No.151: 2018 Goals & Projects: Mid-Year Review

✔ Find a special piece of artwork to add to the master bedroom.
I’ve had a limited-edition print from Caitlin Connolly on my wishlist for years.  I finally snagged it with Christmas money and I’m so glad I did – it was print #48/50!  I sent it to be matted and framed at Framebridge and was impressed with the entire process.  

✔ Buy a console table for the front hallway and decorate.
I have the console but am still working on the decorations.  For now, I’ve been pulling things I already own: a black and white photo of my grandmother as a child at the farmhouse, a few books, a milk glass jar that will eventually hold a plant, etc.  I’m also on the lookout for a lamp, but no luck yet.

✔ Work on the little boys room: paint their headboards, purchase one more mattress and decide on bedding.
Small progress: I bought the boxsprings and mattress in February and went with the same striped duvets from Ikea that the bigger boys have.  Now to paint their headboards navy!  I might experiment with chalk paint.

✔ Add one more rocking chair and a porch swing to the front.
We bought the rocking chair and are saving up for the porch swing.


✔ Have dead and fallen trees removed from our property.

Two guys came out with a bobcat and a chainsaw.  My kids watched from the window in awe!  We had one tree that had been ripped by the roots, but was dangling precariously on two other trees.  Watching them take down that tree (which, as we counted the rings afterward, looked to be over 30 years old!) was amazing!

✔ Build a 10-foot table for the back porch.

Our builder friend moved out of state, so we decided to just buy one with our tax return. I’ts not quite 10 feet long, but big enough to fit eight. We love it!

✔ Plan out and create front flower beds. (Possibly hire out?)
We contacted a local landscape architect and worked with her to create beds around the front of the house.  She also did a brick walkway that connects the driveway to the porch.  The result is fantastic and well worth the investment.

✔ Hang curtains in the dining room.

I had my favorite white linen ones from Ikea shipped to the house.  I love how it softens up the room.

Still on the list:

• Paint the first floor. 
• Paint Sophia’s and the little boys’ room.
• Paint the shutters and the exterior doors. 
• Strip and restain/seal the front porch.
• Hire an electrician to replace the living room fan, front hallway light, dining room chandelier and outdoor lanterns.
• Create a gallery wall of black and white family photos in the living room.
• Paint the headboards in the little boys’ room.
• Add a porch swing to the front.

✔ Pace myself. 

✔ Drastically reduce my sugar intake. 

This goal has ebbed and flowed…I was 99% sugar-free in January, fell off the wagon a bit in February, went back to about 75% for Lent…and on and on.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint, hah!

🗙 Run another half marathon and decide about running a full.
Due to the hip/groin injury I had in January, this goal has been postponed for now.

Still on the list:
Learn a few self-defense techniques.

✔ Learn new things directly from the source.
I’ve started an (almost!) monthly thrifting day with my mom – she has such a good eye and knows the best places to go!  She also taught me how to make strawberry freezer jam and helped me with my sourdough starter.

✔ Brainstorm new ways to spend time with my siblings. 

Small progress, but lots of room for improvement here: I’ve been texting more frequently just to say hello or share something funny.  My brother and I spent an afternoon completing a Finders Seekers subscription box, which was so fun.

✔ Start a savings account for traveling to see out-of-state relatives. 

I created the fund but haven’t been specific about adding money to it.  Need to add that to our budget!  

✔ Create new memories with my husband and my kids. 
My first thought was that this goal was a big fail.  We haven’t traveled anywhere exciting or done anything really big and new.  But on further reflection, we’ve made a ton of memories so far this year: reading together by the fireplace, snow days, science experiments, being without power for three days, baking all the things, watching baby birds hatch, playing baseball in the front yard, water gun battles, even making homemade ice cream!  It’s a simple life, but it’s still so good.

✔ Keep up with a year-long photo project.
We just wrapped up Year #1 and began Year #2 of One Second Everyday.  (We started the day we moved into the farmhouse.)  Can I just say how thankful I am for beginning this project?  In a little over six minutes, you can watch an entire year’s worth of memories and laughter and kids growing.  You watch P go from a little six-month-old baby to a busy toddler.  You see the seasons change, the house change, and the kids change.  This little video has become one of my most prized possessions.  I can’t wait to keep going.
I’m also going strong on my 2018 Coffee Project!

✔ Start a One Line a Day five year journal.
I started this in January and haven’t missed a day yet!  It has become almost a gratitude journal, making me reflect on the best part of each day before I go to bed.

✔ Check off tasks on my 100 Little Things list.
As of this writing, I’ve completed 38 tasks, including: reading a book over 500 pages, learning a new card game, making bread in the dutch oven, potty training TJ, buying an ice cream maker and tweaking the Week in the Life projects to a monthly Day in the Life.  So many fun things still to do, so I need to get them on the calendar.  Just a month to go!

✔ Read 25 books.
My current total is 38 books!  I’m reading more than ever.  (Check out my Book Report posts for details on all the books.)

✔ Dip my toes into homesteading.
I started with baking bread and have sort-of stopped there, hah!  It’s a skill that takes time and effort and I’m pleased with my results so far.  I’m sure I’ll be ready to move on to new things soon. 

✔ Invest in our new community.
Baby steps in this area are better than nothing, right?  We ate dinner at Chick-Fil-A for a spirit day supporting a new pregnancy center.  Mark volunteered to teach CCD again in the fall.  M is altar serving at church.  The boys started Trail Life.  Our neighbor passed our house on a walk and we jogged over to chat (with acreage between our houses, we don’t see them very often!).  Writing this out sounds pathetic but we’ll get there, little by little. 

✔ Dive deep into faith.
This is slow going because I tend to read religious books slower and more intentionally. But the “Into the Depths of Catholicism” series is still alive!

✔ Be creative again.
I wanted this goal to be purposefully vague since creativity can manifest in so many ways.  So far this year, I’ve cross-stitched, done some scrapbooking, had fun with snail mail, dabbled in home decorating and design…and this blog!  Probably my favorite creative hobby to date.

How are your 2018 goals going?