My List Update

Do you all remember my April Resolution List I made last year?

To refresh you memory, here it is again...

My List:...and how I have managed to do this past year...

1. Start exercising regularly...OK, so I have not exercised too regularly, I have gotten better about making the effort, but I will try to get better about this one.

2. Sew some things for my home, myself, and my family...I have sewn some cute pillows for the family room and have made some table runners for the change of seasons, and I have even started to teach myself how to crochet.  I feel progress has been made with this resolution!  (Yea me!)

3. Have my sewing machine "tuned up" so sewing will be less of a chore...Yes!  Last May I did have my machine tuned up...otherwise I could not have made my new sewing projects!

4. Visit family more often...I have made significant progress with is goal.  I even was able to meet up with and visit my aunts and uncles in Utica, IL last summer.  (Starved Rock State Park)  Since they all live in different parts of the country, I thought this was a great opportunity to reconnect with them and it felt sooooo good.  :)  I have a "Kick a_ _" cool family!

5. Plant my veggie garden and actually "tend" it!  I did it!  I had so many tomatos, and zucchinis, I didn't know what to do with them!

6. Preserve some of the bounty of my garden...I am still finding recipes for this goal, I did, however make TONS of marinara sauce with all of those tomatoes and lots of zucchini bread that I froze and enjoyed throughout the winter :)

7. Plant a wildflower garden in the "way-back" of the yard...A work in progress...I plan to divide some of the plants I managed to propagate and make my wildflower garden bigger.

8. Learn to take better photos...epic FAIL!  I think I will need to get a new camera, mine is just not cooperating lately.  My son's $65 camera seems to take better pictures than my "fancy" one. :(

9. Brush up on my Spanish..FAIL again.  I need to have my kids help me with this one.  They need to MAKE me talk to them in Spanish and then correct me when I mess up.  They just laugh at me.

10. Be more organized!  I think I have improved.  This will always be a work in progress.

11. Spend "quality" time with my family.  YES!  With our swimming schedule as it is, we do get lot of time to be together and we love it! 

I think overall, I have made great strides on my list.  I will continue to work on it and plan to add a few more goals to it this spring and summer.  I'll keep you posted.  Do you have any nagging goals for this year?

My List Update

If you remember back in April, I made a To Do List. I wanted to accomplish several things this past Spring and during the Summer. Lets see what I was able to accomplish so far and what I better get moving on…

My List:
1. Start exercising regularly. (I have done a TON of yard work…does that count?)
2. Sew some things for my home, myself, and my family. (I am working on a couple of projects as I write this. I will follow up on this with a future blog showing you a couple of my fun projects.)
3. Have my sewing machine "tuned up" so sewing will be less of a chore. (NO! I have to keep this on the To Do list.)
4. Visit family more often. (I was able to reconnect with many relatives I have not seen in years at my daughter’s Graduation Party a couple of weeks ago.  It was so much fun, and I promise to see family more often in the future)
5. Plant my veggie garden and actually "tend" it! (YES!!!!! I had a very successful garden this year, thanks to my boys. I will also share more about my garden in the next blog post)
6. Preserve some of the bounty of my garden. (So far I have made and frozen salsa…more to come)
7. Plant a wildflower garden in the "way-back" of the yard. (This is one thing I regret to say, I have not made progress on. I wish I could, but the mosquitos this summer have made going in the “way back” yard nearly impossible.)
8. Learn to take better photos. (Again, I have made no progress with this…I am keeping this on the To Do list and will work more on it in the Fall)
9. Brush up on my Spanish. (Sadly, No. My boys and I will have to attempt to converse more en Espanol)
10. Be more organized! (Yes and No…This is a constant battle. In a small home, you tend to clean up one area, and the stuff seems to get shuffled to another area, which then requires the same attention. A vicious on going battle)
11. Spend "quality" time with my family. (YES!!!! This summer our family was able to spend some quality time together. While our annual summer vacation did get cancelled due to other financial obligations….daughter going to college, we were able to spend some time working on projects together…ie: garden!)
Most of the items on my list are enjoyable to me. A few are more or less ambitions. I guess the theme of my list is to live my life simpler. (if that is a word) Instead of buying everything, I would like to be more self sufficient in my own home.  -(This too has been a growing experience. I have enjoyed the time I have been able to spend at home instead of going out and spending money unnecessarily. The kids have been a huge help working towards simplifying our lives and pulling their weight helping around the house and yard.)

My List

I am not one to make a big "To Do" about New Years Resolutions...and you may be asking, why is she talking about that when it is clearly April!? Well, with a new season everything seems to refresh itself and Spring speaks to me louder than the dead of winter.

So, I have decided to make a list of things I would like to do this spring and this summer.

My List:

1. Start exercising regularly.
2. Sew some things for my home, myself, and my family.
3. Have my sewing machine "tuned up" so sewing will be less of a chore.
4. Visit family more often.
5. Plant my veggie garden and actually "tend" it!
6. Preserve some of the bounty of my garden.
7. Plant a wildflower garden in the "way-back" of the yard.
8. Learn to take better photos.
9. Brush up on my Spanish
10. Be more organized!
11. Spend "quality" time with my family.

Most of the items on my list are enjoyable to me. A few are more or less ambitions. I guess the theme of my list is to live my life simpler. (if that is a word) Instead of buying everything, I would like to be more self sufficient in my own home.

I am excited to start on my list and I will keep you updated on how I am doing. Wish me luck!