2025: 100 Small Things

It has been a few years since I made a list for 100 Small Things (not since 2021!) But I'm feeling like I'm ready for a little more direction for myself this year. 

I am hoping it might also work as a helpful distraction when I'm feeling like I'm so small in this great big world where there is so much noise and so much out of my control. But I can control me; what I'm learning, where I'm choosing to put my time and effort, how I want to take steps into raising our babies right now where they are. I can control that and if I don't make a plan I'm afraid I'll just let myself get swallowed up in the chaos that swirls outside of me. 

So in case you're wondering or looking to find some inspiration on small ways you can gain control - here's where I'm looking to keep my eyes on the horizon of my goals this year. 

1. Birthday letter: Gemma 
2. Birthday letter: Violet
3. Birthday letter: Rusty
4. Birthday letter: Reddy
5. Birthday letter: Olive
6. Donate blood in the winter
7. Donate blood in the summer
8. make pasta from scratch
9. 1000 hours outside (at least 800 for me!)
10. make our wills and last testaments officially
11. No Buy January
12. romantic getaway with B
13. Erie trip (rescheduled!) with the Kochs
14. Church donations set up to automatic withdrawl
15. set up /assess / correct kids' savings accounts
16. Meet with our financial advisor for a check in 
17. New carpeting upstairs
18. Secure the boys' bunk beds for safety
19. new siding for the house
20. get osa spayed
21. run a race (5k?)
22. get a headboard for our bed
23. bike / walk the Jim Mayer trail
24. bike / walk the Staple Bend tunnel trail
25. Plan for the fall for Red and Olive 
26. NSV - wear engagement ring comfortably
27. draft up goals for Studerbabies Farm & Free Play
28. collect Christmas trees for the goats
29. collect pumpkins for the goats
30. create a mini store for the driveway in the summer (eggs, veggies, baked goods)
31. update all the kids' baby books (notes and pics)
32. 2024-2025 Family yearbook
33. unfollow random accts on Instagram until down to 300 
34. complete the SCF Challenge
35. plant mini pine trees in the front porch planters
36. start Project Lit at Somerset
37. attend the North Star musical
38. attend the CT musical 
39. Make goals / decisions about The Hunting Daddies llc
40. Attend 6 book club meetings
41. Redesign the flowerbed at the run in the driveway
42. Scrub the kitchen table and chairs
43. donate baby clothes 3T and younger (!)
44. donate snow / winter clothes 3T and younger
45. purge the shoe collections all around the house
46. Install water pressure booster
47. drop the bubbas and binkies (Olive)
48. 1st Holy Communion outfit for Rusty
49. mini shed at the farm for hay/ food
50. baby chickies! (get at least 10 more)
51. unsubscribe from at least 25 junk emails
52. update the kids' memory boxes with art projects, etc
53. purge Children's book collection (unloved, broken, etc)
54. Host a Studerbabies event this summer
55. Create a personal email for Gemma
56. birds & bees talk with Violet
57. get a pedicure
58. grow zucchini
59. find an afternoon snack solution for myself
60. visit Yoder Falls with the kids
61. move / relocate the goat house in the pasture
62. get another great Pyr (!!?)
63. Save money for a Friends beach trip in 2026
64. family beach vacation this year
65. buy new wrapping paper for Christmas
66. Sourdough starter (!!)
67. hang up outside Christmas lights
68. build a Christmas star 
69. Go to Mass at least once a month
70. Sign Gemma up for official babysitter certification class
71. buy a new "momma blankie" (oversized cardigan)
72. teach Red to swim
73. teach Olive to swim
74. teach Red to ride a bike no training wheels
75. find a soup that the kids like
76. start framing out the window seats in the living room
77. cut out a half wall between the kitchen and dining room
78. hang string bulb lights from porch to the firepit
79. 180 days content of Miss Big Sis
80. Digital product for Miss Big Sis
81. Host a cousins sleepout in a tent in the backyard
82. get a new address book
83. put new ink in the return address stamper
84. AKT plus kids weekend
85. Research the expectations for prospective college athlete social media / stats
86. NSV: wear a two piece confidently
87. Mentor a new Spanish teacher 
88. Curriculum map for 2025-26 and collaborate with co-teacher
89. Inventory / Organize / Purge pantry
90. I / O / P medicine cabinet
91. I / O / P attic
92. get a Christmas tree for the basement den 
93. finish basement bathroom 
94. fire place for living room
95. update family photos in living room 
96. re-paint the kitchen
97. support Violet on an art submission
98. paint the back porch shutters
99. new kitchen curtains
100. new tattoo! 

Here's to moving towards becoming the person you hope to be! 

No 100 small things for 2022

At the prospect of a fresh new year since 2015, I have been creating 100 small things lists. They have brought ambition and focus to my years and I have loved them - honestly, that's the kind of nerd I am. A list-loving, big-dreaming, determined-to-do-all-the-things, ambitious nerd. 

But.

this year, I didn't make a 100 small things list. and I feel good about it. I'm not sad or disappointed. I haven't even grown out of the list making; I hope someday to find my way back to that particular style of new year list goal making. 

the last three years have really been a whirlwind for us - I know for all of the world too - but in the last three years, we had both of our moms go through major health concerns, had two babies back to back, I took a year long leave of absence from my job, and um, the global pandemic too. 

it's been a strange path of scary, exciting, change, growth, and learning for all of us - definitely me. 

to highlight my sentiment - I was in the attic the other day grabbing the valentines' decorations box and was shocked to see how far I have lost control of the attic. 

Because not so many years ago, the attic was the one place in the house that was neatly organized and labeled. Mom was allowed up there and everything had a place and everything was in its place. 

Fast forward to being pregnant for two and half years with all kids home in a global pandemic lockdown and the expectations dropped way, way down for attic organization. It was more like - 

"what?! you have no pants that fit, child who grew overnight?! Go up in the attic and drag that box down and when I swap them all out, just throw everyone's grown-out clothes in this tub and shove it up the attic steps...I'll deal with it when I'm not pregnant and the coronavirus is over" 

LOL...when the coronavirus is over. 

hah...funny. 

Aaaaaanyway, when I was up there the other day stepping around the tub of shoes that one of the kids dumped out looking for a pair that fit in a last minute panic; I just shrugged and moved on. 

