Look what arrived this morning!

My friend Aideen who lives in Galway has just become an agent for Scentsy. I have only heard of this concept from various American friends who mention them on Youtube. You know those amazing house organisational videos with the tidy larders and laundry rooms that aren’t full of dust bunnies and odd socks, well those women all talk about their Scentsy fragrances.

So, when Aideen announced she was going to have this product I thought, “Aha! I will have a nice smelling home and the Scentsys can tidy it for me!” (obviously the smelly stuff must have something to do with the tidyness right?)

Being the Sweetheart that she is she sent samples……. and being the fussy bag that I am I said, “nothing fruity, flowery or vanilla” I am impressed that she still had this many to send me!

I think i’m leaning towards Basil, or maybe one of the cinnamon or clove based ones. I have picked out my burner – its one without a light, picking the scent is really hard!

So, if you are in Ireland and want a nice whiff to your home contact Aideen, “scentsational by Aideen” on facebook (and no, she hasn’t paid me to say these nice things about her product!!)

I’ll invite you all over for a smell when the Scentsy elves have cleaned and organized everything!

Those yellow things on the right are tulips, they weren’t  on the list but they were pretty!

So, today we are having Shepherds Pie, I have to make two, one veggie, one with real shepherds (!)
Tomorrow is curry and rice, then Lasagna (again two) and then Bangers and Mash (Quorn sausages for me, they insist on Yorkshire puddings, peas and gravy with it which is actually yummy!)

I’m mad impressed that i’ve gotten this far! There are the makings of a cake in that lot too, if I make it now I can test it with a cup of tea, just to make sure I won’t poison them you see……

Here are the tulips so you can see how pretty they are.

Every January I get this longing to put my house and life in order – I write lists (I do this all year, but especially in January) these lists cover all manner of things, things i’d like to achieve, things i’d like to do regularly. By the end of the year some things have been done, some started and then forgotten and some things just keep turning up on the list because I never do them!

These are some of this years list:

Organize every inch of storage space in my house – this means in the kitchen and the dreaded Cupboard under the stairs.

Learn how to take decent photos so that I can document the progress of the above.

Run a bit more often.

Get my accounts in order – this is one of the re-occurring ones, but this year I have a tip or two to help.

Get to grips with the meal planning that I started and gave up last year and do only one food shop a week*

* – this may be normal to most people but I hate food shopping, I don’t plan ahead and consequently end up shopping for each dinner EACH DAY!!!! so my lack of organisation is making my least favourite activity happen more often.
WHY AM I NOT LEARNING FROM THIS???!!!!

Another recurring one – blog more often. If I write about more subjects then I will obviously have more posts to share. ( Am I a genius or what?!) so, I intend to include any renovation projects, maybe the odd recipe, better quality photos and lots of art. These will all be blogged about honestly, so if it goes wrong you will see it, if I’m working all day in my pyjamas with my hair looking a terrible mess, thats the photo you will see, because trying to be perfect is bloody hard work!

So, the “Accounts” one – well, that means both business accounts and household spending. I am a disaster for keeping business accounts up to date, when I started my business I was told ” Do the accounts every week” “Of course” I said, and I meant it……. suddenly three months had passed and I had one entry in the book.

Now, thanks to one of my beautiful Youtube friends Marlene I have been inspired to keep up with things  by making them pretty to look at – I know, its a bit fluffy, but she makes everything sooooo pretty. (you should see her house its beautiful! she decorates for every celebration, have a look at her channel, Valentines was one of my favs last year.)
Anyway, if I make a nice binder I bet I do the work more often…….. maybe!

Also, I found this on Pinterest today I found this:

This photo was taken on Christmas day, all of us, my Mum and the dogs (Boo is in Molly’s arms but hiding behind me.) Toby is wearing a paper hat from dinner!

 And this one was taken on St. Stephens day (or Boxing day) while I was out and about in the Hags Glen. Tim was busy climbing Carrontuohill for the 35th consecutive St. Stephens day, ( !!!!!) but I didn’t much like the look of the sleety, snowy, cold, slippery mountain so I went for a lovely long, low level walk instead.
( I am officially a light weight!)

This  year has been eventful….. its had ups and downs as most years do, I have considerably fewer fingers then I started the year with….. but it has been pretty good, everyone is healthy and happy.
I have a huge list of goals and wishes for 2014, there will be a good bit of house renovation (I’m getting itchy feet about the hallway, Pinterest is a killer!) some kitchen cupboard reorganising and some vague idea about sorting paperwork properly (if I spent as much time doing it as reading blog posts about it I would be the Queen of organised!!)
There are the usual threats of learning to speak French, of drinking more water and keeping my car tidy. But I think I shall put “appreciating what I have ” at the top of the list and that will be a good one to achieve.

