The 12 Days of Me

MORE KITS COMING SOON: Ladies, thanks for your responses. I will be making another batch of kits soon. Josey is helping me package up the current kits that sold....however I am snowed in and won't make it to the post office until our road gets cleared out. Please send chocolate. :)

KIT UPDATE: The kits will be sold out very soon. Thank you for your orders!! If you missed out on a kit but would still like one, please leave a comment at the end of this post to let me know. It doesn't reserve a kit for you, but it will give me a better idea of how many, if any, additional kits I need to make. I think my kits will be a fantastic tool to carve out a little time for yourself so I want to be able to fulfill as many requests as possible. Thanks again, everyone!

Edit: The punch I used on the numbers strip is Fiskars' Upper Crest punch. If you don't have that punch, you can easily substitute any other border punch....or use decorative scissors...or leave it as a straight edge. I'll have instructions for you later this week. :) Thanks for the question, Sharon.

Hello friends. Another winter storm is on it's way so my job today is to get lots of errands done before the snow settles in. But first I want to wish you all a Happy New Year!! 2009 was a hard year for a lot of people, I know. The economic hardships really hit home to a lot of us. We'll most likely be losing the girls' grade school due to consolidation and the girls will face lots of changes in next school year. I hope we can all hang in there and that this year will bring prosperous changes for all.

During these times, I still think it's a great idea to embrace each new day with a positive attitude and make the best of what we have. One of the ways we can do that is by taking some time for ourselves. Today I have new kit for you that will help you do just that. The theme is called The 12 Days of Me.

Let me share with you my ideas on The 12 Days of Me kit. With the kit, you will be able to complete an embellished notebook and clothespin clip that will help you organize 12 days that are just for you! The idea came to me when I was thinking of my word of the year. You pick a word that you want to focus on for an entire year. This year my word is commit. Instead of making goals of what I should do, I am going to pick specific projects that I want to commit to and actually complete this year. I've made enough New Year's goals over the years that fizzle out about February or sooner. This year, I want to see results!My concept behind The 12 Days of Me kit is that you pick one day a month for an entire year that is your personal day. This day can be a day to do whatever you want. You can make it a day for professional development, a day for crafty fun, a day of pampering, a day of getting together with friends.......whatever you want to do.

The goal is to plan your day and be specific with what you want to achieve for that day. To help you do this, I'm including 12 inserts with the kit. The inserts are lists that help you plan your personal day. You write down the date of your personal day......plan your activities...plan ahead.....and also arrange for a few special treats for that day, just because you are a nice person. You'll also make a clothespin clip to help you organize your day.
If you don't already, I highly suggest that you use a calendar to organize your life. I still prefer the traditional paper calendar but you can also use one on your phone or computer too. The 12 Days of Me will work hand in hand with your calendar.

After I assembled my notebook I sat down with my calendar and picked out my 12 personal days, one for each month. I chose the 19th of each month because my birthday number is the 19th. I had to change a few days that fell on a weekend day or days that were already full of activities. You might have to do some creative planning also. Perhaps you will choose the third Saturday of each month...or maybe a few hours on a Friday night is all the time you can afford....it's up to you how you pick your personal day. For those of you that work a full time job outside the home, perhaps you can be naughty and call in crafty a few days. ;) Be a rebel! Whatever you do, get the 12 dates on your calendar now. Plan ahead and do not feel guilty. You work hard. You deserve this time for yourself.

I thought you might like to see a glimpse into my first personal day in January. I set my date and chose my activities. I am going to scrapbook our Thanksgiving and Christmas photos of 2009. I was specific and listed exactly what I want to accomplish. I also jotted down a few *plan ahead* activities such as developing the photos, organizing my supplies, cleaning up my scrapbook area, etc. I even planned my *special treats* of Diet Dr. Pepper and my favorite Turkey Bacon Rollups. Your special treat might be a new book, a new fingernail polish color, an online class, new crafting supplies, etc. By planning ahead, I will be ready to get work on my special day. The idea is to hit the floor running by being organized BEFORE your personal day arrives.

I spent a little time yesterday organizing my supplies. I purchased an entire line of Making Memories supplies that I'm so excited to crack into. I used my embellished clothespin to clip together some smaller goodies.

I organized all my supplies in a wood box, keeping everything neat and tidy until my fun day gets here.

And there you have it, folks. I hope you will join me in my 12 Days of Me adventure this year. Below are the contents that you will receive in The 12 Days of Me kit. Later this week, I will show you how to assemble your notebook and clothespin clip so stay tuned. While waiting for your kit to arrive, I would suggest that you plan out your 12 days. Write them on your calendar now....in pen.

The kits will be listed in my Etsy shop in just a bit. I made a lot of kits for this first round. If the kits sell out and there are those of you who would still like a kit, I'm prepared to offer up a second round of kits. Items sell quickly in my shop though, so purchase quickly and be sure to complete the payment portion of your PayPal transaction so that your kit can be mailed out in a timely manner. Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a great day. Have a GREAT year everyone!!