Today, I am officially  one year away from 40. I’m planning on making the last year of my 30’s my best year yet.

Here’s my list for 39:

1. Mail a handwritten letter each month. 
2. Try the bullet journal method & don’t obsess about making it pretty.
3. Get my health indicator numbers inline. 
4. Finish an entire coloring book. 
5. See Hamilton on Broadway.
6. Take a firearm safety/shooting class. 
7. Try paddle boarding.
8. Smoke zero cigarettes. 
9. Try a new food.
10. Run/walk a 5K.
11. Run/walk a 10K.
12. Run/walk a Half Marathon.
13. Take a family vacation – just the 4 of us.
14. Knit myself a sweater.
15. Read 30 books.
16. Purge craft space – donate supplies that won’t be used.
17. Finish quilt top. 
18. Buy a new lens for my camera.
19. Have family pictures taken.
20. Continue to practice unapologetic self-confidence. 
21. Go on a picnic.
22. Take the kids camping. Even if it’s in the backyard.
23. Buy a new box of high quality colored pencils.
24. Learn to back up boat trailer quickly & accurately.
25. Attend Mass.
26. Take a break from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. for at least one month.
27. Abstain from purchasing any sock yarn. 
28. Embroider something.
29. Create a photo album for each of the kids.
30. Get a mole check.
31. Quit drinking Diet Dr. Pepper.  
32. Establish a regular sleep/wake time.
33. Buy a record player and some records. 
34. Cook more.
35. Listen to my gut.
36. Celebrate my people. 
37. Update master list of home projects.
38. Find a project/cause that could benefit from my time & talents and donate.
39. Make my bed. 

SaveSave

Last year, I made a list of 38 things I wanted to accomplish while 38. I didn’t manage to do them all, but you can read about that here.

1. Stay cigarette free. (3+ years and counting!)
2. Get the second floor remodel finished. (Please let this be the year.)
3. Hang the family wall.
4. Unpack and organize arts and craft room.
5. Continue to practice unapologetic self-confidence.
6. Take impeccable care of myself.
7. Celebrate my people.
8. Tend the garden.
9. Go to Michigan.
10. Go to Italy.
11. Work on confidence in skiing blue squares.
12. Invite people in.
13. Get V their license.
14. Frame & hang embroidered cities.
15. Start another x-stitch project.
16. Get a mole screen.
17. And a mammogram.
18. And a colonoscopy. (Yay 45!)
19. Read.
20. Make artistic messes.
21. Embrace work.
22. Take V on college campus tours.
23. Purge bookshelves and reorganize.
24. Set up a home gym area.
25. Use it.
26. Earn at least silver in monthly Peloton challenges.
27. Purge/deep clean basement storage area.
28. Propagate and repot the windowsill cacti.
29. Repot the monstera.
30. Practice identifying bird calls.
31. Knit Jesse socks.
32. Knit the sheep pillow to learn bobbles.
33. Buy no yarn (excepting yarn club renewal).
34. Continue to develop comfort in all things boat – docking, driving, trailering.
35. Start step one of the backyard landscaping project.
36. Clean out the garage.
37. Find a record stand for the office.
38. Attend the local knit night at least three times.
39. Meditate.
40. Sew the recreation blanket.
41. Fix the family room cabinet.
42. Keep practicing manicure skills.
43. Take a class.
44. Renew kids’ passports.
45. Leave room for surprises.

I love making these lists every year. I surprise myself with what I do (and don’t) manage to check off them and what I find myself repeating year after year. I wonder at what point I’ll stop adding numbers to the list despite adding years to my age. I’m not there yet. Here’s a look at past years: 44, 43, 42, 40, 39, 38