Showing posts with label Meet Free Monday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meet Free Monday. Show all posts

Meet Free Monday #46


Hello... how quiet it has been around here. It's been rather busy between moving into my new office and staying as up to date as possible with work. Today is my first official Monday in my new space. I kicked off working here last week, but I spent the majority of the time out and about which included an inspired day out at the Design Indaba Durban simulcast. I have decided to work on my blog posts in a new way that suits my schedule better, so there won't be a MFM post every week, but I will have them dotted throughout the year. Today's picture is a quick snap from my office - I'll be sure to share the final product once done.

The Working Week in Review / Last Week:
Simply put... last week was too busy. It was one of those weeks that was spent driving, dashing and rushing. The results... a very tired me. I also hosted a workshop on Saturday which went really well. Yesterday, I recouped a bit and also headed into the office to hang some frames (with a very patient Daniel to help). 

The Working Week Ahead:
This week is all about getting things done. I've ensured that the first half of the week is free - as far as consults go so that I can focus on admin, emails and getting projects done and ticked off. I have started my day off by planning out my day and several tasks for the rest of week. Feeling more inspired already!

Things I'm excited about this week:
Being in one place... my new office! It is so nice to be settled in. There are still a few small things to add like two more chairs, a rug and one or two small decor elements. 

What will challenge me this week?
Ensuring I don't over schedule. I like to really use my time to the max, but sometimes that leaves little time for other elements within my life and business that also need attention. 

A Few Notes:
Be sure to follow along on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Part of my blog post time is now being dedicated to sharing more regular snippets of my work days on social media, including updates about the wonderful clients I'm working with. 

In partnership with Decorex I am offering a workshop at the Durban and the Cape Town events. For details and tickets click here or here. I will be doing a blog post on this too.

On Friday the wonderful Kari of Lovilee featured me on her blog. Take a look at the interview and hear more about a few of my favourite things and my business tip for creatives starting out in busienss.

Have a great week!

Tried & Tested: MFM Series #5 / Giveaway



It's the first Meet Free Monday of 2015! Things have been so busy as the year has kicked off and I have been trying to find a way to still do MFM posts, but make them work with my schedule. Last year I explored a range of lovely products via my review series. There were a few beautiful products that I wanted to share to round it all off. These are products that don't necessarily fit into only one category and they aren't only for getting organised, but work wonderfully for gifting too! They all have my seal of approval!

Featured are the following delightful local brands:
> Sequined Hanger from Lovilee / R155 and available in three colour options.

> Birthday Calendar from La Cartoleria / R122 and you can email Vicki for orders or visit her stand at I heart Market.

> Notebooks, pegs & magnets from Miss Milly  / email Theresa for prices and orders.

I wanted to share how I use these products in my office and home. The hanger proudly holds my calender from Bright Bazaar / Mollie Makes, paired with the birthday calendar on my home office wall. Both hang right next to my desk so I can glance over at any time. I just love the look of this and they both make me smile.

The Miss Milly stationery items have come in so handy with my snail mailing as they are easy and lightweight to post. Plus the colours are cheerful and ever so happy!

To to see more on these beauties - just visit the links above. Happy MFM!

Lovilee has offered a beautiful giveaway of one of the sequin hangers with clips. To enter is easy and you can select which colour you would like, gold, silver or black. I love my sequin hanger and have found it so useful for hanging pretty things in my office.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 The Serious Stuff:
This is a local, South African only giveaway.
Sometimes Rafflecopter experiences technical difficulties like all modern technology. If you can’t enter for some reason, try again later and it should work.

My 2014 Planning Companion

In 2014 I became the overly excited and proud owner of a Planner - much like a Filofax. The reason I call it a 'Planner' is because Filofax is an acutual brand of planners (make sense?). 
I blogged about the trend in 2013 and had my eye on several beautiful versions online. However, in South Africa these stationery beauties are few and far between. I discovered mine at Typo (on sale) and have had countless emails since, asking me where I got it or if I could offer insight into where to find one. To add to the interest the most viewed posts on my blog are the Filofax / Planner related ones - each post brings in daily traffic via Pinterest. I don't mind... blog traffic is awesome, especially this kind as it means lovely creative people are reading my posts and that makes me damn happy.

