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Life As-Pland
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Hello!
I'm Debs, and you've found my little corner of the internet
I am a happily married mum of three.
Our house is home to me, my husband, three children and a huge variety of special educational needs and disabilities (ranging from severe visual impairment to autism, from speech and communication issues to dyspraxia and from osteoarthritis to vertigo). It's also home to one very nutty dog who fits in perfectly.
Having children with SEND has definitely given me a huge bag of tools to help me get back up, time and time again. Tools to help me keep the plates spinning and tools to help me know when I need to focus on self care.
I try to keep it real, I don't pretend I have the perfect Instagrammable home life, work/life balance or eating habits. Like you, I have good days and bad days.
Days when motivation comes easily and days when just getting out of bed is an achievement.
Days when anyone could pop round and I would be delighted to see them, and others when my house is in need of a bit of attention so unexpected drop ins leave me feeling overwhelmed.
Life isn't perfect for anyone but I can help you find that balance so the bad days don't outweigh the good ones.
Life is never ever dull!
I hope you enjoy reading my pearls of wisdom, please
feel free to leave your comments and thoughts.
Debs x
Happy Clients Have Said...
Latest Pearls of Wisdom
Putting it off – making an easy job a challenge
Why do we do it? We have these jobs we know we need to do but we keep putting them off. By doing this, we make the job appear even more difficult than it is. We give it a power and then even more amazingly, we start to believe the hype we have created.
Self care: Me too not Me First,
Self care isn’t about making you the number one priority and ignoring the needs of everyone around you. Self care means “me too”.
Recent Pearls of Wisdom
Eat the ugly Frog first
If we eat the frog, (ie get that awful job done out of the way), then the rest of the day has got to be a breeze but what if you have more than one frog item on your list?
Review – Teen Calm Box
The aim of Teen Calm is to help young adults develop a routine that builds self-regulation skills so they can cope with those annoying doubts and insecurities
To Do List, Planning and Scheduling
“a plan Is what, a schedule is when. It takes both to get things done” Pubilius Syrus Lists Are you a list writer? Do you have lists everywhere? Or maybe even lists organised in one lovely book – yes I’m talking about you – or maybe you have amazing mind maps that you’ve spent hours …
Incomplete Compassion
Compassion – a strong feeling of sympathy and sadness for the suffering or bad luck of others and a wish to help them” Cambridge English Dictionary Everyone, with the exception of perhaps some psychopaths, has the ability to feel compassion towards others. Studies have shown that some psychopaths have the ability to feel compassion but …
Focus, focus, focus
If you are anything like me, you are possibly involved in several projects. Maybe you’re not involved in lots of projects, but you are trying to juggle work, home, me-time, keeping fit, being a mum/dad, and somehow trying to find time to write that book or redecorate that room. or learn a new skill I …
Failure, then success
Fear of Failure Why are we so afraid of failure? Failure means different things to different people; due to our upbringing, beliefs, values and obviously the standards we set for ourselves. Failure for one person may not be a failure for someone else. First of all, you need to really be clear about what failure …
Do what you can
Start where you are Do you put things off because you are thinking of the end result too much and it seems so far away? Want to run a marathon? Want to lose a few stone? Want to start a podcast? Want to change career? You know what you have to do, don’t you? Start! …
Give the world the best of You
Self Care – Not a priority, sorry! How often do you put you first? How often do you do something that is just for your benefit and no one else’s? How often do you make time for yourself, to have a pamper, go for a run, meditate, write, read, watch a movie, paint, crochet, go …
This was not in #plan for the week. Member of school staff tested positive so PCR tests required. Thankfully as a #meetthesenparent I always keep space in my #weeklyplan for the unexpected. Obviously the last 18 months has seen that space used almost daily but somehow we’re all upright.
Do you leave space for the unexpected in your #planner?
