A little over a year ago, I made a plan. 30 things to do before I turned 30.

Well that year came and went in about a day! I always say time flies, but I’m pretty sure it just goes by faster and faster as you get older. Maybe at some point it slows down again? I can wish, right? :)

Anywhoo… here ya go! The results are in!

1  |  Grow something edible.

My parents had one of those strawberry pots with all the holes in the sides just sitting around, so I acquired it, along with a few baby starter plants. This little guy was the only strawberry that survived before the worms got them and the pot dried out. I wish I’d gotten my dad’s green thumb, but unfortunately I did not. Or have not developed it yet. But nonetheless… I grew a strawberry! One day…

2  |  Learn to cold brew coffee.

Darn. Not yet. I really should while the weather is still warm! Here’s a little inspiration, self.

   

Seems super easy, I just need a little bit of patience :)

3  |  Visit a new state. Hello, Illinois!

4  |  Learn how to play chess.

I got a chess board for Christmas and it’s been collecting dust (aka dog hair) ever since. Sad day. :(

5  |  Take a class.  Photography!

11 months later, I can say my biggest takeaway was definitely white balance. Adjusting the white balance on my camera BEFORE I take photos has been a game changer. In my eyes, at least. :) I’m still not great at adjusting settings in the moment, but when I take photos of something that’s not moving around or I don’t have time constraints, I’ve had a lot of fun playing around in manual.

6  |  Create a PDF sewing pattern.  Find it here!

7  |  Improve my half marathon time.

Nope, sure didn’t! Got slower. :) But had a lot of fun doing it!

8  |  Ride my bike to work.

I did once. It was after I turned 30, though, so it only sorta counts. And it wasn’t on a work day. I just wanted to see if I could make it there :)

9  |  Get a photo book printed.  There were too many cute nephew pictures to resist!

Yep, it was of this guy right here:

10  |  Stick to a skin care regimen.

Turning 30 = time for nighttime eye cream! I never miss it, although I use different ones. That and this cleanser (works great, never dries out my skin). Other than that, I switch stuff around all the time. I’ve had ‘go see a dermatologist’ on my to-do list for a while, but I have yet to make an appointment :/ Unfortunately, my Mirena has destroyed my skin over the last few years (hello, adult acne), so I’m just hoping once I get it taken out my skin will have a chance to heal and not have too much permanent damage. Ugh… it’s a sore subject for me. Silly progestins. Other than that, I will sing praises for the IUD.

11  |  Finish a quilt.

I started one back at the beginning of last year, but it’s still only this far along:

Does applique count? :)

Okay, so no. No is the answer. I did not finish a quilt :) Finally visited the quilt shop in town though. She has a ton of great stuff if I ever get into it.

12  |  Create a relaxing outdoor space.

I was imagining a nice relaxing seating area with some overhead string lights on a beautiful pergola… and a fire pit maybe. Or, you know… at least a lawn chair. We have none of those things. BUT, we did get a grill… so we’re well on our way I guess :)

(Don’t mind the dirty screen door… that’s where Finn scratches to get our attention to let him in… WORST sound in the world. We really need one of these… or, you know, a better behaved dog. :/ I would worry about the damage the scratching makes if Zoe hadn’t already torn her way through the door – ran right through it when she didn’t realize it was closed – full speed – poor baby girl. And poor screen door! Sorry, landlords) lol

13  |  Go on a biking brewery tour. Not meant to be! :/

Now that we’re back in Cali, we’ll have to find a biking wine tour. I know there are plenty out there :)

Or maybe just a van tour. Either way is good for me!

14  |  Visit a craft fair.

Nope, sure didn’t. Any NorCal recommendations??

15  |  Meet with a financial advisor.

Nope. Didn’t do that either. But we are meeting with a mortgage lending specialist soon. :D

16  |  Create a piece of art for the wall.

Hmm. Art. Nope. I did receive this as a gift, though, and it has been a great addition to my sewing space!

17  |  Donate blood.  DONE!

18  |  Watch a new-to-me classic movie.  DONE!

19  |  Update my passport.  Finally!

20  |  Make bread from scratch.  Yummy!

21  |  Stop biting my nails.

It’s tough to say yes because I’ve struggled with this on and off for years. But let’s just say it’s been going very well for a long while now. It’s a terrible habit! But habits are tough to break. Just recently,  I started using Jamberry nails and I can see how these will be a savior for plenty of nail-biters out there :) Speaking of which, here’s a good read about the sisters who started Jamberry. It’s a great little success story about having the right idea at the right time. Reminds me of the story behind Girl Charlee… finding the right market at the right time. Not saying I’m going to become a business owner anytime soon or have any great ideas, but I love reading about successful businesses with a small start.

22  |  Build something.

My dad and I discussed the possibility of building a pergola for our rental. We even discussed a few plan options.

  

Discussion is as far as it got… at least for now :) Woodworking is a dream of mine that I have yet to delve into. Perhaps when I become a homeowner one day I’ll be a little more motivated!

23  |  Start a new family tradition.

Sorta kinda. My family is awesome. Brunch is awesome. My family + brunch = A-MAZING! I don’t know if I’d call it a tradition… but we have been getting together on the semi-regular to eat (mostly brunch). Speaking of brunch, how great are these shirts!? :)

  

I’m thinking a simple Union St. Tee or Hemlock Tee + a little Cricut iron-on vinyl… what do you think?? :D

24  |  Visit the Ellen Show.

Okay, that was a long shot without any planning. Didn’t even look into it… but it would be fun!

25  |  Finish an entire Beachbody program.

That’s just silly. We all know you’re supposed to start Beachbody programs and not finish them.

Right?

No?

Am I doing it wrong??

;)

26  |  Get a proper grown-up desk.

YES! Sure did! Finally threw my little funky Walmart desk that I’d had for way too many years to the curb. Actually, I tore it apart and slowly but surely put the pieces in the trash can each week as they fit. But check it out… they still sell the exact same one! At the time, I got it on sale for less than that plus a little bookshelf. That was my desk for many years… it moved with me for a while. Actually held up very nicely for what it is. It was just no longer what I needed (or wanted) in my life :)

27  |  Go on a romantic overnight trip.  Hello, Colorado!

More trips, please!

28  |  Organize my Italy photos.

Still on the to-do list. It’s been 10 years now since I studied abroad and I still don’t have my photos organized :/

29  |  Go SUPing.

Yes! Finally! We actually went out for my birthday (the day before it)! My bad knee was sore for a while after, but I definitely want to go again!

30  |  Plan a big adventure.

So I’m pretty sure I was thinking Asia, Alaska, or Australia when I wrote that… but we’ve successfully planned a few smaller adventures since then, including: Boulder (for no reason at all), Vegas (for a half marathon), Ft. Bragg (for a 5K), Disneyland (for a pharmacy conference), Vegas again (for a wedding), and Catalina (for my grandma)! I love having little excuses to travel (like races and weddings) although I think I’m running out of friends who have yet to get married… so maybe we just need to get in better shape and plan more races! ;)

SO… there you have it. A year of life goals! I didn’t reach all of them but I sure had fun trying. Plus, I’m glad I only started a year before rather than 5-10 years before as some do. I like short-term goals. Long term too much is going to change. Plus I change my mind too much for that! But within the span of a year… that’s doable!

Do you organize your life goals? Do you keep short or long term goals? Or both? How do you do it? And what do I do now that my list is over? Hmm…

:)

Until next time,