This year I have not bought a new diary, but rather refilled my beloved Typo Planner. As you can see by all the photos above it was truly my 2014 companion. While I was working on the 2014 Favourite Posts recap I went through my photos and thought... yikes - I took so many photos of my humble little Planner. I love it and it really helped me through what I would consider my most organised year to date (see what I did there).

The second element to last year's journey was 'My 2014 Personal Life Changes'. On reflection I felt that they guided me and kept me anchored. They helped me to focus on what was important and when in doubt I was able to reread the post. Of course some were far more difficult than others to maintain. This year my life changes / goals continue on a very similar level or note. With a search for positivity and removing myself from unnecessarily negative situations. This includes elements of social media that I don't enjoy or no longer need. 

Goals are a huge part of what I teach my clients so I feel that they are absolutely essential to making things happen in your life and business. That paired with accountability are two of the fundamental elements for a productive and ultimately happy life. Thrown in with the life changes are of course my own business goals and personal growth that I want to attain. Currently one such goal is finishing my decor project for my new office - which is work in progress.

I'm looking forward to sharing even more of my planning, life, happy moments, goals and business knowledge with you in 2015! If you're reading this or you enjoyed this post then please leave a comment. I really love hearing from readers.

What is on your mind as the new year starts? Have you made any resolutions or goals?

 These are a few other creative people's goals I have read / watched so far:
Fathima from Happiness Is / Also check out her printables on Lanalou Style for your own goal setting.

Tried & Tested: MFM Series #4

MILLAMAE Sweet Stationery Products

Another Monday and more colourful stationery to share! This week I'm featuring MILLAMAE and their sweet collection of hardcover diaries and journals. The end of 2014 is less than a month away (eeek) which means it's the perfect time to get your 2015 diary prepped and ready. I just can't stop staring at the diary cover as it peeks at me from my desk. The design and colours are beyond beautiful! MILLAMAE offers a brand experience as a whole - from their online store through to their actual products. The attention to detail is visible throughout. I included a few pictures of the items packaged up as everything is soooo lovely!

Overall Review:
I'm featuring the 2015 A5 Diary (Ditsy) and Blue Heart Lined Hardcover Journal. Now... it's tough to test out a diary for next year, but what I did was schedule out the meetings I do have planned, along with the details that are confirmed. The diary is designed for its purpose - it contains useful elements like a space for your details, a year at a glance planner on a double page spread and various other useful lists. Each diary page has a quote which is a nice touch, but it doesn't interfere with the planning space available. The journal paper is different to the diary's, but the quality is excellent all round. The journal pages are lined, but blank. It has a useful elastic closing which I quite like as I always slot in notes or inspirational articles into my journals. I started making my rough list of goals for 2015 and enjoyed using the pretty journal to help me feel motivated.


Best Feature:
The diary's best feature is the month at a glance page at the beginning of each new month. I love using this layout for planning meetings, so that at any given time I can glance over my appointments and not double book. Another element that is definitely worth a mention is the beautiful cover design. Having the diary and notebook on my desk really brightened it up - it's cheerful and literally makes me smile!

Useful For:
The diary is obviously useful for staying organised in 2015. There is ample space for scheduling and adding a daily to do list as there is a page per day. The journal is great to use as a notebook, but I think it's best suited to capturing your thoughts or goals.

Prices:
2015 A5 Diary: R120
Lined Hardcover Journal: R90
Where to Buy:
You can visit the MILLAMAE online shop to place your order. Their products are also stocked at a few stores across South Africa - click here to view list.

In addition MILLAMAE offers a wonderful collection of tags, wrapping elements and notebooks too, so be sure to take a look! Stationery lovers you have been warned!

*See other MFM posts here.

Tried & Tested: MFM Series #3

m.studio Products
 *Quick Note: Yes, I know it is Wednesday and not Monday (insert unhappy face here). Last week and this week have just been beyond manic work wise. Yesterday, I had a stressful and rather big presentation and I had high hopes on Monday for posting MFM, but I had to focus on what lay ahead. I'm really trying to get round to more blogging - doesn't seem like it is working. Anyway... here is MFM on Wednesday! 

