1.31.2019

January 2019 | Heidi Swapp Memory Planner

Here we are...already a month into 2019...can you even believe it?

The older I get, the faster time flies...and it's gotten to the point where I find myself saying, "That was (blank) many years ago???" on a regular basis.

Ugh.

And, although, I can't slow the passage of time (I've been working on it, believe me...), I can do my best to try to remember the lives we're living...to try to "stop the blur" a bit.

That's where my Heidi Swapp Memory Planner comes in.

Here's where I take just a few minutes every day (or every few days) to jot down a few things that happened...big & small things...important & seemingly mundane things. Things I want to remember.

My process is pretty simple.

I keep our everyday lives scheduled on a large monthly calendar in my kitchen. All of our appointments, practices, obligations & excursions are listed here.

And, I occasionally add things I want to make sure I remember on post it notes stuck to individual days.

When I have a few spare moments, I take the calendar off the wall & bring it to my craft area where I'll transfer any important information into my Memory Planner.

This is how my pages will look at the end of the week.

Nothing too crazy...just words on the page.

Larger stories get documented in scrapbook pages or traveler's notebooks...this book is simply used for recording our every day lives.

Next, I'll go back, Mildliners & Gel Pens in hand, and add accents to certain words to make them stand out.

I love how doing this adds color to our memories...and I think it makes the pages look so full & fun.

Finally, I will print out photos from the week & add them into my planner.

I don't usually have a ton of pictures if we've just been living our ordinary lives...so I'll make sure to fill in the empty gaps with stickers, stamps & other embellishments.

Random photos & stories from the month are documented in the month-at-a-glance section of my planner.

There's no rhyme or reason to how I lay these pages out...I just sort of find room & add the pics & words.

Now here's a look at how January came together...week by week.

And that's it!

January is now recorded.

And, not only does working in my planner give me a chance to slow down and create, it also provides a way for me to see how far we've come...how much we've accomplished...and how full our lives really are.

Just seeing these completed weeks gives me a sense of peace and happiness.

Thank you so much for stopping by...I hope I've inspired you to take some time to document the things that are important to you.

Supplies | Color Fresh Memory Planner - Spiral Box Kit, Clear Stamps, Icon Sticker Book, Alpha Sticker Book, Washi, Neon Gel Pens

1.30.2019

Pom Poms! With the new Heidi Swapp Pom Pom Maker

If you've been on any social media platforms lately, then you know that yarn crafts are SO ON-TREND right now...and pom pom projects are a HUGE part of that trend!

Heidi Swapp recently released a Pom Pom Kit as a part of her latest collection, Handmade by Heidi - available now on joann.com, and I've been doing my part in making sure that trend keeps going strong...

This fantastic kit comes with 4 pom pom makers...each creating a different sized pom pom...as well as a needle and string (to help you create banners & garland with your finished pom poms!).

Here's a quick run-down on how the poms are made...

1. Each little pom pom maker has 2 sets of two “arms” that pull away from the center plastic circles. You begin your pom pom by winding your yarn around each of these sets…over and over again…making sure to completely cover the arms.

2. This is how 1 set of arms looks completely wound with yarn. Fold this set of arms into the pom pom maker.

3. Now, go ahead and wrap the other set of arms the same way. Here’s how your little pom pom maker will look once you’ve folded both sets of arms in.

4. Use a pair of sharp scissors to cut through the yarn in the space between the arms in each set.

5. Here’s how your pom pom maker will look once you’ve cut through the yarn on one side.

6. Wrap a length of yarn around the middle of your pom pom maker and pull tight…then, tie a knot.

7. Pull back each set of arms from your pom pom.

8. Now pull your pom pom maker apart in the middle and there you have it! A perfect little pom pom!

And here are a couple of projects I've created using my kit!

This first one is probably my favorite...

This door hanger was so fun to make...and it can be customized any way you like it!

Create different-sized/colored pom poms and tassels & arrange them in any order you like!

I love the way this little hanging garland looks draped over my daughter's door knob...it adds just the perfect touch of color & texture to her mainly white room.

A garland like this would also look fantastic hung over a closet door knob...that's what I'm going to work on next...one for our entryway closet door.

Find the tutorial I followed HERE.