Tag Archives: planning

Owl or Fowl

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Are you an ‘owl’ (night person) or ‘fowl’ (morning person)?  I am definitely a fowl.  I generally get up at 5am to leave for work by 5.40am but even if I have no specific commitments I am often out of bed and rearing to go well before 7am.

It is so much more efficient to plan your day so that you get the maximum benefit from your prime time.  I can achieve more in 30 minutes in the morning than I can in 3 hours of an evening.

This evening is an excellent example – there is a basket of clean clothes to fold, some ironing to do, sewing to work on as well as sweeping and mopping floors.  I will not be doing any of it tonight but once I have had about 8 hours sleep it will be finished in less than an hour.

When do you do your best work?  Do you have different times for different activities?  How do you structure you day and what needs doing?

Planning Ahead

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We will be going to a wedding in March 2013 and while that is still 6 months away I have begun to consider what I might wear.  In fact, while we were on holidays I did look to see if I could find something suitable.  I do not even know what I am looking for which does make shopping rather difficult.

While I was sorting out some items in my sewing room I came upon this skirt which needs to be mended.

2012-09-27 01The skirt is fine – it is the lining that is the problem.

2012-09-27 02The lining is much narrower than the skirt and it has split at the sides.  I had only worn the skirt a couple of times before this happened and then I gained weight and it was a bit tight.  Now the skirt is fine and once I replace the lining with an underskirt that matches the shape of the outer skirt it will be fine.

2012-09-27 03This is the top which I originally bought to wear with the skirt and although I have worn it with other outfits it definitely looks best with the skirt.  The photo is not very flattering and the top looks better in real life.

I tried the ensemble on last night with black heels and have decided that it will be suitable for the wedding.  I am thinking of making a black jacket – possibly velvet and also having a black shawl/wrap.

My only concern is that the wedding is in Canberra in March (early autumn/fall) and the weather is totally unpredictable.  I could wear a camisole under the top and an extra slip if it is really cool.

I need to start looking at replacing the lining and choosing a suitable pattern and fabric for the jacket so that the sewing does not get left to the last minute.  A little bit of lateral thinking and planning may have saved me  a significant amount of money.

Time to Tackle ‘The List’

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With less than 6 weeks now until we head off on our trip it is time to really focus on what needs to be done.  The only way I can confidently achieve what I want to do in a specified time-frame is to have a list.

For the past few days while I have been busy with Miss O and Izz, I keep thinking of things I need to do.

Here is the beginning of the list:

Buy travel pants
Book appointment to have our tax done
Arrange remote access to the business network
Buy enough cat and dog food for when we are away
Check and stock up on my medication
Complete first draft of information for the house-sitter and email it to her
Attend specialist appointment re my injured knee
Cancel another specialist appointment
Pack for trip to Melbourne next week – 3 days of work then 3 days of holiday
Stocktake of food in the freezer and plan meals to use up as much as possible before we leave
Finish quilt for Izz’s birthday
Write list of birthday/Christmas gift ideas for Miss O and Izz
Measure Miss O and Izz with a view to buying clothes while we are away

That will do far a start.  I will update you as things are crossed off.  I find it much easier to have a written list than to have ideas floating in and out of my head when I am least able to deal with them.

Information Request

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I hope some of my US readers will be able to help with tips and information for our upcoming trip.

We will be spending 4 weeks in the north-east  of the United States later this year.  It will be be late August and into mid  September.

We are flying into Washington DC and spending 4 nights there .  Our accommodation is booked for those nights.  The rest of the trip is still flexible so would love your ideas.  I am thinking of 2 nights in Philadelphia, 4 nights New York City, 2-3 nights in Boston.  From there we hope to hire an RV and have about 15 nights touring.  We hope to travel as far as Bangor, ME as well as travelling through New Hampshire, Vermont and New York State.  Other things I have heard/read about which interest me include lighthouses along the Maine coastline, Mt Washington and fall scenery, Woodstock and Watertown,NY.

We have never been to the United States before and would like to make sure we maximise our time there.

Thanks again for your help.

Holiday Planning

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We have started looking at possible holiday destinations.  The first question was Australia or overseas.

I wanted to go to Central Australia  (Uluru and Alice Springs), Darwin and Kakadu National Park.  Due to the wet season, timing is crucial and accommodation is outrageously expensive and limited availability.

