New Workshop Dates: March 2014


The first batch of 2014 Durban workshops are finally here. Hooray! Here are all the details:

Details:
The workshops are aimed at creative business owners in a variety of fields from photography and design to crafters or even bloggers. If you have your own business and want to learn and prosper, then the workshops are ideal for you. The topics range from social media to creative marketing ideas and there are two types of workshops – one for beginners and one for intermediates. The Beginner’s Workshops are ideal for business owners who would like to learn the basics. The Intermediate Workshops are for those who are in the industry and on the right track, but would perhaps like step it up a notch. 

The workshops started in Durban with sold out dates and an amazing array of creatives joining in. Last year I added Joburg to the list. All the past attendees have given wonderful reviews. Creatives who attend can look forward to a day of learning with practical examples and case studies of successful businesses and brands. The day is the ideal platform for networking within a creative environment. All the courses include a delicious lunch, snacks, a really lovely goodie bag and a host of giveaways from wonderful brands.

The workshops are currently being held in Durban. New dates for Johannesburg and Cape Town will follow. Email me to be added to the waiting list and be the first to know when bookings open or click here to view past workshops.

29th March: Florida Road, Durban
How do I know I am intermediate? 
You already have a blog or understanding of social media. You enjoy being online and want to grow your business even further.

The Facts:
This workshop is aimed at creatives who are ready to expand, grow their business and blog readership. You would like to get an even better understanding of the various tools available to you.

What does your hard earned R950 get you?

Creative Goal Setting:  
How to breakdown and achieve your personal and business goals.

Creative Branding:  
Tying your brand and business together as one. We cover the essentials of what creates a good brand.

Blogging Tips:  
Planning, scheduling and basic creative tips for putting posts together.

Social Media Tips:  
We will focus on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and how these can work towards generating blog readers and in turn more sales and opportunities.

Creative Marketing Ideas:  
Fun, cost effective ways to generate interest in your business or blog.

How to Approach the Press:  
Want to have your products or blog featured in magazines? I will give you the tips you need, from what to say to how you to say it.

Question and Answer Session:  
A time for you to chat to me about your problems, new ideas or even plans for your business.

Resource List:  
My preferred suppliers and how they can assist you.

In addition you will receive snacks, an amazing lunch, the chance to mingle and make new friends as well as network. A goodie bag bursting with wonderful surprises will also be waiting for you!

How to sign up
Email me (hello@nadiavdmescht.co.za) or call me (072 093 7730) with your full name, contact number and request to book your spot. I will send you an invoice and all the relevant booking details. Please only book if you can commit to attending as cancellations are not permitted.

15th March 2014 - Florida Road, Durban  SOLD OUT
How do I know I am a beginner? 
If you know social media is out there, but you don't understand its relevance or how it ties into your creative business. If you find Twitter to be a mystery and think Facebook is annoying, then this is the course for you. Sign up to get a user-friendly understanding of social media and creative business.

The Facts:
The focus will be on getting you acquainted with social media and how each platform is different, as well as how it works. We will cover Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, along with the difference between a blog and a website. I will also touch on creative and useful tips to progress and grow your business.

What does your hard earned R950 get you?

Creative Goal Setting:
How to achieve your business goals and dreams by setting them out in a manageable and measurable way.

The Importance of Branding:
Why is it essential for your creative business and why you should invest in it.

Social Media:
The difference between the various platforms and how to use them for your business, including content and tone along with why they are important. We will break them down from logging in, to actually using them in a practical way.

Online Planning:
How to plan what to say and when to say it or share it on social media.

Blogging: 
An explanation of what blogging is and what its relevance is to your business.

Question and Answer Session:  
A time for you to chat to me about your problems, new ideas or even plans for your business.

Resource List:  
My preferred suppliers and how they can assist you.

In addition you will receive a delicious lunch, snacks, the chance to mingle and make new friends as well as network. A beautiful goodie bag is also included!


How to sign up: 
Email me (hello@nadiavdmescht.co.za) or call me (072 093 7730) with your full name, contact number and request to book your spot. I will send you an invoice and all the relevant booking details. Please only book if you can commit to attending as cancellations are not permitted.


29th March: Florida Road, Durban
How do I know I am intermediate? 
You already have a blog or understanding of social media. You enjoy being online and want to grow your business even further.

The Facts:
This workshop is aimed at creatives who are ready to expand, grow their business and blog readership. You would like to get an even better understanding of the various tools available to you.

What does your hard earned R950 get you?

