routines
• 4x15 minutes on digi-decluttering
• 3x15 minutes on office storage and organisation
• 15 minutes on planning for my exam
• empty my e-mail inbox and unread RSS reader and maintain
• goals: create my september reminder, send it at work to print next week and post my goals here
• change cat's litter
• iron when/if I watch TV
• 2x30 minutes on DBF's logo
• Finish the digital part of my hybrid album (photos and journaling pages) and get it printed.
• Create 3 more monthly LOs 1 done and finish journaling for 2009
• Create one LO for SSD's portfolio
• Have a BBQ with inlaws for lunch
• Go to see Inception with DBF

Saturday

Okay, last weekend before going back to work! I know I will be busy for the next weeks or even months at work, so I gotta get productive now to start the last 4 months of the year on a good tone! Here's what I want to accomplish today:

• morning, midday and evening routines
• 15 minutes on my goals/resolutions
• 4x15 minutes on digi organizing
• get rid of 2 things on my "to do someday" pile
• post on my green blog and plan 3 more posts
• 2x30 minutes on DBF's blog design
• 4x15 minutes on our office storage
• maintain new e-mails and get 4 old ones done
• maintain RSS reader to zero unread
• laundry: wash and hang up one load, hang down dry laundry and put it away 
• finish the digital part of my hybrid album and print
• finish the monthly LO I already started, get 2 more done 1 done and write down journaling for 2 more months
• get to bed at 11:00 max, lights off at 11:15 I'll be a bit late since I'm turning the computer off at 11:15, but it's not that bad!

Friday

Ugh, today we have to go to the dentist... EEEeeeeeek! He's very gentle and it usually doesn't hurt, but I'm not looking forward to it anyway! My cleaning lady is back, and that's something to be happy about, I really hate housework! Here's what I want to accomplish today:

• morning and evening routines
• Chantal's b'day lunch (don't forget to take card!!!)
• paint window shutters
• dentist appt no cavities... Yahooo!!!
• next week's menus and grocery shopping list
• grocery shopping
• 2x15 minutes on my goals/resolutions
• 2x15 minutes on digi organizing
• get rid of 1 thing on my "to do someday" pile
• keep working on my hybrid album
• finish one 2009 monthly LO (yes, catching up!)

Okay, it wasn't a very productive day, I didn't get all I planned done, obviously. I'll try to go to bed at a decent time (gotta get back to work schedule) and be more effective tomorrow!

Thursday

As I said, I've been busy this morning helping DBF today. He's putting down a floor for one of his customer and I had to help with all the little things like pick up tools while he's down on the floor, go up and down the stairs to bring things, etc. I got a pretty good workout, actually. I'm so used to working hard! LOL

DBF doesn't need me this afternoon, so here are the things I want to accomplish today:

• tidy up kitchen
• call insurance
• back up pix and LOs on DVD
• finish health PPW, I don't know how long it will take but I want to get rid of it! It's not completely done, some things are on stand by and I have to call again for other things, but at least I have a clear vision of what's going on there! Pfew!!!
• 4x15 minutes on digi-organizing
• catch up on websites and RSS 
• maintain new e-mails + catch up on at least 3 old ones
• keep working on hybrid album
• create 2 montly LOs (gotta catch up on 2009 first) + write down journaling for 2 more months
• evening routine one LO started, journaling done for all 4 months
• iron clothes for one episode and then give myself a manicure while watching Flashforward
  

Wednesday already

I'll have to work with DBF tomorrow and be his assistant, so I have to be productive today and get a lot done! Here's my to do list for today:

• morning, midday and evening routines
• call insurance about glasses
• keep working on window shutters
• PPW: print letter and send it
• 2x15 minutes on "to do someday" pile
• 4x15 minutes on digi-organizing
• prepare lunch
• call beauty salon to postpone tomorrow's appointement
• prepare dinner
• post yesterday's LO
• work on my hybrid album 
• get the insurance paper and mail it

Tuesday's to do's

My plan for today:

• Morning routine
• Midday routine
• Evening routine partly done
• Run some errands
• Check my bank account report for July
• Pull some weed if the weather allows it
• Post my last 3 LOs including the hybrid one
• Make dentist appt
• 2x15 minutes on digi-decluttering
• 15 minutes on PPW
• 2x15 minutes on my "to do someday" pile
• Start working on the shutters: sanding
• Create one LO

My hybrid LO

I'm so proud of it!!

The LO

And now a couple details:

upper left corner with ribbon, buttons and misting

I used silver glimmer mist and masking techniques.

Cute ribbon and flowers

stamped and embossed flower

stitched photo corner

my greatgrandma's vintage buttons

The bottom with distress ink and masking

The title, white gel pen and sticker alphas

another vintage button, this one is in silk... how chic!!

The journaling box and some more masking technique.

So, what do you think? Am I right to be proud of it??

30 minutes!

I can't believe it. I actually scrapped a LO in 30 minutes, not one second more! Wow!!! I'm usually a slow scrapper, and some LOs take me hours, if not days. Anyway, one of this month's challenge @ SSD is to scrap a LO in half an hour, and I did it tonight! Didn't believe it was possible for me, and I even love the result:

Credits: You Make Me Intensely Happy by Lauren Grier @ SSD,

B&W photo action by Andrea Burns,

DJB Merry font by Darcy Baldwin.

So, what do you think? Pretty good for a LO that took me half the usual time, uh?

Oh, BTW that's my crazy cousin Anne and I being silly on the beach at my grandparents. 

