2013 – Challenging Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I was sound asleep in my bed when midnight rolled around last night, but my honey and I did have a nice supper of prime rib sandwiches, and then we went to a movie. We enjoyed “Jack Reacher”, did a quick trip to the store, then home to peruse Pinterest for a bit before snuggling in for the night. As far as I’m concerned, that’s an okay way to finish out the old year and usher in the new!

No resolutions for me to fail at, but let’s talk about some challenges I want to work on this year. I belong to a couple of Yahoo email lists, and one of those groups is having a 13 in ‘13 challenge. Each participant chose 13 “things” to work on this next year. Some of the “things” are projects to complete, some are skills to learn, some include budgeting goals or family time. Each list is different. One lady made her list from her “someday” projects – things she always said she’d get to “someday”.

My list is kind of a combination of finishing some things I started but let languish, learning a few new things, and making things for frugal, but meaningful, gift-giving. I’ve been working on this list for several weeks, and actually have more than 13 things I’d like to accomplish this year, but these are the first ones I’ll work on.

Here they are:

1. finish redecorating the playroom - this includes painting the doors and a bookshelf, fixing the bed skirt, binding the quilt on the daybed, and framing the chalkboard                                                                                                                                            2. finish painting/redecorating kitchen and sunroom - this includes painting walls, putting new trim around kitchen window, curtains of some sort, adding some live plants
3. scrapbooks - make corrections/additions to niece's scrapbook from high school graduation; update Bradley's; start Silas's
4. crochet projects - finish the two afghans I have started; learn to crochet hats
5. expand vegetable garden by adding a few more raised beds; involve grandsons in gardening this year
6. re-do all four closets in the house - empty, paint, add new shelving, reorganize (I know – there are only 4 closets in this house…)
7. remove cupboards in laundry room; replace with open shelving for added storage
8. sew blankets/quilts for grandsons
9. make all birthday gifts 
10. make new Christmas stockings for everyone in our immediate family (seven total)
11. make gifts for Christmas 2013 over the summer
12. try some new recipes/cooking skills by following my Joy of Cooking cookbook section by section (kind of a Julie/Julia thing...)
13. learn to use woodworking tools and finish my own projects without needing help from DH

I will report on my progress periodically.

The other challenge is one I give myself and Greg a few times through the year. Click on the button to go to the original post with the challenge.

I know I’ll have to get fresh dairy and produce through the month, but there’s plenty of meat and sides in the freezer to use up. Who knows – I may even dig out the pasta machine this time. That’d be fun with the grandboys, wouldn’t it?

There are more things I want to work on, but I think this is enough to list here for now. Time to go scrounge that frig and pantry for some lunch…

How are you welcoming this new year?