Creative Goal Setting:  
How to breakdown and achieve your personal and business goals.

Creative Branding:  
Tying your brand and business together as one. We cover the essentials of what creates a good brand.

Blogging Tips:  
Planning, scheduling and basic creative tips for putting posts together.

Social Media Tips:  
We will focus on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and how these can work towards generating blog readers and in turn more sales and opportunities.

Creative Marketing Ideas:  
Fun, cost effective ways to generate interest in your business or blog.

How to Approach the Press:  
Want to have your products or blog featured in magazines? I will give you the tips you need, from what to say to how you to say it.

Question and Answer Session:  
A time for you to chat to me about your problems, new ideas or even plans for your business.

Resource List:  
My preferred suppliers and how they can assist you.

In addition you will receive snacks, an amazing lunch, the chance to mingle and make new friends as well as network. A goodie bag bursting with wonderful surprises will also be waiting for you!

How to sign up
Email me (hello@nadiavdmescht.co.za) or call me (072 093 7730) with your full name, contact number and request to book your spot. I will send you an invoice and all the relevant booking details. Please only book if you can commit to attending as cancellations are not permitted.

You can look forward to a day full of learning with practical examples and inspiration to allow you to prosper!

Snail Mail: Tip Mini Series #1






*Disclaimer: I'm sure there are several people (or more) who will roll their eyes at the concept of snail mail or they might find it stupid or super nerdy. I suggest if you fall into this category... don’t read any further – your eyes might roll out of your sockets.

I have received quite a few emails of late asking me about snail mail, how to get into it, how to find other enthusiasts and so on. I thought I would do a mini-series where I share a few facts at a time. (Photo snapped with Instagram). You can look forward to other posts going forward and I will cover additional tips like how to post items and other tricky questions. I’m not an expert, but I really enjoy sending pretty post!

What's it all about?
You might have seen the snail mail revolution via social media – it’s a wonderful trend focused on sharing, giving, meeting new friends and taking part in creating beautiful mail rather than the horrid stuff we usually receive (like bills). Years ago I launched The Package Project which had a similar feel and with snail mail alive and well I look forward to opening entries again – watch this space. I have been really fortunate to take part in a variety of exchanges and snail mail swaps. I have also made some real friends who I care for – we keep in touch quite often and the things we send to each other are well thought out with loads of love and care within each package. 

The Lingo:
There are several words associated with snail mail like pen pal, swap, exchange, trade, letters, happy mail, mail art etc. All in all this all relates to the same actions of exchanging fun and pretty post via good old fashioned mail.

Let’s chat about the basics of becoming part of the snail mail revolution.
Snail Mail Tips - Things to Keep in Mind:

  • Do take part in sending snail mail because you love giving and sharing.
  • Don’t take part if your only goal is to score free stuff with little regard for your partner.
  • Do take part if you can commit to sending something even if it's small.
  • Don’t take part if you are prone to flaking out on commitments (be honest). You will bitterly disappoint a new friend who deserves better.
  • Do take part if you love attention to detail and spending time decorating and wrapping small gifts. A penchant for letter writing also comes in handy.
  • Don’t take part if you can’t stand wrapping gifts or putting pen to paper. You will soon get bored and disappoint your pen pal.
  • Do take part if you have a small, but reasonable budget to spend on postage.
  • Don’t take on too many pen pals and realise you can’t afford postage. Start slowly. I will do a postage related post soon.

I suggest seeking out people with similar interests and tastes to you. Approach prospective snail mailers without expectation. Some people will reply, others will already have enough pen pals, just try a few different people and hang in there until you find the right type of person to exchange with. 

A quick tip is to take a look at their bio / other photos / blog. Don’t email / contact potential new pen pal friends with a list as long as your arm of all the things you like and want. I often get emails that basically say things like ‘I like your packaging style! Want to swap? You can send the first package. I like.... (and a looong list)”. My first reaction is I will never hear from them again and they are in it to get free stuff. Sad, but true and I usually turn down those requests.

If you want to take a look at what it’s all about check out these hash tags on Instragram – the easiest way to connect with fellow snail mail enthusiasts.
#snailmail
#showandmail
#snailmailrevolution
#penpal
#penpalswanted
*There are so many more, but these will get you started.

A few of my favourites for inspiration – be sure to follow these lovely ladies:

Instagram
yssmail 
bellajstyle 
dear_corinne 
lilymarek
amscarlson
xoylee
win_naa

Hope this helps! I look forward to sharing more soon.

