Two sleeps left until Christmas morning and I have dutifully swept my chimney and had a good tidy up so as to impress Father Christmas. Today has been another gentle day spent in little preparations for Christmas and I am almost ready. When I get to this stage it all slows up and we are in the danger zone. This consists of too much chocolate sitting around begging to be eaten and short dark days that don't encourage me outside. It must be Christmas.
I have been giggling at the various facebook friends as they describe their battles in the supermarket. This occupation is to be avoided at all costs because it sounds ghastly. We are very reserved in our family when it comes to food and try and keep it simple. With family coming for Christmas lunch we do have an extra special lunch but we resist the temptation to buy lots of sweet things that make us feel like rubbish after we have eaten them. The gifts of chocolate tend to be eaten quickly because there are six of us and our only real indulgence is cheese.
Beyond Christmas preparations I have been doing some new networking which I always enjoy. I am getting to the stage when the same people are popping up on all my network sites and it is beginning to feel like a family. Scottish island mum is about family so this sits well with me. My latest network is through About.me and I have spent some time setting up my page and making my connections. First impressions tell me that this is a good network because so much is integrated in the software making connections that much easier. I smile when I see the same names popping up there as I have on my Twitter and Google+ accounts. There are a small group of very happening ladies that are very switched on and we all seem to be inhabiting the same spaces. I think social networking is a bit like marmite but I love marmite.
Living on a small island I have found networking to be central to my daily life. I don't leave the island very often so being able to connect with like minded individuals is very engaging. It also spans the globe and I love that aspect of it as well. As my thinking for the new Scottish island mum develops I am reflecting on how I might embrace this further. People that live on the Scottish islands interest me as many move there with a range of intentions. Of course some are born there and never leave. Making a living on a small island sets up its own challenges and I am fascinated about how people make that work. My ambition for 2013 was to shift my working life online and I have managed that really well. I am also aware that being a mum on a Scottish island has its own separate challenges and I wonder if a network specifically for Scottish island mums would be welcome? It could be an excellent place to share, chat and maybe even start some joint projects.....can you feel me thinking?
I am about to start offering blogger workshops using Skype as a couple of readers want to start their own blog. It is a good idea because the tutorials out there are not that easy to follow. I see blogging as an important part of our world now as it gives all of us a platform to write about what we are passionate about. It gives substance to social networking and I love reading other people's blogs. I am particularly drawn to lifestyle blogs that reflect the personality of the writer. One of my favourites is The Londoner. It paints a completely different life from the one I live but that, I think, is the attraction. Beyond that I tend to follow blogs that have similar interests to mine and I am currently working on an editorial that will be profiling these during the month of January on One soul many hearts.
I have also spent some time gently working on my 365 seasonal gifts of kindness project. Mindful that Scottish island mum goes dark in January I want to share one gift for each day of that month on my Scottish island facebook page. That way the project can get underway while the blog is being migrated. I have designed some pintables for my random acts of kindness, the goodwill boxes and two other versions of kindness boxes. The first is the 'little box of sunshine' which is a small box full of yellow things that will be sent to people who need a bit of sunshine in their lives. The second is the 'little box of birthday' which is a small box filled with things to make people's birthdays extra special. Someone very special to me has a birthday in January so she will be the first recipient of this box. I am still working on my final box which is designed for people who are poorly. Ideally I would like to roll this scheme out across the island so that we could make a difference to people's lives when they are struggling. In order to do that I would need to attract some sponsorship from local businesses so I am going to start some gentle conversations and see where that takes me. Please don't forget that I am looking for unwanted Christmas presents. If you open a present and get that feeling that it is not for you then remember me because I can put it to very good use as part of our Goodwill boxes. Just message me for my address and then pop it in the post. You will then be part of this kindness project which seems to have a life of its own.
Someone asked me today about the brand that is Scottish island mum and that has prompted some new design work. I do not ever want Scottish island mum to become a corporate brand complete with logo and letterhead. I also don't want it to be a site that just reviews stuff because they leave me cold. I want Scottish island mum to continue to evolve in an organic way that maintains a strong dialogue with its readers and this aspiration is easier said than done. I am trying to combine that strategy with looking ahead a little in my mind's eye to see what Scottish island mum might become in the future. I can't help seeing a badge in front of my eyes and that takes me back to the point I made about networking with other mums who live on Scottish islands.....
So, in amongst the final preparations for Christmas day little thoughts continue to swill around and the hope is that by the end of January all will be revealed. Tis the plan anyway.
Until tomorrow. xx
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