I'm having such fun testing out lovely stationery to share with you. Each and every brand that is part of the MFM  planning and organising series are awesome (obviously). I'm not bias or anything, but it is so great to have local creatives making wonderful things so we can get even more organised. There are some particularly delightful options available for SA stationery lovers or as gifts in preparation for the festive season ahead. I mentioned on Facebook last week, that I will share a review every second week so that I can make sure I actually get a gap to use the products for a week.

m.studio is a personal favourite - who is always creating and making beautiful stationery / useful crafty goodies. It's pretty difficult not to be tempted right! I have been fortunate enough to meet Mariaan several times and I've experienced her incredible stand at Kamers . She is a kind, happy soul who is always ready to help and of course a brilliant local business woman too. 

I tested out the Magnetic Checklist Notepad, Magnetic Groceries Notepad, Magnetic Things to Do Notepad and the Sunshine Tote Bag. I also got a sneak peek of a few other items that will be launched online - one of them being the colourful and useful heart stickers you might spot in the photos.

Overall Review:
Awesome, lovely, affordable products! It's that simple. I particularly liked the Things to Do and the Groceries notepads. Both have lived on my desk for the past week and have been well used to capture many a scribble and fleeting thought. I usually make shopping lists on my phone, but much prefer a papery option to take along on my aisle travels. The perfectly sized pages (90 mm x 200mm) are a perfect accompaniment to my planner, as I could slide in the to do pages and deal with extra tasks as needed. The bag was ideal as a holdall for meetings to carry my planner and iPad (and all the other paraphernalia I seem to require in order to function). I also loved using the tote to hold my packages to post on errand days . It would be ideal to use as a gift bag too - filled with beautiful presents.

Best Feature:
The prices! Useful, pretty stationery at low prices means you can get double as much (I'm not enabling you - I'm just saying btw). 

Useful For:
All your organising needs. I find the m.studio paper products, like the notebooks great to use for snail mail gifts. They are flat and lightweight, plus South African - so they are just lovely to share with faraway friends. 

Prices:
Groceries Notepad (Magnetic) - R32 (50 pages)
Checklist Notepad (Magnetic) - R32 (50 pages)

Where to Buy:
You can shop online on the m.studio shop or lookout for these lovely products at the next Kamers event (take plenty of money to spend - it's irresistible).






m.studio is giving away a R500 goodie pack of products to one lucky (damn lucky if you ask me) blog reader! How awesome is that.
You can enter below via Rafflecopter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Note: Sometimes Rafflecopter experiences technical difficulties like all modern technology. If you can’t enter for some reason, try again later and it should work.
This is a local South African giveaway which closes on the 3rd December.

Tried & Tested: MFM Series #2

Elephantshoe Products
Hooray... finally it's time for the next MFM Review Series post featuring one of my favourite local stationery brands - Elephantshoe. Those in Durban will know that the weather has been all over the show which has made photo taking so difficult. Luckily there were a few gaps of fairly okay light to use for snapping these beauties. 

As the year wraps up and we look towards 2015 - it's the ideal time to get organised and ready for a productive new year! I reviewed three items from Elephantshoe and made good use of them! I sampled the following: 'My Weekly Planner' (a firm favourite), Let's Do This Notepad and the Meal Planner. 
Overall Review:
It's no secret... I already love the brand, but I really stress tested the products and they proved not only useful, but durable too. The monochrome designs offer a neutral look and feel to suit varying tastes. My personal favourite is 'My Weekly Planner' and I really got stuck into using it. The other products are lovely too and helped me in organising my work and personal life even further. The Meal Planner is ideal for working out weekly meals and creating a shopping list. It helped me to stay creative with my dinner meals and it allowed me to plan ahead and freeze certain meals for future (quick) dinners. The finely dotted lines on all the items are great for keeping my thoughts straight and I particularly like how the pages are bound to the pads. I have used items in the past that separate as you flip or turn pages. That's not the case with any of the Elephantshoe products - they stayed put until I was ready to tear off the top page. (Stationery nerds can relate - I'm sure!)