Because in 12 years of motherhood, I have FINALLY come to understand a very essential piece of parenthood knowledge. 

if you have kids who are not yet walking or talking - the mess and disorganization does not count. 

PERIOD.

end of story. 

there is no discussion on this. 

you are in survival mode, baby. 

it's easy to forget that when your kids get a little bigger.  

heck, I forgot it until I had our last two. 

when you have kids who are not yet talking or walking - it is feeding times and diapers and naptimes and teeth coming in and another round of germs because you have a finger sucker, and growth spurts, and doctors appointments every three freaking months, and droopy necks to clean after every feeding, and all-the-things spilled, and good Lord the baths and lotions and wrestling into jammies, and the waking up in the middle of the night because of a zillion random reasons... 

who in the hell has time or energy to organize the attic boxes?!

plus we have the big ones which now translates to practices, and homework, drop offs and pick ups, and sleepovers, and playdates, and birthday parties, and hormones, and why.are.they.hungry.all.the.time !?

and then all the adulting on top of that: work, meetings, volunteering, paperwork, appointment making, bills, bank accounts, pets, dishes, laundry, grocery lists, meal planning, checking in with parents and friends, and watering the plants (hah, but for real, that's a thing). 

and don't even play when it comes to holidays - HAH. a whole new layer of madness. 

So as 2021 was coming to a close and I was gazing into the fresh new year, 

I took a deep breath and smiled. 

because although this is a chaotic, messy, wild life. 

it is a good, good, great, beautiful life. 

and more than anything, I need a dig out year. 

I need a take-it-easy-girl year. 

I need a reflect and look around and up year. 

I need to live right now in this present moment 

instead of making all the big plans for sometime soon but not right now. 

so in case you needed permission for that kind of year too - here it is. 

same, friends. me too. 

and if not and you are all "Let's go! 2022! New year, new me!"  - know that I am cheering you on and so inspired by you. Because there is almost nothing I love more than big dreams and plans to get there! 

it's just in my current moment, I am living the come-to-life big dreams of my literal seven year old self who married a cute boy and had six babies and a handful of animals. (self-fulfilling prophecy people!! also a real thing!) 

 

so I'm going to snuggle down into this life just as it is and soak it up for all its worth. 

100 Small things

I pulled out the sweetest little journal I received from a dear friend (thank you Loni!) a few days before New Years and started jotting down some thoughts for my 100 small things list. Brandon gave me a few sideways glances before asking, "Babe?" and I gave him a little smile and replied, "I know." 

The thing is last year was so freaking nuts and mixed up that my 100 small things list of 2020 had tons of things that I just flat out could not even attempt to do. 2020 was the physical manifestation of, "you can make all the plans you want but life has plans of its own." um, yeah. 

global pandemic, schools shutdown, first of my babies born via c-section, taking a very deep, honest look at my own sense of whiteness and how I can be a better ally and listener, post partum depression, finishing a college class while teaching virtually while helping my own kids with virtual school, getting pregnant with baby6 while taking care of four big kids and a 5 month old, getting goats (and all that comes with that - fence, house, caring, learning), going back to school with masks and sanitizing, teaching both virtually and in-person simultaneously, all the holiday celebrations canceled, schools zooming again..

...if you need to shout it with me: THAT WAS SO CRAZY!!

but humans do what humans do. They adjust and figure it out and survive - and if they're willing to work on it, they can thrive too. 

which is how I felt about most of the year despite (because of?) all the madness. We snuggled up and got cozy as a family more than ever, we brought home a new baby (!!) and made another one (!?!), I baked a lot of things for the first time: boiled bagels, scones, potato candy, blackberry pie with crust from scratch, we put a beautiful roof over the back porch, we got five goats and more chickies (!) and two guinea pigs, we became dedicated to ordering take out from local restaurants exclusively, we had lots of important conversations with our kids about big and small topics, we read, we talked, we had a million kitchen dance parties, we laughed, we cried, we gave the coronavirus the bird. 

2020 was bizarre, but it was not a waste. we made sure it was not wasted no matter how murky and foggy the path became, we walked together intentionally and found ways to make the journey meaningful along the way. 

So, after that dumpster fire of the year that seemed to take my entire planner and rip it up, light it on fire and then pee on it to put the fire out - you'd think I'd scrap my 100 small things list - huh? 

well, you better take a note from my good looking husband and just give me a sideways glance and do the 'ole check in of  asking, "tab?" because you'll get the same little ambitious eye twinkle and smile and "I know." that he got. 

100 Small Things 2021

1. 1000 hours outdoors 
2. Create a year long phenology wheel
3. hang ferns in the upstairs bathroom
4. finish 2020-21 family yearbook
5. plant a real garden
6. learn to can
7. make jam
8. use animal fertilizer in the garden
9. participate in a month long yoga challenge
10. read 24 books
11. buy holiday themed books for my little loves
12. run a 5k
13. eliminate the 'missing a pair' sock hamper
14. make brownies (that aren't a disaster)
15. fireplace the back porch
16. declutter 1000 things (thank you for the inspo Ashley!)
17. buy a proper winter coat for myself
18. restock half a cow 
19. restock whole pig
20. hang all swings in the pasture tree
21. mailbox makeover
22. remove old retaining wall
23. make driveway circle around the back
24. map out our homestead dreams
25. get a pixie cut
26. donate blood at least twice
27. buy a new vehicle
28. get a new front door
29. use basement and/or back porch door as main entrance
30. hang hooks on back porch (coats)
31. create shoe/boot organizer for back porch
32. make blackberry pie with Violet
33. drink a glass of water before coffee each morning
34. read Wonder as read aloud and watch the movie together
35. complete a 1000 piece puzzle in the winter as a family
36. make fried plantains
37. take a mini volunteer trip with Grey
38. Do a full moon kayak with Gemma
39. get a new kayak
40. organize our kayaks
41. watch the sunrise from Mt Davis overlook tower
42. restart 12 months of kindness
43. nsfw
44. AKT playdate
45. celebrate my mom & dad's 40th wedding anniversary
46. take a whole family mini "babymoon"
47. sell my standing mixer
48. donate to St. Francis Helping Hands
49. grow Shiitake mushrooms
50. crab leg dinner date with B
51. go to the drive ins with our cousins
52. family camping trip at Lake Erie ("the beach")
53. new carpeting upstairs
54. write 100 blogposts
55. make at least 4 recipes from Make the Bread, Buy the Butter cookbook
56. Learn how to make gravy from Dad
57. visit Buttermilk falls 
58. learn to finger knit
59. purge old make-up
60. monthly candle purchase with a local vendor
61. buy hat & scarf from Floodcity Stitch (local)
62. update family photos after new babe
63. update staircase photos/frames
64. clear out the dining room built-ins
65. eat dinner at the dining room table regularly (instead of using as a catch all)
66. Blog everyday for a month
67. successfully 'skin the cat' on the chin up bars
68. get picture frames for Red and the new baby for the living room
69. put a shelf on the "mount wall" in the living room
70. inventory the deep freezer and throw out anything that is old
71. organize my classroom closet
72. map out curriculum for 2021-22 school year
73. figure out childcare for 21-22 school year (!!?!!)
74. purchase a laptop for Grey's move to the middle school
75. clean out and donate children's book collection
76. clean out and garbage holiday decoration as needed
77. re-instate SCF sleepover
78. clean dishwasher
79. have "card night" with the kids once a month (spoons, smack-it, war, etc)
80. take the kids to the zoo
81. have a stash of greeting cards handy (birthday, anniversary, thank you, sympathy, congrats, etc)
    
