Planning for Christmas - Gifts - Filofax Friday

I am back for the very last in my planning for Christmas series.

I like to try and stay organised when it comes to presents and the main reason that I do this is so that I don't go overboard and really silly! I often buy gifts quite early in the year. If we are on holiday in August and I see the perfect gift for someone I will buy it and put it away but I like to log it down so that I remember I have it. I also like to log the presents that I have bought as I often buy a lot online and it just reminds me to check that they have all arrived safely.

I love to buy gifts for other people, it brings me such joy to choose a gift, wrap it and then deliver it. Except I am really bad at accepting gifts, I don't really know why but I often feel that people shouldn't waste their hard earned pennies on me. Jon was watching a DO lecture and there was a fantastic quote in there which really hit home to me:

"If you can't allow yourself to receive you deny others the ability to give"

It is so true. If I don't let people give me presents I don't let them experience the joy in giving a gift that I experience when I give a gift! So this year I am very open to receiving shed loads of presents he he! Only kidding or maybe I am not ; ) So to help me I have got my letter to Father Christmas template that I am going to use. You can use this too, just download it from the download section below!

Download
You will need software that can 'unzip' the folder to release the files as both pdf and jpeg.  To download the files for week 5 please click here. Please note that the inserts that I am offering as freebies as part of this series are different to the ones that I sell, so if you have already purchased a set of my inserts these are in addition for you. If you haven't purchased any of my inserts and would like to or just have a nose at them you can view them in my Etsy shop here. Please note: These inserts are entirely free and a gift from me and only the inserts provided are free, I say this because I know some people might prefer one of the other designs that I offer but it is only the ones in the freebie set on offer at this time.

Giveaway
I am so pleased to have what I think is an awesome giveaway to go along with this series and I hope you will agree. The giveaway is brought to you by myself and the lovey Charlotte. Please do thank Charlotte for her kind generosity by visiting her:

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CharlottesWeb86
Blog: http://therobinsnest86.weebly.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/handmadebycharlottevictoria

Charlotte has only recently started her blog but you will not be dissapointed, she has some lovely images and planner lovliness so please do go and have a look.

So what can you win....some lovely things that is what my dears! I have three prizes for you... the first prize is everything that you see in the photo below which is.... from me: a brand spanking new red original Filofax which retails for £60.00 on the Filofax website, Christmas sticker sheet, candy cane planner charm, washi sample card and your choice of Christmas printable inserts from my shop. From Charlotte: a Christmas fly leaf, dashboard, set of dividers and pen. Everything that you need to plan your Christmas this year and every year after!

The second prize is everything you see below...from me: a Christmas dashboard, washi sample card, sticker sheet, Christmas tree planner charm and your choice of Christmas printable inserts from my shop. From Charlotte: a set of beautiful Christmas dividers.

And last but not least the third prize is your choice of Christmas printable inserts from my shop.

You want to enter? 
If you would like to enter the giveaway to win the Filofax shown above please use the rafflecopter widget below.  To enter you will be asked to follow both mine and Charlotte's Etsy shop which is mandatory to receive your entry (this is just as a thank you for hosting the giveaway but you are not expected to make a purchase!). All other 'follow' options are optional so don't worry if you don't have those accounts, it just gives you extra chances to win.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
By submitting an entry to this giveaway you agree to the following Terms & Conditions:

• Open internationally
• You must be over eighteen years of age or have parental / guardian permission.
• I will package the item(s) and will send in good faith but I cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to the item in transit.
• The prizes stated above are the only prizes - no alternative colours, no cash alternative.
• The inserts are digital for you to print at home and will not be supplied printed.
• Three winners will be chosen at random and notified by email. Winners will be announced on this page after the closing date.
• If the winner(s) do not respond to my email within 48 hours a new winner(s) will be chosen.
• Your email address will be added to my newsletter database - I will not sell this to anyone else nor will I constantly be spamming you and you can unsubscribe at any time!

More Kawaii Goodies!

Do you remember the Kawaii Box Unboxing that I did a little while ago? Well I am back with more Kawaii goodies from the company behind the Kawaii Box...Blippo.

So what did I get...

Firstly in my box of goodieswas the cutest little Hello Kitty plush charm. On the website it says you can use it as a bag charm but I actually really like it for just sitting on my desk. I am one of these people that when I am at my desk thinking of reading something I like to be fiddling or playing with something. I don't know why but I have always done it, usually it is pen clicking but this little cutie is just so tactile and fits perfectly in my hand so I am using it as I mini stress ball!! It is super cute though, especially if you are a Hello Kitty fan like myself. I don't actually own that much Hello Kitty stuff surprisingly so I am delighted by this. I don't know if I could put it on a bag, I wouldn't want to risk loosing it because I love it so much! It is really very well made too!