Best Feature:
It is difficult to select only one as the products are really wonderful. I would say that the clearly thought out design is possibly the best feature. I can feel and see the love poured into the design by the Elephantshoe team. There are ample lines to write on and it definitely seems as if the products where tried and tested before they were made available to buy. Good job Ellieshoe team!

Useful For:
Getting organised all round. I particularly recommend the 'My Weekly Planner' for business owners who want to get going on setting up an editorial calendar for their blog and social media. The layout is perfect for keeping track of posts.

Price:
My Weekly Planner - R95 (60 pages)
Let's Do This Notepad - R55 (50 pages)
Meal Planner - R95 (60 pages)

Where to Buy:
You can shop for all the featured products on the Elephantshoe site. I have bought from them and their delivery time is particularly good! I highly recommend stocking up or buying gifts from this beautiful brand!

You can also take a look at their lovely freebies - check out the Naughty or Nice Christmas printable.

Elephantshoe want to help you get organised and have very kindly offered THREE 'My Weekly Planner' giveaways. That means three of you can stand a chance of winning! To enter is really simple via Rafflecopter below...
a Rafflecopter giveaway


*Note: 
Sometimes Rafflecopter experiences technical difficulties like all modern technology. If you can’t enter for some reason, try again later and it should work.
This is a local South African giveaway which closes on the 17th November.

Tried & Tested: MFM Series #1

Olive Finch Notebooks
I mentioned in last week's post that I will be hosting a new Meet Free Monday series aimed at getting organised for year-end as well as for 2015. There are so many amazing stationery items out there, including diaries, calendars and a whole host of useful goodies. I have sourced a few that I think are lovely and will be reviewing and sharing them with you over the next few weeks. I hope these posts inspire you, as well as offer insight into what to buy or how to use certain items.

The series kicks off with a selection of beautiful notebooks by Olive Finch (previously Little Mud Hut).

Overall Review:
The notebooks are absolutely beautiful and the bright designs are so cheerful. The range of colours and patterns offer something to suit varied tastes. My personal favourite is the 'Choose Happy' black and white striped notebook with a hint of pink. However, my eye is drawn to all of them. The notebooks have a lovely design inside too which is repeated on each of the lined pages. I thoroughly tested the notebooks, I took them to meetings, used them in the office and they held up wonderfully. The lined pages are a great feature as they offer a neat option for hand written notes or letters (I love lined paper).

Best Feature: 
The quality! The paper quality is exceptional with no bleeding through from page to page. 

Useful For:
Letter writing, note taking, to do lists and anything else that needs jotting down. I would personally save these for letters and notes due to the wonderful quality. They also make fantastic gifts as you can pair them with the Olive Finch tags which match the range.

Price:
R50 each (what a bargain).

Where to Buy:
Venessa the lovely lady behind Olive Finch stocks several stores (click here to view). She isn't currently selling online, but you can order the notebooks via email and pay via EFT. She is efficient and helpful so don't hesitate to contact her.

I hope you enjoyed today's review style post. I would love to hear from you and feel free to let me know if I can include any additional facts.

New Meet Free Monday Series

I'm launching a new MFM series kicking off next week! As we head swiftly towards the end of the year the focus will be on lovely items to help you get ready for Christmas and of course the new year. I have some really pretty and wonderful brands taking part in the review style series, coupled with giveways to spoil you. I'm beyond excited to get started, so check in for next week's first review featuring Olive and Finch.

If you design or create stationery items with a focus on organising, planning (notebooks, diaries, calendars etc) then get in touch to be included. 

Meet Free Monday #38

Guest Post: Carla from Pretty Organised

 Hello, I’m Carla and I like to organise things. What an honour to be featured on Nadia's blog! I am a huge fan!

This past weekend we attended a lovely wedding in Kalk Bay at the amazing Casa Labia. I love visiting Cape Town and catching up with family and friends. Having grown up in the Western Cape it’s always such a treat to return for special occasions.

The Working Week in Review / Last Week:
October, oh my goodness where has the year gone?
My Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings usually start with water aerobics classes. I love summer and it is a great way to start the day and keep healthy. I clock in at my home office at 9am for a full day of office admin. Hooray! I usually take a tea break around 11am to sip a cup of English Breakfast Tea and water my pretty pink roses. 