Meet Free Monday #10

24th February: A Day at HQ
Hello Monday! A new week, new list and a new opportunity to give it all we've got! I had a really lovely weekend, nothing major happened - it was just truly enjoyable. On Friday we invited over some friends for home made burgers, it was lovely to use a few pretty things in my kitchen collection. On Saturday I took care of errands which included some beauty shopping and gift buying. In the evening I joined friends for dinner at Remos - their zucchini fries are one of my favourites. Yesterday, Daniel and I headed out to Makro which might sound terribly boring to some, but I just love browsing through all their useful things and shopping for handy home goodies. I found some see-through zippy pouches which will be ideal for travel, stationery and storage. There is enjoyment in seeking domestic bliss and being grateful for luxuries.

The Working Week in Review / Last Week:
During the past week I worked on not procrastinating and getting down to business. Actively focusing on this has definitely helped with my progress in all areas. I had a few goals which included some additional weekend work, but I decided against it in order to regroup and relax a bit. 

The Working Week:
I am out the office for most of this week - from Wednesday to Friday so I will need to do some catching up in the afternoons. I will also be launching the new Creative Business Workshop dates for Durban this week.

Things I'm excited about this week:
The Design Indaba Simulcast! My initial plan was to head to Cape Town for the event and expo, but I'm not ready to jet off again or pack a case. The next best thing is of course the simulcast. I look forward to jotting down ideas and inspiration and I do plan on doing a round-up post to share with you.

What will challenge me this week?
Getting through my workload in a balanced way due to the lack of office hours.

Personal Thoughts:
I am personally feeling a great deal better about a range of things that I initially viewed as challenges. I am continuing my yoga and invested in my own (pink) mat. I have also added a new element to my weekly planning in the form of a short goal list that is different to my to dos. This focuses on health and motivation. It also includes my purpose and intent for the week ahead. It's a great way to get focused and into the right mindset. I typed it out and sized it so that it fits in my planner - that way when I stray I can reread my positive thoughts. Last week, I also managed to do some home rearranging and decorating which I found made me quite happy. It has really helped to have a clear idea of the projects I want to undertake. I feel that my ideas are nicely grouped and ready for action.

I hope your week is wonderful and productive!

Please Help: I have been having several issues with the commenting system. Please help me by giving me feedback as to whether it works for you always / sometimes / never. You can email me or even tweet / Facebook me if you can't comment. I am awaiting a reply from Disqus and how to iron out the problem asap. Comments are a very important aspect of blogging - stats show that people are visiting, but comments allow for the interaction and a bit of motivation for the blogger. 

*See other Meet Free Monday posts here.
This week's photo features:
Calendar: Sent to me by Roxy from City Girl Searching.
Cath Kidston eraser
Eiffel Tower Sticker: Gift from a penpal.
Bunny Paperclip: Typo / Pink and Black Paperclip: Gift from a penpal.
Floral Notebook: Gift from a penpal.
Plus two letters I need to reply to.

Freebie Friday: Kindle Book

One of the most exciting things about owning a creative business in this day and age is the amount of free resources, guidance and knowledge that is freely available. The variety is so vast from templates through to printable downloads and it even extends to free Kindle downloads. I recently discovered this great book via Kindle on Amazon and it cost a wonderful $0.00! I thought it just too good not to share with you. The glossary of terms is written by Doug Richard, formerly of Dragons Den who is an exceptionally successful entrepreneur himself. If you have the Kindle app on your phone or tablet be sure to download this useful free resource. The glossary is an accompaniment to Doug's How to Start a Creative Business book ($13.99), but it's a useful textbook just to gain a bit of additional knowledge and understanding.

Seven Things: A Catch-Up


I am quite behind with sharing my monthly Seven Things with you. If you are new to these posts - I basically share seven things that I captured via Instagram, some items I did share on my feed and others I didn't. The post is aimed at sharing a few of the details with you as they offer a personal glimpse into my life. Today's edition stretches from December through to yesterday.

1 > Wedding Belles: As I mentioned in my kitchen tea post I was in Cape Town for my best friend's wedding. She looked so beautiful! Our bridesmaid dresses were created by Miss Friday and it's a dress I looked forward to actually wearing it again. The sunglasses I am wearing are from Topshop and I adore them - I curse the day something happens to them (touch wood).

2 > Reading: In December I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (what a name) and I truly loved it. It was so wonderful that I wish I could read it for the first time all over again.