The next thing I received was the Meiji Gaburichuu DIY Candy Kit. I have to confess to not knowing what this was or what to do with it so I had to go onto the Blippo website to see. Luckily for me they have a YouTube video which shows you what you need to do. All the instructions are in Japenese and I couldn't work it out from the pictures alone but the video did help! The packets of candy are very vibrant which reflects the candy inside too. The blue one did look a little like blu tack so I had to check that it was candy and not a thing for sculpting blu tack!! I have to say that the flavour of the candy was not to my taste as it was a bit strong and sour for me and I also struggled a bit with the modelling but then that could be because I have a bad hand at the moment. The mold is quite tiny so I am not sure how my fat digits would fair but I do know some little hands who would probably love it. I don't have the patience to make my candy into shapes either, I just want to eat it. I do think it would probably make a great gift for kids especially if you need to keep them occupied too!

Very lastly I received a plush watermelon coin purse. I do like watermelon's not only to eat but to draw and I have shared by kawaii watermelon drawings before! Like the Hello Kitty charm, this little cutie is also very well made and the fabric feels very thick and again this is also very tactile. The zip opens all the way and the whole purse is very roomy, I was able to put my mobile phone inside so there is lots of room for all your pennies, I love it!

I have been really impressed with all the items that I have received from Blippo and I would definitely reccommend them to you. You know I only reccommend products and companies that I truly and genuinely love, I promise you that!

PLEASE NOTE: I was given the items mentioned in this blog post by Blippo in exchange for my honest review and opinion, the fact that I was given these does not alter my opinion in anyway. All opinions are my own and given in good faith. The photography unless otherwise stated / credited is also my own. None of the links are affiliate links.

Blippo are very kindly offering a giveaway of some Kawaii items to my readers. What can you win? Well firstly are these super cute popsicle earrings, next is the cake pendant and lastly is the Blythe notepaper. I love those earrings, makes me wish I still had my ears pierced although I could always take them apart and turn them into planner charms...

If you would like to be entered into the giveaway for these products, please enter your details into the rafflecopter widget below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Pumpkin / Halloween decorated pages

As we have Halloween next week, I really thought I should mark the occassion by decorating my pages so here we are!

The stickers that I used were from Hobbycraft and the striped washi tape (both types) is the MT brand from Just Keep Pinning.

Page marker wise I will be using this bird paper clip because I think it looks suitably gothic to mark the occassion!

I am not feeling all festive and ready to go!

Hello Handsome.

Hello Handsome...

Anyone that has followed me for a while knows that I have coverted the Ochre Malden for some time, well not 'some time' but actually for a long time. I have seen many people using this planner and I am not the only one that considers this to be the 'unicorn planner'. I know that the Malden is at the top of a lot of people's Christmas lists. I don't actually know why people call something their unicorn but I do get the gist of the meaning lol! Such a small country village girl me lol!

What is it about this particular planner that makes it so desired? If it is on your list please do let me know as I am intrigued to know. For me it is just the look of it. Everytime I see one something inside of me just aches for it and I am not entirely sure why but it does. I feel pulled towards it time and time again. Why haven't I bought one? I don't know! There have been times when I could afford one and times when I haven't, usually more of the latter but generally I just don't know.


So this week the post man knocked on my door and presented me with a parcel I had no idea was coming. I opened it as you do and underneath the beautiful packaging was this handsome man. Of course I read the note that went with it too from a very kind, thoughtful and generous friend. I was blown away. Knocked down. Speechless. Overwhelmed. Flooded with emotion. And all kind of things that I just wasn't sure. This is one of those times in my life where I had to sit down and where my heart literally missed a bit and I had tingles all over. I kid you not! You think I am over embellishing but I can assure you that I am not.

I was stunned not only by the beauty that is the Ochre Malden but also for the very kind and generous gift. The person knows who she is and she will also be receiving something privately in the post from me but I also wanted to publicly say thank you and to introduce the new man in my life to you all.

Once I had picked myself up from the floor, I moved in instantly! I had to, I couldn't not. My gift giver also put a few goodies in there for me as this present was a combined 'been a brave girl with my accident' / christmas / Birthday present. Inside were birthday themed things which I just love and I am going to save those for decorating my birthday month (yes I said month lol!) The day I received this was the day that my instagram challenege had the prompt 'colours of Autumn' so I just had to make something that would fit as isn't the rich brown of the leather just so Autumnal. I really like the idea of changing Filofaxes around with the seasons or months and making them all festive. That was actually one of the things I love about the nude original is that it just goes with everything but then so does this beauty and I can't see myself ever moving out. I know at some point that I probably will because that is what planner people do but I know it will not be for long at all. I don't think my heart could bear it as my heart does belong to Mr Malden. Sorry Mr B but there is another man in my life now! I think what ever planner I am in, I will always be pulled back to Mr Malden.

