2014 Project List

It's the beginning of the new year, and people everywhere are talking about resolutions. I don't like resolutions. I like goals and projects. Resolutions just doesn't sound concrete enough for me. So I don't make them.
But, I do make goals and project lists. This year my goal is to work on my health and lose some weight (well, more than some hopefully). I will exercise more regularly and continue to change eating habits to more healthy whole foods. I do have specific goals and tasks toward those big ideas, so they aren't just ideas. But I don't feel like getting into those specifics right now.
Then I have my project list. There are always things to be done. And I love lists. So, I made a list of the projects I want to do during the year. Some are time specific, others aren't. I have even categorized them for convenience. I'm sharing the list here to help keep me accountable. Hopefully I will take photos and remember to post on this blog about the projects as they get done.

House stuff:

Build fire pit

Finish side yard path and plant ground cover

Finish shed, install door

Build garage shelving on North wall (to match the ones on the south wall)

Buy/build desk for girl’s room

Paint doors and trim

Install siding along back of house

Organize:

Clean out closets and sort clothes into totes

Toys- clean out and donate

Craft corner

Food Storage- fill water jugs, can rotators

Garage- once shelves are built

Craft:

Disney items- shirts and travel stuff for April trip to Florida

Refinish boy’s dresser- paint blue, and mod podge maps to drawers

Make giant ruler growth chart

Family tree craft- something with the kids, and a fan chart for my dad

Hang picture frames at piano

Finish second stocking for second child

Finish sewing roman shades for family room (been cut and waiting for over a year)

Playroom word art- a Bored Board

Misc:

Go camping at least once in the summer

Study women in the scriptures

Potty train youngest

Learn to make macaroons

Find perfect dinner roll recipe (I've been looking for a while already)

Photography: (but they will mostly live on my photography blog)

 

Make and print family yearbooks (got 7 years made and ready to print at Blurb already)

Dance themed photo shoot

‘Kids were here’ once a month photos/blog post

Project 52- a photo a week, based on themes from a group at Clickin Moms

Monthly photo of me and my kid(s)- hosted by Eclectic Journey Photography

Learn Lightroom better- watch Creative Live's Lightroom course

Take more lifestyle photographs of my own family- especially working on indoor lighting

On-camera flash technique- reread Neil van Niekerk's book and practice

Work through old ‘Creativity Exercises’ at Clickin Moms

I think that sums up my project list for the year. It seems like a lot, but spread out over 365 days, I think it's manageable (and some of those are husband projects).

 

 

Disney World Prep

Our family will be going to a family reunion at Walt Disney World in Florida, this spring. So, of course I over prepare. I have a binder, read and printed lots of info, checked out just about every guidebook the library had and have started planning crafts to make for the trip.
One of the things I look forward to is taking photos. So, I scoured the web for photo ideas and lists. This is a list of photo ops I put together and it could even be used as a photo scavenger hunt. I have one for each of the parks at WDW, and one extra just for fun miscellaneous stuff. They are 4x6 for easy printing and carrying with you to the parks.
We are also going to spend one day at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure (my kids love Harry Potter and Jurassic Park). So there is a Universal IOA photo hunt list as well.

Butterfly Birthday Party

My 5 year old had her first 'friend' birthday party last month. She decided she wanted a butterfly theme. So, I made a chocolate cake with frosting flowers and white chocolate butterflies. We colored butterfly (and dragonfly) pictures while waiting for everyone to arrive. Then we made butterflies out of coffee filters, played pin the butterfly on the flower, danced around to pretty classical music, and played duck duck goose. The party was in the middle of the day, so there was butterfly themed lunch food. We had butterfly shaped sandwiches, butterfly shaped crackers and pretzels (pepperidge farm), and lots of yummy fruit. Then we opened presents and played until parents arrived to pick up their kids. It was lots of fun. But, I'm glad birthdays are done in our house until spring.