A First Glance at This Week

Every Sunday I sit down for a few minutes with a cup of coffee and look at the week ahead. A moment spent looking at my new year's resolutions, business, family and personal appointments. Here is what I came up with to do this week --

Resolutions -
Celebrate myself; do something for me. This week I'll try a new hair color (maybe go back to my original red hair color not strawberry blonde) and check out a new spring purse (shop my closet first maybe there is one that I forgot about or one I can retro fit. Hmmm?)

Nurture friendships; spend time who people who encourage each other and applaud achievements. Maybe a get-together we haven't done that since February. Also I'll send a hand written note to acknowledge someone's success or good news. (A friend just found out she is going to be a Grandma and card to the expecting parents would be nice.)

Becoming a Healthy Renaissance woman; I have a new recipe to try for dinner and for my lunch. Also I found a new tea to try - still looking for the perfect iced tea for summer. Search the internet to find out how to get my bike ready for riding - finally bike riding weather. I would like to find some new/old music to listen to, I'll ask the kids what they are listening to these days. Does anyone else have ideas?

Business -
Get a Face book fan page for my website. Along with sending out an email newsletter (I have a few signed up, Yeah!)

It is Administrative Professional Day this week I'll have to think on this.....

Family/Personal -
Keep working on the David Bach book plan. This is building on Dave Ramsey’s plan.

Plan something fun for the weekend.

Spring Cleaning; Where? And what?

Earth Day this week what should we do?

Take time to sew.

Lots of things to do and think on but not lots of work just life. I'll share as I go this week...

Just went out to edge the flower beds. Not planting time yet so this is the best time to edge and get a jump on the spring chores. The temperature was in the 50's today, warmer than normal. My father stopped in and mentioned the rhubarb was big enough to pick.

Yes, a fresh rhubarb pie was on his mind. And since it started my mouth watering and my husband smiling I picked some and went in to make a pie. My go-to recipe is from Lisa Yockelson's 'Country Pies' cookbook. (It is part of a three cookbook set including 'Country Cookies' and 'Country Cakes'. A great collection!) A bonus - I was able to use some strawberries I had frozen last summer in the pie. Only two packages left in the freezer enough to last until picking time in 6 or 7 weeks. Sunday dinner is now complete, yum.

A note on this picture of chopping rhubarb. The cutting board is from my niece as a Christmas gift she made for me in middle school shop class. What a dear thoughtful gift - I think I am always chopping.

New Year Resolutions...Hmmm...

OK. It is a big list of resolutions. But it all boils down to a New Year, kind of a new home and again kind of a new life. We just celebrated our one year anniversary and have sold my home and decided to stay here. So this year is to combining homes, lives and business. How do you create a home? As an interior designer I have helped many people with their homes - even won awards for it. But how do you create a HOME? I have always admired grand homes from the South, France and England. So this year my thoughts are to explore creating a home with a history - our history. So each month I'll break down and explore 'home-making'. This month I'll work on organizing the office and kitchen. Why? If the office is organized bill keeping will be easier therefore financial goals can be worked on. Also if the kitchen is organized (especially getting rid of the third blender from merging the houses) eating healthy will also be easier. So this month lets explore offices and kitchens....

The other resolution is for me to grow to be well rounded. So I joined the 2010 Happiness Challenge. This week is focused on getting enough sleep. This is an area I need to work on, I push myself to keep getting more done. I am setting a bedtime and sticking to it. I also thought as I wrote my thank you notes for the holidays that I was weak in this area. I went and borrowed a few books from the library today - 'The Art of the Handwritten Note' by Margaret Shepard and 'Words to the Rescue' by Steve Fadie. So my goal is to write one handwritten note a week and to learn more about this 'art'.

To make this week fun in these resolutions I am giving myself an artist date to find some fun ink pens, markers and/or pencils to write with. In my local town there isn't a stationary store but Arnie's Arts & Crafts may work, if not I looked up and found a stationary store, Papers Plus, in Grand Rapids. Maybe a road trip....Also as a treat for organizing the office this weekend I'll make some fun note cards - rubber stamp, watercolor, paper scraps. I'll post them soon.

OK places to start on the resolutions, let's get going on them.