How do you thank someone that has given you a gift like this? A gift that totally blows you away. How can you possibly convey how grateful that you are and how much this truly means to you? I don't know if I can. I don't know if my words of thanks can truly give it justice! Can they? But please know that I am truly, deeply thankful and you will be seeing a lot more of us. Oh I said us ; )

Planning for Christmas - Food & House Guests - Filofax Friday

So we are hopefully really rocking and rolling now with our Christmas planning, I am certainly getting there and feeling so much better for it. I am starting to feel really smug knowing that I have everything all under control. Well at least I think I do lol!

I was unsure as to what order to share my Christmas planning with you as for me a lot of it goes hand in hand in that I plan for various things for Christmas alongside each other yet they did need breaking down into weeks for the purposes of video and blog posts.

This week I wanted to look at planning for the food and also for house guests.

Food for me plays a major part in Christmas, it is a time when I get together with family and friends and indulge in one too many mince pies. I probably buy way too much food along with everyone else in the Country but that is part of the fun in Christmas. What would Christmas night be without the Christmas episode of The Good Life and a box of sweets, for me nothing that is what!

I like to plan what we are eating for Christmas fairly early so that I can start shopping. Christmas as we all know can be rather costly and I like to spread the cost a bit by getting one or two items with long shelf lives everytime I do my food shop from the end of September. I like to do this not only to spread the cost but also to make sure that I have got everything that I really want to. Some items do sell out and fast and I don't want to run the risk of not getting those items by leaving it to the last minute. I also find that nothing gets forgotten this way in the mad supermarket dash! I know the shops are only shut for a couple of days but once Christmas Eve rolls around, I have no intention of taking my slippers off...I just want to huddle inside and relax and not have to worry or care about going to the shops.

So what I do is meal plan what we will be eating over the festive period, obviously this is not set in stone, I am not that rigid with my planning but it is the basis. The we creatures of tradition in my family and what we eat on Christmas day rarely changes. For this reason I print out my menu on to a nice piece of scrapbooking paper so it is thicker and more durable and has a pretty design on the back. This will then last me for many years to come!

Once I have my meal plan I then translate this into a shopping list which I can work from over the coming months. Every time I buy something I just tick it off the list and this means that hopefully come Christmas I will just need to buy my fresh produce. I already have things like the cranberry sauce and stuffing in a special dedicated box in my pantry. I keep it in there seperate so we are not tempted to use / eat anything, especially the treats I buy!

Christmas baking has been a tradition ingrained in me by my Mum. I remember many Decembers sitting in a dark room with just the Christmas twinkle lights on watching the delights that are Delia Smith's Christmas and Fanny Cradock's Christmas. I love them so much, they just remind me of childhood Christmases and what Christmas is all about, pre ipads and other gadgets, you know, a good 'ole wholesome family Chrsitmas. If you don't know what the heck I am going on about, I have embedded two videos below for you...let me know if you watch them and what you think!






Aren't they just delightful, retro, non-fussy and terribly British...I love it!

I like to try new things and I very much enjoy a good Christmas baking session so this year I am making a note of all the recipes that I would like to try!

In the above photos, I mucked up my cutting and consequently my hole punching which is why it is off but I didn't want to waste ink and paper to print new ones off - yours will be fine, there is nothing wrong with the margins ; )

Also if you like the look of the stickers they are available to purchase in my Etsy shop here.

As I explained in my video at the top of this blog post, we have no idea if we have house guests this year or if we are going visiting, it is all a big nuts this year! Anyway there is a potential that we may have some of our friends up. This is quite a big deal for us as we live in a quiet family of just Mr B and I along with the fur babies and our friends are a loud family of 6! I need to have a think about where everyone is going to sleep and just think about things like bedding and towels, you know just to make sure that everyone is sorted!

Download
This week's download contains the pages as shown in the video as both personal size and A5. You will need software that can 'unzip' the folder to release the files as both pdf and jpeg.  To download the files for week 4 please click here. Please note that the inserts that I am offering as freebies as part of this series are different to the ones that I sell, so if you have already purchased a set of my inserts these are in addition for you. If you haven't purchased any of my inserts and would like to or just have a nose at them you can view them in my Etsy shop here. Please note: These inserts are entirely free and a gift from me and only the inserts provided are free, I say this because I know some people might prefer one of the other designs that I offer but it is only the ones in the freebie set on offer at this time.

