Manifest Your Best Year with Dream Kits!
It seemed only fitting to update my blog post all about my Dream Kits on the first day of the Lunar New Year (2023!). Happy Year of the Water Rabbit! While this Rooster was anxious to dive into the semantics of what I can expect to experience in this Lunar New Year, wellllll, let’s just say it’s not looking too promising for my fellow fowls...
Nevertheless, there‘s always something so invigorating about the fresh start of a New Year. New Year's Eve is actually one of my all-time favorite holidays and while I spent the first two weeks of this year battling a cold, I still managed to uphold my most treasured New Year's traditions, namely, creating a Vision Board!
This most beloved New Year's tradition actually started when I was in Kindergarten - over two decades ago! My mom loved throwing parties when I was growing up but one of her favorite parties to throw was our annual ’Dream Board Party.’ All the moms and daughters gathered at our house for a night of tearing pages out of magazines, pasting images to a posterboard and most importantly, sharing our goals with the group who then became our built in accountability buddies. Creating an annual Dream Board, Vision Board, Roadmap, Collage, Visual Guide, whatever you may call it, is an integral part of starting my New Year off on the right foot.
While I’ve made over 20 Dream Boards in my lifetime (not aging myself at ALL!), I know it’s not something that everyone is as familiar or comfortable with. The process alone is not only time consuming but it can be quite intimidating just to START. Not to mention the fact that making your annual Vision Board turns into more of a chore if you don’t have all the ‘tools’ at your fingertips. That alone can turn into the best excuse NOT to create one - am I right???
”Oh, I don’t have any magazines.”
”I don’t have posterboard so I guess I can’t make one.”
“I want to create one but I don’t even know where to begin!”
Well friends, we are tossing out ALL those excuses this year and MAKING IT HAPPEN! Despite what the Year of the Water Rabbit is suggesting for this Rooster, 2023 is MY year, it’s YOUR year, it’s OUR year and we’re going to manifest our wildest dreams, starting with our annual Vision Board.
As I mentioned earlier, I know the process alone can be quite intimidating so I wanted to provide some tips and tricks to help bring yours to life in the new year. Especially if this is your first time! Please know, I'm going to go through my personal process for creating a Dream Board but there is absolutely no right or wrong way to do it. What’s most important is that you prioritize the time to create it!
Step 1: First, I go through ALL of my magazines and rip out anything that speaks to me. From inspirational words to beautiful scenes and everything in between - anything that sparks something within me and what I hope to manifest in the upcoming year, I rip out the entire page from the magazine.
Step 2: Cut everything out from the pages you've collected through your magazine search.
Step 3: With posterboard in hand, I usually like to lay everything down first. This gives you the freedom to move things around, layer stuff on top of each other, take pieces away, etc. before committing to laying them down in that specific place.
Step 4: Glue! If you're like me and like the look of layers and things stacked on top of each other then this can be the most challenging (and time consuming) step. But hang in there - you're almost to the finish line!
Step 5: Hang your Dream Board somewhere you will see it and be reminded of your goals for the year every single day.
In addition to the aforementioned steps for creating your own Dream Board this year, I wanted to provide some tips and tricks to guide you through this process. Whether this is your first or fifteenth Dream Board, I hope you find some useful guidance in the below recommendations.
*There's NO right or wrong way to create your Vision Board.
*Don't be afraid to fill up the page. Layers, images and words on top of each other - Have fun with it!
*What images, words, scenes, etc. SPARK something in you? - Use those!
*Think about the things you want to manifest in the new year. Here are some examples of specific areas of your life to consider: health, relationships, money, school/career, etc.
*Put it in an area in your house in which you're going to see it every day!
*Vocalize your Dream Board to an accountability partner and vice versa. You can keep each other in check all year long!
*Date it on the back and take a photo of it to keep in your memories for years to come.
Over the last couple of years I’ve introduced a new practice to my annual Dream Board-ing that I wanted to share with you and that is The Dream Journal. If you’ve been following me for a while then you know I started creating and selling custom Dream Journals which have acted as the perfect destination to keep track of Goals, Dreams and more in the new year. While creating Dream Journals for you to shop from has been such a fulfilling way for me to inspire and guide you, I also recognize that some of you may want to make your own, which I love! Maybe even instead of or in addition to your annual Vision Board?!
