The start of the 2016 wrap-up, Laura-style!

For those who don't know, I have this little side-hustle going on where I coach, do workshops and sell online programmes.

Anyway, I made a simple (Super Simple) booklet which, if I say so myself, is really good at helping you think through things to close off 2016 and start 2017 on the right note.

Go get your FREE copy here (and my time management purpose pack).

I do love a good planning session. In this pic...my diary, bullet journal, #letsdothis2017 mini workbook and underneath, my 2017 #shiningplanner. . It was during a session like this a few weeks ago where I realised I had some unrealistic expectations about socials! If you want to read more, click through on the www.organisingqueen.com blog and check it out. . #bulletjournal #bujo #bulletjournalcommunity #planners #planningcommunity #lists #diary #shiningyear

A photo posted by Marcia Francois (@organisingqueen) on Dec 14, 2016 at 8:18am PST

1. What did you do in 2016 that you’d never done before?
Bought a house without selling the old one first! Um, I don't recommend it if you're the stressing over money type (I am!) but I still know this was the right thing to do.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't do new year's resolutions, but I do make goals. I wrote on someone's instagram recently that I love goals because you can set them anytime, you can start them anytime (right now!) and even if you make 2% progress, it's progress! Have I convinced you yet?

3. How will you be spending New Year’s Eve?
Probably here at home.

I feel like I want to have people over like we did two years ago but I'm going to play it by ear and see how I'm feeling.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no.

5. What countries did you visit?
None and strangely, I don't feel bad about that at all.

6. What would you like to have in 2017 that you lacked in 2016?
A closer relationship with God and with D.




7. What date from 2016 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

 13 March 2016 - the date I first saw and fell in love with my house

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?


Staying sane. Seriously. Trying to work full-time with demanding clients, pack up one house, move into another all with the admin and paperwork and phone calls of navigating those purchases and sales = super stressful.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not a failure as such, but I do think our house was marketed at the wrong price at first and that meant it took longer to sell, and really, we could have got more if correctly priced and marketed. Then again, no point in looking back. One has to rely on the "experts" and we are not real estate experts.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
The numb toe

11. What was the best thing you bought?

The house. Okay, but besides that, my iphone 6 or how about my navy blue kitchen or Woolies beetroot crisps? :)

12. Where did most of your money go?

House, transfer and legal fees.............. and of course our biggest monthly expense is now the bond.

13. What song will always remind you of 2016?

Good good father - He is a really good Father!

Seen on my lunch time walk 💞 * #decemberreflections2016 #intheair #marciasdecember2016 #marcias52photowalksin2016

A photo posted by Marcia Francois (@marcia0608) on Dec 6, 2016 at 3:48am PST

 
14. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Taken more walks. I have 6 left to reach my goal and I'm going to have to bribe the kids to come with me. The odd thing is we have such a great view and an interesting garden that I don't even feel like I need to venture outside to take a walk to see beauty. This is a great "problem" to have but does mean I'm not going to do this little project next year.

15. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Stressed about the house sale

16. What were your favourite TV shows?
I don't watch TV...

17. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No, thankfully.

18. What was the best book you read?
See previous post :) or this one

19. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I'm really not one for new music - I like my tried and tested things. But I will say I got into Bethel Music a whole lot this year.

20. What was your favourite film of this year?
Did I even watch anything?

21. What did you do on your birthday?
I had friends over for a delicious lunch and they spoiled me rotten :)

22. What kept you sane?
God, D and my Bible whatsapp group :)

23. Who did you miss?
I missed many friends who I've not seen as much this year.

24. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2016
That I can let go and I don't always have to initiate and drive friendship activities.

Who else is participating in this meme?

Let me know so I can come read your highlights.

Best books of 2016 and November reading

I think you can spot the 3 Christmas books in last month's "read" pile, can't you?

The best was the Maeve Binchy, of course. I don't even like short stories but she has a way of doing them so they are, in fact, complete stories and you're left satisfied with the result and you cared about the characters.

Other than that, I read my best book (most entertaining and pure enjoyment) of the year this month, Stories I only tell my friends, by Rob Lowe. Do yourself a favour and get it on Audible. You can thank me later.

(I wrote this post on making audible/ podcasts work for you - please read it)

I won't say too much here because I wrote a post on Organising Queen on my best books of the year!

Now that post should definitely be read.

How is your reading going? Are you chasing a 2016 goal or have you relaxed into holiday mode? (for me holiday mode is plenty of reading!)

Goodreads sent me a thing on around about the 10th to tell me about my year in books. Um, sorry, I'm still a good 20 days out from finishing off this year and I'm reading all the way.

Since then I've read another three books, I'm 2/3 through with an audible book (this week's travelling will enable me to finish that one) and so I estimate I'll end on 96 books, which is perfect because that will be my highest number of books read since 1998 (when I started logging books on Goodreads. I read 95 books in 2001.

By the way, Goodreads only counts a book once, so even though I read The Life-Changing Magic.... twice, it doesn't count last year's one, just this year's read. Just in case that 69 was bothering you like it did me.

Sunday evening stuff

Usually I blog on a Monday morning because I'm at work too early for my brain to actually work for work stuff, but I can string together words perfectly okay, but...

I'm working from home tomorrow because Nanny S is taking her baby (who's turning 2 tomorrow!) to the clinic. She is coming back to work after lunch because I'm actually not on leave yet and I need to get some real work done. In addition, when I work from home I like to be super productive so as to leave my record untarnished.

Aside from the working from home while refereeing two 7-year-olds story, I also have a handyman coming to do stuff here..... and I need to phone for a dental appointment.