82. clear out and update spice cupboard
83. purchase more spices from The Sprinkle Factory
84. teach Gem to make cake-mix chocolate chip cookies all by herself
85. buy a lamp for the girls' room
86. buy a camping mattress for me and B
87. buy a proper sleeping bag for me and B
88. find a solution to coffee at camp
89. buy a floating tube or a paddleboard
90. finish the steps on all the porches
91. sell at least one time at the local farmer's market
92. Set up a Kiva loan sponsored by our Spanish club
93. research beekeeping
94. Read 3 Spanish novels
95. make our church donations direct withdraw
96. use lotion after every shower
97. teach Rusty & Violet to rollerblade
98. make campfire scones
99. buy new bedding (sheets & quilts) for all the beds
100. write a proper love letter to B

Bring it on 2021. 

I got plans. 

who knows what you might have up your sleeve. 

Let's see how this shakes out, shall we?  

Blog everyday in June

To write everyday was a goal I had set for the month of May when I created my 100 small things list for the year. But apparently, I drastically overestimated my ability to recover from a c-section, take care of an infant, homeschool our two big kids, teach my students virtually, and have all five kids home everyday during a pandemic..

But the summer has arrived (for me today! and for the two big kids on Thursday!) 

So I'm going to go for it!

Writing for me gets all the floating ideas out of my head and into clear, semi-organized sense. It pushes me to be creative. I helps me feel less distracted. It is my favorite outlet for creativity. It brings settled peace to my heart that often times feels too much and tugs too deep. 

I have some thoughts on what I will blog about, some ideas which have been in my drafts for too long and some things that have just been on my mind recently. And I created a blogging calendar to  map out some thoughts on what I will be writing each day to keep me focused and organized. Some of the topics I'm thinking about include

• four kids' birthday posts (!)
• Around Here posts (to keep current)
• Studerbabies farm update
• intentional personal growth series
• lessons learned from five kids and 10 years of mom'ing
• list of ways to support moms with new babies
• school year recap 
• limit setting for kids
• outdoor hours

I'll also happily take suggestions!

So I hope to write

even if it's just a little tiny something

even if it seems like one more thing I have to add to my plate

even if I feel like I have nothing to say

even if all five kids are making me crazy

even if the goats have jumped the fence (hah, yeah - we'll get to that story)

I'm going to write something each day. 

I'd love to blog/write along with you if you need some motivation to get that paper to pen or those fingers to keyboard! It's always easier to finish a challenge if you have a buddy. 

2020: 100 Small Things

This year is going to be a little wacky, I've just accepted it and I'm hoping to move forward with intention and gratitude. My planner is already filled with deadlines, and saved dates, and then there's the big one that doesn't care at all about dates and plans and deadlines...our new baby brother. My planner is one of my most prized possessions (that sounds incredibly nerdy but it's 100percent true) and so to have all these things mapped out (maternity leave, kids' practice & game schedules, my college course requirements, holidays) and then have the big overlay of....well all of this as long as baby bro goes along with the schedule already sets me on edge a little bit. Then we have a double digit birthday, a decade of motherhood (emotional rollercoaster), and another kid off to kindergarten!

I always struggle with this part of motherhood. The growing of one while the others still need me too. I'm so much slower in all ways (physically, mentally, efficiently, patiently) when I"m growing a human and can never quite get rid of the guilt that my other kids have to put up with their mom who is not running on standard levels. And then the baby comes and it really gets wonky. Again...just trying to accept and move forward with intention and gratitude. (if I keep repeating it, I'll get there, right?)

So in an attempt to recognize how this year will be unexpected and new and interesting - I'm trying something a little different with my 100 small things.  In years past (2019, 2018, 2017) I've made categorized lists to focus my goals and before that (2016, 2015) I just made one huge list. But to try to stay on track and give myself some direct focus, I've grouped by month this time around. I loaded up on the maternity leave/summer months when I have more time and energy and took it a little slower (more practically) on the early month. By October, we have run ourselves pretty ragged (start of school year, fall sports season, big holidays) so those months have low numbers too.

I was also able to split my 1000 outdoor hours up in what (I hope) are reasonable numbers for each month to get me (finally!) to my goal. And my book goal (24 for the year) are broken up by month. I've already knocked a few off my list and worked half way through a few for the month of January (yay!) so we're off to a decent start.

