Vision Boards and Goal setting Workshop January 2013

Happy new year to you all, and welcome to 2013!

What are you planning to achieve this year? What would you like to have achieved when you look back in a year's time? If you want to create your best year yet, come to my workshop!

On Saturday January 19th I am running a workshop in conjunction with Katie Macleod Peters of Creating Well-being in Bethnal Green, East London. We will be teasing out our goals for 2013, and drilling down into specific goals, and then working on moving towards achieving them. We will be using a variety of NLP techniques and principles including PACER which is a simple way to create a well-formed outcome. This will help us ensure that the goal is realistic and achievable. Katie's Creating Wellbeing workshops work on the principle that each participant uses their creativity to support their own wellbeing, an idea that I love, so we will also be creating our own vision boards to take away to support our goals.

This session costs £40 per person to attend (plus booking and transaction fees; £20 concessions).

Tickets are on sale now and you can buy yours through Eventbrite: creatingwellbeing.eventbrite.co.uk

To find out more feel free to contact me.

More about Creating Well-being

Creating Well-being is an ever-evolving project, still in its pilot phase. There has been an overwhelmingly popular and positive response since the start of the project in August, but we are still trying to work out the most suitable funding model. When the pilot phase is over, we will asses whether Creating Well-being will become a charitable or commercial project, Community Interest Company or Social Enterprise.

For more information, email: 

creatingwellbeing2012@gmail.com

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Valentine's Day for Free

I can hardly believe Valentine's Day is here again so soon, but as it is just around the corner I thought I would compile a quick list of fun ways to celebrate it. I know there are lots of people who like me, don't go for the commercialised aspect of Valentine's Day, with all of its marketing and production line-style gifts. I have only once fallen prey to the set menu dinner, which was a whirl of food slammed on the table, a packaged rose and then out! Never again! I also prefer to wait until the actual day is over to mark the occassion, if I do decide to go out for a meal, to avoid the manufactured feeling and price-tag! If you are trying to think of a more home-made way to show your love and have a little fun, maybe my list will help!

1. Make your own card - Let out your inner artist and create something original.

2. Go for a walk - Try a new place that you have always wanted to go to, but haven't got round to. It's fun to explore a new place together. Secret London is full of hidden gems!

3. Play a game - Embrace that inner child and play a board game or make one up with its own rules, forfeits and prizes!

4. Cook a meal together - Choose a course each or share the prepping, cooking and cleaning up. 

5. Bake biscuits - Fun and delicious! These biscuit recipes are from BBC Good Food.

6. Write a love letter - Or write one each and read them out together. Make it even more special with beautiful handmade or recycled paper. You could use tissue paper or create a wash with water colours.

7. Dress up, wear a wig, choose outfits for each other and go out! This one is really fun as no one else will get the joke!

8. Have a living room disco - A personal favourite!

9. Leave love messages around - Write on the mirror with soap and stick up Post-it notes declaring your love!

10. Create a photo montage - A fun way to remember shared memories.

11. Try out a Treasure Trail or guided walk - This is similar to Number 2, but the research and hard work is done for you.  Treasure Trails (UK-wide, downloadable or they can come by post) and my favourite London walks - Green City Walks. Inexpensive and loads of fun! 

12. Paint a picture of each other  (It doesn't matter whether you can paint, it's about having fun!)

13. Make a music compilation - Remember the days of the mixed tape? A lovely way to capture your favourite special songs and share with your lover.

14. Give a massage - Here are the basics to get you started, but if you're experienced, go with your instincts. Massage basics by Easy Vigour and here's a massage technique video by Alexazoic.

15. Create your own floral display - Using a little imagination you can make a supermarket bunch of flowers look more original. Mix two small bunches together, unwrap and re-wrap with your own paper, or mix in some foliage you have picked yourself. I prefer simple flowers to overly dressed-up bouquets :) Try this spring flower arrangement video by Mel1408 for inspiration.

16. Make cocktails - Whatever your tipple, alcoholic or non, teas, coffees or juices, be creative and name your new drink for your lover.

17. Take a class together - Learning sparks the creativity and imagination, so doing a new activity together is not only fun, but can be a bonding experience!

18. Try out a new sport - similar to Number 17.

19. Watch an old movie - Snuggle up and enjoy!

20. Talk to each other - If you do nothing else, do this one! And talk whenever you can - this is what keeps us connected and bonded to one another.

Of course they say the best things in life are free, so let your imagination go wild! I could have mentioned poetry, writing a song, making a gift, performing a dance...

And there are dozens of single's Valentine's events, for example: Where to Celebrate Being Single by Fluid London.

I will be marking the occasion with The Muppets new film and watching my cousin's band Leo's Garden perform at The Water Rats, London, and a combo of ideas from above. Have fun whatever you do and leave me a comment if you have an idea to share! :)

Life is in the Details

 I am currently looking to move house in the near future and although I am excited at the prospect of a new abode, I will be sad to leave. So in order to enjoy every last moment here, I have been paying more attention to the details in this little place that I have called home. 

Collection of random things in my kitchen including the mask I made for a party last Christmas

A Mucha print, picked up from Columbia Road market for a fiver

Bathroom mermaid

Retro phone and photos of Amsterdam

Seahorse mirror mosaic My home is a complete haven for me and it is a place where I can express my creatvity and enjoy the beauty in the little details around me.

Dansette record palyer

Collection of mini boxes in display table

How have you created a space for yourself in your home? Does it reflect who you are?

I'd love to hear your thoughts about this - please leave me a comment below or through the contact form - or connect on Facebook or Twitter :)