Kendra's signing "I love you" to me!

You see, yesterday I was chewing a biscuit when something felt weird in my mouth.

The tooth where I have a root canal is loose. The kids looked excited when I said "my tooth is loose" until we told them that adults are not supposed to have loose teeth!

I can wiggle it and move it around (!) so I'm chewing on the right side. My dentist is on holiday (I stalked her on Facebook) so that will be a fun little round of telephone tag, trying to find someone unfamiliar to attend to my tooth.

Wish me well!

So what have you been up to this weekend?

Ah, Sunday skies!

Most of South Africa is on leave already so these days feel like you're the only one working in the whole country, which I don't mind at all.

I have big plans this week - two lunches, the big filing and chucking-out session and prep for January. And obviously to get my Inbox to zero. I also like to make my to-do list for my first day back.

On the home front, I have my sister arriving on Wed and my mother on Friday. But actually, that can wait for another post.

I've already filed everything possible for 3 clients I've handed over to other colleagues, so I feel lighter already.

Who's on leave? Who's still working? Who's doing the Big Clean at home? (I'm doing that too)

PS I just told D that two years ago we were at Alpine Heath. How has time flown by so quickly?!

It's downhill from here to the end of the year

So, school's out, kids are at home and not listening much (looks like Miss M has much better-behaved kids than we have at home!), and the roads are clear.

(we left at 7.30 and I was at work at 8.10; at that time of morning it would usually take a full hour of driving)

We had a full weekend of socials.

 

Actually, let's talk about that.

I'm an extrovert; D's an introvert and he's getting older and as such, I say more grumpy :)

So my need to be with people and around people are much higher than his.

Friday night we met up with two sets of work friends at a restaurant close to home. D had his year-end that afternoon so he said he would just pop in to say hi (because I said "they really want to meet you"). The kids and I were going to go (my kids' favourite thing is to go to restaurants!) Well, he enjoyed himself so much he stayed. Maybe because he was sitting next to the one husband who was relaxed and not very loud?

How do you guys deal with this? All not go if the husband indicates non-participatory vibes? Go alone?



On Saturday afternoon we had a lunch plan with very close friends of ours. We love being with them and the kids are comfortable there too so that was wonderful in every way.

On Sunday afternoon I had two work friends plus partners over for tea. Again, D said he'd pop in and out but wanted to be free to not have to socialise. So that's what we did. Lovely time, D did his thing; I was obviously with my guests the entire time. Kids were out til about 4.30 and then arrived home with granny.

I guess I'm saying that this kind of mish-mash of socials works for both of us. I would be miserable if "forced" to not have people over, and he'd be miserable if "forced" to socialise too much.

What works for you?
Are your kids going mad at home yet?
Do you have a busy December?

PS I decided that is it. No more forcing socials into this month. I have a couple of dates during work hours with friends and one playdate after Christmas, and that is that.

Friendship Friday - the crazy, end of year rendition and friendship plans for next year

Well, hello.

I didn't mean to stay quiet for a whole week but we did have three days of concerts.... so there's that.

I do want to get this one out quickly so that I can put on a podcast and attack a certain box in my study before supper, so let's get to it.

1. I don't know what made me have this idea (maybe it's my friend spreadsheet) but I seemed to think that I need to see at least all my friends once this year. And so I've been going crazy, scheduling stuff. I happened to mention something to D and he outright told me I'm crazy so I've calmed down and now I'm telling myself a year, 14 months, whatever... :) (I'm still twitching a little bit inside though, truth be told)

2. The crafternoons have helped to see and spend time with friends this year but I'm not continuing them next year. Tomorrow is the last one of the year, and the last one forever probably.

I thought there would be more people involved when I started. That hasn't quite happened so I'm moving on. I'm not saying some of us won't craft together but it just won't be a Thing. If someone invites me over to craft, I'll go and vice versa.

3. I have some other plans though - Terisha and I have spoken about starting a bookclub and I'm really keen to get this going. If you know me (or have met me in person), I really get very passionate about books. It's just that I hate being told what to read when....so a typical bookclub won't work. Anyway, I'll let you know more when things are clearer with us.

this friend completely spoke to my acts of service self :)

4. I also want to have more workshops next year. Not that friends need to come but I do love it when my friends support my passions. I'm definitely hosting another 5 Love Languages workshop and something keeps calling me to a photo workshop or a motherstyles workshop. We'll see.

5. Julia and I are starting a God Centered Mom podcast group. I need to find my Skype password to test the technology otherwise since it's just us two for now, we will whatsapp chat. If you're keen, subscribe to the God Centered Mom podcast and let me know so I can send you the first episode. This is super easy - listen, and we jump on Skype to discuss, and done. You can't get any easier.

6. I have some big financial goals for the next while. It's a number goal so when I hit it, I can relax again. I'm not at all concerned because I'm good with goals and this one should be hit within a year or two but I do need to limit my eating out with friends so I want to do more old-fashioned friend stuff, like having people over. Or cheaper friend dates like tea (R20) or lunch (R65) instead of suppers (R120 +).



7. Still, I've had a good November as far as friends are concerned even though the first 11 days were all things Spanish. Impromptu teas turned into long lazy afternoons, Face Time dates with faraway friends happened, the 5 Love Languages workshop and lunch with a friend, Sunday night suppers, and two work things but these don't count as work because they were such fun.

Tell me, do you have this crazy idea that you need to cram into the year all the friends? Or is that just me?

Are you changing your friends calendar for next year? Do tell!