3 > The Big Organise: I have slowly, but surely been ensuring every area of our home is in tip top shape - one such mini space is my bedside drawer. You will spot the Dirty Works hand cream which was a very cheap (R15.99) and cheerful treat from Clicks. For the price it's a great product and it smells delicious. I used a re-purposed box as an organiser and it works brilliantly.

4 > Office Time: This space within my office is one of my favourites. The mail holder is from Typo and the diffuser is a Yankee Candle wax melt. It's long lasting and leaves a faint, but lovely smell in the room.

5 > Baking: On Sunday I did some baking. I LOVE cookies, like loooove and would eat a pack a day if I could. The batch turned out well and I thought it would be fun to share a few so I packaged them up. I also thought it best to pass them on or else I would probably be suffering from a sugar induced coma at this point.

6 > A Package for Roxy: My holiday meant plenty of time to create some snail mail for faraway friends. One such friend is Roxy from City Girl Searching. I sent her a few papery goodies as a surprise

7 > Four & Twenty: This sweet deli is a Cape Town must-visit. They have several very delicious meals on the menu and the decor is rather pretty too.

Meet Free Monday #9

17th February: A Day at HQ
Some days I wake up and I just feel a bit bleh - I'm sure you can relate. I wonder where did the weekend go and how am I going to do all the things that need doing. I do find this improves as I get going with my day and start seeing inspiration and pretty things.

I'm still grateful though and in fact there is no reason for complaint. I had a lovely weekend for which I'm so thankful. On Friday Daniel surprised me with our newly restored dining room chairs - just in time for our Valentine's dinner. We also headed out for a swim on what seemed like the hottest day and how brilliantly refreshing that was. Saturday was suitably relaxed and Daniel had the day off, which added to lovely day at home. I met up with a friend in the afternoon and I just loved catching up and drinking her homemade lemonade mix with mint and lemongrass. We were true homebodies for the rest of the weekend and spent Saturday night and Sunday on small projects that made us happy. Sunday is roast day and I love this traditional meal of potatoes (I LOVE potatoes like a lot), heaps of vegetables and chicken. We each have our duties towards creating the meal which makes it even lovelier. How was your weekend and Valentine's?

The Working Week in Review / Last Week:
I have added this new section as I felt I would like to share a few thoughts from past week. I have to stop myself from measuring a week by analysing a to do list or what I didn't get done. To be honest I often feel a bit defeated at the end of a week. Is this something you feel too? I get things done, but always feel it isn't enough. More could have been done if only this or that was better. This pressure really doesn't help when I then begin a new week especially as I feel I have to push myself even harder and that's no good as I will really be going against all I set out in my 2014 life changes. I hope you don't mind listening to my ramblings, but let's just say that these Meet Free Monday posts are a personal journey for me in which I get to share more personal elements with you. So... the truth is last week was a good week, but I realised I have to work smarter and use my time better. I'm a person who likes to evolve systems - if they don't work then I have to figure out how to do things differently, so I will just keep at it.

The Working Week:
This year I have been trying out a new routine as far as meetings and consulting sessions go and I'm so happy to say it's working. As you know Monday is an office day and at this point so is Tuesday. Claire (my intern) joins me on a Wednesday and when we get through our catching up and babbling we get down to some work. Thursday is a full day of meetings, where I leave home quite early and get going, I only head back to the office at the end of the day. It's quite a day with lots of talking, but I enjoy dedicating it to seeing clients and meeting new potential clients. Friday has emerged as a creative consulting day which I love as I feel so validated by these sessions. Look how long this post is getting - I just can't help, but share loads! 

Things I'm excited about this week:
Writing in my planner! Ha ha - yip that's exciting for me! I did a bit of work on it this past weekend and it really is almost perfect for my needs. I will share a blog post where I show all the details. I'm also excited about going to yoga. Last week I went to my first session (ever) and I absolutely loved it and how I felt during and after. Another fun project on the cards is a pre-loved / thrift sale which will be taking place on the 8th of March. We are working on the finer details and poster, but basically different creatives will be selling their pre-loved items - will share full details soon. 

What will challenge me this week?
Me! I am the challenge as I have to find balance in my work, but not be too lenient so that things don't get done. I sound like Jeykll and Hyde.

Personal Thoughts:
I think I have covered so many personal thoughts in this post already. I can't really think of any more. I would love to hear from you though - please leave a comment sharing your thoughts, challenges and plans. Have a happy and productive week!

