Small Goals

February went by so quickly (thank goodness). Here’s what I managed to tackle (and not tackle).

1. Host the first Crafterhours of 2020. Done. It was a really nice time.
2. Make 25 new hoops. I’m a maniac. I made 41.
3. Go to La Reve. We went, and it was really lovely.
4. Take as much as possible to Goodwill. Check. Glad to see all that stuff out of the basement!
5. Tidy up surfaces in our bedroom. In all honesty, I didn’t even try to do this.

4/5. I’m pretty happy with this even though it’s not 100%. I managed to take care of all the things that needed doing (and went above and beyond with stitching). Not to mention I also hit the gym regularly. I managed to make February really work.

But, if I’m being totally honest, February kicked my butt. That means for March, I want to make unwinding a real priority. I really could use it.

via GIPHY

1. Do a puzzle. Just call me Winston. This is my treat to me after a stressful few weeks.
2. Make my first wedding hoop of 2020. I know I said I wanted to relax, but I can handle this one commission.
3. Read two books. Since a lot of my free time has been dedicated to crafting lately, I’ve fallen behind on reading. I’ve loaded up my Kindle with a few good reads and can’t wait to get into it.
4. Go dry for a bit. I’m not a major drinker, but I do like a glass of wine after a stressful day. I’d like to go without for a while (maybe a few weeks) just to break the habit.
5. Hit up the gym 10 times. Booooorrriiinnngggg. But it’ll feel good.

Boring goals, I know, but dang, after a hard month all the slow going stuff will feel amazing.

It’s always hard getting back on the horse in January with goals, but I think I managed pretty well. Check it out!

1. Hit the gym eight times. I did it!
2. Finish a book. Done. I actually finished two.
3. Get everything returned. Done. This is actually such a huge relief.
4. New curtains? New bedding? Done. I got some plain white curtains. I’m kind of a maximalist, but I have to admit going basic here looks really clean and soothing. Also giving myself a pat on the back because I touched up the paint around our windows, too, which also makes things look nicer.
5. Spend a day not going anywhere. I did this twice. Snowy days are good for something. I watched the entire second season of You, put together a puzzle and generally was lazy. These days felt great.

5/5. I’m happy to have checked off all my goals (yes, even though one of them was to do nothing). But now the dust has settled on the new year and I think it’s time to ramp up my goals for February.

This month, I’ll be selling at my first craft fair since Black Friday weekend. It’s time to get back into production mode. I’m not sure if this is the sort of workflow I want to have (though it’s worked in the past), so this month will be a good test. And it’s also a good month to stay busy (gotta stave off those seasonal affective feelings!).

1. Host the first Crafterhours of 2020. I took a hiatus from this idea for the holidays (and the post-holiday slump). Time to make this happen again and try to get into a groove.
2. Make 25 new hoops. The Walker’s Point Makers Market is coming up on February 29. Time to get working on some new ideas (and a few classics).
3. Go to La Reve. Last year, Michael and I enjoyed breakfast at LaReve in Wauwatosa for the first time. It was such a relaxing Valentine’s Day treat. I’m hoping for a repeat. Also, Valentine’s Day breakfast > Valentine’s Day dinner.
4. Take as much as possible to Goodwill. During the hustle and bustle of the holidays (and recouping in January) a lot of our donation-ready stuff just got pushed to boxes in the basement. Time to give all that stuff a new home.
5. Tidy up surfaces in our bedroom. Our bedroom doesn’t have the chair (you know, where catchall stuff and semi-clean laundry lives). Instead, it has the dresser and the bookshelf. All our odds and ends wind up cluttering up these surfaces and obscuring all the actually nice stuff we try to display there. Will this be the month I get a handle on it?

Wish me luck! Locals, hope to see you at the fair!

Welcome to 2020, folks! I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions (I know I can’t keep them), so I’ll just be sticking to these small goals for the coming year. But before we get into January aspirations, let’s see how December went.

1. Break out the plastic canvas. All I did was think about this craft while I was stitching up a storm this past November, but by the time December hit, I just wasn’t in the mood. I fell back in love with cross-stitch instead.
2. Make my chocolate babka. Done. We ate one Christmas morning and I brought the other loaf to my aunt Pat.
3. Have a cozy, seasonal day home with Michael. Done! We decorated our trees and watched a few episodes of Nailed It: Holiday.
4. Don a fancy Christmasy getup. YES! I got a hot pink dress and silver glitter boots from J.Crew. I felt awesome wearing this getup on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
5. Make my “Spirits of Christmas” hoops. Swing and a miss two years running. I feel like I really needed an embroidery break, so I’m OK with leaving this as a WIP.

