Life

Can anyone else believe August has come and gone? I definitely can’t. Let’s dive in and see how my small goals look.

1. Pick up an astrology book. Nope! Maybe it was all the retrogrades that made this month difficult to get much done.
2. Make my up north reading list. Done! I read six books!
3. Bring a new game up north. Well, I brought up Unstable Unicorns, but my family couldn’t get the hang of it. But I tried!
4. Brush up on my composting knowledge. Well, we started composting! It’s not perfect, but we’re working on it!
5. Host (or at least plan) a party. Michael and I had a long chat about this one. We decided to skip a big summer blow-out and save the party for spring since the yard still needs a bit of work and Michael’s schedule isn’t party-friendly right now. I’m disappointed in this one, but I know that it wouldn’t be a party without a proper Jart field (a highlight for a lot of our friends). So I’ll save it for spring. However, I’ve got a Tupperware party slated for later this month, so at least all my mom’s friends will see my nice perennials! For that reason, I’ll check this one off the list.

4/5. That’s not too bad. I’m disappointed that our party got the boot (after three months of being on this list!), but onto new goals and a new season. Summer has been a lot of work this year, so I’m looking forward to settling into fall and focusing on smaller projects (and just relaxing).

1. Get some California-cool pieces. I’ve got a super fun business trip to California wine country coming up fast! Can I find some fall transitional pieces that don’t make me look like a Midwestern simpleton in time? Let’s see!
2. Check out Cedarburg’s Wine & Harvest Fest. I love this fest. Crafts, art and wine all wrapped up in a fall day? Sign me up!
3. Host my Tupperware party like a pro. I’ve got my party scheduled for this month. Time for a good deep clean. And time to try out some party-friendly apps, too! I might be taking some tips from Taste of Home for this one!
4. Hit the gym six times (or more). I’ve fallen off the regular workout wagon. I chalk that up to a chaotic August. Let’s see if I can get to the gym a half dozen times (though I’d love to hit ten!).
5. Finish up all my stitching to-dos. I’ve got three custom hoops to complete plus a handful of new designs to finish up. I need to clear out my stitching queue so I can get moving and grooving for my next show (more about that soon!).

Honestly, I’ve got a lot more to-dos on my mind than these five, but let’s just start with these! Here’s to a productive (and chill) fall!

For July, I tried to set some non-house related goals hoping I’d have some success. Let’s find out!

1. Finish my biggest ever hoop (+ stitch up a few Queer Eye-inspired ones). Done! That big hoop was pretty darn big! And I stitched up a handful of other fun ones to stock my shop.
2. Read at least two books. Done! I finished both The Art of Gathering and The Woman in the Window. I also started Florida by Lauren Groff – one of my favorite authors.
3. Make an icebox cake (or another summery dessert). Nope! I made some banana bread but I wouldn’t say that’s a summery dessert.
4. Give Lively bras a try. Did it! I definitely ordered the wrong size (helps to measure yourself more than once every five years), but I really liked what I got so I’ll be reordering. You can get $10 off whatever bra you want if you click here!
5. Squeeze in two (or more!) date nights. Sad to say it, but nope.

3/5. This summer has been pretty trying to me with goals. I’m sure it has to do with all these planets that are in retrograde right now. Or unrealistic expectations. Whatever the case, making goals and going after them (even if it feels like slogging through mud) is something I want to keep doing.

So let’s get on with the show for August! After some real hard times with our yard project (don’t even talk to me about this), I actually just want to spend some time living in the moment and trying to enjoy myself. So for August, I’m only making fun goals!

1. Pick up an astrology book. I like to think of myself as Taste of Home‘s low key astrology expert. I write astrology content, tell people how they are so [insert sign here] and I point other writers in the right direction when it comes to all the zodiac pieces I don’t write. But all my astrological knowledge comes from The Hairpin’s “Zodiac Truths” series, @notallgeminis, Astro Poets and reading my horoscope regularly. This is all great, but time for some concrete things like books!
2. Make my up north reading list. I do a lot of reading when I head up north with my family. I think it has a lot to do with zero cell service, no internet and no TV. This is fine. So I just inhale books up there. Time to make my list and head to the library!
3. Bring a new game up north. When we’re not reading, we’re probably playing a game. I think it’s time to find a new one and give it a go. We can’t play dominoes and Taboo forever.
4. Brush up on my composting knowledge. Lisa, I thought you said fun goals. This one is for me! After years of mulling it over, I finally bought a composter. I’ve been trying to reduce waste at home and this is a big part taking the next step with this lifestyle. But you can’t just toss in apple cores and eggshells and call it a day; there are some finer points.
5. Host (or at least plan) a party. As I write this, my patio is finished (YAY!) and plants are being ordered. Whether or not the grass seed gets planted and the finishing touches put on, I’m going to have (or plan) a party!

Let’s see if I can slog through these goals this month and end the summer on a high note! And if you’ve got goals, let me hear ’em!

Another month gone if you can believe it!

1. Create an all-new wedding hoop. Done! You can check it out here.
2. Explore Bayfield and the Apostle Islands. Done! More soon!
3. Polka at Polish Fest. Sadly, no. It was unbearably hot on Father’s Day, so we stayed home with some AC. I did, however, bring my dad some Tyskie, vodka and polka music.
4. Host a patio party (or at least get one on the books). Don’t even talk to me about this one. The patio is not even started and I’m more than a little upset.
5. Plant a small garden. Nope.