Due to the strength of the Australian dollar an overseas trip looked feasible.  Apart from New Zealand, our only other overseas trip was to British Columbia in 2007.  The East Coast of USA has always appealed so we are now looking at possibly going to Washington, Philadelphia, New York and Boston in September/October.

I have downloaded a couple of different Lonely Planet guides to my Kindle and am quickly learning some US geography.  We have friends who know this area quite well as tourists so caught up with them today and have come away with loads of ideas.  Now I need to distill the information and find what we want to see and do.

How do you decide where to take a holiday?  How much do you plan and book in advance or do you leave it to chance?

Any ideas or suggestions gratefully received.

A Precious Resource

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When we think of resources many would think of water, electricity or the minerals in the ground.

For those embracing a simple life, one of the greatest resources is time.  Time to make your food from scratch, time to repair your possessions, time to refashion clothes, time to spend in the garden growing your own food and so on.

Time is a valuable resource and it is in our best interests to use it wisely.  As some of you would know from previous posts, I am not a great fan of multi-tasking.  Nor do I expect that we should be ‘doing’ something all of the time.  Taking time out to just ‘be’ is as important as any task.

Sometimes it is worth looking to see if you can identify time which is just being wasted.  For me it would be the 2.5 hours I spend travelling on the train each day.  I often use the time to write my blog, reply to emails, plan menus for the week or update my diary.  Sometimes I knit or do some hand sewing.  Today I have redone the hem of a dress for Missy.  I also stitched the facings down as they had tend to roll out otherwise.

Do you have any windows of time in your day that you could use to take the pressure off what you try to fit into 24 hours?  Perhaps it is while waiting to pick up children from school or a sports event?

Garden Planning

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After a few weeks of mostly wet weather, our vegetable garden is pretty well non-existent.  While the weather was fine on the weekend, I took the opportunity to examine what is left.  The cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes all need to be pulled out.  There are a few corn growing and I don’t know whether the cobs will mature but I will leave them for the time being.  The same goes for the button squash which have weathered the wet conditions much better than the zucchini.  There is Greek basil still going under all the weeds so that will stay.  The cherry tomatoes are wild and threatening to take over the garden.

I also was able to pick some figs.  There are a lot more on the tree so I am hoping to get enough to make some fig jam (my favourite) and perhaps to try drying some as well.

2012-02-06 01Next weekend I hope that the weather is fine and we will remove all of the old plants and start preparing the beds for our winter crops.  It is time to get some more mushroom compost again and hopefully some mushrooms as a bonus.

Although it is still most definitely summer it is time to get prepared as we have a relatively short and mild winter.  I will be planting onion and leek seeds this week as it takes about 10 – 12 weeks before they are ready to plant out and that takes us through till the beginning of May.  Although I have grown onions successfully in previous years, our winter is not long enough for the tops to die down and dry off.  I have to pick the onions with the tops still green so they do not store well.  I have diced and frozen the onions previously but this year I hope to dehydrate at least some of them.

I checked the seeds that I have to see what else I need to buy.  I keep my seeds in a container in the refrigerator.

2012-02-06 03I buy my seeds from Green Harvest so am going to spend some time checking out the catalogue.  Fortunately for me, Green Harvest are located in Maleny, near my home so I can pick up my order in person.  I need more broccoli seeds and am going to try to grow cauliflower and cabbage from seed as well.  I may have another go a growing carrots which are my nemesis.

2012-02-06 02My ideal is to plant my first crop of broccoli seedlings around St Patrick’s Day (March 17th) so I want to get the seeds planted as soon as possible.

Preparation & Planning

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No matter what the task, preparation and planning are vital to ensure a successful outcome.

Our bathroom renovation is no different.  We have spent time discussing various options with the builder and also choosing tiles and fittings.

These are the tiles we plan to have.  The darker ones on the floor and lighter ones for the wall.  We were lucky that the salesperson at Amber Tiles was also an interior designer so was very helpful with colour choices.

2012-02-01 01We have also chosen the style of shower screen, toilet and vanity basin as well as the towel rails and taps.  These brochures contain our selections.  Even though we have chosen the items in the showroom, it is nice to have a pictorial record of our choices.

