Every Year

It happens every year. The same day, the same time, the same everything. Yet for some reason, I can't seem to get ahead enough of myself to be able to relax during the week leading up to Christmas.

This year, I had it all worked out. I had most of the presents bought and made by October. But a couple of things slipped past me and here I am, less than a week away from Christmas, with three objects that need to be finished. One hasn't even been started yet.

I would like to congratulate myself, however, on having a backup plan. A few people who were originally going to get a hand knit this year are actually going to get them next year. Their presents are still handmade, and all is wonderful and well. My stress level has decreased since I don't have seven objects to finish in a week now.

Sigh. I'm starting on next Christmas the second I finish with this one. I WILL be relaxing this time next year!

Finished Object Roll Call: November 2015

This is the day each month that I post a bunch of pictures of things that I finished making during the month. This month, all I can show you is this:

Because all of the other things I made this month are for Christmas. So, altogether I finished 4 Christmas presents and am partway through 4 others. I'm gonna crank them out so I can start focusing on some "me" projects during December and January. Cause my sock drawer is disappointing me lately. 

If you'd like to see the FO's in progress, as they are completed, and some other random bits and pieces of life, follow me on Instagram!

I also do GIVEAWAYS on Facebook. Hat #1 and #4 were both giveaway hats. You should go 'like' the page, be sure to be following it too! 

Happy Halloween! 

About a month ago I ordered this printable from The Abandoned Attic  and finally got it all put together and on our door today. I hope we get Trick or Treaters this year!

The Diffuser

One of the things I went into this oil journey with was knowing that I wanted to try a diffuser. I had seen some of the teachers at the lab school I worked at for my assistanship use them in their classrooms. They used them to calm children in general, keep a productive class, and things like that. I was intrigued.

So, with my second order with Doterra, I made sure to get a diffuser.

It was a rough start. The diffuser tells me to use "a few" drops in it. "A few"?! How many is a few? My first go around with it, I definitely overdid it. I won't tell you how much I put in, but it left both my husband and I having a hard time with the smell and, well, breathing in general.

The second go around I first made sure it was at a time when my husband was not at home. I'm still trying to get him on board with this whole natural health with oils thing, so I try to be covert. This time I only used 3 drops in the diffuser, and I think that's the 'magic number' for me. It's not too overwhelming, but it still is enough to do it's job.

So far I've diffused lavender, onguard (when I was really, really sick with that ear infection), Serenity, and a blend that I learned about from one of my doterra team members, she calls it "Productivity Please" and it's a peppermint-wild orange mix. It's quite nice actually.

I'm still on the fence about oils in general, though. Yeah, they smell nice and all, but as far as all the miraculous stuff I'm hearing other people talk about? Still not there yet. In fact, I'm not sure I ever will be. We are quite healthy and I think that oils are something that will be a great supplement to our routines, but not the end all be all of our healthy lifestyle.

Because There's No Competition at 5 a.m.

I have a really hard time waking up in the mornings when I have work. I don't understand why. But on days like today, when I can sleep in a bit, I physically can't. My body won't let me. The same body that acts like it's the end of the world at the exact same time yesterday thinks all is well and wonderful today.

One of the biggest positives I have found on days like today is that there is absolutely no competition at 5 a.m. in the laundry room. I can get all of our laundry done (last week it was 6 loads) before anyone else is even conscious enough to remember they need to do laundry.

I also get a weird satisfaction out of vacuuming at 5:30 am, just because I can annoy the neighbors who vacuum at 11 p.m.

(p.s. It is now currently 6:30, I've been up for 2 hours, for any of my 5 readers who are curious)

Hazards of the Job

I started a new job a few months ago. I've got a 'big girl' job as the lead teacher in a classroom. And unfortunately one of the perks of starting a new school year, at a new school, with a new demographic, means I get exposed to new germs.

I've been sick for the last month.

Around the same time I got started with being sick, a friend of mine introduced me to essential oils. While I will not say that they completely cured me, I did have some interesting experiences with them. I am still reserving my final judgment on them for later, after I have more time to try them out in different ways, but over the next few days I will blog a bit about what I've used so far and how I feel about it at this point in time.

Cheers!

Sorry for the Pause: Gridelin Again

Hi all! I'm back, hopefully for good this time. (But of course I say that every time and then life happens.) I have plans to blog a bit about some of what has been going on lately, I've been busy that's for sure.

So, here's a quick up date on the Curls project. I started Gridelin waaay back in August. I've been picking away at it since then, as well as trying to get some other projects done as well. I got to the point in Gridelin where I started to think, "I don't think it's going to be big enough."

Of course, these patterns were made to be used with that one "special" skein of yarn if need be. And I had this yarn, ready to go. It's one of "my" colors. And I just knew, deep in my knitter's heart, that one skein would not be enough. I'm being pickier with this one since I intend to keep it for myself. I bought the yarn a long time ago, and knew that the yarn shop would not have any more in the right dye lot.

I checked anyway.

Then, Ravelry to the rescue. I searched the yarn color. This led me to three people who had skeins of the colorway in their "for sale or trade" stash. I messaged each one with the dye lot number and crossed my fingers.

Lo and behold, one messaged me back that she had not one but TWO skeins in the right dye lot. She happily sent both to me, and I happily received them. Upon the receipt of the package my husband told me I got more yarn, and I realized that he now automatically thinks that any package I receive is yarn.

I'm nearly done with my first original skein, and have the next one ready to go.  After that I might have to pause for a bit, since I have 5 Christmas Stockings to make by Thanksgiving (a self imposed deadline, btw).

Happy Knitting Y'all!