Another little word...

and another, and another...

One of  my goals this year is to strike a few more items off of my Life List.  And because I want to make sure my goal is reasonable - no jetsetting off to Bora Bora this year for me - I am starting with one that I am pretty sure I can keep.

Learn a new word each day for a year.

Sounds simple enough, eh?

I've started up a 365 Words page and each day, with help from www.dictionary.com, I will post a new word with its' description.

The real challenge will come in trying to use those words in my blog posts through the week!  Not sure if that will happen but at least I will expand my vocabulary!  

Probably a smart idea if I plan to write a novel this year.

I just hope I'm not prevaricating. ;)

One Little Word 2011

Are you familiar with the term, One Little Word? 

If you aren't a scrapbooker, or have never heard of Ali Edwards, the concept of One Little Word is simple.  It is, in Ali's words, "the idea that a single word can be a catalyst for enriching your life as well as your scrapbook layouts." Here are more examples of Ali's posts about One Little Word from 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

I've been aware of Ali's concept since 2007, when she introduced it.  And each year, I half-heartedly made an attempt at choosing a word.  However, I didn't embrace the entire concept of allowing it to be integrated into my daily life, our family life, my work life - not just my creative life.

This year, I have thought long and hard on my One Little Word.  I have taken a long look at my life and where I want to be at the end of the year.  I have shared my resolutions with you and they all are important to leading me to the place where I want to be on December 31, 2011.  Happy with my health, my career, my relationships.

And it occurred to me that this year is going to be about the road towards these goals that I am setting out to achieve.   So this year, my One Little Word is:

Journey.

It's going to be about the journey upon which I am about to embark.  The road towards health, success and happiness.

What's your One Little Word 2011?

My Life List

I talked about posting my Life List earlier in the year.  Life continued on at its' usual hectic place and now here we are in January, 2011 already.

In November, a fellow DT member left for vacation in Bora Bora.  Definitely well deserved, as she works hard, but I'm just a teeny bit jealous too...

You see, Bora Bora is on my Life List under Places to Visit.  Has been for a long time.  And especially after seeing Couples Retreat, which was filmed there.

I realized that there are a lot of places on my Life List.  Many of them are for pure photographical pleasure - the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Wall of China, a Kenyan safari.  But many are just to enrich the soul and nourish the spirit - the Art Institute in Chicago, ice skating in Rockefeller Plaza, diving the Great Barrier Reef...

So as part and parcel of my 2011 resolutions, here is my comprehensive, always expanding, Life List.  Those in red are already completed - only 113 more to go! :) 

Travel and Leisure

• Visit the Pyramids of Giza
• Visit Prague
• Go on a cruise
• Travel to Alaska
• View the Grand Canyon (preferably by helicopter!)
• Visit St. Peter's Basilica
• Visit Stonehenge
• Visit the Sydney Opera House
• Walk the Great Wall of China
• Visit the Smithonian Museums in Washington, DC
• Visit the Art Institute in Chicago
• Visit the Louvre in Paris
• Go to New Orleans during Mardi Gras
• Go to Hawaii
• Visit all seven continents
• Go to Bora Bora, Tahiti
• Cross the Golden Gate Bridge
• Kiss the Blarney Stone
• See the Northern Lights
• See the Liberty Bell
• See the CN Tower
• Visit Pearl Harbour
• Visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame
• Walk through Central Park
• Go to Greece
• Go to Las Vegas and stay at the Bellagio
• Visit the ruins at Chichen Itza
• Attend Oktoberfest
• Visit Napa Valley and take a wine tour
• Cruise the Carribbean
• See the redwoods in BC
• Visit Notre Dame
• Stay at the Chateau Frontenac
• Stay at the Four Seasons in NYC
• Go to the Maldives
• Go to the Kentucky Derby
• Eat crab in Maine
• Visit Niagara Falls

Sports and Adventure

• Run a half marathon
• Dive the Great Barrier Reef
• Learn to snowboard
• Drive a race car
• Try fencing
• Go skydiving
• Swim with dolphins
• Go white water rafting
• Learn to surf
• Go on a safari
• Ride in a hot air balloon
• Go parasailing
• Go bungee jumping
• Ride a mechanical bull
• Ride the 10 largest roller coasters in North America
• Attend the Olympics (as a spectator)
• Climb to the top of a lighthouse
• Drive a Ferrari
• Own a convertible
• Ice skate in Rockefeller Plaza
• Sail on the ocean
• Go whale watching
• Sleep under the stars
• Go on a spur of the moment road trip
• Ride on a Harley Davidson
• Charter a yacht
• Ride a camel
• Ride an elephant
• Bet on a race horse.  And win.
• Experience weightlessness

