Organisation ....

 On a day to day basis.

I think we would all agree our lives run far more smoothly when we are organised. When we have planned ahead and prepared. I know for me if I am not organised our commitments come tumbling down around our ears like a card tower in a puff of wind. When the building work on our house starts I know it will be organisation that keeps me sane.

If you are a regular visitor to my blog you will know I like to plan ! I write a two week menu plan and shopping list from these twice a month to keep my budget to a minimum. So it is probably no surprise to you that I also apply this sort of structure to other areas of our lives.

It works for me.

Our children do a lot . They have football, tennis, music lessons and swimming clubs to fit in. Cricket as well in the summer ( weather permitting). These then create the inevitable matches at the weekend. They have homework to complete and all the other appointments of course to fit in like haircuts, dentist, doctors checkups, physio appointments, play dates, seeing grandparents and so on. 

So I approach it with military precision.

Long term, Mid term and Short term planning.... and of course it must be pretty!

I did attempt to just use my phone and ipad, but I am a writer at heart and I always seem to resort back to writing so here is how I plan.

Long Term :

I use the monthly Calendar App on my Ipad and at the beginning of each month I put in all the dates I know. I can see this at a glance and I usually carry this around with me to clubs and the like.

Mid Term:

I then have a weekly planner pad that I write and scribble all over. You tear a sheet off each week. This cost me £2.99 and isn't dated so can be used in any year. I refer to this every morning - it is stuck above my desk.

Short Term:

I then have a diary and notebooks that I carry around ALL the time with me . These are for lists and notes and dates that crop up as we go through the day. I write ideas down as they occur to me as they disappear from my thoughts as quickly as they come nowadays! The large purple notebook was a gift from a special friend and I use it to write my blog ideas in.

At the end of each day I will quickly update the weekly planner if needed.

This may seem over the top, but it works for me. I think a weekly planner and a notebook for lists and notes would be a good starting point if you are starting your organisation from scratch.

There are various free planners available online ranging from weekly planners to chore planners to menu planners. Here is a link to start your search!!

Free Printable Planners

 I do find that Wilkinsons here in the Uk have a good range of reasonable notebooks.

How do you organise your week?

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

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Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

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 Wednesday Beauty Buys

Sugar Rose Lip Treatment

This is just a quick Wednesday review from me today as inevitably my children have all decided to catch my germs and are now off school running me ragged. So much for recuperating in peace! 

This lip treatment came in my Birchbox this month and I will definitely be repurchasing it. It gives a lovely deep rose tint to the lips at the same time as moisturising them . The best thing was it performs more like a lip product, than a lip balm. In other words it is not sticky or greasy and the colour stays for a decent amount of time.

This has a permanent place in my handbag, but I am already half way through it. They are not easy to get hold of in the UK, but you can source them through Amazon. 

American readers can buy this product from Sephora in various shades.... lucky you!

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

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Out of The Mouths Of Babes

Comes The Merciless Truth.......

I have been really unwell over the weekend with a throat infection. I have antibiotics now and am beginning to feel a bit more human, but for a few days didn't even put a dash of mascara on, which I realised for me had become something of a rarity...........

 Eldest Son   "Mum , you can tell you are sick cus your eyes look funny"

Me   " No,that's not because I'm sick that's because I've got no make up on."

Eldest Son   " Oh"

Short pause.

Eldest Son   "You should always wear make up - you are prettier with it."

Point Taken.

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

Commercial or Private use without explicit written consent is prohibited and action will be taken through UK and worldwide copyright laws.

Robbie Williams - Candy

Music Monday

I need a bit of cheering up this week as I have a nasty throat infection and am on penicillin. What better than a bit of Robbie and Candy.

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

Commercial or Private use without explicit written consent is prohibited and action will be taken through UK and worldwide copyright laws.

Quick and Easy Recipe

 Frugal Friday - Chicken in Breadcrumbs

 My kids love these chicken pieces and it is one of those meals that I do as an alternative to the shop freezer meals . They are inexpensive to make. I got my chicken from Lidls this time - 100% British and less than £5 for two packs. This made enough for a meal for five and a sandwich snack for the boys the following day. One pack would be plenty for a family of four.

