Skip to main content

A New List for a New Year // 16 in 2016


 The 30 ft. pool at Lynn Canyon

The list that I've tried to come up with has been a little harder than in years past but as I let it sit and brew for a bit, I had plenty of fresh ideas. The yearly lists (you can see 15 in 2015, my 29 before 30  birthday list here, and 28 before 29 here) help me focus on small/big, personal/family/friend, and creative/mental goals I have in any given year. Sometimes they are silly and sometimes I get them done before even writing them down, as you'll see below. They are just things I want to try, things I want to do, or things I want to enjoy with others. Some are big Bucket/Lifetime goals (1 below!) but most are pretty small things that niggle the back of my mind and writing them down helps me attain them quicker than forgetting about it 3 times. 

16 in 2016

1) get a dog! (this didn't happen for various reasons last year, this year we're still considering it)

2) make 'sweet treat' hair clips for the girls*

3) make and can homemade jam

4) go to Banff  National Park and explore Calgary

5) read the "Little House" series to the kids

6) find a GOOD summer farmer's market (I miss the seasonal farmer's market and realized I had put very little thought and effort into finding one I like that is nearby...not this year!)

7) Hike the Abby Grind with the family

8) take the canoe to a new-to-us local lake

9) Family Date: The Secret Lives of Pets at the theater

10) make everyone's X-mas gifts again**

11) knit a hat for 25,000 Tuques

12) bake/cook 5 pinterest recipes: (Apple Pretzel Tart, Flourless Samosas, pineapple salad, mexican corn, peach cupcakes)

13) explore the Island with friends!

14) see the Northern Lights+

15) buy more hanging houseplants

16) 1 picnic per month: June / July / August / September

*this is the only item aside from getting a dog that I'm keeping for this year from last. I didn't get to it, but I think it still sounds fun/doable

**I got off the bandwagon the past few years. I want/need to plan ahead because I hate procrastinating and this past Christmas was stressful because I spent more money than ever before, had literally no plan, and didn't make anything. Never again!

+ Actual lifetime bucket list item!


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Home School Activities: Board Games We Love

My children have recently become enthralled in the world of board games. I was never a board game player. Sure, I remember long summer hours (days? it seemed like it..) spent around a Monopoly board, but I was never one to suggest to get out the cards, or a game. As my children have grown and they are now able to do activities with me, I started noticing that they really took to puzzles (when done all together) and the one or two board games I happened to have kept in the storage room. They were always asking to play Candy Land and so I figured I should branch off a bit. Over the course of the last year, I have found GREAT games, even ones that I love to play alongside them. The amount of 'teaching' they have gotten through games is jaw-dropping. Counting, team-playing, math related patterning, are just some of the skills I've watched develop. I asked before Christmas on facebook what my friends and their own kids loved and I was thrilled with the response. We have found ov

July Reads

Birch Bay Sunset, rainbow hues July has been hot out here. When you live in the top story of an apartment building, and there's no air conditioning, it can feel just over the needle of uncomfortably warm when the day is above 76 degrees. We've kept blinds shut, windows open, and a fan continually blowing as it's perched in our living room window well. Just about the only thing I feel like doing after a long day is laying on the couch straight in the fan's air circulation path, and read a good book. I had some unique picks this month. * #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso  This book was just plain fun to read. Amoruso developed the iconic ebay store NastyGal way back when vintage selling on ebay was a thing. Now she's a millionaire with a kicking website that she started from scratch and didn't owe a dime to anyone else for. It's a great 200 pager with stories on dumpster diving for daily food, entrepreneurship tips, and being the backwards kid that no one t

Top 10 Books of 2017

early sunset in Ft Langley  I love reading all these "Top 10" lists of favorite books read throughout the year, so I'm adding my two cents.  I'm involved in a Book Club that I love with women from our church, a small group that meets every week and goes through a book every few months, my own list, books I'm reading aloud to the kids and  books I'm reading for educational purposes (think professional development). I took a look at all of those combined and this is what I got, in no particular order:  *  The Problem of God  by Mark Clark - I loved going through this academic apologetic book with my friends from church. It led us to great discussion, and good food for thought. I listen to Clark's sermons every week and so knew I'd probably love his writing style, too. If you have objections to Christianity, or are feeling confused about what to believe, this is a great primer.  * You're Smarter Than You Think  by Dr. Thomas Armstron