December Daily 2010 | Finding Time, Making Time, Trading Time

I love how she said it's about "trading time!" It's so true and I'm using that phrase from now on when I talk about "finding" time to do something!

I front-loaded a lot of my work responsibilities that I normally do in December, and did some of them in November. Also, I already traded time a year ago to allow me to have some personal free time every single day. I only watch about 3 hours of tv a week, max. In my personal time I write, read, scrapbook, learn things I'm interested in, etc. So I'll be trading some of that for my December Daily project this coming month.

I'm also trading embellishments for simplicity with this project this year, for sure!

Last year I journaled every day (in Google Docs, so I could do it on my lunch break at work, if need be) and took pictures every day, but honestly didn't finish putting the album together until the summer. This year I'm going with a much simpler design, which I think will help immensely. Fewer embellishments, doing the journaling and pictures all digitally, but still incorporating gorgeous patterned papers (which is one of my favorite things). I think the simpler you can keep the project, while still having it be fun, will help because it will take less time.

Last year, I did the December Daily for the first time... and finished in April!
Things I will do again : NO RULES, except take pictures everyday and jot notes for the journaling. I do the rest when I CAN, no pressure. If there is pressure, it's not fun. This is supposed to be fun.TAKE IT TO A CROP : I find I can get a lot accomplished and creating with fellow scrapbookers is a huge high. I FINISH WHEN I FINISH, again, there is NO RULE.

Things I will not do again : Document EVERYTHING!!! Last year, my book was 6 INCHES HIGH! That's silly, it took me forever to finish it. This year, I will try to be more selective. Some days are busy with lots of stuff others are quiet, I will TRY to LIMIT myself to the most important (and keep stuff in reserve for quiet days - Christmas lights, Christmas decorations, etc.).

Mind you my big album from last year is really a lot of fun to look at and brings back so many good memories... Let the fun begin.

I need to give up Facebook...seriously! The TV thing isn't a big deal because I can scrap in the dining room and watch TV at the same time. I think I will be journaling everyday in a notebook and then just printing my pics once or twice a week. That way, if a day is a little short on content I can steal journaling or pics from another day.
Can't wait to get started!

I loved reading what everyone trades to make time for scrapping. I usually work on my pages after the kids go to bed @8:00pm. To make this work though, I give up watching TV and don't do things that can wait till morning. It's important to me to get that "me time". A little time out makes for a better mommy!

Last year was my first year and I am so excited to begin this years! I have 5 kids, and a very busy life! That being said, I give myself a lot of freedom with this project. No pressure. I make sure to journal and take photos every day, but I don't pressure myself to get my album done by the end of December. Last years album took me until Oct to finish! But I am OK with that! As long as I have the stories recorded and the photos taken, I find that I enjoy spreading out the process and picking away at the layouts as I get time. I definatly want to keep it fun and non-stressful! Can't wait to start!!

You are on the right track with Tivo, that's a must. But Ali can I say, don't give up your workout. Don't even shorten it, when I slow down on my workout the two d's come creeping in...depression and despair. Don't want to sound like a know-it-all, but your body should only be second to your soul.
I have decided I can put the album together after Christmas day. I have the book ready, I have all my elements in a box ready to be used. I will be adding my Christmas bits to the box. I will take my pictures, and each night I will journal about the day.
After Christmas I will print my pictures and journaling. I will then put everything into the waiting book. Even if this goes into Jauary that wil be okay. I did the same thing with my Halloween book. I still don't have a full size Halloween lo, but everyone has enjoyed the book. With a seven month old to take care of I do what I can. After all, I'm the one that puts all the pressure on me. Oh, and only clean the parts of the house that everyone will see!!!!!lol

I agree that it's all about tradeoffs and priorities. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, so it's just a matter of choosing how you want to spend your time. I definitely don't watch TV much or hang around when it comes to errands. I get certain things done quickly, so I can move on to the fun stuff...

I plan to, plan. I am going to try to stay organized. Our December calendar is already full, just with school activities and sports. No parties, no down time by the looks of things. So I am going to try to stay on top of it and not sweat the small stuff. "My" time usually kicks in around 8pm, when the kids are in bed and hubby is comfy on the couch. I will record my favorite "can't live without" shows, other than that I will give up TV.