Lazy Monday

When we got up this morning, the weather was soooooo bad and depressing that we felt like crawling back in bed right away! We didn't but we enjoyed a lazy day so far... How great! I still want to get some things accomplished today (besides finishing my hybrid LO, which I already did. I'm so proud of it, I'll post later!), so here we go:

• midday routine
• 2x15 minutes on digi-organization
• 2x15 minutes on PPW
• 2x15 minutes on health PPW
• change beddings
• from my "to do someday" pile: plant the "love seeds" I got + make pedicure appt
• prepare stuff for Anne (CD and meds)
• take pix of my hybrid LO and post
• create another LO (not hybrid, it took me forever!! LOL)
• check my bank account for july can't do it tonight, I gotta print it first.
• unload dishwasher and then deep clean it
• hang down and put away dry laundry done outside, still have inside to do
• evening routine
• read all RSS feeds

Sunday...

I had such a strange dream that it woke me up at 9 AM... even though I went to bed really late. We had a great night with our friends yesterday. They used to be good friends, he's even a childhood friend of DBF, but we didn't see each other for 5 years, I don't know why exactly. Anyway, we got back in touch recently and it was fun to be together. That doesn't make me forget about the things I want to accpomplish today, though!! ;) Here we go:

• morning routine
• pamper time (wax legs + manicure)
• start office / desk reorganisation, so that I can finally craft comfortably!
• prepare lunch
• midday routine
• 2x15 minutes digi-organising
• iron while watching "Love Happens"
• scrap 2 LOs one done, another one (hybrid) started
• catch up on TDC and SSD
• evening routine

Ugh, I don't know if it's the lack of sleep (still had 6.5 hours...) or something else, but I'm feeling really dizzy this morning, so I'll keep the list short and easy!

Saturday's to do's

Okay, I did pretty good with my list yesterdayand today will be as busy, so here we go again! Here are my to do's for today:

• morning routine
• finish to tidy up kitchen
• pick up, dust and vacuum living room
• clean, vacuum and mop kitchen
• clean, vacuum and mop bathroom
• prepare lunch
• midday routine
• clean cat's litter 
• dust and vacuum bedroom
• dust and vacuum office
• vacuum and mop entryway
• pull some weeds in hallway
• buy a little gift for our hostess tonight
• make pedicure appointement
• 4x15 minutes digi-organizing
• catch up on TDC and SSD
• prepare CT application
• create one LO
• give myself a manicure not done, but at least I removed the old nail polish!
• get ready for dinner
• have dinner with the K family

That's it for now, gotta go!!

Today's to do's

You know how it goes: big plans, 10 days to accomplish them, and when it's time to go back to the office, you haven't done much... Well, that won't happen to me this time, because I will break down my goals into daily to do lists, so that I can keep track of my goals and work on them! It's so easy to forget what you have to do when you get lost in the internet! ;) Here's today's to do list:

• morning routine
• tidy up wallet
• check calendar, plan next week's menus and write down grocery shopping list
• move everything to my "normal" purse (still have my vacation purse!)
• finish to unpack and put away my bag
• prepare lunch
• midday routine
• tidy up kitchen, which is a mess in progress
• 2x15 minutes on digi organizing
• iron clothes while watching "Fast Forward"
• wash and hang up one load of laundry (whites)
• make appointement for a new do my stylist is in vacay! Argh! and for a pedicure
• mail b'day card for L.
• stop at charity center to donate 2 bags of clothes
• go grocery shopping
• create one LO I even got 2 done!

Wow, what a list! Guess I'd better get started, uh?

Still in vacation but back to work!

Yeah, I know, quite paradoxical indeed! But I have a lot to do after being gone for a week. DBF was all by himself and... how can I say that gracefully... he's not the best housekeeper in the world! I'm definitely not either, but there is some basic maintenance that I do and he doesn't. Add to that the couple projects I'd like to get done before going back to work on the 23rd, and you understand why I can't stay on my behind all day long even though I'm on vacation! LOL Okay, here's what I want to accomplish during those 10 1/2 days:

• sand and repaint all window shutters
• create a professional blog and logo for DBF started
• get my e-mail inbox and RSS reader back to zero and maintain
• get back to my daily routines
• review and work on my goals/resolutions for the rest of the year
• get all health PPW done
• get all other PPW done
• get rid of my "to do someday" pile
• tidy and (finally) organize my office/craft area
• organize our office's storage
• 2x15 minutes on digi organizing daily
• iron the huuuuuuge pile of clothes
• get back on track with my favorites websites: TDC, SSD, youtube

And now for some fun stuff:

• scrap at least one LO per day
• get to see the K family on Saturday 14th
• go to see "Inception" with DBF
• call my friend Nanie, my mom, my friend Céline
• plan a celebration for Lydie's b'day

I'm back!

I had a great time, it was really great to see my grandparents and enjoy the sea (even though the weather was quite bad for a couple days). It's good to be home, too. I'll post several pix soon!

Last day before my vacay!!

Can't wait to go see my grandparents! But before I leave, I still have LOTS to do:

• tidy up kitchen
• tidy up desk
• change cat litter 
• pick up dry clothes
• iron clothes
• prepare packing list
• pack just the last minute items to add and I'll be good!
• stop newsletters while I'm gone (so that my e-mail inbox isn't full when I come back)
• empty unread e-mails and RSS
• catch up with websites (TDC, SSD and FB)
• charge PDA and cell phone
• wax legs
  

More or less in that order! ;)

Woohooo, I'm proud of all I got accomplished!