Oh yes, my word of the year is…..ABUNDANCE!!

I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. xxxxx

 I was in Athlone for the Create with Kate Christmas party (sooo much fun by the way!) and I had all these different paper collections in my hand…. I couldn’t decide which ones to use, traditional or fun? and then I saw this. Its by Bo Bunny (who else?) and it has lime green and red which is my favourite colour combo, its 8×8″ and comes with all sorts of cute inserts and dividers and so on.
You should have heard the scorn that was poured on me!….. “you’re going to BUY an album???” “You’re not MAKING it???” (Yes Midi, that was you!!) so I procrastinated for a while and then thought, Yes, I am going to buy this ready made, just put it together kit because a. its pretty. b. I don’t have time to make one. c. This way I might actually complete my first December Daily!
And so far its going well 🙂

In other news, last Thursday was my one and only craft fair for this year. I wasn’t going to do any, but this was a fund raiser for a local school so I did. It was held in the Aghadoe Heights (which is a beautiful hotel, tres posh!) It turned out to be a great evening – there was a cookery demonstration and it was really well supported.

 Thats me (in case you didn’t know!)

 Now, when you go to fairs your stall neighbours are very important – these two were the best!! That is Guy Hulbert from Tralee – he makes chutneys and the most delicious vegetarian pate I have ever had (in fairness its the first time i’ve ever tasted any, but oh my it was FAB!!)  I bought two from him, one was beetroot,cashew and ginger and the other was Harvest pate which has lentils,garlic, thyme,sage, basil….. lets just say, Nom, Nom, Nom!!!!!

 and this is Caroline O’Connor, also from Tralee. she makes Christmas puddings, prize winning puddings with brandy and whiskey. They are so beautifully wrapped that it would be a shame to open them! I’m not a huge pudding fan but when I came home and told Himself about them he was horrified I didn’t get one, so I will be down to the food fair in the Outlet centre next Friday to make my purchase!!

Last night was a bit of a do for the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team. It was held in the Beaufort Bar and it was very well supported, (nice to see so many people that I haven’t seen for ages) anyhoo, there was a raffle and to my surprise and delight I won first prize!!

This hamper is huge!!! so we shall have a very merry(!) Christmas now, call in for a drink, we have loads!!

 Here are the Ladies in Caroline’s beautiful home studio in Bunmahon – making Christmas boxes to their hearts content! Yet again everyone had exactly the same kits and everyone made something different. Thank you all for coming, I will be back on Saturday 11th January for the Organizer class.

 The next gathering is in Athlone on 1st December, there are all sorts of good classes going on, I really want to do Carolines soap box class. All the details can be found at Create with Kate. Midi and I are working on the decorations, there is a lot of glitter in my house at the moment, but I think its going to look beautiful!

 So, you know the way you make plans, you fill up your day with doing all these jobs? then this happens and everything changes….. No one was hurt (which is the most important thing) but I am car-less for a while.

And this is just to prove that he can fix anything.! that is my sewing machine, since the Knit n Stitch show i have been sewing like a mad thing, and then the machine gave up. However the Mighty Tim fixed it and now I am making bits and pieces for the one and only fair i’m doing this year. Its at the Aghadoe Heights Hotel on Thursday 5th December, its a fund raiser for Fossa school. As its the only one I have lots of bits and pieces ready, so come over if you can.
I also have a kids class at home next Saturday – 1-3pm there are 2 spaces left if you’re small person would like to come (8- 11 year olds).
Now i’m going to make the most of this beautiful but freezing cold day before I get back to making stuff… its a hard life!!!!!

Zac and I have been enjoying the odd dry day with the dogs – the Autumn colours are so lovely.

And this year, for the first time ever, Tim and I made a Christmas cake.- yes, that is brandy in the bottle, apparently we needed it to preserve the cake. I would like it better without it I think! It is baked and wrapped up waiting to be covered in marzipan and icing.

Today has been full of very tricky decisions…….. with many different scenarios that all have different outcomes……..but which one to choose? I am actually addled from thinking, I found this quote on Pinterest but it just addled me more since I love the life I have, but this new choice might be good too????
But aren’t I lucky to have choices? Yes I am.

I know this makes no sense to anyone reading it…. sorry.

In fact, I think I shall follow the advice of this next Pin instead.