January
1. 5 outdoor hours (4.5 hrs in January & .5 hrs in March)
2. Read 2 books  (With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo and The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan)
3. replant our Aloe Vera in a bigger pot (in May)
4. set up a payment plan for my college course
5. Purchase Gemma's 1st Holy Communion dress
6. send a thank you gift to a sweet and thoughtful friend  (in May)
7. attend college course orientation (virtually)
8. create 12 months of kindness task list & post to fridge
9. direct deposit church donations

February
1. 8 outdoor hours (6 hrs in February & 2 hrs in March)
2. Read 2 books (Scythe by Neal Shusterman and Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman )
3. attend Ash Wednesday mass
4. order new breast pump (through insurance = free!)
5. inventory baby supplies (attic) and wash (thank you mum for washing!)
6. purchase new toilet bowl brushes for all bathrooms
7. find a sports league/team for Rustman
8. start a family puzzle
9. brainstorm kids' bedrooms for baby5 arrival

March - Covid-19 Lockdown
1. 15 outdoor hours 
2. Read 2 books (The Toll by Neal Shusterman, Nyxia by Scott Reintgen) - read Nyxia in April
3. Finish our taxes
4. volunteer with the big kids at our church's fish fry
5. create an emergency kit for the house
6. finalize maternity leave binder/notes/plans
7. Kindergarten registration for Violet
8. swap and organize all the kids' dressers
9. get school board approval for Spanish trip June 2021

April - Covid-19 Lockdown
1. 30 outdoor hours (11 hours in April)
2. Read 2 books, 1 in Spanish (Dig by A.S. King)
3. Make new baby birth announcements & send
4. turn in 12 page research paper 
5. declutter kitchen cabinets
6. buy new screen doors (front & back)
7. close out old CD at bank
8. buy a shade tent for the yard

May - Covid-19 Yellow Status
1. 70 outdoor hours (64 hours in May)
2. Read 2 books (Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds, Untamed by Glennon Doyle) 
3. pull off NS prom (!) -covid 19 cancelled
4. write every single day
5. start keto
6. front porch flower pots/beds & hang a hummingbird feeder
7. deep clean the deep freezer
8. participate in Screen Free Week
9. attend graduations of North Star and Richland (-covid 19 closed to public)
10. have joint first holy communion & baptism party (covid-19 postponed) (July)

June - Covid-19 Green Status
1. 150 outdoor hours (101 hours in June)
2. Read 2 books (A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy)
3. donate blood (tried June but low iron)
4. figure out daycare plans for 20-21(August)
5. toy purge (house & attic)
6. new headboard for our room
7. create summer kid chore charts (August)
8. swap kids' summer clothes/shoes (July)
9. create car tote (wipe, diaps, bandaids, sunscreen, etc)
10. AKT weekend
11. Host a 'playground crawl' with YIFC (Covid-19 postpone)

July
1. 200 outdoor hours (108 hrs in July)
2. Read 2 books, 1 in Spanish (Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo)

3. No Buy July
4. update all passports
5. Gemma attend theater camp (overlaps with First Holy Communion - Covid-19 reschedule)
6. Violet attend art camp
7. teach Violet to do her own ponytail (in February)
8. clean out my Gmail account
9. master bedroom closet purge, organize, & inventory

August
1. 200 outdoor hours (106 hrs in August)
2. Read 2 books (Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson)
3. Family camping trip at the Que
4. finish curriculum map 20-21
5. Ride bikes/stroller at the Jim Mayer trail & picnic (whole trail!)
6. make bedtime routine charts
7. create vision boards for the upcoming school year with the kids
8. create my own vision board for the upcoming school year
9. Mail box makeover (flower bed, update pole, etc)

September
1. 150 outdoor hours (68 hrs in Sept)
2. Read 2 books (The Crooked House by Agatha Christie)
3. Organize plans for Sunday school into binder
4. finish 2019-20 family yearbook
5. Run Que Classic 5K with Greyson-covid 19 cancelled
6. create a shared writing journal with Gemma (in March)
7. plan 1 meatless meal a week for the month
8. Organize a back-to-school Spanish Club dance (homecoming parking lot tailgate in October)
9. donate blood

October
1. 140 outdoor hours (26 hrs in October)
2. read 2 books, 1 in Spanish (The Grip of It by Jac Jemc)
3. have a real anniversary date (our 12th!)
4. swap kids' fall/winter clothes totes
5. spend a fall family day at the Que
6. Grandmas & kids day trip

November
1. 20 outdoor hours (6 hrs in November)
2. read 2 books (Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson)
3. participate in Planksgiving
4. have our family photos taken (August)
5. create Christmas cards
6. update all kids' baby books with photos (August)

December
1. 12 outdoor hours
2. read 2 books (Outlander by Diana Galbaldon and The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson)
3. learn how to make nut & poppyseed roll with Mimi
4.  host Christmas morning and breakfast at our house with a fancy table
5. start "best gift of the year" re-wrap tradition at Christmas breakfast

It's been five years of creating 100 small things list (thank you Ashley for the inspiration all those years ago!) and despite NEVER having crossed off all of my 100 small things - it truly has helped me focus and stay intentional on the kind of life I want to be living in the wild blur that is raising up small kids. Everyday flies by and I find myself tucking in and kissing sweet little faces and trying to grasp on to what they said today, how much I hugged them, how their childhoods are being formed in these everyday memories. This blog and our family yearbooks help capture those memories for me but my 100 small things list works in the background to make sure that it is a life that we are actually living - not just watching go by through the car window. I am taking part and making conscious choices for this blessed, wild, loud, messy life is one that I can someday look back on and be proud of, that someday I will be the kind of person that I will be proud to be. It's a reminder that life doesn't happen to you - you make small decisions each day so that you can be who you hope to be.

What goals do you have this year? I want to hear them! They always inspire me and make my brain start turning on ways I can make it work for me too! :)

100 Small Things 2019

I have felt off for a few months, sort of stuck in a rut and feeling kind of down about the state of things; the world, myself, mostly the weather (hah). Usually my 100 small things list creation sparks a small flame inside of me that gets me all antsy-pantsy about the upcoming year - but this year it took me several weeks to really consider my choices and ideas. I wanted my list to be ambitiously doable (is that even a thing?) I need this year to be about realistic and intentional steps I can make towards being the me I want to be.

this is such a wacky stage of our lives; our bigs kids digging into sports seasons but still strapping little ones in and out of car seats, our big kids are pretty independent but right there on the edge that we forget that they still need reminders to do things like brush their teeth and wash under their armpits (hah). Our little ones are still little enough to need us for lots of things, but big enough that we can probably stop babying them so much too. We are both working full time jobs while volunteering with our kids' activities and trying to keep the spark alive in this ten+ year (19+ years together) relationship. We spread ourselves so thin sometimes that we make ourselves unavailable to the people who love us the most (ie. family).