I also just read a great article over at Simplemom.net Essentially, cooking for a week and eating for a month. By doubling up on what you cook and having a meal ready for later in the month of December. I will be doing that for sure!

Here's the link: http://simplemom.net/3-weeks-till-christmas-menu-plan-batch-cook-for-december/.

I think its brilliant and will sure help out!

I must confess, I am getting a little nervous, or maybe it's excitement!

Last year, if I had days that were super-busy or a few days stretch of time that we were out of town, here is what I did. I wrote a little bit each day on index cards about what we did or what I wanted to remember, and then I slid the index cards in between the pages of my album. Once I printed my photos, I added them in as well. Then once or twice a week, I would sit down and work on "making" the pages. Having the photos and journaling ideas ready really took the pressure off. If I managed to get up earlier than everyone or have a little time before bed, I would use that time to work on the album. I have learned that I can't force creativity, and I have to be in the mood as well as having the time to really enjoy the process.

Like so many others, I gave up alot of TV last year (my first year to make a Dec. Daily). I'm lucky enough to have a small 4x6 photo printer, so I printed my pictures daily, and completed each day's page that same day. I'm also lucky enough to have a small craft desk in our home office, to start a page, and come & go with it through the night- so some days I would start on it as soon as I got home from work (in that 30 minutes that everyone in the family goes about their own way before it is time to start homework & dinner), sometimes continuing if my husband was making dinner that night. But most of the time I worked on the page after the kids went to bed. The pages in the beginning took longer for me as I found my groove, and the weekend pages were usually longer spreads, since we accomplished more & I had more to document. Like others, I haven't put my album together yet- hope to work on it tonight/tomorrow, my goal is to have it done when December starts on Wednesday...but if that doesn't happen, I'll just go with the flow and put it together as I start to document. Since last year was my first time, I've also learned what I'll try to do differently- simple versus loads of embellishments/decorating...this is about documenting my family and our life for one month- I'm so looking forward to the process & end result.

My mother had many holiday traditions, and as a young mom, I continued them without much thought. Although I love cookies, I hate working with flour and really dreaded baking cookies. When I let go of the expectation that baking was essential to the holiday, it freed up time and energy! What holiday tradition is high effort for you? Maybe you can replace that one with DD.

I keep a small notebook in my purse which I use to jot down the stories, our a thought so I can journal it later. I am also doing my digitally. My pages are all ready to go, minus the photos and writing. I'm having them printed by Persnickety (they added the 6x8 size!) and will send them off each Saturday. I'll have them on Monday ready to go into my DD. The most important thing I do is to not stress over it. Even with the best laid plans, life happens. I don't want to get so caught up in the doing that I forget to enjoy the moments I'm capturing.

I haven't done December Daily but I have done LayOut A Day 5 times and a daily September album! Some days are a real challenge or you're just tired but keeping up is so important. If you can't manage one page a day how are you going to catch up and do 2 or 3 pages in a day?

There are always time waster - tv (good timing as now all the shows I watch are re-running until Feb sweeps), talking on phone are the 2 big wasters. Ask your family to help out either with collecting things or stories for you album or by getting them to help with the housework so you have a bit more free time to create.

All I can say is once you emerge triumphant it's awesome to complete such an album.

The old adage is we always find time for the things we make a priority. I've found it to be true in my life, and that it is an ever-changing balance as I shift into different stages and demands. However, I consistently see that which is important to my family or myself, I find, or in many cases--make, the time to do.

I have a ten year old son who loves to play with Legos. I have two tables pushed together at the ends and on some evenings when homework is done and dinner is over, we'll go together to "play". He builds his Legos and I work on my DD. Often, we talk about different things that are on his mind, listen to music and just hang out. He takes great joy in showing me what he is creating, and I hope, by my example, that he'll remember that even as an adult, it is important to create and build.

