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Template and all digital elements: Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals
So, I spent Mother's Day with my amazing mom!
She truly is the very best a girl could ask for. I am undeniably blessed to have been given her. And even better, is that all the grandkids get to benefit from knowing her too!
So, tonight I am working away on my May One Little Word assignment.
This concept of choosing a word with which to define yourself for an entire year is very powerful. I have already accomplished more than if I had just written out 10 New Year's Resolutions.
Since my word is REALIZE, as in 'Just do it! Get it done!', I began this project by attacking some of the random jobs around the house that I have been putting off. It felt good to check those items off the list. But now, as May begins, I am beginning to see that this word can take me much deeper than a 'To Do' list.
This month, I plan on using my word, REALIZE, to look at my life as a whole. I did some internet research and came up with the following categories:
At this point, I am not sure which of these areas I will begin with. I am just following my heart and the challenge set out by Ali Edwards to push myself with my word.
I will keep you posted...
So, I've been working on my Mother's Day cards.
I didn't really have a plan for this card, it just emerged. I kept adding things until it felt right.
This one is for Sean's mom. He is leaving for Puerto Vallarta in the morning for 9 days on a work trip. He is going down with some fellow firefighters, police and medics to build two playgrounds. Even though he will be working, he will be in the hot sun. I am envious.
I plan to spend Saturday and Sunday with my mom. I can't wait. She is very important to me in my life and has always been supportive. Every new thing that I experience raising my own two girls makes me appreciate my mom even more as I realize now what she did for me all those years.
How are you spending Mother's Day?
Digital kit: Orchard Lane by Echo Park Paper Co.
So, I am very fortunate to live only one hour away from Banff.
Because Banff is in a National Park, there is a park pass fee and we usually don't want to pay it. So, usually, when we want to get away from the bustling city, we only drive out as far as Canmore. However, this time was different.
The girls and I were on Spring Break and we decided to take them to the Hot Springs in Banff (yes, we paid the park pass fee). We have gone out to the mountains several times with the girls, but had not yet taken them to experience the Hot Springs. This seemed like the perfect occasion. And it was, even if the weather kiboshed some of our plans.
So, I love lemons.
Spring and lemons just go hand-in-hand, don't they? Leaving the house for work on an early Spring morning, dressed in a skirt and open-toed shoes, chilled air prickling my bare legs, reminds me of that tart lemon sting in my mouth.
So, I took a different focus this month.
I have found my One Little Word, REALIZE, to be very flexible. Throughout this journey so far, I have used my word to really get done, or accomplish those things that I have had an intention to do, but just not completed.
January was all about choosing and defining my word.
February was all about organizational tasks that needed to be attacked.
March was all about my writing and realizing the intention I have had to write a novel. I made great progress by focusing my efforts on it for the entire month!
This month, April, I used my word to focus in on my blog. I started this blog almost 2 years ago. At that time I knew nothing about blogging. I chose a simple template. I stuck to a very basic look and feel. My goal was simply to share my thoughts and my life through stories and pictures. I had family who were interested in seeing what we were up to and I thought this would be a great way to share with them.
Following Ali Edwards has made me take notice of documenting real life. I am a scrapbooker, so I already enjoy the capture and retelling of our stories. Blogging has just become a platform for sharing these moments with not only my family, but others with similar interests in scrapbooking and blogging.
My readership has grown over the past two years and I am so humbled. There are so many talented scrapbookers and bloggers out there. I have a lot to learn from their example and their expertise.
This month, I tried to REALIZE a better blog for my readers. I looked into what people are interested in hearing about. I started conversations with other bloggers. I researched how to add new widgets and such. I am learning about html and coding to better my blog. I joined Twitter to increase traffic to my blog, although I have not been very efficient with this yet!
Most of the improvements I made to my blog this month are behind-the-scenes. You may not have noticed them. It was more about my learning and how to augment the functioning of my blog. One goal I was hoping to REALIZE this month, was to put up a new customized banner on my blog. Unfortunately, I did not accomplish this task in April. I am still trying to figure out how to get the right size image before uploading it!
All in all, I am please with what I REALIZED this month in regards to my blog. I have learned a lot and I am still learning.
Thank you to you, my readers, for your faithful visits and encouraging comments! I appreciate every one of you.
Now, please visit Jamie at Paper, Art, Etc. who is next on your blog hop journey.
NOTE: All blogs go live 8am PST.
And, in case you have lost your way in this blog hop, here is the entire list of participants this month:
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Margie |
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Lisa Allen |
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Abbey R |
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Jill C. |
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Sam |
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Amanda K. |
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Cheri A. |
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Rebekah P. |
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Lynn W. |
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Nikki |
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Monica B2 |
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Chrissy |
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Jen S. |
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Monica B1 |
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Katrina |
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Julie Ann |
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Jenn |
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Donna B |
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Cindy |
http://seriousplay.typepad.com <---YOU ARE HERE! |
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Jamie |
http://jmpgirl.blogspot.com/ <---Now go HERE! |
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Karen D |
Blessings,
Cindy