Gosh, life.
we're all trying to figure this out and my 100 small things list is my focused way to make sure that despite the wildness and beauty of this life; I remain pointed in the direction of my dreams. That I am still playing the 'long game' for the person I hope to be and the life I hope to be living when I'm an old lady sitting on my porch swing holding Brandon's wrinkled, calloused hands listening to our bajillion grandkids chasing chickens around our yard. (hey, we all got dreams).

so here she is - 2019 addition of 100 small things.

soul
1. 1000 hours outside (or at least beat 2018 hours)
2. last will and testaments complete
3. cover concession stand duty for my kids' coaches...BE the kids' coaches
4. find a way to meaningfully thank the people who supported and prayed for us through Gigi's journey
5. direct deposit our church contributions
6. plant a garden and tend to it
7. update our family photos in the hallway staircase including a canvas print of Rusty & Violet
8. Live like the seasons and find a quote to match (winter, spring, summer, fall)

mind
9. finalize certification plans and begin
10. read 20 new to me books; 4 of them in Spanish
11. diversify my book authors and track
12. clear out and organize the living room desk and filing cabinets
13. learn some piano alongside Gemma (techniques and youtube)
14. learn French through the duolingo app
15. watch Marie Kondo's Netlflix series

body
16. try one month of HIIT exercise
17. drink 2 water bottles a day at work
18. average 12,000 steps a day (at least 5/7 days a week)
19. donate blood at least 4 times
20. when getting down on myself, repeat mantra, "I am grateful for this capable body"
21. explore hiking trail near Incline Plane downtown
22. attend a yoga class taught by my friend/coworker before she moves this summer
23. buy and try dry shampoo
24. go a whole month of 'blue dots' on the WW app
25. NSV: wear engagement ring comfortably
extra: keto for 3 months

mommahood
26. snowboard with Greyson
27. painting class with Violet
28. see a show/ballet with Gemma
29. see a movie with Rustman
30. take the kids to sell our eggs at the farmer's market
31. volunteer in Grey and Gem's classes
32. figure out ipad/screen time control/system
33. finish 2017-18 yearbook
34. start 2018-19 yearbook
35. fix bedtime routine with the kids
36. update photos in kids' baby books
37. add kids' birthstones to my mother's ring
extras: enroll girls in summer camp courses at CCCAC
make & grow a new family member (hah), finish 2018-19 family yearbook

romance
38. nsfw
39. once a month babysitter secured date
40. go heavy on the blond highlights for summer
41. add lace to my jammie collection
42. commit to a no-phone-zone bed
43. watch a complete Netflix series together

relationships
44. grandmas & kids mini trip
45. email our family weekly with kids' schedules
46. clean and clear instagram feed to spark joy (from 700+ to under 300!)
47. plan a party
48. host a grandparents dinner at our house (have the kids help cook and plan)
49. scf monthly happy hour at our homes

money
50. update Amazon subscribe and save
51. put money aside for Christmas all year long
52. update budget ledger and discuss with B
53. switch bill pay duties to Brandon for the next 10 years
54. look into cable/DirectTV/other options and changes
55. switch garbage services
56. do a month of no spending
57. close out random money CD at old bank
58. find a path to pay off student loan by 2020
59. cancel subscription boxes for the girls

writing
60. writing retreat with Loni
61. attend a Johnstown writer's club meet-up
62. write 100 blogposts
63. write at least 50 pages to my novel
64. write a short story
65. organize CCD lesson plans and put in a binder by grade
66. write a monthly gratitude post
extra: submit short story for publication

travel
67. AKT playdate weekend at the halfway point
68. celebrate someone's birthday (trip!)
69. renew passports
70. get Rusty a passport
71. celebration trip to FL with Gigi and Pappy
72. Plan Disney 2020 trip
73. visit Erie, PA

home
74. fix living room curtain rod
75. clean stove
76. buy 2 kayaks
77. bookcase/built ins for the playroom
78. donate books and toys to the daycare
79. move family meals to the dining room table
80. roof a patio
81. choose beautiful flowers for our front porch planters
82. correct the clocks in the kids' rooms
83. write down and stash our family favorite recipes
84. go through kitchen cupboards and organize
85. buy a fiddle leaf fig plant for the living room
86. hang a fern (or other plant) in our bathroom
87. clear and purge our closet
88. clean out and organize the attic
89. order cornhole bags

biz&school
90.. clear out and organize filing cabinets and closet
91. laminate word wall and hang with magnets
92. curriculum map for 2019-20
93. participate in Wooly Week 2019
94. post and create classroom signs (phrase starters, etc)
95. take Spanish club juniors and seniors to the Gateway clipper
96. host a taco truck day at school
97. take over Prom committee 2019-20
98. start Project Lit grou with Renee and Ashley (book club with students)
99. take Praxis Fundamental Knowledge test
100. have a co-founders meeting and make decisions about The Hunting Daddies

End of Year Review: 100 Small Things

oh, 2018. I can't say I hate to see you go, but, if I'm being honest, they year did have some dazzling moments in there too. There were some great days, and some good days, and plenty of meh days, and quite a few of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days in there too. I had high hopes for my 100 small things list that I made at the beginning of the year, and despite lots of changes and hitches in our giddy-ups, I still ended up accomplishing 48 of my original list of 100 small things.

We also finished a few other non-officially listed tasks that I included below because even though they don't count towards my total completed, they were still important to making me the kind of a person I want to continue to become, or our home the kind of home we would like to have for our family. Which is really the whole point of 100 small things each year; trying to take little steps towards becoming the person I hope to be someday.

So before I share my 100 small things list for 2019, let me review and reflect back over the year of accomplishments and partially completed, and non-attempts from the previous year. Shoot for the moon, eh?