Next Week
Well next week will be my very last Christmas in October post which kind of makes me feel a little sad! I will of course be continuing to plan for my Christmas. Next week I will be sharing about gifts giving and receiving but if there is anything you would like me to cover then please do let me know and I will try and incorporate that for you.

Giveaway
I am so pleased to have what I think is an awesome giveaway to go along with this series and I hope you will agree. The giveaway is brought to you by myself and the lovey Charlotte. Please do thank Charlotte for her kind generosity by visiting her:

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CharlottesWeb86
Blog: http://therobinsnest86.weebly.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/handmadebycharlottevictoria

Charlotte has only recently started her blog but you will not be dissapointed, she has some lovely images and planner lovliness so please do go and have a look.

So what can you win....some lovely things that is what my dears! I have three prizes for you... the first prize is everything that you see in the photo below which is.... from me: a brand spanking new red original Filofax which retails for £60.00 on the Filofax website, Christmas sticker sheet, candy cane planner charm, washi sample card and your choice of Christmas printable inserts from my shop. From Charlotte: a Christmas fly leaf, dashboard, set of dividers and pen. Everything that you need to plan your Christmas this year and every year after!

The second prize is everything you see below...from me: a Christmas dashboard, washi sample card, sticker sheet, Christmas tree planner charm and your choice of Christmas printable inserts from my shop. From Charlotte: a set of beautiful Christmas dividers.

And last but not least the third prize is your choice of Christmas printable inserts from my shop.

You want to enter? 
If you would like to enter the giveaway to win the Filofax shown above please use the rafflecopter widget below.  To enter you will be asked to follow both mine and Charlotte's Etsy shop which is mandatory to receive your entry (this is just as a thank you for hosting the giveaway but you are not expected to make a purchase!). All other 'follow' options are optional so don't worry if you don't have those accounts, it just gives you extra chances to win.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
By submitting an entry to this giveaway you agree to the following Terms & Conditions:

• Open internationally
• You must be over eighteen years of age or have parental / guardian permission.
• I will package the item(s) and will send in good faith but I cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to the item in transit.
• The prizes stated above are the only prizes - no alternative colours, no cash alternative.
• The inserts are digital for you to print at home and will not be supplied printed.
• Three winners will be chosen at random and notified by email. Winners will be announced on this page after the closing date.
• If the winner(s) do not respond to my email within 48 hours a new winner(s) will be chosen.
• Your email address will be added to my newsletter database - I will not sell this to anyone else nor will I constantly be spamming you and you can unsubscribe at any time!

Uber Cute Paper Clip Unboxing!

Through one of my many Instagram browsings, I came accross a lovely lady called Deb who makes the most, and I mean the most amazing paperclips. I instantly fell in love with them and I enquired about purchasing them. Deb had never sent any internationally before, anyway she is a lovely lady and we got chatting and she offered to send me some so that I could help spread the word for her, see how they posted internationally (to make sure they arrived in one piece) and also....drumroll...to do a giveaway for you guys. So are you ready for the cuteness overload? Here we go....

When they arrived they were all wrapped up in beautiful dotty tissue paper done up with twine and then when I unwrapped that they were all beautifully, individually wrapped in their own little glassine envelopes, again all done up prettily in twine. I could already see how cute they were but I really wanted to open them to get a really good look at them.

Here they are altogether happily smiling away at me. Don't they look so cute. I love how smiley they all are and just so friendly, you couldn't help but smile when you see these could you now!

It is nice to see them all bundled together in one happy crowd but the photo doesn't do them justice. In person they are very vibrant and  you can tell that all the materials used are of a high quality. The attention to detail is just simply amazing. The bunny even has cotton whiskers and a fluffy tail on the back. The hedgehog has a twine bow in her hair and all the characters have little design elements and detailing on them that gives them their beautiful little characters.

I didn't know what to expect as I have never ordered any clips that have been handmade like this, all the paper clips that I have have been brought from a shop and have therefore been mass produced. I do have two plushie clips that have been handmade but they are plushy not card etc. I do love to buy from independent crafters though. With the exception of the button, they are all made out of card which as I have said is very good quality. The clips are very sturdy and aren't going to bend or 'dog ear' too easily. I don't think they would withstand sticking out of your planner and going in and out of your bag all day but for general use they will certainly last a good fair while. I gave the clip a good hard wiggle and they are well routed in there so the characters aren't going to detatch themselves from the clip anytime soon.

I think they are truly amazing and would certainly order again as not only are her items of top notch quality, she is also a lovely lady and delivers fantastic customer service. You know that I only share items with you that I truly, genuinely love and know that you will love too!