Relationships

• See my children happily married
• Have at least one grandchild
• Be happily married
• Plan a family reunion
• Plan a spa weekend with my sisters
• Make a difference in a child's life
• Stand up in a friend's wedding

Personal Development and Community

• Become fluent in Italian
• Learn to ride a bike
• Learn to draw
• Learn to ballroom dance
• Learn to fly a helicopter
• See a comet
• See an iceberg
• Throw a surprise party
• Have a surprise party thrown in my honour
• Touch a snake
• Win a contest
• Take a gourmet cooking class
• Age gracefully
• Sew a quilt
• See a foal being born
• Meet someone with the same first and last name
• Donate blood
• Volunteer 1000 hours
• Learn to drive stick shift
• Go horseback riding
• Identify 100 things that make me happy
• Find an inspirational quote and create a work of art based on it
• Complete a 365 day photo challenge
• Sing karaoke at a bar
• Learn a new word each day for a year
• Organize a charitable event
• Learn to play a musical instrument
• Become an early riser
• Build a Habitat for Humanity home
• Volunteer at the Downtown Mission
• Shop at Harrods
• Complete a 365 day journal challenge
• Have my portrait painted by a street artist

Lifestyle and Culture

• Get invited to the Queen's tea party
• Milk a cow
• Ride in a gondola
• Ride in a limousine
• See an authentic bullfight
• Stay at a dude ranch
• Attend a major concert or musical event
• Attend the ballet
• Attend the symphony
• Attend a Broadway show
• Visit an air show
• Grow my own vegetables
• Get a tattoo
• Get a nose ring
• Send a message in a bottle
• Have my fortune told
• Fly first class
• Own a grand piano
• Get a massage
• Go on a picnic
• Fly a kite
• Go an entire month without fast food
• See a drive-in movie
• Go skinny dipping
• Make ice-cream from scratch
• Take a yoga class
• Kiss a stranger
• Learn to drink (and like) wine
• Attend an authentic luau
• Try an exotic meat like ostrich or alligator
• Watch the 10 greatest American movies of all time
• Meet someone famous
• Own a hot tub
• Run a six minute mile
• Do 50 chin ups.  At one time.
• See the Stanley Cup in person.
• Try authentic New Orleans gumbo
• Eat escargot
• Own a Coach purse
• Own a pair of Manolo Blahnik or Christian Louboutin shoes

Career and Finance

• Write a novel
• Write a novel (and get it published)
• Earn a Bachelor's degree
• Be my own boss
• Be a radio show guest
• Win a photography contest
• Own a beach house or cottage
• Be debt-free by 50
• Teach a class
• Write a children's book
• Have a gallery exhibition

So, what's on YOUR Life List?  Here's a couple of sites to help you get started:

• Bucket Lists
• My 50
• SuperViva
• Squidoo - 100 Things

And if you need inspiration, check out John Goddard, who at 15, listed 127 things he wanted to achieve - to date, he only has 17 left to go!

Please leave a comment with a link to your Life List, if you want to share - maybe you'll give me some ideas to add to mine! :)

Welcome, 2011!

2011 has arrived!

Have you made any resolutions this year? 

It seems that each year, we (and by we, I mean I...) make resolutions and have good intentions to stick fast to them.  But life happens and our good intentions fly right out the window, along with our spare time. 

Sadly, they don't take the extra poundage gained from all of the holiday food. :s

Nevertheless, I am persevering and am making new resolutions this year.  Again.  The idea is that by broadcasting them on my blog to my 22 faithful readers, I will feel compelled to stick to them.

And that you will all hold me accountable to them, right? :)

So, here I go...

Career
I mentioned earlier that I wanted to revive my photography business.  I miss being out in the field and shooting.  Past health problems with my knees and back have limited my movement and so it became harder to have photo sessions on location.  So this year will be about booking more sessions and promoting my photography. 

I have also started to teach photography workshops.  I have been approached by several locations already for 2011 and am looking forward to that.  I love helping people learn about their cameras!  (Psst... If you'd like to see me come to your neck of the woods and offer a Hands On! photography workshop, email me for more info!)

Another career goal is to get my new website up and running.  If you haven't stopped by already, don't worry - you're not missing anything!  We only have a splash page up for now while we work on getting it ready, but you can send us your email if you're interested in being notified when it's finally updated... soon, hopefully!

