Hiya lovebugs,

Here’s another scrapbook instalment, hooray! It’s a been a fortnight of picnics, crafts, love and the lurgy!

Just having a relaxing picnic nap in the backyard. Just kidding, I have kids.

Spring has sprung, yay! But it’s still fucking cold.

We had our 5 Ways To Get Back On Track webinar and I publicly promised to review and share my goals to embody public accountability and encourage all my readers to be “out” of the cupboard with their goals too!

So I went through my workbooks and typed up all my goals, and crossed out any I’ve already completed. There’s lots done, and lots more to do.

I wanted to share as well – I’m not particularly having a Big Goal year. I’ve done a lot over the past eight years… and had some years where I’ve gone ballz-to-the-wall with goals. After so much moving and growing, this year, I’m much more about sweet domesticity and settling. So my goals reflect that. There ain’t no wrong way to do goals! They are really just the structure to help build a life and business you adore… however that looks for you and your family!

See how I’m going!

The synchronicity has already started now I’m reviewing my 2016 workbooks… I  found my special necklace from VianneFere that has my Word of the Year behind the mermaid! It had disappeared thanks to those pixies that live in my home (aka children)… But it reappeared in my ensuite!!! Hooray!!! I swear those dang workbooks have magic in them! I can say that coz I might have created them but they are not mine, I was just the vessel, and I’m as much a user and fan of them as anyone else!!!

I celebrated my sweet friend/Academy member/tie dye tailor The Sunny Daisy Tie Dye‘s birfday the only way you should celebrate birfdays; by wearing tie dye! Just kidding, I was wearing it anyway because I’m a 24/7 hippy. HAPPY BIRFDAY GIRRRRRRRRL.

Whose child is that? Definitely mine.

Good morning, morning!

“When you start each day with a grateful heart, light illuminates from within.”

I was struck down with another throat infection… I’ve been back-to-back sick for 3 months now. I feel like I’ve got the lowest immunity in the world so I’m heading off on a glorious health retreat in October.

I was sick again, so it was a three-book weekend.

Can not recommend these two books more highly.

Wearing this brilliant/ridiculous shirt to cheer myself up after being up half the night coughing.

The Dawsons caught up with this gorgeous ray of light!!

Jill was the first person to commission an artwork from me… maybe 12 years ago? We’d met on the SARK message board, as so many of us did.

8 years ago, she was visiting Canberra for work and we met for lunch and were instant kindness. We ate cheesecake and she asked me if she could tell me a secret… she was newly pregnant and hadn’t told people yet. It was one of those miracle dates.

Five years ago, she messaged me. She was flying in to Townsville and wanted to come visit me in Proserpine. She did, and we spent a magical 24 hours together. She once again had a secret to tell me… she was newly pregnant again. I told her my secret… that I was profoundly suffering in the midst of PND. We stayed at the farmhouse is grown up in, and walked the fields, and took goddess photographs by the lake.

Nearly two years ago, we moved to Tasmania for a while, and got to live near each other at last. She’d come around for lunch and eat Indian. We went on a road trip to Launceston. And we did that thing we always seem to do… tell each other secrets. She messaged me again a few weeks ago. She was coming back to Canberra for work. Back to the place it had all began. We eat Indian (as we always do). I, like the dealer I am, started her new addictions of historical romance and planning by giving her my surplus goodies. And as always, we told each other our secrets. Our secrets are safe with each other.

Since the moment we met, it was always this: Sister, come as you are. Tell me your truth, and I will love you anyway. Thank you Jill for our adventures all over this country… and for loving me just as I am.

We baked. We ate. I was well enough to bake with my darling offspring!!! Awwwww yisssssss LIVING THE DREAM.

Take that, dastardly low immunity & recurrent colds! Made little gluten free banana, honey & cinnamon muffins in the Thermomix that were super om nom nom. (For recipe, google “banana muffins Thermomix) – I just used the first recipe there. Because I’m faaaaaaaaaaaaancy like that.

Anyways, the kids loved helping, even if Mermaid Daughter #2 needed new clothes and a solid wipe down after “helping” with pouring mixture.

Mermaid Daughter #1 said

“Do you know why baking is important Mum? Because it is FAMILY TIME and we get to be together and have FUN and that is the BEST.”

She’s right.

A good reminder when I’m feeling all uptight and anxious trying to rein in the baking mess and mayhem that Beffy creates.

Our dining room table is splattered with paint. It has a permanent coat of mess strewn about it.

We spent some magic time here this week… all immersed in our own creative projects… Mermaid Daughter #1 on watercolours, Mermaid Daughter #2 inventing “decoralating” (glueing wooden beads together) and me on art journals.

I’ve got writing and lists and sketches and Polaroids spread out in a half dozen places from our recent beach holiday… sweet husband is scanning it all in for me, and I’m turning it into a mixed media zine… here! This what it is!

Picnic blanket naps and reads in the backyard.

The kids keep trolloping dirt and leaves all over the blanket to bring me flowers. #worthit

I volunteered to do some toy fixing for Mermaid Daughter #1’s kindy room. I’ve had these wooden toys for months, waiting for some TLC.

Finally have been well enough to get to them!

They were all broken, so I wood glued them back together. Then hand-sanded them with the kids to smooth them and revive them.

Funnily enough, I discovered the big plate had some engravings on it – it was made near Lake Barrine in FNQ near where we used to live!

Synchronicity plus!

Wooden toys all reglued, sanded, and polished with olive oil. Hard to capture it, but they are glossy and sumptuous and gorgeous and ripe for playing with again.

Made some magical wool fairies today… one for Mermaid Daughter #2’s room, two to gift to Mermaid Daughter #2’s school for decorating the kinder room.

If you’d like to know how to make these, there’s a video workshop on them in my Academy! They are surprisingly easy & fast!

Magical, exhausting, wild, magnificent Elvin priestess/toddler. Your/our kryptonite is shops currently. You vacillate between running & grabbing everything in sight like a thieving whirlwind, and getting so fed up you lay flat on the ground on your belly. I’m pretty sure you are good for the budget because I can’t browse – ever – even when there’s two of us to try and tame you. Thank god for internet shopping for groceries, books, food delivery.

It’s the only way we’re surviving.

Our aim is to get you through childhood safe, despite your efforts, and gently guide you how to be that big self of yours while respecting other people’s boundaries and sovereignty too… coz you’ve got them covered for yourself!!!

You are such a strong force of nature, so fully committed to being you, you utterly amaze me and inspire me.

Thanks for being your full incarnation, Mermaid Daughter #2.

It’s not easy being your mama, but it’s not easy being anyone’s, and I’m just glad you came through me so I could learn from that brilliant fire and power you are.

Okay darlinghearts, that’s all from me!

I’m off for more writing… so much to share with the Academy closing enrolments this month! If you’re wanting to be a part, ya need to jump in now!

If you’ve got any questions about the Academy, do make sure you email us – support@leoniedawson.com and my lovely fae will help!

Love, love, love,

P.S. Don’t forget the Shining Academy is closing in JUST 7 DAYS! DON’T MISS OUT!