If you would like to order any of these for yourself or find out more about Deb and her crafty pursuits you can find her in the following places:

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/craftinchaos
Blog: http://www.craftinchaos.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC8TP1Kl_S7yYLzcbYeEJnw
Instagram: http://instagram.com/craftinchaos
Facebook: /https://www.facebook.com/pages/Craftin-Chaos/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/Craftinchaos/

As I mentioned I do have a giveaway for you. It was really hard to choose some to giveaway but I have! There are two prizes in the giveaway, the first set I am giving away consists of the hedgehog, owl, mouse and keep calm button as seen below:

The second set is an under the water set as seen below:

Aren't they just gorgeous! Ok so to be in with a chance of winning either one of these sets all you need to do is enter your details into the rafflecopter widget below. I have made 'follow' or 'Favourite' Craftin' Chaos on Etsy as mandatory to qualify to win, all other channels are optional, the more you do the more chances you will have. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

By submitting an entry to this giveaway you agree to the following Terms & Conditions:

• Open internationally
• You must be over eighteen years of age or have parental / guardian permission.
• I will package the item(s) and will send in good faith but I cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to the item(s) in transit.
• The prizes stated above are the only prize(s) - no alternative colours, no cash alternative.
• Two winners will be chosen at random and notified by email. Winners will be announced on this page on the rafflecopter widget after the closing date.
• If the winner(s) do not respond to my email within 48 hours a new winner(s) will be chosen.
• Your email address will be added to my newsletter database - I will not sell this to anyone else nor will I constantly be spamming you and you can unsubscribe at any time!

PLEASE NOTE: I was given a set of paper clips in exchange for my honest review and opinion, the fact that I was given these does not alter my opinion in anyway. All opinions are my own and given in good faith. The photography unless otherwise stated / credited is also my own. None of the links are affiliate links.

How to be a talented artist - The secrets of mixed media!

"I can't draw."
"I would love to....but I am not artistic."
"I wish I was as talented as you."

These are all things I hear all the time and I have had enough of it, you hear me enough! I think it is very lovely and I am always very humbled and chuffed to bits when someone likes something that I have created because I struggle all the time with my inner critic, I really do. There are many pieces of art that I have created over the years that I love, many that I hate and many that are just 'meh'. None of us are exempt from the inner critic but you know, ya just gotta get on with it and create.

Now all those comments listed above are rubbish. Total and utter tripe. Yes that is right TRIPE!

You wanna know what the answer is to those statements...I will tell you..

Firstly it is practice. That is the secret. Practice, practice, PRACTICE and when you have practiced do it again. Honestly and truly, the only way to get good at something is to keep doing it. This is why you didn't just hop in a car, drive to the test centre and pass your driving test straight away, you had to practice at it. The same is true for art, keep practising until you get it where you want it and once you are there, keep on improving it. I truly mean it, the only way I can draw what I draw is because I keep on doing it a bit at a time, learning and trying to do new things.

The second trick is to learn and experiment with your materials. You need to take one medium at a time and learn it. Learn how to blend with it, how it reacts with paper, how it reacts with water etc. I see so many people with stacks and stacks of supplies and they become a jack of all trades rather than a master of one. Don't get me wrong I do love mixed media and experimenting but I see so many people who think that buying all the latest products will make them an artist when I am afraid it does not.

OK there you go I am off my soap box now and you have no excuse but to go forth and create art!

Book Review - On Her Own Two Feet

On Her Own Two Feet
Author: Pam Evans
ISBN: 978-0755394333
Publisher: Headline (23 Oct 2014)

From the back:

Bringing the Keep Fit movement vividly to life in 1940s' London, Pam Evans' family saga will inspire and enthral anyone who has ever dared to dream of a better life. In the middle of a party to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935, Mollie Fisher's good-for-nothing husband walks out on his wife and baby girl. Luckily, Mollie has a loving family to turn to for help. Mollie's mother, Marge, is delighted to look after baby Esme while Mollie goes out to work. Meanwhile, her nan, Nora, encourages Mollie to join a local keep fit class, which opens her eyes to a whole new world. Determined to better herself, Mollie qualifies as a fitness instructor and starts to run her own classes for the local community, where she befriends a group of women she would never have known existed. But with the outbreak of the Second World War and the ever-present danger of losing her loved ones in the London bombings, it takes courage for Mollie to stand on her own two feet...

My review:

This isn't the type of book that I would normally pick up. If you follow any of my reviews that I am predominantly a vampire / witch type of book reader so anything with a pastel cover would typically not interest me at all! I saw this book on the bookbridgr website and decided to read the synopsis. I made a little pact with myself earlier this year to try different books that I would normally pass by and this is one of those books that I am glad that I didn't.