Pd - label on a PCR test box
On a visit to @sissinghurstcastlegardennt recently, I fell in love with the coloured glass objects sat on window ledges and knew I wanted to do something similar at home - obviously on a much smaller scale. I was overjoyed last night when a friend @antiquesbarnbethersden messaged me to say they had some in.
I loved these three and am ecstatic at the start of my coloured glass collection.
What random things do you collect?
#collectables #randomcollections #homenotahouse #colouredglass #collectors
PD - a blue glass jug, a yellow glass pot and a solid aqua block of glass on a window ledge
Comment on Facebook On a visit to ...
I collect vintage glass cake stands. I have 2 Georgian glass ones I am very proud of. I have over 30 now 🥰
There amazing! I love anything quirky … my recent purchase a couple of Fox canes 🙈
Teapots, just love them 🥰
Gonks! I have them across my window sill 🤣
Do you plan your week? Even if you know there’s a chance life will get in the way?
This afternoon, I’m planning my week ahead and ink is required. And on a side note why do you always run out of ink when you really need it?
Sundays always includes planning for the week ahead, otherwise my week goes to sh*t and I end the week feeling like it was a fail.
Having three teenagers with special needs can mean nothing goes to plan but having a plan means I can reschedule rather than just feeling overwhelmed by life.
Do you plan for the week, or perhaps on a monthly basis? Or do you just think planning is for others and just hope for the best?
pD - A packet of pastel paper with a ream of white paper and printer ink cartridges on top.
#planner #planning #planneraddict #planningahead #weeklyplanner #weeklyplans #pastelplanner #sundayhabits #loveplanning #bulletjournal #bujo #midoritravelersnotebook #personalplan #meetthesenparent #specialneeds #specialneedsparenting #parentcarer
Had breakfast out today and got chatting to a gentleman who arrived on his beautiful Harley Davidson.
He wanted to let J see his bike and invited him to sit on it. J was thrilled, said the bike was “sick” 🙄
It’s people like this gentleman who make the world a better place.
J now wants to swap the tandem for a Harley though - that could be fun.
#harleydavidson #begenerous #visuallyimpaired #blindcyclist
PD - blind teenage boy sitting astride a beautiful Harley Davidson
I lost my mojo this summer and none of my usual tricks helped me to bounce back. We had stuff happen and I think my mojo decided I needed a break.
This weekend though I dug out my old planners, bullet journals and journals and looked through my “ideas” lists. The ideas you get but know that you can’t work on when you have them. Either you’re too busy, it requires funds, it requires a new skill, it requires someone else’s input, etc. Those ideas.
Turns out I have lots and lots of ideas! If you’re ever in a slump, give me a ring, I will come up with an idea (or 20) for you.
One of the ideas I had was featured in many of the lists I had, going back more than 8 years. This time it felt right.
I spoke to a friend and as we chatted, we laughed at how excited I was.
For the first time in a long time, I lost track of time sat at my desk last night. Then when I eventually called it a night, my brain was still whirling with more ideas.
Most interesting was the absence of imposter syndrome. No “who am I to do this”. It was more a case of “why have you left it so long”.
Today, despite being exhausted, I’m still very excited. I’ve found my mojo and already this morning, I’ve had a moment of “wow” when something I needed came up on Marketplace at a fraction of the cost. I never look on there! Thanks @jennyrampton
Watch this space as I share my journey
If your mojo has disappeared, don’t wind yourself up about it. Look through your ideas lists or even create one and look at the ideas you’ve never got round to for some reason. Maybe you’ll see it differently today and know that now is the right time.
#ideaslist #ideas #impostersyndrome #bulletjournal #backburner #bujolove #planneraddict #excited #mojo #mojorevival
PD - Grateful for where I’m at. Excited about where I’m going.
Comment on Facebook I lost my mojo this ...
I’m excited to hear your next move!
Can’t wait to see you tomorrow xx 😘
20 years on. I know today I will be saying “they didn’t lose their lives, their lives were stolen” to the TV on repeat.
