AMANDA'S BASKETS: Any Plans for 2013?

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Any Plans for 2013?

The second in the series of Ornament Doodles.

So do you have plans for 2013? Did you just jot down a few ideas on New Year's Eve or have you really explored what you would like to accomplish this year?

Rather than quickly writing up a plan of sorts, why not take this month to really think about it. Yes, that means sitting down in your favorite chair either in silence or listening to something you enjoy and spending some time daydreaming. And not just once, but several times...daily would be good.

Our lives are so crammed full of things to do that many of us forget to be like that child of wonder, sitting and imagining what our lives can be like. When we go from task to task just trying to get our 'to do' lists done, we wind up missing out on the actual living of our lives.

Rather than going from 'to do' list to 'to do' list, take a deep breath, slow down and remember that the only thing you really have is time. And the only time you have is the present. You can't respend yesterday and you can't bank tomorrow...all you can do is live today...right now...this very moment. Do you really want to spend all of that precious time on your 'to do' lists?

Now, don't get me wrong, I do know that lists are one way to get things done and to be honest, I make lists myself. But when those lists become our entire life and there's no room for spontaneity then we might want to rethink our approach to life.

So take time this month for yourself. Think about last year and those accomplishments that gave you joy. Think about those things that didn't go as hoped for but were successful in that you tried them. And then daydream...daydream about those things that you really want to tackle...those ideas that make you smile. And yes, we can make a list of them later on but for now just think about it and let your mind wander about all that childhood wonder that all of us experienced at one time in our lives.

Happy daydreaming...

More tomorrow...

Thanks for visiting...

CRAFTING IDEAS

I am always looking for a small piece of paper to write down something which will later be disposed of. I decided to use some of the scrap paper of which I have a ton. I mostly use the paper for glueing projects. I decided to cut the paper into a small size. (Six pieces from a piece of copy paper.). But just having them sitting on my desk would get messy without a container. So, using a cardboard box, I cut it down to size and using a hot glue gun I glued the ends together. Using a picture from a magazine cut into pieces and stick craft glue, I glued the pieces to the box inside and out. I also used some decorative tape for the outside edges. And to finish the top corners which were not covered, I used straight pins with colorful tops. Looks nice and works well.

MAGAZINE IDEAS

(New) One article in the Farmer's Almanac 2024 is a list of trends. One I knew about is the trend to downsize in just about every area. Another trend that I was surprised about was called ''The Human Library' which offers people on loan to talk about specific subjects. Finally, more folks are adding pets to their family and as a result, stores are adding more pet food, toys and medication to their offerings. There's also a nice garden article which suggests mixing vegetables and flowers together for success.

RECIPE IDEAS

Have you every made Cherry Dump Cake. It calls for 2 cans of Cherry Pie Filling (21 ounces), a white cake mix, 1/4 -1/2 cup butter, melted & 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans. In a 9 by 13 pan, spread both cans of cherry pie filling. Add the melted butter to the cake mix and break apart the resulting mixture and crumble it evenly over the pie filling. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 - 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Fast, easy and very delicious.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

What if you want to establish better habits, then decide what habit you want to work on. Again, try an easier one first for that good feeling of success. Let's consider more exercise. Start small. Don't try to run a marathon right away. Set the amount of time, the type of exercise and when to do it to begin making sure that it is within your reach. If it works for you each week add a bit more. Walking is one of the best ways to get good overall movement but there are many exercise videos on YouTube of varying lengths and difficulty to check out. Change your exercise routines to eliminate getting bored. For hardcore exercise with weights, give yourself a day in-between to recover. Even on days you would rather not exercise, do it and see if you feel better. It takes an average of 66 days to establish a habit. Just think 66 days to establish a good habit for a lifetime. Sounds like a good thing to me...how about you?