Each year I make a (rather lengthy) to-do list with tangible, cross-offable goals. I usually finish about half my list, which is both impressive and disappointing, depending on the day you ask me. I'm aiming to finish a little more than usual this year, and I kept that in mind as I wrote out these to-dos. It'll live in the site's sidebar, where I'll enjoy the immense pleasure of crossing things off as I go:
1. Launch a professional website
2. Read 52 books
3. Print canvases for the downstairs bathroom
4. Buy and frame a Central American map
5. Leave the country
6. Go the entire year without buying a single book
7. Take a boudoir shoot
8. Try out Jen's fancy-pants yoga studio
9. Run in Central Park
10. Read all the books on Elizabeth's best of lists (2012, 2013, 2014). I'm 16 total books away; eek.
11. Buy a bed frame and figure out what to put on the wall above our bed
12. Figure out an organizational solution for my insane, too-small, jam-packed closet
13. Make a new friend
14. Finally try: Reata, Velvet Taco, Nonna
15. Visit my step-mom & brother
16. Donate all my unwanted books to my local library
17. Find a regular volunteer opportunity that matters to me
18. Create a 2014 family yearbook
19. Buy a hammock
20. Hike in a new place
21. Host our third annual July Fourth Extravaganza
22. Escape for a night with Natalie
23. Hang living room shelves
24. Go back to Tyler State Park
25. Hang curtains! Come on, Jennie, this isn't a hard one.
26. Embroider my new tree skirt
27. Re-hang California picture in living room
28. Hang Kyle's soccer picture in living room
29. Buy a tree topper
30. Read a classic
31. Get Kyle a passport
32. Give The Wire another chance
33. Paint our front door
34. Read The Goldfinch
35. Take surf lessons
36. Go back to a conversational Spanish meet-up
37. Pay off a credit card
38. Pay off my student loans
39. Volunteer at least 3x at Kyle's school
40. Buy new comforters for both Kyle and us
41. Make it down to San Antonio, for the first time in years
42. Finally make a blanket out of Kyle's keepsake baby clothes
43. Buy a pair of Tieks
44. Call a contractor, to get a quote on the work we want done on the house
45. Go to a city council meeting
46. Clean up our side porch
47. Clean out our spare bathroom
48. Run a local Turkey Trot race
49. Create and hang a jewelry block in my bathroom
50. Buy/Create/Commission a "Work Hard & Be Nice to People" print for my office
51. Host Easter brunch, and send paper invitations for it
52. Go out of town for the night, all by myself
53. Go to the: Dallas Zoo, Dallas Arboretum, Perot Museum
54. Finish a new vacation box
55. Cross-stitch something
56. Wear a bathing suit, on the beach
57. Make 25 new cookbook recipes
58. Organize a reunion dinner with some much-loved h.s. friends
59. Go horseback riding
60. Try 10 new local restaurants
61. Go to my general doctor, for a check-up, blood work, etc.
62. Drink coffee in Seattle
63. Put a new map pin in our U.S. wall map
64. Bring cookies or treats to our local fire station
65. Attend a local marketing/professional organization event
66. Visit the Redwoods
67. Take Kyle to a football game (any football game)
68. Finally, finally, finally go to our local water park
69. Put my feet in the ocean
70. Give up meat, alcohol, soda for at least 60 days each
71. Make a wreath for the front door
72. Put together a care package for someone who's been on my mind a lot
73. Get back to Tulsa, at least once
74. Finish at least 50 items on this list!
75. Take violin lessons
76. Be (mostly) happy