Lastly, in the past eighteen months or so, since I've stopped creating Just Cre8 kits, I have been spending a lot more of my spare time reading.  This has once again fueled my passion to write a novel.  I'm going to start out with a small goal of 1,000 words a month. 

I just have to decide on a storyline now! :)

Relationships
My mom's passing, six years ago now, really emphasized the importance of making time for family and friends.  But as with many things, life has a way of taking over and the little things that we aren't supposed to sweat find their way into our lives and take precedence.  So this year is about re-connecting and spending more time with family and friends.

Health
In the last few years, running my own business took a huge toll on my personal health.  A lot of time sitting in front of the computer, more late nights than early (some more early in the morning than late at night!), a lot of fast food due to lack of time...  None of it healthy and all of it responsible for health problems that have crept up - deteriorating knees, weak back, sleep apnea, insomnia, to name a few.

So this year is all about health.  I've made it my goal to be in bed early every night, unless there is a special function.  That means, no later than 11pm every night, 12 midnight at the very latest.  You may not consider this very early, but if you consider that my usual bed time is was 2pm or later, it's a start.

As well, there is going to be more moving instead of sitting.  Even if I am writing, or scrapbooking, or blogging, there will be a 5 minute break every hour or so - a quick run up and down the stairs, a brisk walk around the block, a quick tug on the rowing machine.

THe other half of the solution is food.  QUANTITY is not really the problem as I've been watching my weight for so long that portions are second nature for me - the problem is the QUALITY of food.  I'm aiming for more wholesome, natural foods and less pre-packaged and fast foods.

So that's it for my 2011 resolutions.  I have other goals that I want to accomplish, but I think this is enough for one year... there's always next year! :)

What are YOUR resolutions for 2011?

Another year older...

And I realize that while I have accomplished much in my life already, there's still so much that I want to do!

Enter my Life List.

A life list, also known as a bucket list, made popular by the movie of the same name.  It represents a list of goals that you would like to achieve in your lifetime.

Do you have a Life List?

I sat down one night, shortly after my birthday this year, and began to write my life list.

I stopped at 3am when I had reached Goal #160!

I think I will post them on a separate page on my blog and work towards checking items off, one by one... :)

Now, where did I put my parachute...?

Happy 2009!!

We spent a quiet evening at home with the kids and Gary's parents, watching the ball drop. A far cry from our exciting NY gala events and trips to Mexico, but heartwarming, just the same.

Did you think about your New Year's Resolutions? After following the trend of making resolutions, only to fall off the wagon, by February, I've decided to set certain goals that I'd like to achieve, rather than actual specific goals. And I figure if I list them here, I'll have more incentive to keep up with it!

2009 GOALS

Create a documentary
In 2008, we found that many of our day to day family experiences were taken for granted and not documented. This year, we've decided to capture more of our day to day life by having EACH of our family members take at least ONE photo of a part of their day, to get everyone's perspective. It may not always happen but even 50% would be an improvement over last year!

Try a little kindness
In keeping with the Pay It Forward theory to which we subscribe, I am going to attempt to practice random acts of kindess each week. It may be a kind gesture, like buying coffee for the person behind me in the Tim Horton's drive through, or as simple as smiling at a stranger. Kindess makes the world go round.

Live healthy
In order to encourage good eating habits in the children, and to avoid the "Do as I say, and not as I do" method for healthy living, I am going to schedule at least 20 minutes a day for cycling or walking, working up to 45 minutes by the end of the year. More fruits and vegetables and taking the time to eat at regular intervals will help to speed up my metabolism as well.

All in the family
This year, I will try to find a better balance between work and home. Super late nights should be the exception, rather than the norm. Spending time with our nuclear family, as well as extended family and friends will be a priority.

Cre8ive Outlet
As excited as I am to be running my own business, I am saddened by how much it has detracted from my own scrapbooking time. This year, I have created a monthly schedule of dates and have emailed my old group of scrapbooking friends, knowing that they will hold me to it. I find that if I have planned time to scrap with friends, I'm less likely to set it aside for other matters. So I am hoping to be more productive with my own kits! :)

Organize 101
My word of the year this year is going to be SIMPLIFY. With Connor accelerating to Silver in swimming, and Aili hoping to take gymnastics this year, our lives are only going to get busier. The goal is to simplify our home (a place for everything and everything in it's place) so that less time is spent tidying and searching for items. I think I may ease myself into the Fly Lady's routine...

There is much more that I hope to accomplish this year, but we'll begin with baby steps... Happy New Year to all of our friends and family! Wishing everyone much joy, happiness, health and prosperity in 2009!!