3/5. December wasn’t a five-for-five month for goals, but that’s fine by me. I spent the month doing what made me happy and satisfied. And I managed to do it all without having one of my trademark holiday meltdowns. What a win!

As for January, I’m not going to go too hard with goals. The past few months have been super busy, so a month of taking it slow and getting into normal habits is what I need.

1. Hit the gym eight times. Classic New Year’s-style goal here! But going to the gym does make me feel good, and it’s the sort of thing that I can manage when my schedule is a bit more open. Kind of looking forward to this one!
2. Finish a book. Last January I read something like three or four books. I’m not sure if I can top that, but I’d like to work through at least one novel this month. I am participating in the Goodreads Challenge again this year (you can follow me here).
3. Get everything returned. I bought a lot of extras around the holidays—spare sizes for gifts, sale-priced linens and other odds and ends. I need to get all those things out of the house (and get those purchases off my credit card statement).
4. New curtains? New bedding? This is such a small thing, but our curtains and bedding are almost the same design and it drives my eyes nuts. Swapping one out is an easy fix, right?
5. Spend a day not going anywhere. Typically I squeeze a day or two like this in over the holiday break, but I didn’t make that happen this year. So this month I’m hoping to just wake up and stay in for an entire day.

These goals are a bit mellow (and boring), but I’m happy about that. A month of rest is exactly what I need.

November was a crazy busy month! Lots and lots going on the last few weeks, but I managed to sail through.

1. Bump up my inventory to 75 hoops. I did it! This was a big stretch but I managed to hit 75 a full week before my first show of the season and ended up with more than 80. Patting myself on the back for that one!
2. Create 5 new designs. I did it! I honestly was a bit worried about managing this one since it’s hard to think about new concepts when you’re in production mode, but I managed to create six new designs. Whew!
3. Host my inaugural Craft Club. Done! Hoping to regroup after the holidays.
4. Schedule my last days of PTO. Done!
5. Try a new podcast. I’ve been listening to Dolly Parton’s America the last few weeks and loving it.

5/5. I truly can’t believe I knocked all these out! And I didn’t even have a meltdown doing it. High fiving a million angels.

December is one of my favorite months, but every year I seem to ride the line between holiday FOMO and burnout a bit too closely. This year, I’m keeping these goals light so I can just enjoy.

1. Break out the plastic canvas. It sounds so silly but making little plastic canvas villages is so fun and relaxing to me. It’s part LEGO, part stitching and part old lady craft.
2. Make my chocolate babka. Did you hear? It’s on the cover of Taste of Home, and it’s just the thing for the holidays.
3. Have a cozy, seasonal day home with Michael. We’ve got a day slated to stay home and enjoy the season together. I’m looking forward to it!
4. Don a fancy Christmasy getup. I found my perfect blue velvet dress last year, but I’m always open to something else over the top!
5. Make my “Spirits of Christmas” hoops. Last year, at the eleventh hour, I had this great idea to make a series of ornament-sized hoops inspired by my favorite Bob’s Burgers Christmas song. I didn’t get very far, but I really want these on my tree. Gotta make them a priority!

Alright, December. I’m ready for you!

I’m sad to see October go. At least it was a good one!

1. Turn my house into Comfy in the City. It’s on its way. I got a few new throw pillows and I finally ordered my new chair from Joybird. I’m hoping to get it in early November.
2. Visit HausWitch. Done. You can read about it and my trip to Salem here.
3. Do something scary or bewitching. Done! I went to a screening of Hocus Pocus with a few gal pals.
4. Finish and list my zodiac hoops. Done. I finished stitching all 12, but I’ve decided not to list anything new until my fairs are done (more on that soon).
5. Upgrade my iPhone. I did it. I opted for the lavender one. I’m still getting used to the larger size, but loving the nicer camera.

5/5. What a month! This October was great. I kicked it off with a trip to New England and rounded it out with lots of scary shows, ghost stories and Halloween vibes. I could use a few more weeks of this (so I might keep on my spooky kick for a few more weeks).

For November, my primary goal is to be prepared for the two craft fairs I’ve got coming up. So my goals here are going to be pretty low key. I’ll be honest, I’m ready to spend some nights in doing nothing but stitching.

1. Bump up my inventory to 75 hoops. I might be pushing it here, but I really want to be prepared.
2. Create 5 new designs. I don’t want my product getting stale. Let’s see if I can make five totally new hoops.
3. Host my inaugural Craft Club. I’d been wanting to have a craft club for a long time, and there’s no time like the present. Let’s see how the first meeting goes!
4. Schedule my last days of PTO. I’ve got a few to spare. Time to get them on the calendar.
5. Try a new podcast. I need something besides old episodes of 30 Rock to keep my busy while I stitch.