Tuesday and Thursdays I work for an amazing client that stays about 45 minutes away. It is fun to go out and meet her every week. A change of scenery is important to keep your mind and ideas fresh. Cooking and preparing dinner takes up the rest of the afternoon and in the evenings I like to retire to bed early.

Fridays are there to eat ice cream after work and have pizza for dinner. We usually don't plan anything for a Friday evening and spend time together before a busy weekend. 
The Working Week Ahead:
An interesting and busy week lies ahead. It’s jam packed with clients and I will be doing some serious office admin this week. My diary is my best friend. I am a bit old fashioned and like to write everything down and "prettify" my diary. It’s so rewarding after a long week to look back and see all the exciting things that happened. To do lists are also a must in our home. A calendar that hangs close to our front door is such a lifesaver. Having two different schedules can sometimes get out of hand. So if it is on the calendar, it is almost set in stone.

Things I'm excited about this week:
What makes me excited about the week ahead is that I get to work with so many different creative individuals to manage different tasks.

What will challenge me this week?
I love routine and sometimes it's a good thing, but not always. A challenge for me this week will be to run the household, buy groceries, cook dinner, make time to exercise and spend time with my husband and then very importantly; to be recharged when attending to my awesome clients and their business needs. I feel that a routine is important when planning ahead.

Personal Thoughts or Goal:
Being 23 weeks pregnant is amazing, but one of my personal goals is to get the nursery ready bit by bit. This helps me to prepare for the arrival of our little one and to make room for the new role I am going to be taking on. My goal is to have this project done by 1 November, it is probably one of the most fun projects I have worked on up to date.

I hope you have a lovely week!

 Find Carla's business online: Website / Facebook
*Photos by Melanie Wessels


See past Meet Free Monday posts here.

Meet Free Monday #37

6 October: Planning at HQ
Can it really be October! Scary right? It just means there is no time to waste! This month I'm inspired by colourful and lovely things from all around the world. I hope these images and links will get you back on track for a new month of creativity and go-getting! (Be prepared to read the word 'inspiration' in every sentence... ha ha.)

This DIY 'On the Go Organizer' (from Crazy Little Projects) is really great! The post has all the instructions for making your own. Damn I wish I could sew.

The discovery of ladyendevagenhond's Instagram adds loads of colourful (and organised) inspiration to my day. She runs an online shop (currently closed) stocked with amazing items from Hema.

I currently need as much fashion inspiration as I need planning inspiration and this post from A Preppy State of Mind has both covered. Lovely clothes and a Kate Spade planner all in one. I think I need to ask Santa Claus for one of these (I'm sure you'll agree).

Happiness is Scrappy shared the loveliest free printables in her planner post. I really like these!

The Blog Stylist is a resource blog full of tips and insight. Some aspects are paid for or linked to books, but in general there is loads to view and read through for free. It's a great one to add to your list for inspiration at any time of the month.

*Quick Note: I must just mention 'My Weekly Planner' that I shared with you last month. I've really had some time to test it and can't recommend it enough. It has ample writing space and the paper quality is fantastic. To take a look - just click here.

Happy October and remember to make this month matter!

Meet Free Monday #36

29 September: A Day at HQ

 *I'm sorry this post is so late, but I had trouble publishing it - a bit of fiddling and finally here it is.
Its been absolute ages since I've written a traditional MFM post, so I hope you'll enjoy this catch up and outlook on my week.

The past weekend was a quiet one spent at home. We relaxed and worked and headed out on Sunday for a late lunch and some frozen yogurt. In the morning I joined a few friends for breakfast. We shared delicious food and sat chatting until past lunchtime. (You can see some snaps on my personal Instagram.)

Let's dive straight into the new week... I browsed the Coloursnme blog to get inspired and organised. The beautiful photos and pretty pages in Malini's planner did the trick.


The Working Week in Review / Last Week:
Last week was a really good work week. I'm not sure why, but it felt as if I got my 'groove back', corny as that may sound. It was great to get back to blogging too. Have you spotted a few changes around here? Claire and I are still working on a one or two updates, but watch this space!

