With 2013 almost over, everyone tends to start thinking back over the past year, while at the same time thinking about what they want to do in 2014.

I’m not a New Years resolution person. Never have been. Probably never will be. Instead I tend to make a goal for myself somewhere along the way relating to a task or project, obviously with the aim of achieving it. While some of you might call that a resolution. Me, I just call it a goal. And it can’t be a “New Years resolution” as such as I don’t do them at New Years either! 😉

So for this post, I’m taking a leaf out of Kenneth Marks’ The Ancestor Hunt blog, and have chosen not to do a “Best and Worst of 2013” type post as many have, but rather a modified version of it. I’m going to look back at a number of “firsts” that I  achieved throughout 2013.

With Christmas over, now the focus for us (meaning me, my workmates, and many of my genealogy friends) turns to the 4th Unlock the Past Cruise which is now only 37 days away.

So in amongst my Christmas shopping which was about 90% done online (gotta love internet shopping), I managed to do some shopping for me,  and here’s what I bought …

First up was a stop at CafePress.com.au. This website is enormous, so it’s easy to be overwhelmed as there are hundreds and thousands of items (if not millions) listed on this website. But I simply did a word search for “genealogy” then narrowed it down to just notebooks … and that narrowed down the range for me, and the two below are what I chose.

‘Tis the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse (or our cats). I’m not going to quote Christmas rhymes here, but I but it is Christmas Eve and all it quiet in our house at the moment. The cats are all sleeping, Mr Lonetester has gone to visit friends, so I’m home. And as there’s nothing decent on TV, I headed over to the Trove newspapers to see what I could find.

Now I think most of you would agree with me that commercialism is ruining Christmas. For the past month or two we’ve had to deal with the glitzy TV adverts and the glossy brochures that arrive in the letterbox, each wanting us to buy the latest electric toothbrush, blower vac, or set of $2000 earrings for your loved one. And don’t forget that you must have matching tablecloth and napkins! I mean … really?

I believe that a blog is rather like silverware. I hear you saying huh, but just go with me on this! You might use it regularly, but every now and then it needs a polish.

For some reason holiday-time tends to be when I start thinking about tinkering with my blog. I’m not meaning writing new posts, as that kinda goes without saying. And I’m sure in the break between Christmas and New Year I’ll find something to prattle on about. But rather I’m meaning changing the way it looks or is laid out. For instance today I added the little Pinterest share button to the bottom of each of my posts. While it’s not a big thing, it does make it easier for those that wish to pin it!