Yeah... that didn't last long!

So yeah... NaBloPoMo and NaNoJouMo? Total fail.

Let me elaborate as to *why* it got brushed to the sidelines so early on.

On Saturday, Max started wheezing.

Out come his meds, and it was kept under control.

However by Sunday night/Monday morning he was still wheezing, had kept Zack (who is also v snuffly by this point) and I up from about 2.45am till 7.30am. 

Not. Fun.

Then came the realisation that Max's asthma has only really come about since we got Alfie the pup.

So Alfie the pup went to a new home on Wednesday evening. 

By this point, the boys hadn't been to school since before the weekend, and I was getting tired.

I also decided that if I had to give up Alfie for Max, then I damn well have to give up smoking for him, and me, too.

So on Wednesday night, I smoked my last cigarette.

I've got rid of every smoking item in the house, and have gone through far too many mini packs of Haribo that no one came to claim on Halloween. 

Also, the house is slowly but surely starting to get cleaner as I do what I can to keep busy.

Turns out I'm a fidget!

Who knew smoking was making me lazier, eh? >_<

So... not a chance in hell of me keeping what little sanity I have left, and blogging every day, AND arting every day - something had to give. I will try to keep up the pace with both more than I have been in recent months, though. 

It seems that I'm much more inclined to blog during the winter months. 

Something about wanting to stay inside and cosy probably...

Oooh... and Skyrim is out! So I may kind of disappear for a while as I fell asleep dreaming about it last night.

Swapping one addiction for another... typical eh? At least this one isn't as detrimental for my health, right? ;)

Zee Puppy... he is getting big!

Bigger and even cuter... and mental...

Whatchoo Lookin' At?

Whatcha do...in'?

In the words of Isabella from Phineas and Ferb...

You know, one of Zack's (*cough* mine too...) favourite programs?

So... I fell off the bloggidy bandwagon for a bit there. It happens!

Something to do with the Easter-but-not-Easter holidays, and then the actual Easter weekend, then the Royal wedding, and after that, well... I was out of the habit, then Max wasn't well (ear infection), and Zack wasn't well (headache/sore tummy), and of course, as I tend to do, I found out I'm a finalist for the MAD Blog Awards, which meant that during the voting time, instead of blogging my heart out and asking for more votes, I become a bloggy hermit. Can't! Stand! The! Pressure! Or something... heh. Funnily enough, the voting's over now, and I have that want to blog again. *facepalm*

And, of course, then I went and got a puppy!

Pause for Alfie-puppy cuteness:



Say it with me now... "ahhhhhhh he's SO cute!!"

So yes, we have a puppy, and he's absolutely adorable! Not to mention, now completely house trained, very obedient, and amazing with the kids. All this at only 10 weeks! I'm rather amazed, since I've never owned a dog before... I'd expected to completely mess up his training, but it seems I have a knack for it. So far at least...

One of the best things about getting Alfie, and the main reason I finally caved to my own desperation of yearning for a pup, was to make me get out of the house every day.

I'm a total hermit you see.

Once the boys are at school, I go to the shops to pick up what we need (or should that be what I want...), head home, and... that's it. I sit at the computer for the entire 4.5 hours I have at home, or I watch tv. I knew I needed to get my butt out of the house, but I've gotta be so careful with what I can do, all thanks to the dodgy knee. So walking is the best exercise for me. Problem is? I need a purpose to go for a walk. I'm not someone who just likes to wander for the sake of wandering.

This is where Alfie comes in!

I didn't think I'd enjoy walking as much as I do! I knew it'd be good for me, and it would be much more fun than if I was on my own, but oh my word! I love it!

He is so completely hyper in the mornings, that I *need* to take him for a walk every morning so that he'll chill out once we get home, letting me get a bit of chill out/computer time.

I'm not completely away from the internet. Dear GOD you didn't really think I could do that, did you??

This also coincides with me trying out the Thinking Slimmer hypnotherapy doo-dad that so many bloggy people I know have been singing it's praises.

So, I'm listening to my Slimpod every night (on day 10 now), and I think it's working. I've lost about 3lbs, but the main thing is... I don't feel the need to scoff my face the same anymore.

I don't go wandering the kitchen looking for snacks.

And I seem to all of a sudden be desperate to get out of the house lots and want to exercise!

So, I think it's working.

Which is just as well, because I really need to sort out my relationship with food.

So hopefully, with Alfie around to insist on me taking him for walks, I'll be fit as a fiddle by this time next year.

Or, well... at least have a lot more stamina than I do now!

That's what I've been up to...

What about you?

I've been marking my reader as read since I've been so busy.

I *love* that my life is taking over again, it's as it should be!

However I do hope that I can find a bit more balance instead of doing the "all or nothing" routine I seem to be awfully good at!

Also?

It's only another  ten days till Effy's eCourse, The Elements of Art Journaling {affiliate link}, starts! I can't wait!

There are looooads of goodies going for those of us who've registered early, too.

And, lucky for you, I'll be blogging about it once a week, so you'll get to hear more about it! Not to mention it'll keep me accountable to actually *do* the course, instead of signing up and paying for something that I end up leaving to sit by the wayside. >_<

Oh god... and it totally coincides with the day the boys finish school. Well, if nothing else, I'll do *just* the arting for EoAJ, and the blogging about it. Bit of balance in the holidays is always good, right?

EEEK!

Thank god for Alfie... at least we'll have a certain amount of structure, thanks to him needing his walks! :)