The Working Week Ahead:
This week is fully booked as far as consulting sessions go. I have several in person and a few online ones too. The sessions are one of my favourite aspects of my work. I'm also catching up with Sabrina from Fashion Nanny, who is back from London and Rome. I can't wait to hear what she saw and experienced. We'll be planning a few updates for her business and chatting through next week's Fashion Camp, where I will be speaking about blogging and social media.

Things I'm excited about this week:
I'm excited to add the finishing touches to the blog. There are also loads of social things on the go, after work I'll be heading out for good meals and catch-ups. I'm looking forward to dinner at Lupa Osteria and Lauren from Glossary's birthday party on Saturday. 

What will challenge me this week?
Staying focused! I've been steadily setting into a new and improved routine and I would like to keep up the momentum.

Personal Thoughts or Goals:
I currently feel as if I'm consolidating life, both work wise and on a personal note. I want to get things done and find balance as always. I'm feeling positive and happy - ready to face the last few months  of the year. Yikes... it's a bit scary how fast we are heading towards Christmas! 

Wishing you luck for your week! Let me know what you're up to or looking forward to this week?

Be sure to check in for other posts this week as well as next week's MFM planning edition post.

Meet Free Monday #35

My Week in Review: 15 - 21 September

It's great to finally be back to blogging. As I mentioned a while ago, things have been so insanely busy, both work wise and on a personal note. Step one... get back to MFM posts. Last week, I briefly checked in with the giveaway - thanks for all the entries! What a lovely prize - I will be drawing the winners soon. Today's MFM post is my week in review, which focuses on what I worked on and did last week. 

The past week was a busy one - I know I always say that, right? Well... it really was, but it was a good week too. I had a shoot booked with Ideas Magazine and my focus was on being organised and as prepared as possible. 

Monday...
The morning kicked off with a bit of work, but I spent most of the day out the office collecting and sourcing items for the shoot. One of my stops was Settings Function Hire - they have a huge variety of crockery and decor items for events. I particularly liked the pastel jars they had on display. I also fitted in lunch with my mom at St Clements in Musgrave Road. Their Prawn and Lime Cakes are my new favourite meal (highly recommended). One of my close friends had a baby on Monday, which meant a very over excited me visiting her in hospital. I was so overjoyed - I almost clapped and shrieked when I got to see her little baby boy (enthusiastic much?).

Tuesday...
A day for meetings and many an errand. I started the day early... way earlier than usual. My first meeting or shall I say coffee catch-up was with Jane. I needed to collect a gift I bought from her shop (It's a Bling Thing). My other meetings were great too, but these had a strong work focus. The rest of the day was consumed with errands for the shoot - going to the party shop (they have loads of useful things) and taking a look at Mr Price Home (bright and beautiful). A full day ended perfectly with dinner at my parent's house.
Wednesday...
Serious crunch time for Thursday's shoot! The first stop was Fresh Flowers in Florida Road (their prices are really good) to shop for pretty blooms. One or two other errands where on the list and then it was time to focus on 'real work' followed by crafting and packing everything I needed for the next day. A good nights rest was needed, so I decided to enjoy my new satin pillowslips from Dear Deer. What a decadent treat (and the cute packaging made it even better). Zzzzzzzzz...

Thursday...
SHOOT DAY! The day began before the crack of dawn and the shoot was kindly hosted by my parents at their home. It was so lovely to meet the Ideas team who flew to Durban especially for the shoot. Dala Watts (the creative director) and Terena le Roux (the editor) were just lovely, relaxed and so easy to work with. Derryn Semple did all the photo snapping and my mom played hostess. I  can't share much about the theme of the shoot or the details, but it will be in the December Ideas Magazine. Hooray - I can't wait! The rest of the afternoon was full of normal work - although I was truly exhausted. We celebrated a busy, but successful day with a delicious braai (and wine - of course).

Friday...
Secretly all I wanted to do was take the day off. The reality was quite the opposite. It pretty much looked like a craft bomb exploded in my office (stuff yanked out of storage, nothing in its place). I had to leave the mess to get on with other tasks. One of the fun 'to do's' was planning several blog posts and I got to use my brand new unopened Elephantshoe 'my weekly planner'. It's always so nice to use new stationery to feel motivated again. While out and about I spotted 'Make it Home', a creative magazine at CNA - it isn't cheap, but is full of inspiration. I'm thinking of getting it. Last on the list was some wrapping and gift decorating - I'm behind on so much snail mail but I'm trying to catch-up.

