Listmania 10 A-Z of Now

It is Monday and it is Listmania time again. This week's challenge is an A - Z of now which I so enjoyed thinking and writing about. It is such a perfect way to see where life is for us right now.

A is for adventure, our word of 2013. It has felt like we have chosen the safe path a bit too often lately and this reminds us to take some risks.

B is for burr grinder - it seemed expensive at the time but this little gem has successfully kept me caffeinated for five years now without missing a beat

C is for Changi Airport. We are off on a little trip later in the week and this airport is truly one of our happy places. So many things to see and do there and the Gold Lounge is always good for fuelling Miss Three if it all gets too much.

D is for diet - not the losing weight kind but the adapting to life without dairy kind. I have found some great resources but it is still really hard to eat anything other than Asian food when we go out and I really miss baked goods that I haven't made myself.

E is for exercise. I need to start getting more of this. The monsoon made me lazy and it was a long one this year. April is going to be my month to walk every day. Just 30 minutes. I know my brain and my body will thank me.

F is for family - hokey maybe but our little family of three is generally a happy healthy little unit

G is for gratitude. We are starting a gratitude handbook in April. My kit has just arrived and we will sit down together and think of something we are each grateful for and record it with a photo or a drawing. It is a habit I want Miss Three to get into and if we use it as a positive family time then so much the better.

H is for the Happiness Project which is in the mail to me now. I have enjoyed following Gretchen Rubin on Facebook for a while and I now want to take a more focused approach to increasing my happiness quota.

I is for independent. Miss Three is increasingly independent and I want to encourage this all the time and not just when it suits me. I need to give her the time to do things herself even if it is slower. She will thank me in the long run.

J is for jewellery. I hardly ever wear any and I want to change that. Scarlett has more broken jewellery than I have jewellery full stop.

the current selection of broken jewellery

K is for Kuala Lumpur. We are off here for a few days and it is a city I haven't been to for years. We have good friends staying there so it will be a good chance to see them before they move to Bangkok.

L is for life coach. I am increasingly at the point where I think I need one - just to help me decide where to from here. I really am at a cross roads and I think someone outside my life might be better placed to help guide me through it.

M is for messy crafts. I need to let this happen more often. She does a lot of messy things at school but it is good to do them with me as well.

N is for nurturing both my self and my family relationships. Life has been busy lately but April is looking much less stressed and rushed for all of us. I want to take the time to spend meaningful moments with hubby and Miss Three, creating memories that we will look back on with fondness.

O is for organised. My craft supplies are semi organised thanks to my sister but there is definitely room for improvement. I want to know exactly what I have and where it is so I get the most use possible out of those supplies.

P is for Poppy, our gorgeous, slightly neglected, Maine Coon. She is becoming a much more affectionate cat in her middle age and our late night nuzzles are a blessing.

Q is for quiet. I often have noise from the tv on just to avoid the silences. I want to use those silent mornings to think more and give myself the relaxation that will enable me to make the most of my afternoons with Miss Three

R is for radio. We don't have the joys of pandora or similar in Singapore but I need to get more online radio and podcasts into my day. I particularly enjoy the National radio broadcasts from back home as it keeps me in the loop with politics and so on. The time difference does make it a little tricky though.

S is for schools and making a decision about where to send Miss Three next year. We have gone round and round on this topic but the time has come to book some school visits and make a decision.

T is for tea. While coffee will always be my poison of choice, I am beginning to appreciate the joys of tea. I have discovered some lovely herb and spice blends and it is nice to have something I can drink at any time of the day.

U is for undecided. I just do not know where to for me next both location wise and job wise. See L is for life coach.

V is for variety. Life has been a bit formulaic of late so I am looking to shake things up.

W is for winter envy. I know most Northern Hemisphere folk are well and truly over their long and hard winter but I really miss cold weather.

X is for eXhaustion - a perennial problem with the parents of toddlers and pre schoolers. We are no exception. I would give a great deal for a few sleep ins.

Y is for yarn. My knitting project is well over half done and I am starting to look at beautiful yarns for my next one.

Z is for the zoo. Miss Three loves it and it has been way too long since we last visited. I am wondering if she might be old enough to try the Night Safari this year.

Head over to Home Life Simplified and see the other lists. It is such a fascinating insight into the lives of the contributors.