September iInspire ... a little late :)

It has been a long time since my last blog post. Life has been very, VERY busy! Since my last post I have stopped working, started working, stopped working again, had a massive spring clean getting rid of ALL of the unnecessary junk in my house, had a house inspection, finally moved house, and, last but not least, decorated my house for Christmas!
As each PLM prompt came out I put it into my word doc so that when I had time I could do my writing, made much easier with the new format. I managed to get each prompt written up how I wanted it, I just didn't manage to get the pages done. I considered just putting up my journalling, but I quickly decided that I would rather wait and have it done properly. I knew that if I took the short cut, the layouts would never get done. So it has taken me almost three months to catch up, but I am getting there. Here we go...


Prompt # 36 iInspire
To some degree or another, we all offer inspiration to others, and we are all inspired by other people as well as the world around us. Where do you find inspiration? Who inspires you? Who is your hero?
My page speaks for itself. I don't really have a hero, but I find inspiration EVERYWHERE!!

Prompt 37: Inspired by …
Dig back into the past and think back on your school days and family life. Name the people who inspired you (or just pick one person). What was inspiring about them? How did their example influence your life back then? What affect has it had on your current life?
Three of my many teachers from school who inspired me. I couldn't be more appreciative of your help and support through the years! Thank you!

Prompt 38: Discouraged

To be inspiring is to be uplifting, to be encouraging, to be energizing. It’s a positive word, and we all want to inspire others. But sometimes our best efforts fall short and we find that in our worst moments, instead of inspiring others, we’re discouraging them.

Share a moment when you discouraged instead of encouraged, and what that has taught you. Or share a time when you looked to someone for inspiration and encouragement, and received discouragement instead. Name a time when you felt intimidated or inferior — why did you feel this way? Do you still feel this way?

This page was difficult for me to complete because I had to put myself out there and admit a fairly major flaw. It's never easy to own up to something that you're not proud of, but doing this made me feel much better, and also made me very aware of my actions. Since this journaling it has been something on my mind all the time when I am talking to Melody. Of course there are things that you still have to discourage children from doing, for example using the extra sharp knives to chop her food... and there is a particularly good reason for it, lol! But now I let her help me take out the trash, I let her help me make her lunch, I let her do almost everything, and I just clean up any mess she makes. We have both been a lot happier since. 

Prompt 39: If I could teach one thing …
If these were your final moments on earth — you had this last chance to inspire someone — what would you say? What would you teach them? What are the most important things you think they should know?
Something I have been owning up to a lot lately is being lazy, or procrastinating (to put it nicer). I have always known it, but never done anything about it, or even really admitted it. So again PLM has prompted me to make a change for the better! 

And there you have it. September and iInspire, all caught up =D Join me next time (not sure when) for iCherish.
Keep safe,
Chippi

Prompt #34 Renewing Me

Prompt #34 Renewing Me
Focus on you. What one activity do you want to add to your life (or perhaps delete from life) so that you can feel more relaxed? What will you do each week for yourself to find renewal, to rejuvenate? Make a commitment to YOU and your sanity & peace.
As soon as I read this prompt I knew what this page would be about, I knew how I wanted to lay it out, and I knew that I wanted it to coordinate with the previous page and become calm. But I wanted pictures... So I had to start doing my renewing! To get pictures of me walking I had to get off my bum and start walking. I walk Melody to and from preschool, and try to get walks in on the other days. I am loving it, and I can already see the benefits!

Prompt #33 Stressed Out

Prompt #33 Stressed Out
Stress keeps us from being relaxed … prevents us from feeling renewed and rejuvenated. What current stresses do you have in your life? What really stresses you out? What are your pet peeves?
I am a real stresser, so this page was easy! ... Well in some ways it was hard because I get frustrated by SO many things, they would never have all fit!! So I have put the more common things, the more frustrating things, the funnier things.
On a scrapping note, I had a lot of trouble embellishing this page. I'm not sure if it is because of the busy background or what but nothing I added to it felt right, and having none felt bare. In the end I just made the heading bigger to fall off the journal box... but still not sure about it...

Prompt #32 When Life Was Slower

Prompt # 32: When Life Was Slower
Nowadays we seem to be constantly on the move … everything is go, go, go … everything is faster. But not too long ago life moved at a slower pace, like a summer afternoon. We had more time for ourselves. What do you remember about the pace of life when you were a kid? What forms of recreation did you participate in? What activities fulfilled you and brought joy to your soul?
Sometimes I wish that I still lived on the land. The environment is so peaceful, so quiet. There is no-one for miles! However, being close to shops, doctors and other amenities is a great thing, and I can survive living in town if I think about those bonuses. So I will just sit back and remember the good old days.

Prompt #31 iRenew

Prompt #31 iRenew
We all need a little down time, a bit of rest & relaxation to renew our souls. What do you do to relax? What activities rejuvenate you? How do you find renewal after a stressful day or week?
The things I do to relax are very unique. Sometimes I don't even understand, myself, how I can be more relaxed after these activities. What can I say? I am my very own person!

Prompt #30 Celebrating YOU

Prompt #30: Celebrating YOU
It’s important to not only celebrate life’s grand events, but also the day-to-day experiences, however small. What would you like to start celebrating in your life? Are there any new traditions you want to try? What can you do to celebrate YOU every week?
These are some very rare pictures of Melody and Me, I have absolutely loved scrapping with them. It is amazing how many times the Project Prompts coincide with recent photos.

Prompt #29 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Prompt #29: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Often we focus our celebrations on the happy events in our lives — birthdays, marriages, anniversaries, graduations, new arrivals. Let’s flip that and celebrate a not-so-pleasant event that made you stronger. Our experiences may seem ugly on the surface, but they’re beautiful schools for our learning. What have you learned from these experiences in your life? How can you celebrate what happened to you?
It wasn't until I did this Prompt that I really understood why Pop wanted a Celebration, not a funeral. He touched so many lives, and his Memorial Service was a beautiful day of stories, pictures and laughing (as well as crying).