Saturday...
Sleeping in was on my agenda and I successfully did that! Bliss! My aim was to get started on tidying up my office, but let's be honest, I didn't do that. I did, however, get around to a few other tasks which also included some relaxing and spending time with Daniel. Earlier in the day Daniel kindly collected my order from Mr Price Sport - who sent me a voucher for the launch of their online shop. I was so happy to find that they stocked 'packing cubes' which I had seen via overseas blogs, but not locally. I can't wait to give these a try on my next trip (organising nerd alert!). We finished our night off with one of our favourite meals (Butter Chicken) from Palki. I also fitted in a little bit of work after dinner, which will hopefully ease the load during the week ahead.

Sunday...
I managed to have a lovely balanced day. Time to relax and time to dedicate to work. I've started reading The Fault is in our Stars and I'm enjoying it, but I'm sure there will be tears ahead. Ideas mag  was also on my reading list as it was a gift from the team along with some of their stationery. We did our usual relaxed lunch at home followed by cupcakes from Woolies. A bit more work, relaxing and reading finished off a chilled day at home.

Meet Free Monday #34

15th September: MFM GIVEAWAY CLOSED

I'm back! Hello Monday and hello to you. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. To spoil you today's MFM is a giveaway and an organising one at that! Hooray! MFM is my time to get organised and ready for the week and it's just perfect that the giveaway is all about planning.


GIVEAWAY Details:
Love Letters Stationery is giving away two personalised diaries to two local readers, in celebration of their recently launched online shop and updated site. Bridgett Richardson, the creative mind behind the shop, personally selects each item with love and attention to detail. The selection is inspired, colourful and perfect as gifts or even as a personal spoil. Visit the beautiful site here.

The gloss hard-cover ensures the diary (valued at R275) will look as good in December as it did in January. Page per day layout gives you plenty of space for all your notes, appointments and doodles. Getting organised is one of my absolute favourite things and I couldn't think of a better way to share my passion for all things pretty with you. 

To Enter: Giveaway Closed
I'll be testing out Rafflecopter for giveaways. It's an easy system and it makes the entry process very fair. Give it a go... *GIVEAWAY CLOSED*

Meet Free Monday #33

As mentioned last week - there is a new MFM schedule - click here to view it.
This week we're getting some planning inspiration via a MFM guest post - happy reading!

Hello! Thrilled to be making a little appearance on Nadia’s gorgeous blog.

I’m Caitlyn, from Caitlyn de Beer Life Coaching and I’m a planner at heart. I’m one of those delightfully painful people who gets a kick out of writing a to do list, or tiding my cupboards or worse still, moving. With this in mind you will understand my joy last week, when I got home to find a new white board on my desk (bought by my amazing husband) to help me with my ever-changing and growing ‘To Do List’. 

Looking back at last week… it was one of those, “Where did the week go and can I keep up” kinda weeks, in the best way possible. 

My week always begins on a Sunday afternoon / evening, when I sit down and plan the ahead, as well as matching up my schedule with my husband's. There is something empowering about going into a Monday morning knowing what your week will look like!

Monday morning brought with it the absolute JOY of launching my new website and thus much of my morning was spent devouring delightful emails, scheduling new clients and checking my website way too often. Amidst my morning of website mania, I also spent time planning my week’s lectures for Varsity College. 

Tuesday and Wednesday started with an early morning group run (by early I mean waking up at 4am - it should be illegal, but I do love it). Both days were spent focused on admin, actual lecturing and quite a few meetings involving lots of coffee and some exciting new work collaborations. Watch this space!

With my husband being away for work last week, I found myself working evenings too, but that wasn’t all bad, as sometimes it’s helps me to get ahead. Plus, look at the cool washi tape board I created in my little home office.

If there is one thing I took from last week, it was the realisation once again of the privilege I have of walking alongside my clients as they discover, create and embrace a life they love and have dreamed of living for so long.
The Working Week ahead...
This week is looming on the horizon and holding lots of exciting prospects! The weekend was lovely and relaxed – just what we needed, so I don’t feel as prepped for the week as I usually am…but I’m not worried as a bit of refreshing does us all GOOD!