This book was beautifully written but then that is not really a surprise as Pam Evans is an established published author.  It was a quick and easy read but a pleasurable anddelightful read. I often feel that there is a gap in my education where the war years are concerned as I always find out something new when I read a book based at this time. Obviously I am aware that fiction is mixed with fact but it gave me a real sense of what living in 1940s London must have been like for the women trying to work and raise a family.

I found the keep fit side really very interesting. I had no idea how or when keep fit classes started so that was really fun to read.

You really are plunged into Mollie's world and her family life. You can't help but feel instantly warmed to her and her entire family and it really is beautiful the way they all pull together even in the hardest times to help each other out. From the moment I started reading I was really routing for Mollie and I so wanted everything to turn out well for her. Of course it does because she is not the sort of person to sit around feeling sorry for herself, instead she appreciates everything that is around her, picks herself up and just gets on with life the best way that she possibly can. It shows us that no matter what has or is going on around you, it is how you deal with that situation that determines what sort of person you are. You can either be a victim or a survivor and Mollie chose the later!

There was a very slight continuity error almost at the end of the book which didn't really hinder the reading pleasure.

Again, not a book that I would normally pick up but I feel the better for having read it. A delightful, easy read and dare I say it a fairy tale with Mollie really getting the happy ever after that she deserves.

Autumnal fox - page decoration for the coming week

I thought I would share with you my page decoration / layout for next week! I am still feeling incredibly Autumnal so that was the feeling I wanted to evoke in my pages. I am still in my nude original because I just love her so so much!

The fox, toadstool and acorn stickers were all included in my last Linkys box. The polka dot washi tape used is the MT brand sold by Just Keep Pinning.

Don't you just think that the tape and the stickers just work so well together.

I haven't decided yet whether to keep on using the toadstool page marker that I made or...

..whether to use my fox plushie clip from itsfluffystuff on Etsy, or to just use both. Yes I think I will use both!

Planning for Christmas - Budgets & Money - Filofax Friday

Welcome back to week three of planning for Christmas! How is everything going for you? Well I hope. Are you all sorted with your Christmas cards now or have you not even started? Well since last week, Mr B came up with a totally different idea for a card so we are still working on that but I don't mind, we still have plenty of time to get it all sorted.

This week I wanted to talk about money. No one likes talking about money for many reasons but for me I think money is THE most crucial thing to plan for when it comes to Christmas. I put money aside every month throughout the year which means come December I don't have to worry about finding money for presents I just know it is there. This works well for me as I work very part time I know that I will be able to buy a present for Mr B come Christmas time.

I really hate it when you see loan adverts on the TV around Christmas, encouraging people to spend, spend, spend. It is just a bug bear of mine. Believe me, I am not here to judge or preach and I am by no means I finance guru I am just saying how it is from my own personal point of view for my own circumstances and you must do what is right for yours. I came accross this quote by Dave Ramsey and it really resonated with me (I have made this as a downloadable printable insert for your planner in the download section below).

So I just want to share how I make my money work for me at Christmas time. Firstly I like to use a spending money tracker sheet. Why you ask? Well for me I find I don't spend as much when I can see what I have spent previously. If I can see a whole list of washi tape purchases it kind of makes me feel a little bit guilty and makes me question as to whether or not I NEED to buy that extra roll of tape. It is a really simple gesture but it really does help and it also allows me to see how much money I have with a running total. I try and write every purchase down but I don't beat myself up about it if I don't. If you have never done this before, give it a go. Write everything down and see if it makes any difference to your spending at all. If it doesn't then you haven't lost anything but if it does well then whooop whooop to you my friend that is another mince pie or two you can buy at Christmas.

Pen from: https://www.etsy.com/shop/charlottesweb86 Insert and dashboard from: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mrsbrimbles

If you are not that disciplined and want to go 'cold turkey' (did you get the Christmas pun there) then you may want to consider a no spend month or two to see how much you can save. Obviously Christmas is coming up and you have the day to day stuff to buy like food but consider making a little pact with yourself to not buy any uneccessary items until Christmas and instead put anything you do see that takes your fancy onto your Christmas wish list. I am sure your partner would be most grateful for a list as after all it relieves the burden and pressure off of them too trying to find that perfect gift for you. I am pretty sure you have enough stationery or art supplies in your stash, re-visit what you do have which I find really fun to do and find all the things that I had forgotten about. (Hmmmm maybe I shouldn't have said that as I have not long stacked up my Etsy shop with Christmas goodies, stop there and buy first he he!!)

Dividers from: https://www.etsy.com/shop/justkeeppinning Stickers from: The Idea Owl

All of these inserts are available as a printable download in the download section below.

