as a newbie to all of this I need to ask: do pre-sleep affirmations work (like done for lucid dream or AP inductions) such as for example "I will recognize and remember Beekeeper's dream sign" or sth similar, or is there a better method from your experience? Should I maybe think of your avatar (I like giraffes ) to make it even stronger?
I will probably do both (concentrate on her and do affirmations) but I don't recommend using "I will" statements. I think "I recognize and remember Beekeeper's dream sign" is good, or something similar.

I plan to record my dreams as usual- it's better to describe all you get instead of trying to discern what is 'of value' in dreams. You'd be surprised how the subconscious rearranges what you get.