Soul
1. Limit phone distraction/scrolling using the anti-social app 
2. 1000 hours outside  - 529 hours/1000
3. daily yoga (app and after school class!)
4. facetime weekly date with Kitty
5. afternoon hot tea
6. walk during school lunch at least two times a week
7. writing retreat with Loni
8. unsubscribe from junk email
9. screen free Wednesdays  **although inconsistently
10. clear out phone photo album of old stuff already backed up
11. implement a morning routine
12. implement a nighttime routine

Mind
1. Read 12 new-to-me books  - 22/12
2. Figure out cert plan and put into motion
3. watch 10 TED talks
4. review 3 books for Blogging for Books -1/3
5. revamp the curriculum plan (summer break) for all levels
6. write 100 blogposts -54/100
7. take Spanish Praxis
8. learn to drive stick shift
9. participate in a writing challenge (or writing course)
10. listen to podcasts while folding laundry
11. create an efficient and easy tracking system for my planner (water count, exercise, outdoor hrs, etc)

extra: 
listened to the Dirty John podcast and now watching the series on Bravo! 

Body
1. finish Mud on the Mountain
2. zip up my wedding dress
3. eat mindfully
4. track water intake of at least 6 cups a day
5. walk/run 30 miles a month (360 miles for the year)
6. run/walk the Jim Mayer trail
7. paddleboard on the Que
8. try a local gym class
9. leave a pair of glasses in the car for night driving

extra: 
hit 10,000 -12,000 steps regularly using my new fitbit
participated in our school step/weight loss challenge and won 2nd place with a 9lb loss)
joined WW online

Mommahood
1. finish 2016-17 family yearbook
2. finish 2017-18 family yearbook
3. participate in screen free week 2018
4. celebrate YES Day! (June 30)
5. join the PTA
6. sign Violet up for a painting class at the community arts center
7. take a photo of Violet in my wedding dress (same photos as Gem at 3y!)
8. run in a 5k with Greyson
9. create a 1second video
10. teach B how to french braid
11. create a 2018 family gratitude jar

extra: 
raising 10 chickens
enrolled Gemma in a musical summer camp

Romance
1. co-ed volleyball league
2. nsfw
3. proper celebration of our 10 year anniversary
4. last will & testaments!
5. grown-up only dinners with food the kids don't like (they can eat pizza/mac&cheese)
6. make our bed a no-phone zone
7. babysitter secured date night once a month- got a date night in every single month! This is the first time since we've been parents that this ever happened. Big thank you to our personal Marry Poppins, Miss Hannah for helping to make this happen - she is always ready when we need her. We love you!!
8. nsfw
9. greet B at the door when he comes home from work
10. have B teach me how to play poker
11. play nsfw poker (hah)
12. have a schedule check-in once a month

extra: 
march madness tourney competition

Relationships
1. AKT plus kids trip!
2. Sundays at Mimi's for breakfast
3. properly celebrate Mimi's 80th birthday
4. finally (!!) celebrate Kate & my birthday
5. AKT 35th birthday trip
6. find a special way to thank our Beer Olympics friends - make the 10th annual event really special
7. respond and comment thoughtfully to blogs and instagrams that inspire me
8. scf & girls sleepover
9. grandma & kids trip make a comeback!
10. participate in our neighbor's community garden
11. reconnect with my favorite friends via phone call or email

Kindness
1. donate blood at least six times this year
2. volunteer in Grey and Gemma's classes (parties, mystery reader, etc)
3. create three packages for Raph (Worldvision)
4. send snail mail to the Gilmores
5. recommit to our 12 Months of Kindness project - make the tasks kid-centered
6. CVAA human library
7. volunteer for kids' sports/leagues in a meaningful way oh boy, did we ever! B head coached the minors football team and was an assistant coach for Grey's baseball season, I helped with sponsors for baseball season, coached Gemma's AYSO soccer team, co-coached flag football cheerleading, and helped organized the CT youth football banquet.

extra: 
delivered chicken eggs to our neighbors & my Home Ec class at school
wrote 2 letter of recommendations for my high school seniors

Travel
1. visit Kitty and Ryan in Bermuda
2. Flight 93 memorial
3. family Idlewild trip
4. camping with the Stankan family in Pine Creek
5. sleepover with the Gilmores
6. try three local new-to-us restaurants
7. No bummer summer list creation & completion with the Fiores
8. visit PA Grand Canyon
9. take family to 1000 steps

Home
1. finish basement bathroom
2. roof a porch
3. get a kayak (or two)
4. make Lisa's gram's cinnamon rolls
5. purchase new oven mitts
6. makeover our mailbox
7. make the kids' rooms their own (research, new mattresses, re-paint, curtains, storage, etc)
8. finish outdoor fire pit
9. finish steps into the house
10. power wash the siding
11. update the photos in the stairs hallway

extra: 
epoxy'ed the garage floors
new garage doors
cleared out (finally) the garage clutter
Brandon built a chicken coop 

Business
1. finish Beer Olympics planning toolkit
2. encourage Grey to create more flies for his etsy shop
3. attend two expos with The Hunting Daddies
4. expand The Hunting Daddies child's clothing items
5. take professional photos for The Hunting Daddies website
6. meet with our financial planner for a check-in
7. start a cash savings jar

100 Small Things 2018

hi. don't mind me - just geeking out over the new year over here. 
I just love it. I love a crisp, clean new planner. I love looking out across the expanse of the whole year's worth of months with binocular-eyes and marking down all the exciting things we have to look forward to (weddings! Final Beer Olympics! Our 10th wedding anniversary! sports seasons! summer break! Bermuda visit!). I love getting all reflective and nostalgic as I flip through last year's planner and see all the wins and losses we had through the months - all the to do list items checked off, the surprise plans (some happy, some terribly sad) that got scribbled in last minute.  How lucky I feel to be living this exact life in all of it's wild, overwhelming, funny, beautiful messiness and with these exact people who make everything better and also easier to bear. 

And then new years comes and it's like - look, we get to do it all again together. A little different this time as we are all a little older and new days bring new experiences and challenges and joys....and also a little similar though too because we lean into our people and traditions and make space for the things we hold dear.

it is all just too much for my little heart and I find myself with teary eyes and a huge grin on my face through the last week of the past year and the first week of the new year. Crossing that bridge to kiss all my favorite moments of 2017 goodbye with a hug (and also a "PEACE OUT" to all the hard times) and to look out across the expansive landscape of the new year with outstretched arms shouting, "I love you already! I am so grateful to get to try again!"  