Alright, November, let’s see if I can do another five out of five!

Is it just me or did September just fly by? Despite the month going so quickly, I managed to squeeze a lot in—way more than just these goals. But let’s start with the goals:

1. Treat myself. I did end up buying that Fossil backpack. It’s handy.
2. Tackle Taste of Home’s first-ever Bakeable bake-along. Done! I made this amazing layer cake for my dad’s birthday.
3. Stitch up a new project. I started a zodiac series and I really love it.
4. Check out Cedarburg’s Wine + Harvest Fest. Done! I had a lot of fun and bought a lot of delightful and unnecessary things like a velvet headband and a puzzle.
5. Hit 3 weightlifting classes. Swing and a miss. I made it to just two.

4/5. I’m looking at my calendar right now and I can’t believe how full this month was. Outside of tackling most of my goals, I managed to fit in a ghost tour, a night out seeing Rachel Bloom, a press trip to Texas and our first-ever Stocktoberfest party. That’s a lot!

With that in mind, I’m hoping to slow down a bit in October (of course, I write this knowing that I kick off the month with a big trip). But I am hoping to spend more time inside with candles, books and scary shows and a little time out doing more creepy, seasonal things.

1. Turn my house into Comfy in the City. After a warm September, it’s time to switch over to cozy mode. This entails a lot of odds and ends: switching to winter linens, breaking out the fall candles, getting a few new throws for the living room and replacing our string lights. I feel like our home needs a bit of a refresh.
2. Visit HausWitch. I’m going to Salem, Massachusets this month!!! I am deeply, deeply excited. There’s a lot I want to see there, but this is one shop I definitely want to check out after following their A+ Instagram for so long.
3. Do something scary or bewitching. I’m sure I’ll get my fill of bewitching haunts in Salem, but I’m hoping to squeeze in another spooky outing at home. As always, I’m hoping to revisit Legends & Lore at Old World Wisconsin, but I’m open to new scares.
4. Finish and list my zodiac hoops. I’m loving these. Yes, of course, because they are new, but I feel like I’m onto something. Let’s hope folks like them!
5. Upgrade my iPhone. iPhone 6, you’ve had a good run. It’s time for an upgrade and a better camera. Plus the new iPhone 11 comes in purple (my favorite color). Yes, it’s stupidly expensive, but may as well do it now before the next version costs even more.

Of course, I’ll be filling in the gaps this month with plenty of scary movies, creepy reads and spine-tingling podcasts. Here’s hoping I can get it all done!

Boy, did I pack August full this year! Don’t worry—still had time for goals.

1. Go on Gothic Milwaukee’s shipwreck tour. Done! I had so much fun with my friends and coworkers (see below). Highly recommend any tour from Gothic Milwaukee. I also went on the La Crosse Library’s ghost tour. Two spooky tours and it’s not even October!
2. Try two new spiralizer recipes. I tried this chipotle sweet potato dish but didn’t get to stirring up a second. Half a point?
3. Pickle or can something. Done! I made refrigerator bread and butter pickles and I think they turned out pretty good!
4. Order new glasses. Yes! My new frames feel very fancy. They’re taking some getting used to, but I love them.
5. Read four books. Done. Find out which ones and what I thought very soon.

4.5/5. After an abysmal month of goals in July, I feel like I’m back on track. I ticked off most of my goals for the month and I managed to have very few summertime regrets. (I mean, I could have always squeezed in something else, but I’m OK.)

As for September and fall, I’m ready. Summer is pressure-filled when it comes to having fun. I find fall is just easier and a bit slower paced. Of course, as I write this, my calendar is pretty full. Still, I’m going to try and appreciate the change of pace and embrace the slow spots.

1. Treat myself. I’m heading to Texas for a press trip this month. I’d like to treat myself to something new to take with me. I’ve got my eyes on this Fossil backpack.
2. Tackle Taste of Home’s first-ever Bakeable bake-along.Taste of Home has a new baking club! (Join here!) Every month, we’re challenging people to make a new recipe. Here’s this month’s challenge. This is pretty rich cake, but I’m down to bake it!
3. Stitch up a new project. I’ve got some non-text-based designs in my head. Let’s see if I can stitch one up before the month is over.
4. Check out Cedarburg’s Wine + Harvest Fest. I make this a goal every year, but it’s worth prioritizing. I love this street festival. It makes me feel like fall has arrived.
5. Hit 3 weightlifting classes. This summer I dropped my weights habit. I was having some troubles with my knee and the classes just didn’t fit as well into my schedule. Time to get back on track with just a few classes this month.

Wish me luck on these! Good luck on your fall goals.