Things I’m excited about during this week...
There's lots happening this week and most days hold something somewhat exciting, but I guess I am most excited about being the Guest Speaker at a Life Coaching Monthly meet-up on Tuesday. I have the honour of sharing on ‘the power of positive thinking’and will be doing some fun practical activities with these inspiring woman! Love my job.

Personal thoughts...
I’m big into walking the walk and talking the talk and this week I'm determined to get on top of mastering my morning routine. I recently released a new FREE E-book on this topic and it’s time I took some of these truths to heart. With developing my new website and lots of new business opportunities opening up, I’ve been finding it so easy to get back from my morning run at 6am and go straight into work mode. This week the challenge is to take 30 minutes each morning to sit outside in our little garden, with my coffee and Bible & practice some mindfulness.


I hope you enjoyed Caitlyn's insight into her life. Share your week or thoughts with us via the comments...

A Delayed MFM: #32

The Week in Review: 4th August - 10th August
*Quick Note: I'm onto a slightly different posting schedule for MFM - to see the plan of action click here.

As you know last week was a pretty, damn good week - full of celebrating and cake. I don't think I'll have quite such a fabulous week again - making it just plain perfect for a 'WIR' post. It was exceptionally decadent and I got so spoilt for which I am beyond grateful!

The week started with a day out the office on Monday, I had to make a MFM exception as I decided to take off Tuesday - my birthday. I got my hair coloured, cut and styled (got to hide them greys) for the last of my 30 days to 30 tasks. Of course there was some work too and planning for the week ahead.
Once my birthday arrived I was so excited and had a full day out planned. It kicked off with a trip to the Zak & Tonic pop-up cafe, together with a few creative friends, including Sam from Isla Designs, Denise from Freshly Found, Yvette from ArtEsense and Fathima from Happiness is. They spoilt me with lovely gifts and bright balloons! I worked with Zak & Tonic last year on their blog and feel so proud of them - they are really making their mark on Durban!

Next stop was lunch with my mom at Tashas (look at that yummy salad). We fitted in a browse and birthday shopping - which included a gift from Mimco for my mom as her birthday was last week too. In the afternoon my sister, mom and I went for high tea at the Oyster Box - it was amazing as expected. Daniel surprised me with dinner at Unity Bar to finish off an awesome day (full of eating)! 
Wednesday it was back to reality and I got back to work. I had a few meetings, including one with Caitlyn de Beer (check out her new site) and all the usual to do list things on the go. Thursday was also quite a normal day. I did a little party prep for my planned weekend celebrations which got me excited - I love a bit of DIY!

On Friday it was my mom's birthday so I stopped by with a card - she couldn't wait for her gift and claimed it on Tuesday! He He... I allowed it. I also had what felt like a million errands to run, but I did stop to buy her some flowers too at Lillys and Lace in Durban North. I also spotted my client - Chey Michau's new packaging and designs at 100% Co-op in Gateway. Her work is beautiful as is the packaging. A friend wore one of her necklaces this weekend and it looked so lovely!
Saturday was a very special day as I hosted my 30th birthday celebration. My best friends joined me at my parents' home for a light lunch of canapes made by Centre Piece Hire (what a team), along with cupcakes and cake baked by Smith's Bakeshop. I loved planning the decor, setting up and of course having the actual party. My friends out did themselves with the gifts and once again my heart overflowed with gratitude! I posted some of the pictures on my personal Instagram, but here are a few more showing the decor and a few of the lovely gifts I received (which included some spoils from Kirsten Goss and Voluspa). The day wasn't over yet as we headed out to dinner that night. I got to wear my dream dress from Mono - which was sequined to add some birthday sparkle.


Yesterday was a day to take stock and get back to reality (do I have to?). I loved all of last week and feel truly happy to be thirty. I was fortunate to be able to celebrate it with the people I love most! Not much more a girl can ask for. Thank you so much for the wishes and thank you to the wonderful people who made last week so incredible. Can I say I'm grateful just once more!
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