I know, I know...reel it back in here, tab. 
So in the spirit of trying again and being better and living with intention and grace, I'm crafted up another year's worth of 100 Small things. This is my fourth year of creating a list of 100 small things I hope to accomplish in the year.  I wrote one in 2015 and finished 48 of 100 tasks.  In 2016, I finished 38 tasks entirely for the year, and last year 2017, I completed 26 tasks total (with a whole bunch of 'bonus' tasks in there that we didn't plan for but gave us quite a bit of growing the accomplishment). Despite the fact that my total goals completed keeps getting less each year (!?) I also know enough to give myself grace that life is also becoming a little more tricky each year. We've added more kids into our family since I started this thing - B has switched jobs, I started jobs, the kids are in more activities - it's harder to find the time to squeeze in all these little extras. 

...but that doesn't make it less important to my soul to attempt. And so I'm back at it again this year with big and little goals all with the intention of becoming the person I want to be 'when I grow up.' (I know that technically I'm grown up now, but a little bit better me each day is my motto, right?)  Eternally grateful to Ashley from Big White Farmhouse who first introduced me to 100 Small things (you inspired more joy into my life - thank you! thank you! thank you!) 

Soul
1. Limit phone distraction/scrolling using the anti-social app (tracks usage for 2weeks and then you can set limits)
2. 1000 hours outside
3. daily yoga (app and after school class!)
4. facetime weekly date with Kitty
5. afternoon hot tea
6. walk during school lunch at least two times a week
7. writing retreat with Loni
8. unsubscribe from junk email
9. screen free Wednesdays
10. clear out phone photo album of old stuff already backed up
11. implement a morning routine
12. implement a nighttime routine

Mind
1. Read 12 new-to-me books
2. Figure out cert plan and put into motion
3. watch 10 TED talks
4. review 3 books for Blogging for Books
5. revamp the curriculum plan (summer break) for all levels
6. write 100 blogposts
7. take Spanish Praxis
8. learn to drive stick shift
9. participate in a writing challenge (or writing course)
10. listen to podcasts while folding laundry
11. create an efficient and easy tracking system for my planner (water count, exercise, mood, etc)

Body
1. finish Mud on the Mountain
2. zip up my wedding dress
3. eat mindfully
4. track water intake of at least 6 cups a day
5. walk/run 30 miles a month (360 miles for the year)
6. run/walk the Jim Mayer trail
7. paddleboard on the Que
8. try a local gym class
9. leave a pair of glasses in the car for night driving

Mommahood
1. finish 2016-17 family yearbook
2. finish 2017-18 family yearbook
3. participate in screen free week 2018
4. celebrate YES Day! (June 30)
5. join the PTA
6. sign Violet up for a painting class at the community arts center
7. take a photo of Violet in my wedding dress (same photos as Gem at 3y!)
8. run in a 5k with Greyson
9. create a 1second video
10. teach B how to french braid
11. create a 2018 family gratitude jar

Romance
1. co-ed volleyball league
2. nsfw
3. proper celebration of our 10 year anniversary
4. last will & testaments!
5. grown-up only dinners with food the kids don't like (they can eat pizza/mac&cheese)
6. make our bed a no-phone zone
7. babysitter secured date night once a month
8. nsfw
9. greet B at the door when he comes home from work
10. have B teach me how to play poker
11. play nsfw poker (hah)
12. have a schedule check-in once a week

Relationships
1. AKT plus kids trip!
2. Sundays at Mimi's for breakfast
3. properly celebrate Mimi's 80th birthday
4. finally (!!) celebrate Kate & my birthday
5. AKT 35th birthday trip
6. find a special way to thank our Beer Olympics friends - make the 10th annual event really special
7. respond and comment thoughtfully to blogs and instagrams that inspire me
8. scf & girls sleepover
9. grandma & kids trip make a comeback!
10. participate in our neighbor's community garden
11. reconnect with my favorite friends via phone call or email

Kindness
1. donate blood at least six times this year
2. volunteer in Grey and Gemma's classes (parties, mystery reader, etc)
3. create three folder packages for Raph (Worldvision)
4. send snail mail to the Gilmores
5. recommit to our 12 Months of Kindness project - make the tasks kid-centered
6. CVAA human library
7. volunteer for kids' sports/leagues in a meaningful way

Travel
1. visit Kitty and Ryan in Bermuda !!
2. Flight 93 memorial
3. family Idlewild trip
4. camping with the Stankan family in Pine Creek
5. sleepover at the Gilmore's house
6. try three local new-to-us restaurants
7. No bummer summer list creation & completion with the Fiores
8. visit PA Grand Canyon
9. take family to 1000 steps

Home
1. finish basement bathroom
2. roof a porch
3. get a kayak (or two)
4. make Lisa's gram's cinnamon rolls
5. purchase new oven mitts
6. makeover our mailbox
7. make the kids' rooms their own (research, new mattresses, re-paint, curtains, storage, etc)
8. finish outdoor fire pit
9. finish steps into the house
10. power wash the siding
11. update the photos in the stairs hallway

Business
1. finish Beer Olympics planning toolkit
2. encourage Grey to create more flies for his etsy shop
3. attend two expos with The Hunting Daddies
4. expand The Hunting Daddies child's clothing items
5. take professional photos for The Hunting Daddies website
6. meet with our financial planner for a check-in
7. start a cash savings jar



So, onward, friends.
thank you for always supporting me through your encouraging comments and recommendations for completing tasks and for sharing your wishes and goals. It's the new year and my heart is brim-full of hope for every great thing each of us will do and experience and inspire and create this year. And for even just this one moment - I love every single thing everywhere.  xxoxo

100 Small Things 2017

This is my third year of creating a list of 100 small things I hope to accomplish in the year.  I wrote one in 2015 and finished 48 of 100 tasks.  And did it again last year, in 2016, and finished 38 tasks entirely for the year.  

The point is to be intentional about my daily life.  The point is to make my daily life feel, look, and inspire the kind of whole life I hope to live - that I hope to build around this family of ours. 

It takes me a few days to brainstorm and reflect about the kind of life I hope to live this year.  The kinds of things that will help me be the type of person I hope to be.  This year, I categorized my list to try to stay focused on certain areas of my life.   Plus, it kind of feels more do-able all broken down in these ten categories (with about ten tasks each). 

