Official Get out of the Doghouse Day

Did you know that today is official "Get out of the Doghouse Day?"  Isn't it funny that they have an official day like that?   It got me thinking though.  Have you let yourself out of the doghouse about your scrapbooking and crafting?  I'm betting you haven't.

Let's see if any of these ring true....

Do you feel guilty because you are "so behind" in your scrapbooking?
Do you feel badly when you take a weekend a way to get your crafting done?
Does the pile-up of unorganized supplies in your crafting room make you cringe?

All of these feelings are normal but today I want you let yourself out of the doghouse on each and every one of them.  Scrapbooking, cardmaking, and papercrafting are not going to bring you joy if you put unrealistic expectations on yourself.  Here's the reality....

It's unlikely that you will ever catch up in your scrapbooking because time does not stand still and you are making new memories and taking new pictures each and every day.  Accept that fact and just work on the pictures that mean the most.  Every photo and every memory DOES NOT have to be scrapbooked and believe it or not, they don't have to be scrapbooked in order either!   Take it easy on yourself and do what you can do and let that guilt go hang out somewhere else.

When I was in MOPS (mother's of preschoolers), we had a speaker who talked about moms being like juice boxes, they get squeezed and squeezed with every request, every errand, every trip to the grocery store until there is not much juice left.  There is a way to fill your own juice box up though.  Take some time for yourself!  Do something that makes you feel refreshed and ready to go again and if that's a weekend crop or a cardmaking workshop with your friends, then that's what you need!  You are replenishing yourself so you are free to give again to your family and friends.  Go have some fun!

Ever heard of the FLYLADY?  She's a semi-famous internet star who helps people with their housekeeping duties.   I've followed her for years and so many of her techniques in getting people to clean their house work for crafting too.  One of the best is to do your organizing in 15 minute segments.  Organization can be overwhelming but if you don't look at it as something you have to do in one day, it will be less so.  Get yourself a timer and tackle that scrapbook room in small bits.  Turn the timer to 15 minutes and work on your room for just that amount of time.  When the timer goes off, stop!  This is very important!  If you don't stop then you have broken your promise to yourself and you'll begin to resent the timer idea.  You have to believe that you only will work 15 minutes.  The next day, do it again, just 15 minutes.  I know you're thinking that it won't work but you won't believe how much you can do in that amount of time.  Once you are seeing the progress, try using your timer twice a day.  Believe me, it works!

So, there are three ways to let yourself out of that smelly old doghouse and bring back the joy of your crafting.   Hope it helps!