In the AlmostFabMe Shop there is an option to purchase a Dream Kit with the blank composition notebook only. I like this option especially for those of you who aren't yet comfortable creating an entire Dream Board. It gives you the perfect opportunity to dip your toes into the ritual without completely overwhelming yourself right off the bat. The process is virtually the same, from ripping things out of magazines, to cutting them out and then laying them down on the front AND back of the composition notebook before gluing them in place. The only difference here is the last step which involves layering a laminating sheet over the journal - front and back - creating a seamless protective layer on the journal and keeping everything in place as you use your notebook for years to come.
The Dream Journal is especially great because it's something you will hopefully use daily and therefore see on a regular basis. Just like our Vision Board, it’s crucial that our Dream Journal is an integral part of our daily lives so we’re reminded of the lofty goals and aspirations we have for ourselves in the new year.
After over 20 years of creating an annual Vision Board, I recognize the potency of this sacred tradition. It’s a crucial event in my calendar and hopefully by now you see and understand the true power of creating an annual Vision Board. Please know it’s never too late to introduce this tradition into your own routine. All you have to do it START!
Why not get started with one of my Dream Kits?! I’ve done all the work for you and curated individual packages containing everything you need to make your own annual Vision Board and/or Dream Journal.
Check out the details of each of these packages below (including this year’s newest offering - The Party Pack!), and most importantly please don’t hesitate to reach out (caseyk@almostfabulousme.com or @almostfabme) with any questions. I would love nothing more than the opportunity to help you bring your goals to life this year with my Dream Kits.
Dream Kit Options:
The official dream kit includes everything you need to make your annual vision board AND dream journal! This kit comes with one half size poster board, a glue stick, variety of stickers, five magazines, plain composition notebook and laminating sheets and instructions to guide you in the process. Please note this kit includes everything you need to make your vision board AND dream journal! Should you only want the vision board or the journal please ensure you choose the appropriate selection.
The official dream kit includes everything you need to make your annual dream journal. This kit comes with a glue stick, variety of stickers, five magazines, plain composition notebook and laminating sheets and instructions to guide you in the process. Please note this kit includes everything you need to make your dream journal. Should you only want the vision board or the vision board and journal please ensure you choose the appropriate selection.
Dream Kit (Posterboard Only) $25
The official dream kit includes everything you need to make your annual vision board! This kit comes with one half size poster board, a glue stick, variety of stickers, five magazines and instructions to guide you in the process. Please note this kit includes everything you need to make your vision board! Should you only want the vision board and the journal please ensure you choose the appropriate selection.
Dream Kit Party Pack Options!!! (NEW for 2023!)
Dream Kit Party Pack (Journals and Posterboard) $140
Ideal for the hostess with the mostess looking to have her very own annual vision board party! The dream kit party pack includes everything you need for 5 people to make their annual vision board AND dream journal! This kit comes with (5) half size poster boards, (5) glue sticks, variety of stickers, (15) magazines, (5) plain composition notebooks and laminating sheets and instructions to guide you in the process. Please note this kit includes everything you need for your guests to make their vision board AND dream journals! Should you only want the vision board or the journal please ensure you choose the appropriate selection.
Dream Kit Party Pack (Journal Only) $120
Ideal for the hostess with the mostess looking to have her very own annual vision board party! The dream kit party pack includes everything you need for 5 people to make their annual dream journal! This kit comes with (5) glue sticks, variety of stickers, (15) magazines, (5) plain composition notebooks and laminating sheets and instructions to guide you in the process. Please note this kit includes everything you need for your guests to make their annual dream journals! Should you only want the vision board or the journal and vision board please ensure you choose the appropriate selection.
Dream Kit Party Pack (Posterboard Only) $100
Ideal for the hostess with the mostess looking to have her very own annual vision board party! The dream kit party pack includes everything you need for 5 people to make their annual vision board! This kit comes with (5) half size poster boards, (5) glue sticks, variety of stickers, (15) magazines and instructions to guide you in the process. Please note this kit includes everything you need for your guests to make their vision board. Should you only want the journal or journal and vision board please ensure you choose the appropriate selection.