Some of them aren't small tasks at all actually (1000 hours outdoor attempt #2, Completing my first ever half marathon!, getting our The Hunting Daddies books into our local Gander Mountain store for next Christmas!) but many of them are minor tweaks to our daily lives that I hope will help me grow and improve into the kind of person I want to be. 

I keep the list in my catch-all notebook that sits on my desk year-round and here (obviously) and I check in frequently and re-read it about a bajil times over the course of the year.  Having these goals help me stay focused even when life gets me all frazzled and pulled in twenty directions....or has me down because sometimes the world can do that to ya, amirite?

and so, for accountability's sake...here's my 

100 Small Things: 2017

Mind
1. Read at least 12 new-to-me books (read 11/12 new to me books)
2. Lead Inspired Readers book club at least three times (created the summer checklist!)
3. watch fifteen TED talks (watched 5/15 TED talks)
4. watch a manual settings camera tutorial
5. write 100 blog posts (wrote 77/100 posts)
6. participate in a writing challenge of any kind
7. replace "sorry" with "thank you"
8. practice/learn calligraphy
9. do at least three reviews for Blogging for Books
10. take a continuing education class at Penn Highlands
11. watch three documentaries

Bonus: 
new soul mantra
started and finished the Serial Podcast and S-Town podcast
joined up with a local book club: Books & Brews!
followed Spanish teacher blogs and instagrams
re-read The Handmaid's Tale

Body
1. finish the Pittsburgh half marathon
2. buy running shoes (and socks)
3. run/walk the Jim Mayer trail
4. Get bikes and/or bike ridealong seats for each person in our family
5. bike the Ohiopyle trail
6. take care of my heels at least once a week
7. get a haircut
8. put on my wedding dress and zip it up!
9. increase my jogging time to 12 minute/mile
10. try a local class (kickboxing/yoga)

Bonus: 
made the switch to the Diva Cup

Soul
1. 1000 hours outdoors (completed 523/1000 hours)
2. create a cellphone 'holding dock' and use it
3. screen free wednesdays
4. afternoon hot tea daily
5. monthly library trips
6. go to a Stations of the Cross for Lent
7. Do something special for my goddaughter Mallory's first holy communion
8. weekly gratitude journaling
9. Read Buddhism for Mothers of Young Children
10. no social media until after 11am

Motherhood
1. get mother's ring updated with all birthstones
2. go on an individual date with each child and both parents
3. finish the 2015-2016 yearbook
4. finish the 2016-2017 yearbook (!)
5. monthly family game nights
6. add child security settings to the iPad
7. celebrate the small holidays (Lunar New Year, Groundhogs Day, Mardi Gras, our pets' birthdays, half birthdays, etc)
8. eat outside in the summer
9. make seasonal fun to do lists
10. read aloud Charlotte's web
11. chore charts to make a comeback!

Bonus: 
Started Yes Day! (we celebrate ours on June 30)

Romance
1. watch House of Cards together
2. nsfw ;)
3. buy new sheets & a quilt 
4. monthly 'just for parents' dinner with grown-up delicious food that the kids would complain about (seafood/too spicy/asapargus/etc) while the kids eat mac&cheese or something equally boring
5. play on a co-ed volleyball team together
6. complete our Last Wills & Testaments
7. help Bud with a project I hate doing without sighing (like cleaning the garage or picking up branches when he's trimming the flowerbeds)
8. go on an actual dressed up -overnight (!) date
9. March Madness couple bracket competition
10. keep the Scrabble board game in our room for impromptu matches (like the 'ole days when it was just the two of us)

Relationships
1. learn to make nut roll from Mimi
2. AKT playdate with all the kids
3. email my Costa Rica host mom
4. send five care packages to friends
5. start to plan the AKT 35 year girls only trip (!!)
6. SCF and girls sleepover
7. grandma and kids trip
8. get teens to babysit our kids
9. host two big family dinners at our house (Christmas eve & Cookie baking day..?)
10. designate a day of the week to respond and comment on blogs I love

Kindness
1. start blood donation happy hour dates with Uch and Dad -epic fail! (hah Uch), but we did try!!
2. surprise our mail carrier Karen with thank you treats
3. give breakfast goodies to the bus driver
4. help B thank his secretaries on secretary's day (April 26)
5. surprise five friends with dinner (1/5 done)
6. organize & plan service project for my CCD class:  collect gently used stuffed animals for first responders.
7. post at least monthly on the 12 Months of Kindness facebook page
8. CVAA intramural league:  at least three seasons
9. volunteer in Greyson and Gemma's classrooms
10. send at least 4 care packages to Raph (Worldvision) (2/4 done)

Bonus: 
Dad Bod event with YIFC
Anonymous letter drop box in my classroom for students who need to get something off their chest
Donated 0-12mo baby clothes to the Women's Help Center for Giving Tuesday

Travel
1. visit Flight 93 memorial
2. visit Ligonier Beach
3. Family trip to Idlewild
4. Rec the Alleghenies Expo with Uch
5. Save money for Montana 2018 trip
6. plan getaway weekend with Dad for Adams family - Camp Tap Run
7. take big kids snow tubing
8. finish Mum in Costa Rica photo book for the kids
9. Presque Isle long weekend family trip
10. write a kids/family visit Johnstown to do/see blog post (you can read it here)

Home
1. 'finish' basement bathroom
2. KonMari the heck out of the linen closet
3. get house appraised - even if only for shits
4. grow a veggie garden
5. learn how to Can veggies (and deer meat)
6. meal plan with at least one meatless day
7. create a home emergency kit
8. move the kegarater downstairs
9. paint the upstairs hallway and toy room
10. get every room "staged" ready

Bonus: 
re-painted the retaining wall

Business
1. create The Hunting Daddies youtube channel
2. use the GoPro for the THD youtube channel
3. update sponsor tab on Studerteam blog
4. Get THD books into the local section at Gander mountain for Christmas
5. take professional pictures for THD with all the kids
6. create Beer Olympics planning toolkit to sell
7. stick to our family budget! Get monthly credit card spending to zero (with the exception of kindness tasks)
8. add at least one new product to THD

Bonus: 
opened an etsy shop for Grey's fly tys
got a full time teaching job (!!)
opened a credit card that earns airline miles