The biggest deterrent I have found is in myself...in that I let other things creep in and take away the time I can or have set apart. There is always laundry, cleaning, errands, work and the demands of everyday life. It nevers stop for anyone. I decided up front this year that I would make doing a DD a priority and guard any pre-selected time preciously (I scheduled time in advance--not a lot but some), knowing that the commitment is short-term and reward will be high for my family and I. I've been weeding out the non-necessities, and trying to make the best use of any down time...I love the book that Ali recommended: the Gift of Imperfection. The author has some great advice of truly doing what you find relaxing and inspiring purposefully instead of just surfing the web when you have a spare moment...as I've been known to do. Sometimes all I can give my DD is 5 minutes, and that is okay!

Lots of great tips and I love the idea of doing this with my sisters. I think I may make them up a basic template and give them for birthday gifts in the coming year...thanks for the inspiration!

*sigh* boy did this post come at a great time! This is my first DD and I'm totally psyched...I've got everything gathered and some things cut out but the "bones" are not done am having a CRISIS over the numbers for each page....at 12:20am this morning I contemplated working on it but went to bed instead....

I am going to set aside time in the afternoon before I pick the kids up from school (we'll see how that goes) and after 10pm (when everyone is in bed) to work on this and other projects. I am menu planning / cooking large batches and going to stay off the computer as much as possible to clear time for working on this and some other projects! Am going to have everyone choose one thing that they want to do this season and make sure that gets done...everything else will slide...we have a new puppy so the kitchen floor is dirty as soon as I wash it anyway :-)

Love seeing everyone's comments!!!

For me this is all about my frame of mind. Some words and a couple of photos each day. Not a holiday season layout and documenting everything that happens for 25 days in a row - it stresses me out just typing that:)

This is my first time doing a December album - and I've been focused from the beginning on making it doable for my lifestyle.

1. I'm not being a mamarazzi/hoverbot w/ my big camera - iPhone pics are just fine too!

2. I'm not focused on the "daily" aspect at all - but instead dividing my album into themed sections and filling it as the inspiration strikes.

I've also taken this an opportunity to play with my supplies - to see what I can come up with if I indulge myself with patterned paper, pens and ink. With that playful spirit in my heart and mind, I am looking forward to working inside the book, to mess it up and make it real.

we had a house fire a few weeks ago and i lost every christmas decoration i had. at first i really was stuck on that, but then i realized that i need to be thankful for what we have left and that we are all safe. i considered not doing december daily, since i won't be decorating my home and things will not be traditional for us this year, but then i realized that's exactly why i need to do it this year! i will be squeezing it in using a handful of the supplies that i have left and spoiling myself with fun new supplies too!

As a mother of four (6 & 2 year old girls and 9 month old twin boys) to say life is busy is an understatement. I work full time, but am thankfully off on maternity leave until March.

I recently stopped breastfeeding and in doing so made a decision to not sit in front of the TV unless doing something. Thus, my "found time"...not really traded time which will allow me to hopefully complete my December Daily.

Those out there with 4 (and more!) kids can attest...there is never me time, unless you make it. There is always something or someone to pick up, clean, cook, tend to, love, kiss, and hug. Never mind the laundry! In my life, I never have the opportunity to say, "ah, the house is clean, my chores are done...". Doesn't exist with 4 kids under the age of 6. It is all about damage control for me. Long as the kids are loved first, everything else will fall into place.

My days will find me jumping around throwing a load of laundry in, picking some stuff up, tidying this and that and I have only recently been able to be ok with that. After all, as long as everyone has been fed, I've bathed recently and have clean underwear, the rest will just "be".

I used to be an obsessive scrapbooker, recording everything in my first daughter's life...second one still obsessive, just not quite as much. These babies? I had not done anything creative, never mind for myself until very recently. Thanks to your inspiration to preserve stories and suggesting its ok to just record the stories, and not worry about catching up or creating in chronological order, I have gotten my inspiration back.

Recently, I heard a suggestion to not make time for TV. It can be easy to get lost in a show at any time of the day. For the past month now, I will not sit down and watch TV. I make a point, in the evening, when my hubby and I are finally sitting down, to grab what I can on the coffee table and plug away. Hubby can still unwind and watch some TV himself, but I am doing something for me. It`s even made us actually find more time to talk instead of just be in the same room with one another.

Loving seeing everyone`s ideas...lots of inspiration - good luck everyone!