Ingredients

Small chicken fillets 

Seasoning

Breadcrumbs

Olive Oil

Milk

Method

Place the chicken fillets inbetween two pieces of greaseproof paper and bash knock gently with the end of a rolling pin ( or similar) . They need to be fairly thin ( about 2mm). 

Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl and season with seasalt and a little pepper

Place the milk in another bowl.

Dip the chicken in the milk, then dip in the breadcrumbs until evenly covered.

Lay on a baking sheet until all are done.

Warm a little Olive oil in a pan , add the chicken a few at a time and fry gently on each side until brown and cooked through ( about 3 mins each side). 

keep warm in the oven until all pieces are cooked. You can wipe the pan between each turn if you wish.

Serve with fresh veg and mash in the Winter or salad in the summer months.

You could grill these with a dash of olive oil if you didn't want to fry them .

Yum. Also gorgeous in homemade rye rolls with crispy lettuce and tomato chutney.

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

Commercial or Private use without explicit written consent is prohibited and action will be taken through UK and worldwide copyright laws.

The Extension

Reality Hits!

We had the builder over with the plans and figures last week . My husband is a man of detail . He likes to know where he stands exactly and hates risk. I also love to plan and organise, but there is an element of me that is happy to go with the flow and take a few risks at times.

I am excited at the prospect of this work. I would say my hubby is more nervous.

 I focus on the outcome. He focuses on the process.

It's going to be fairly close to the wire as to whether we have enough to cover all we want to do, so I am returning to some teaching duties to boost the building coffers. All will be worth it in the end I'm sure.

We have a provisional starting date of the end of March - gulp! There is so much to sort and shift around before then - better get started and order a skip! 

This is the bit I'm good at .......de cluttering!!

If we had snow this is what our skip would look like!

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

Commercial or Private use without explicit written consent is prohibited and action will be taken through UK and worldwide copyright laws.

Liz Earle Botanical Shine Treatment

Wednesday Beauty Buys

I will confess to having tried the Ojon Mask a third time and still finding it too much for my hair. However, I have found a little gem , at a fraction of the price that has left my hair soft and conditioned after only one use. It is the Liz Earle Botanical Shine Treatment - for frizzy, coarse or very dry hair. You leave it on for up to 30 minutes after shampooing and rinse as usual. Simple, but amazing. I love it. 

I use the Liz Earle shampoo and conditioner as well. You only need a small amount of this product and are meant to lather it in your hands before applying to your hair. It works so much better this way! My hair has improved in condition and strength since I have been using these products so although there are cheaper products on the High Street I feel it is worth the money I spend. It is a natural product and I don't feel it is damaging my hair.

I am in the process of growing my hair out from a layered bob so any conditioning help to stop breakage is much appreciated. 

You can buy  products from Liz Earle.

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

Commercial or Private use without explicit written consent is prohibited and action will be taken through UK and worldwide copyright laws.

Walk off the Earth

Music Monday

I am listening to Walk off the Earth and "Red Hands" on my ipod this week.

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

Commercial or Private use without explicit written consent is prohibited and action will be taken through UK and worldwide copyright laws.

A Bargain Frock

And a bargain meal.

We went out for a meal on Saturday night. Just the two of us, for my husband's birthday.

 My mum had organised it. She babysat, paid for a taxi and gave us the money for the meal as a present for hubby. 

The restaurant is a very popular one around here, but also a little pricey so we were very grateful. Unfortunately, we were kept waiting for our meal for almost an hour as they had a very large party in just before us. It didn't matter one jot to us as we had no kids and made the most of the time chatting and laughing. However , the knock on effect meant that there was no time for pudding as the taxi was due. The manager very kindly decided that that wasn't acceptable and wiped the whole bill! 

So we are going back in a months time for  rerun, hopefully with pudding.

I wore my bargain Karen Millen dress that I picked up last year from e.bay. It is a wool mix and I love wearing it. I wore it with my knee high Fly boots as the restaurant is an old building and often a little cold.

Linking up with Not Dead Yet Style

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

Commercial or Private use without explicit written consent is prohibited and action will be taken through UK and worldwide copyright laws.