This week's photo features:
I thought I would rather do a planner focused post where I share the all the details along with how I plan etc. *Watch this space.

A Visit to Ebony & Ivory

Ribbons, notions & haberdashery heaven
Towards the end of my Cape Town holiday I managed to squeeze in a few quick creative adventures - one of which was Ebony and Ivory. Most of you will be familiar with their beautiful ribbon designs - bright hues and quirky creations. Since my last visit the shop has expanded and is now more open plan with the antique shop next door. The result is a treasure trove of perfectly placed vintage sewing items, piles and piles of ribbon and a variety of interesting products. I added two new ribbons to my collection - Broken Gold and Gelato (perfect name). If you haven't shopped via the Ebony and Ivory online shop before or had the lovely privilege of visiting in person then be sure to add them to your wishlist or shopping list. Their ribbon is of a superior quality and worth every penny. I'm looking forward to using my new additions on some snail mail and gifts.

Meet Free Monday #8

10th February: A Day at HQ
Each and every week I sit down on a Monday to plan the week ahead - I realise that I really need to make every second count. This realisation is a tough one as I need balance and it's impossible to spend every waking moment in a useful way. Sitting on the couch must be useful in some way surely? My search for balance and motivation in the right quantities continues in this week's list making and goal setting. 

Did you have a good weekend? I had quite a relaxed one. Time at home (my favourite), I watched The Book Thief with my mom (heart wrenching), we had a lovely braai with family and I continued working on our home - throwing out, re-purposing and tidying. I live a wild and thrilling life as you can tell - ha ha.

The Working Week:
Today I have several tasks I really want to complete - one of which includes answering a bunch of emails (damn you inbox). Tomorrow, I'm out and about which will include a trip to House of Heart in Pietermaritzburg. On Wednesday my wonderful intern - Claire is returning to work and I can't wait to see her and hear all her news. Thursday sees a consulting session in which I will work with a client on planning her editorial calendar and getting her social media up to scratch. In between these activities I would like to (have to) really apply myself to various aspects of my work. I find short bursts of focus easier, but I must be honest I battle with procrastination as I know most people do. I always find once I get started the job isn't so bad and I feel so happy once I'm done, but the point is to get to that complete stage sooner. 

Things I'm excited about this week:
Valentine's Day! I love spreading some cheer and can't wait to indulge on Friday. I have a special dinner planned and I want to try making a few treats to enjoy. I found the sweetest Valentine's cards with treats inside at Pick n Pay of all places - they are very girly so I got one for my mom and sister. 

What will challenge me this week?
Time management that elusive thing we all strive to conquer. So basically... I need to manage my time, not procrastinate and focus. Yikes! Having said that this is a challenge that will continue for all of time.

Personal Thoughts:
At the moment I'm still working through purging and tidying out various areas of our home. Yes - I know, you can't believe I am still busy (I'm sure you are sick of hearing about it). This is the biggest clean-out I have ever undertaken and I realised it's a project rather than just a quick to do. I hope it will create a really good foundation, so I can just maintain it and stay organised. Last week I filled Daniel's bakkie with donations and I felt so relieved to drop them off. This week there is a trip to the dump and recycling centre. I still have several areas that I am working on. I have decided to create a home project notebook so I can manage all that needs doing which should help with the brain clutter. There are also several systems I am working on implementing - one of which is a better way to deal with receipts (boring). I find videos from Organized Jen to be handy as she does things so thoroughly. Storage magazine is also a wonderful source of inspiration.

What are some of the challenges you are facing this week?

*See other Meet Free Monday posts here.
I have had a few requests to share the details on the items pictured each week - so here goes:
Love Letters of Great Men: Gift
Made with Love Stamp: Lisa & Jo
Made with Love Tape: Gift from Thailand / Russian Doll part of same gift
Heart Badge: Paperchase
Doily Magnet: ohhellofriend
Polaroid Card: Typo
Paper Heart: Vintage

Orla Kiely for Target

I recently spotted this incredibly delightful range of Orla Kiely goodies created for Target. It's such a pity that the dollar and rand don't get on and the fact that we don't have Target stores here in SA is also a bit tragic. A while ago I spotted an Orla Kiely iPad folder at the Apple store and was so tempted to buy it, but the price tag was horrendous (R1000) and I just couldn't justify it (or actually afford it). However, this range is slightly more affordable if you don't factor in the flight to the States in order to shop at Target.