I found another quote that again really resonated with me. I think we have lost sight of what Christmas is all about. I for one can't remember most of the presents I was given as a child but I do remember that trip we took on the steam train to see Father Christmas and that time when my 80 year old grandma decided to join in on our game of Twister and ended up flashing her knickers. We have agreed with our friends to not buy physical presents this year but instead to use that money and go out for meals or for a day trip and I am really looking forward to those rather than yet more bath salts ; )

Anyway you get my meaning, hopefully. It is all much better articulated in this weeks accompanying video. I was able to talk much more freely about money than I am to type about it. I find myself feeling really awkward about it.

Download
This week's download contains the pages as shown in the video as both personal size and A5. You will need software that can 'unzip' the folder to release the files as both pdf and jpeg.  To download the files for week 3 please click here. Please note that the inserts that I am offering as freebies as part of this series are different to the ones that I sell, so if you have already purchased a set of my inserts these are in addition for you. If you haven't purchased any of my inserts and would like to or just have a nose at them you can view them in my Etsy shop here. Please note: These inserts are entirely free and a gift from me and only the inserts provided are free, I say this because I know some people might prefer one of the other designs that I offer but it is only the ones in the freebie set on offer at this time.

Next Week
So there we are folks, I hope that has been intersting for you and has prompted you to think about your Christmas budgeting a bit. I will be back next week for more Christmas planning and as we type I am still trying to decide in which order I want to do it in!

Giveaway
I am so pleased to have what I think is an awesome giveaway to go along with this series and I hope you will agree. The giveaway is brought to you by myself and the lovey Charlotte. Please do thank Charlotte for her kind generosity by visiting her:

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CharlottesWeb86
Blog: http://therobinsnest86.weebly.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/handmadebycharlottevictoria

Charlotte has only recently started her blog but you will not be dissapointed, she has some lovely images and planner lovliness so please do go and have a look.

So what can you win....some lovely things that is what my dears! I have three prizes for you... the first prize is everything that you see in the photo below which is.... from me: a brand spanking new red original Filofax which retails for £60.00 on the Filofax website, Christmas sticker sheet, candy cane planner charm, washi sample card and your choice of Christmas printable inserts from my shop. From Charlotte: a Christmas fly leaf, dashboard, set of dividers and pen. Everything that you need to plan your Christmas this year and every year after!

The second prize is everything you see below...from me: a Christmas dashboard, washi sample card, sticker sheet, Christmas tree planner charm and your choice of Christmas printable inserts from my shop. From Charlotte: a set of beautiful Christmas dividers.

And last but not least the third prize is your choice of Christmas printable inserts from my shop.

You want to enter? 
If you would like to enter the giveaway to win the Filofax shown above please use the rafflecopter widget below.  To enter you will be asked to follow both mine and Charlotte's Etsy shop which is mandatory to receive your entry (this is just as a thank you for hosting the giveaway but you are not expected to make a purchase!). All other 'follow' options are optional so don't worry if you don't have those accounts, it just gives you extra chances to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

By submitting an entry to this giveaway you agree to the following Terms & Conditions:

• Open internationally
• You must be over eighteen years of age or have parental / guardian permission.
• I will package the item(s) and will send in good faith but I cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to the item in transit.
• The prizes stated above are the only prizes - no alternative colours, no cash alternative.
• The inserts are digital for you to print at home and will not be supplied printed.
• Three winners will be chosen at random and notified by email. Winners will be announced on this page after the closing date.
• If the winner(s) do not respond to my email within 48 hours a new winner(s) will be chosen.
• Your email address will be added to my newsletter database - I will not sell this to anyone else nor will I constantly be spamming you and you can unsubscribe at any time!

Brand new personal planner kits from Websters Pages

I came accross Websters Pages on Instagram as several people were sharing their giveaway photo. Before this I had never heard of them, another reason why I love Instagram is to find new companies and products as well as interact with other people in the planner community.

Of course once I heard about their new planners I headed straight over to the website to look, oh come on, what planner nerd enthusiast wouldn't huh! Come on don't lie to me, I know if you are reading this and you didn't know about them that you are heading over to their website to take a look!

OK so I headed over to their website and saw this great big picture of their new planners and well what can I say they look absolutely divine! I haven't seen one in real life so I can only talk about what I can see on the website. Unfortunately I don't think I will be able to get one for a while as I don't have the pennies but I will definitely be asking Father Christmas for one. All the colours look fantastic don't they.