I think I focus on this one thing because it’s easy to understand why people should say stolen, not lost. Whereas I will never understand terrorism or the conspiracy theories that follow.
Never forget
#911anniversary #20yearson #livesstolen #stolennotlost
How many hours, days, weeks, months and more have you spent trying to do stuff in a way that just doesn’t work for you because it worked for someone else?
We’re all different - life would be so dull if we were all the same. We learn differently, we do things differently, we have different support dynamics, we have different life experiences and what works for one person may be the method that breaks you.
If you’re looking for permission to stop the self doubt, the ok to say you can do it but differently, here it is.
#selfdoubt #doyou #alldifferent
Using up lots of odd balls of wool and making a poncho for chilly evenings in the garden.
Haven’t crocheted for many many years but my Gran would be delighted at how much I remember from the years sat beside her as she made her toilet roll holder dolls.
#crochet #lazysundayafternoon #timeout #timeforme❤️
A perfect evening. We’re so lucky with our neighbours. Spent the evening demonstrating our pizza oven skills and catching up without a garden fence separating us. Now sat with a cuppa, enjoying the garden because I’m old!
PD - garden table with a few candles looking onto a garden and house
Comment on Facebook A perfect evening. ...
Bless 💕 x
Gorgeous x
Back to school - Time to start remembering what day of the week it is.
I’ve spent the whole summer asking “what day is it”. Initially my family kept replying with the date but then they realised I honestly didn’t know what day of the week it was. They put it down to old age but I’ve put it down to routine.
The older I get, I find routines are key to me remembering things, like what day of the week it is.
Please tell me I am not alone, tell me that you’ve moved on from not knowing the date to not knowing what day it is. You get extra points if you had to check more than once a day.
#oldage #routines #schoolholidays #backtoschool
Most Popular Pearls of Wisdom
Incomplete Compassion Friday, 5th June 2020 If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incompleteJack Kornfield Compassion - a strong feeling of sympathy and sadness for the suffering or bad luck of others and a wish to help them"Cambridge English Dictionary Everyone, with the exception of perhaps some psychopaths, has the ability to feel compassion towards others. Studies have shown… (195)- The Happy Diary Monday, 25th September 2017 It only takes 5 days and is not a diary you complete every evening, forever. You just do this for 5 days and then when you need a boost, you do it again. (187)
- Visualising Success Monday, 19th February 2018 When I first heard about Vision Boards (aka Dream boards), I thought “oh that’s nice but I don’t have magazines and glue sticks lying around and I have no intention of buying them”. I moved on. (157)
- Me, My Notebook and I Friday, 9th October 2015 Making the bullet journal wok for me. Me, my notebook and I. (142)
- Review – Teen Calm Box Wednesday, 17th June 2020 The aim of Teen Calm is to help young adults develop a routine that builds self-regulation skills so they can cope with those annoying doubts and insecurities (141)
Most Popular Posts
- Incomplete Compassion Friday, 5th June 2020 If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incompleteJack Kornfield Compassion - a strong feeling of sympathy and sadness for the suffering or bad luck of others and a wish to help them"Cambridge English Dictionary Everyone, with the exception of perhaps some psychopaths, has the ability to feel compassion towards others. Studies have shown… (195)
- The Happy Diary Monday, 25th September 2017 It only takes 5 days and is not a diary you complete every evening, forever. You just do this for 5 days and then when you need a boost, you do it again. (187)
- Visualising Success Monday, 19th February 2018 When I first heard about Vision Boards (aka Dream boards), I thought “oh that’s nice but I don’t have magazines and glue sticks lying around and I have no intention of buying them”. I moved on. (157)
- Me, My Notebook and I Friday, 9th October 2015 Making the bullet journal wok for me. Me, my notebook and I. (142)
- Review – Teen Calm Box Wednesday, 17th June 2020 The aim of Teen Calm is to help young adults develop a routine that builds self-regulation skills so they can cope with those annoying doubts and insecurities (141)