The range is bright, pretty and true to Orla's signature style and if like me you adore organising make up and always need a big (huge) toiletry bag, then these will steal your heart too. I have spotted a few creatives using the Weekender (pictured at the top) for stationery and planner / Filofax storage and it seems to work brilliantly. Take a look at how Toni from A Bowl full of Lemons used her's or watch this video by Jen to see how she uses the collection. In the meantime I will keep drooling... and wish you a happy weekend!

January 2014 Post Round-Up

A Quick Reflection

January was a month to get back into the swing of things... a month to embrace new challenges and to get inspired for a new year. Blogging wise I shared my 2014 Life Changes with you or my version of resolutions. The Meet Free Monday series kicked off again and I shared two weeks with you before February came knocking.

Many of you found the creative tip check list post useful as I received quite a few emails about the topic and inspiring creatives to take the big leap. I also updated you on the Joburg Creative Business Workshop and shared the details which included creative goodies and bright flowers. I used similar inspiration for the flowers and decor for my friend's Pretty in Pink Kitchen Tea. 
I particularly enjoyed getting crafty with some Skinny laMinx fabric which included some snail mail ideas and a few other gift options. Paperless Post came in handy last week as I sent a dear friend a card for Chinese New Year - such a useful service. A recap of 2013 was a lovely way of capturing the best of the year gone by as well as to re-share a few of the most popular posts.

That sums up a month in posts and inspiration. Are there any particular post style you would like to see more of - let me know?

Meet Free Monday #7

3rd February: A Day at HQ


Monday already... I can hardly believe it, just like I can't quite believe February is here! How was your weekend? I was really fortunate to get a spontaneous invitation for a mini road trip down the South Coast with two of my dearest friends. If you follow me on Instagram you might have seen the photos I posted of the delicious lemon meringue waffle I tried from the Waffle House (a must-visit). We had a lovely time and even stopped at Typo in Galleria on the way home. I was very well behaved and didn't shop up a storm! I only bought two stamps which came to R30 (for both) which I thought was a suitably cheap, but useful treat.

Last week was productive – I held a host of creative consulting sessions and I found it so rewarding. I managed to tick off a few other tasks and continue to work on others. Time to focus on the new week, new month and all that needs to be done...

The Working Week:
This week I need to power through a range of to do list items (as usual). I really need to keep working at it so that I can ensure I’m moving forward and achieving what is required. At the top of my list is new blog topics and catching up with a few clients in order to check how their progress is going. I also have a rather large pile of filing and admin to take care of - something which isn’t particularly thrilling (yuck). I have consulting sessions this week too, which require me to group my thoughts and be ready to answer questions on a range of topics from which online shop to sign up with through to how to market products. I’m currently working on numerous clients' Facebook pages and teaching them how to take it on themselves. It's great to see them empowered to make a success of their online presence. 

Things I'm excited about this week:
The highlight will be launching the latest workshop dates! I need to make some time to drop off a few donations post clean out - it will be so nice to have a clear space. I'm looking forward to working on an easy Valentine's DIY for you - which means I can do a bit of supply shopping (hooray). I don't have any major social plans this week as I really enjoy spending time at home. I'm particularly excited about getting back to some snail mail correspondence - I have quite a few packages to prep and reply to. Lastly, I have a coffee date planned with Sam and I just can't wait to give her a pressie for her little one who is due in about four weeks.

What will challenge me this week?
I feel quite positive about this week, but I think there are always unknown challenges. Hoping they will be few and far between. Personally I am still working on making time for exercise instead of just working through that time. It's always a challenge to not let stress get me down - I am sure many of you can relate.

Personal Thoughts:
My personal life changes continue – so far so good, but I do need to focus on them in order to maintain them (as mentioned above). I have a friend who has joined me as a running partner and she's great at challenging me. I have also made some changes at home in terms of maintaining our household and I'm feeling so much more organised and on top of what needs doing - far from a domestic goddess, but much happier.

What are you looking forward to this week?

*See other Meet Free Monday posts here. 
I have had a few requests to share the details on the items pictured each week - so here goes:
Bright Notebook: A gift from Jo - many years ago from a trip to Berlin.
Blog Notes Cube: Gift from Daniel found at Comptoir de Famille in Cape Town.
Pencil Pen: Found at CNA as part of the Doodle range.
Tapes: The two on each side are MT via Washi Bug and the centre one is from Cape Arts & Crafts (Canal Walk).
Badge Stickers: Also from Cape Arts & Crafts.
Buttons: A gift from a penpal.