So which one would I go for if I could? Well a really tough call that one as truth be told I do love them all. If we were in late Summer I would be thinking of going for the caramel colour as it looks very autumnal but it wouldn't arrive for me in time to fully enjoy it in this season. Thinking ahead I am really drawn to the Sky, White and Teal for the winter months. I mean just look at that white colour, wouldn't it look beautiful all decked out in wintery snowyness? I have a snowflake planner charm that would look absolutely perfect dangling off of the spangly whiteness of that planner. I love love love it and judging by how much I love my Filofax nude, I know I would love that white planner too. And then as we move forward into the Spring those pink colours start to come into their own. I am not saying that you couldn't use those colour planners at any other time in the year, just that I really like to co-ordinate with the Seasons and these colours would do that perfectly for me.

They are a really good price at $24.99 / £15.70 for the planner alone and $34.99 / £21.99 for the planner kit although I can't tell you what the quality is like in comparison to the price. If you have bought one I would really like to know just for comparisons. The only downside for us Brits is that shipping is as much as the planner costs, that being said you could still grab yourself a planner kit with shipping for the same, if not cheaper than some of the Filofaxes retail at.

The kits look really good and this is something that I really wish Filofax would do. Don't get me wrong I love to customise my own Filofax or purchase dividers from Etsy sellers but I would also really like it if your Filofax came with items to co-ordinate. I get a bit fed up of every Filofax coming with the same dividers regardless of the colour you buy and that is something I like of the Kikki K planners in that they co-ordinate their dividers more. Just Keep Pinning sells Filofax starter kits on her Etsy shop which is great for people just starting out or who want to buy the whole kit and caboodle and I am really pleased to see Websters Pages doing the same thing.

What do you get when you buy the kit from Websters Pages? Well according to the product description on the website you receive:

• Personal size (A2) 6-ring split (bicast) leather binder & inspiration tag
• 2015 Month & Week on 2 Pages Calendar (high quality, smooth papers)
• Today page marker
• 5 patterned dividers plus one cover design
• Dashboard Kit (vellum cover quote, 2 clear overlays, circle transparent stickers, message stickers, paperclip)
• Quick Notes paperpad

That really does sound very good for the money in my opinion and of course the dividers look divine. In fact the company has so many beautiful scrapbook designs which have been transferred and produced into matching dividers for your planner.

Of course depending on the planner kit you buy your dividers will vary in design but having had a look at them all I can't say that there are any I dislike the look of. I would so get all the planner kits if I could! The above dividers are the ones that you get in the light teal kit. But if you just like the look of the dividers and didn't want to get yourself a planner they sell the divider kits on their own for $6.95 / £4.37 and according to the item description on the website it includes:

• A2 Size Coated 6 hole punched Divider Set
• 5 Pattenered Dividers, plus one cover design
• DASHBOARD Kit Included (Vellum, 2 overlays, 2 sticker sheets, paperclip

Again this seems really good value for me.

If that is not enough I even noticed that they sell matching folios for stashing all of your planner goodies for $14.95 / £9.39, they do come empty but the photo on their website shows how they would look with your bits and pieces inside.

So what do you think fellow planner fans? Will you be hopping over to buy one or do you have one already? Please do share as I would love to know what you think.

PLEASE NOTE: Any of the links in this post are NOT affiliate links. This review is my own personal opionion on the product / company and has not be sponsored or endorsed in any way, I approached the company myself and asked if I could feature them on my blog. The photography in this post is all from the Webster Pages website and used with permission from the company.

Upcycling Autumn into my journal (fauxdori) and Filofax

If you follow me on instagram you may have seen this picture. This was a flyer that was put through my door by a local estate agent and I received it twice. The first time it came through my letterbox I stuck it into my journal because I wanted to journal a bit more about Autumnal things so it seemed very fitting.

The second time it came through I decided to turn it into a dashboard, so I cut it down to size, covered up all the writing on the back with a beautiful scrapbook paper in a leaf design, hole punched it and laminated it and now here I have the most beautiful Autumn scene that I can look at even when it is too wet to get outside!

Once again can we just pause to reflect on how good this looks in the nude original. I will say it ten thousand times, the nude just goes with everything!

The paisely looking page marker you see is also a bif of upcycling! This was cut out from the packaging that some pumpkin spiced reed sticks I bought came in. This is just a little bit wider than the standard markers that come with the Filofax as I just loved the design I cut it wider so that I could see more of it!

I have talked about upcycling and using random things in your Filofax a couple of times in the past so you can find out more about upcycling into your Filofax here or what you can make your dashboards out of here.

And if you didn't see it on instagram here is a bit more autumn-ness for you. I am really enjoying that tea, it is like Autumn in a mug and whilst we are talking about mugs...hello! isn't that owl mug so cute! He was a present from an Avon rep friend of mine (it's from Avon). You can see the above dashboard in the photo below before it was turned into a dashboard!

I am also hoping to enter this competion with my pictures!