Massage - Pamper yourself!

                                                                               Source: rikyu.co.uk via Amanda on Pinterest

Spent some time on me last week out of the busy schedule and had a massage.  It was so nice to be able to stop for an hour and just relax and think!  When was the last time you spent some time on you?

I have been going to a delightful massage therapist called Emi Hojo for around a year - off and on.  She is welcoming, encouraging and having studied massage myself, she definitely has a great technique.  For such a small woman she can definitely work those knots and unworked muscles and give you a great deep tissue treatment.

                                                                                   Source: rikyu.co.uk via Amanda on Pinterest

I had promised myself last year that I would have a regular massage each month, but good intentions gave way to neglect and then the thought of 'you couldn't possibly spend time on yourself what are you thinking'.

With 3 months of challenges behind me and ones that are continuing I was reminded that it is the small things that you do on a regular basis that will improve your health and well-being, so going for a walk for 20 minutes, spending time creating and getting a massage on a regular basis as well as anything else that can improve your fitness will have an overall positive effect.  I definitely recommend  Emi, take a look at her website Rikyu Health and Beauty, and think about treating yourself, you won't be disappointed. After the treatment I lay listening to the bird song and waves in the dimly lit room, and after dressing was given a delicious rose tea to send me on my way.

    Source: rikyu.co.uk via Amanda on Pinterest

As well as the monthly things you can do for 'you' think of the daily activities you can treat yourself to that do not cost anything.  You can go sit in your local park, wander round an art shop or gallery, go to a cafe, soak in the bath with your favourite products....the list is endless  With February being a short month think of other ways you can incorporate a 'just for you' activity on a daily basis and enjoy the end results

Photographing Art work - Clearing the Clutter Challenge Day 30

 

This has been quite a month of photographing, writing and posting and still catching up, and one of the major tasks I have been putting off is taking new photographs of art work and uploading them on the website.  I have many pieces of art work and crafts for sale and the only thing holding me back at the moment is how they are presented.   Decided to take a bit of time on this and next week it will be on the top of my list and I will give myself the time and space to focus.  

Started the course Hello Soul Hello Business earlier this month and it is really getting us to think about the what and the why of our businesses, and I have gained new insight into where I want it to go.  In February I will be taking a break from the 30 day challenges, life can sometimes be one big challenge and need to just consolidate everything else that I am doing and get down to the meat of the course, and follow up on some of the things I unearthed over the past few months....also want to get back to some journalling, have been doing some as I have been clearing the clutter, will be sharing some of the pages soon.

I also want to play around with some digital art, itching to start doing some work from Susan Tuttles book - Digital Expressions to see what I come up with.  So with this it's good bye January, and hello February! Do share what will be new for you in February?  Do you have a course or book you want to try?

Clearing the Clutter Challenge - The Teenagers Room

   

What to do in my son's room, there are a few options, not sure he would appreciate all of them..though he would get the leg space he needs in this one!  

 

Source: yayeveryday.com via Vanessa on Pinterest

This one might work without the extra beds and suspended from the ceiling, but with more leg room he's still growing and his legs currently hang over his current bed (help!)

 

Source: ohdeedoh.com via Aurora on Pinterest

Might be forced to use the two palms in the garden to recreate this, there is lot of storage space out there, not sure if  he would enjoy sharing his room with the wild life! But I would get my studio (Lol!)

Uploaded by user via Katie on Pinterest

I think I've found it give or take the colour and the posters and wall space.... (Sekani....come here and look at this! :) 

Source: Uploaded by user via Kaye on Pinterest 

Now maybe a new look for my room is due......

Source: bhg.com via Natalie on Pinterest                                                                                                                                                                

Clearing the Clutter Challenge - What's happening in the Garden? Day 27 and 29

Well, what can I say, nearly the end of the challenge and I have been quite on it (for most of the time).  I know we all have that part of the house, or our space - somewhere that needs clearing, organising or just plain dumping.  Wanting to make a fresh start and catch up with yourself.  I have unearthed many delights I forgot I had.  I will be posting for previous days to let you know how I got on.

Today's challenge was to sort out the garden and I have combined this with day 29

Its amazing what the wind can do, we have 2 New Zealand Cordyline australis palms in our garden I planted about 8/9 years ago, didn’t realise that we would be constantly picking up the fallen leaves, but they do look glorious in the summer with their lovely smelling flowers. When you open up the kitchen window you get a whiff.. 

 

Once fallen I have been using the leaves to tie plants together, when you split the fallen wet leaf they are quite strong and you need scissors to cut them width ways.  I haven't come up with any creative weaving ideas for the Cordyline Australis.... here is more information about the plant if your interested... .  They have also been useful as ground cover to protect the roots of some of the plants, I haven't yet tried to dry them and use them in an art piece....
 
The back of the garden got quite a bashing in the high winds. I have been thinking of converting the shed into an art space, at the moment it has a lot of things that also needs sorting, but thats for another day!

 

The other thing that needs work is the plum tree, it should have been cut back at least 2 summers ago, so we will be cutting it back this year. Hopefully we'll get a better crop of plums, though the birds have fed off the ones we couldn't reach.

Speaking of the birds I hung some fat balls, I love hearing them sing and thought I would take part in the RSPB big garden Birdwatch this weekend. It is an opportunity to see which ones are coming into the garden.  The RSPB also suggest ways in which you can make your garden or space more bird and wildlife friendly. I am hoping to get some pictures of the birds that are our regular visitors, and may be inspired to get some ideas down for the shed come studio! What outside jobs have you been putting off?