2012-02-01 02Our vanity unit will be made by the cabinetmaker so we still have to choose the laminate finishes that we want on the doors and bench.  I don’t have anything particular in mind so we may just go and peruse the samples and look for inspiration.

It is exciting to know that the new bathroom is soon to be a reality.  I can visualise it already, and I am looking forward to sharing the ‘after’ photos with you.

A Christmas Plan

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No, I have not forgotten that it is January.

We have all heard the phrase about learning from past mistakes.  While they are not strictly mistakes, past events can be reviewed to see if it is possible to change things with a view to making life simpler and less stressful for ourselves.

Since it is a new year, what better to review than Christmas and the festive season?

My Christmas celebrations are very low-key compared to some.  However, comparison is not the issue here – streamlining the process and having time to enjoy the seasonal festivities is my aim.

Last year we went on holidays in October/November so I didn’t really focus seriously on any Christmas planning until mid-November.  There are also family birthdays at this time – one in November and one in early December.

Lazy Brownie Day is a concept I may have mentioned last year but it never quite got off the ground.  I believe the name comes from a book character, but regardless of the name, the concept is that the 25th of every month is dedicated to Christmas preparations.   While I may not always be able to do Christmas prep exactly on the 25th of the month due to work commitments, I will have a plan and review it each month.  This year I want to make sure that I do a little bit at a time and that there is no mad rush (physical or mental) at the end of the year.

Based on what I did in 2011 I have mapped out a basic idea of what I need to do each month to ensure that I am organised when it gets to December.  I have taken into consideration what worked, what didn’t and what I wanted to do that didn’t happen.

This is what it looks like:

January

  • Sort and file Christmas cards and letters
  • Make sure any contact details are updated in address book
  • Update Christmas card list
  • Set up complete contact list for 2012 e-cards

2012-01-04 01February

  • Make gift bags
  • Plan home-made gifts
  • Make list of gift recipients

2012-01-04 02March

  • Write Q1 review for 2012 Christmas letter
  • Work on home-made gifts

April

  • Work on home-made gifts

May

  • Work on home-made gifts

June

  • Write Q2 review for 2012 Christmas letter
  • Work on home-made gifts

July

  • Work on home-made gifts
  • Make Advent calendar

2012-01-04 03August

  • Complete home-made gifts
  • Check what other gifts to buy

September

  • Write Q3 review for 2012 Christmas letter
  • Buy any extra dried fruit/ingredients for cake
  • Make Christmas cake

October

  • Write Christmas cards
  • Select suitable photos for Christmas letter
  • Discuss plans for Christmas festivities/venues with extended family

November

  • Buy Christmas stamps
  • Make sure Advent calendar is complete and ready
  • Check times and location of carol service and displays of lights

December

Week 1

  • Put up and decorate the tree
  • Finalise menu for meals I am hosting over Christmas
  • Do major grocery shopping to last until after New Year

Week 2

  • Post cards
  • Take Miss O and Izz to carols and light displays

Week 3

  • Send Christmas e-cards/letters
  • Take Miss O and Izz to work Christmas party
  • Buy fresh fruit and vegetables
  • Relax and enjoy

Since Christmas 2011 is still reasonably fresh in mind, I hope I have covered most things.  There will be other small things I do throughout the year.

I am going to print this post and put it in a folder for reference and with the assistance of Lazy Brownie days I plan to have a smooth, non-stressful lead-up to Christmas 2012.

Do you have any particular timelines for Christmas preparations?

Be Prepared

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Here we are in the third week of December and everyone’s thoughts are firmly focused on Christmas celebrations.

There are other things we should be thinking about at this time of the year as well.  The weather bureau is expecting a low pressure system which is south-east of Papua New Guinea to develop into the first cyclone of the season, probably within the next 48 hours.  You can see the details here.  While it is unlikely to directly affect Queensland in the immediate future, it is worth remembering that cyclones can be extremely unpredictable.

Regardless of where you live or what natural disasters are a threat to your region, you should have both an evacuation plan and arrangements which ensure that you can survive  in your home or current location without supplies or resources for at least 3 days (minimum).

Part of being organised is that it is easy to decide what to take if you have to leave in a hurry, or conversely, being able to function with what you have for at least a few days.  I have no intention of being in the queue for toilet paper and other basic necessities in the last 12 hours as a cyclone or flood approach.

What plans do you have in place in the event of a natural disaster?