OMG it's December! Never fear, L I S T M A K E R is here!!!

The kids might be overjoyed but December 1 can send a sense of panuic through the minds of mums all over the modern world. Christmas is only a month away and SO MUCH TO DO! Don't panic...as a reformed Virgo once know as 'the L I S T M A K E R' (said in an Arnold Schwarzneger type voice) I'm more than eager to share my years of experience in 'to-do' list creation.
A list can help you get organised and free up your mind, but if you're not careful it can create a prison of MUST-DO's that can create even more stress. So, grab a piece of paper and a pen for my Virgo tips for creating a list to help get you through the silly season and save your sanity:


1. Start with a DOWNLOAD - Just start writing any TO-DOs that have been buzzing around your head. Take your time to completely download all of the things you think you need to do, even the minor things like buy wrapping paper or bigger things like shopping for food for Christmas Day. Keep writing until you feel your mind is free of these. (Don't be too overwhelmed about what you see in front of you...better out than clouding up your mind!)
2. Sift and SEPARATE - Circle or underline those things you consider urgent or really, really, really important.(If they have a deadline, put that date next to them).
3. Letting go - Are there any things you can either let go of, delegate to someone else, or do more simply (eg online or over the phone?). This is a great process to repeat several times between now and Christmas, especially if you're feeling overwhelmed.
4. Less is MORE - Remember, the less you have on your list to DO, the more time you have for YOU and your family! More time to create and enjoy the Christmas/ holiday period YOU WANT!
5. Make it a WISHLIST - At the top of a fresh piece of paper write 'My Christmas Wishlist'. Spend a few minutes thinking about how you want Christmas to FEEL for you this year. If it's usually mad and stressful, you might prefer a calmer, more joy filled one. Write one sentence about the experience YOU WANT this time around. (We spend so much time making Xmas special for others and rarely think about how we'd like to experience it!).

Then, transfer your list items across to this new 'wishlist', keeping in mind what you've 'sifted and separated' and any 'letting go' you've been able to do. Put your list in your diary, on the fridge or stuck on the inside a kitchen cupboard where you can add to it, take away or tick off. Remember, less (to do) is more (FOR YOU!).

Remember too that being organised can make life easier but PERFECTION is over rated and exhausting!!!

Happy Christmas preparations,
Lyndal

4 nights without kids...is that possible?

...anything is possible! It's been 14 months since bubs arrived and way too long since I've had a child-free break. I know this to be true because I get this strange itch I need to scratch ( I also start going a little nuts!!!)
So, in one week's time I'm heading off to Byron for 4 nights with a wonderful dear friend. For 4 days I'll have music and markets and early morning walks and maybe even fabulous cocktails, instead of dinners to cook and beds to make and clothes to wash and a bum to wipe and bodies to bathe.
It's not that I don't LOVE being a mum. In fact, it's because I love being a mum that I'm so looking forward to my break. I've met some mothers who could not imagine holidaying without their kids. For me, a few days away from the madness and everydayness of motherhood is priceless and injects a new energy and zest that's much needed and most welcome. I know it's not always possible...to take the time away for your SELF. I'm grateful I have the support in my partner to go. But most importantly I'm grateful I have the ability to let go - for just a short while - of the need to control what my chidlren eat, drink and wear and when they sleep and play...And I know my heart will overflow when I'm back with my gorgeous girls, a little more carefree...

Busy mum? Dare to dream...

As a busy mum, the idea of taking time from the daily doing of motherhood to tune into your DREAMS for the future might seem like a futile waste of time.
Let's face it, sometimes it's hard to find time to pee alone!


But a recent incident reminded me of the power/ magic/ whatever you'd like to call it of planting seeds in your own garden of possibility.
As a writer, I've turned to journalling for many years as a way of doing this. I wondferful woman I once worked with taught me how to write down your future 'as if it's happening right now'. I've done this in my journal over the years and have been amazed at how dreams can gradually unfold in their own time.
I once saw Oprah doing a dream board and decided to try it myself. Mine is attached here (see pic). The AMAZING thing I realised lately is that I made and photographed it a YEAR-TO-THE DAY before my second child was born. So, even before her 'seed' was planted, my mind was doing the work!
See the gorgeous woman (bottom right) staring out from a drop-pool...I swam in one of those amazing pools on an island holiday with my sisters last February. See the woman sitting poolside (bottom left). That's me on my 4 night child-free holiday next month (more on THAT later!).
I know these boards are merely images and dreams and it's mostly about how I'd like my life to feel rather than be! But the fact is, my life really is feeling more and more like this picture every day.
If you'd asked my 18 months ago, pregnant and suffering panic attacks, or even six months ago, exhausted and in PND mode, if I thought any of this was possible, I'd shake my head. In fact I hid this dream board away for quite some time. But bringing it back out has made me realise that sometimes your dreams just sneak up on you...
Why not try a Dream Board yourself?
Or, for a different approach, you could start with creating your 'Dream Week' or 'Dream Life' with a dream mentor expert. My friend Alison Nancye is just that! Check out her site and book Recipes for Everyday Life. If you buy her book (full of 25 'life recipes'), it could possible be the best Christmas present you could ever give yourself!
Lyndal
;0)