2/5. This hasn’t been a great month for goals or landscaping, and, honestly, that’s really got me down. I thought our landscaping was pretty much good to go once I called and scheduled it, but the situation got pretty complicated and chaotic. So as of this moment, I don’t know when I’ll have a normal yard again. This really has me in a bad way, so I’m going to try and set some lighthearted, non-yard-related goals this month so I don’t have to dwell on the failure. So let’s get going.

1. Finish my biggest ever hoop (+ stitch up a few Queer Eye-inspired ones). Not too long ago, I got a DM asking me to make a monster-sized (well, 12″) hoop. I’ve never made one so big before (most of my hoops are just 5″), so I’m curious to see how it turns out! Also, I made this fun Struggs to func hoop not that long ago and sold it instantly. Time to get some inventory!
2. Read at least two books. I’ve got a lot of library books at home that are dying to be read. I’m paging through The Art of Gathering and The Woman in the Window now. I’ve got a few others lined up at the library, too.
3. Make an icebox cake (or another summery dessert). I saw this recipe on Broma Bakery and it really got me thinking that I need to give it a try!
4. Give Lively bras a try. TMI? Nah. I saw some Instagram ads for this brand lately and I was compelled by the nice price point (three bras for $75!).
5. Squeeze in two (or more!) date nights. Michael and I are not good at date nights. We both love being at home, so going out sometimes just doesn’t occur to us. But it’s the height of the summer! We should get out and appreciate it.

I’m crossing my fingers that some landscaping happens in July! But until then I’ll bide my time with some fun, summery goals. Until next time!

May was a big month with big goals. Let’s see how I did (spoiler: I did great).

1. Visit the Madison Farmers Market. Done!
2. Make this craft fair better than the last. Yes! It went really well. I’m thinking I’ll recap this soon.
3. Read (or listen). Did it. I finished my book club book Tangerine by Christine Mangan plus I got most of the way through a sort of lame audiobook.
4. Check out a numerology course.  Done. This was a lot of fun.
5. Pick out the *perfect* flowers. Check! I definitely agonized over this one, but in the end, I’m happy with my picks! The vast majority of the plants are native species, which is important to Michael and me. We made an exception for rose of Sharon because we love them (and it’s not the kind of non-native plant that will spread and do harm).

5/5. Five 👏 for 👏 five 👏! I’m patting myself on the back for goals accomplished while also realizing that taking care of all those goals meant I didn’t blog at all this month. Whoops!

June is another busy month. Our patio plans are progressing and our social calendar is pretty full. But I’m really excited about it. When you realize that summer only has about 12 weekends, it makes you want to pack them to the gills. I think I’ll be doing a good job of that this month.

1. Create an all-new wedding hoop. One of my oldest friends is getting married this month. I’m hoping I can get a custom hoop done for her before her big day!
2. Explore Bayfield and the Apostle Islands. For our third anniversary, Michael and I are staying in Bayfield, Wisconsin, right on the shores of Lake Superior. I want to take in as much of the natural spaces as possible while making a little time for townie treasures.
3. Polka at Polish Fest. This was a goal for me last June, too. My family goes every year, though I have a varying level of success in getting anyone to dance with me. We’ll see how I do this time!
4. Host a patio party (or at least get one on the books). Our patio project is set to break ground this month! I’m so excited to see how it turns out. Once it’s complete, I’m hoping to host a party or two to celebrate our yard’s grand reopening.
5. Plant a small garden. When our yard is put back together, I really want to get a few herbs and veggies in the ground. I really missed having that last year.

Got goals? Share them with me in the comments!

I wish I could say that February just flew by, but man oh man did it just go on forever! Let’s see how I did.

1. Plan some sort of getaway. Michael and I talked about this in theory, but we didn’t get much further. I’ll make this happen, but I’m going to skip it for now.
2. Declutter our bedroom and/or den. The den is pretty much uncluttered at the moment, which is good news! The closet isn’t at peak organization yet, but it’s a work in progress.
3. Sign up for another fix from Stitch Fix. Done! Read all about it here.
4. Make a mood board for a bathroom revamp. I did not do this. I did, however, go to the Milwaukee NARI show and a few tile shops to get some ideas.
5. Get into a cooking routine that works. Done.

3/5. It’s not my best month, but that’s OK. February is always rough. So is March, but I’ll set some ambitious goals anyways!

1. Actually make that bathroom mood board. I did a little research, so I should be more capable this month.
2. Hit the gym 10 times. For me, this is getting serious about working out. And this is an easy way to quantify my “success” since I refuse to measure, weigh myself or take before and after photos.
3. Sew something, anything. I love to sew, but since upping my embroidery game I haven’t really fired up the machine much. Sure, I made some table runners and did some alterations, but I haven’t made a garment in too long. Plus, I’ve got a bit of a fabric glut at the moment and I’d rather see it in my closet than folded away.
4. Reorganize the den to make it a real work space. For all intents and purposes, our den is my workspace. I’m thinking that I need to streamline the space so I can have my computer (which currently sits on an end table), light table and all the accouterments in a single location instead of running from one room to the next just to do basic tasks.
5. One more serious declutter session. I’ve been slowly purging unwanted and unnecessary items from our home for the past four months. It feels really really good to have a little extra wiggle room in our tiny house, but there are still a few corners, closets and drawers that need some attention.
6. Bonus goal! Scrolling through Instagram, I stumbled upon the @joannehawker #marchmeetthemaker challenge. In 31 days, it helps you tell your maker story. You can follow along at @kaminskihandicraft!

I feel like these are some pretty serious goals! But I feel OK about that since March is one long and relatively uneventful month. May as well pack it full of to-do lists! If you’ve got any goals this month, I want to hear about them! Your lists definitely have inspired me to up my game!