#emmas2018

Now that it’s flipping February (!!!!!) I can, y’know, get stuck into those new year’s resolutions…

Although I’m not usually one for resolutions, more like a ‘to-do list’ for the year ahead. It may get done, some things ticked off…or not. Either way, a list nonetheless. And rather than just have this pie-in-the-sky list in my head or jotted down at the back of my diary, I thought I’d best put them in blog form. Accountability and all that. Because if it’s not blogged/Instagrammed/shared on social media, did it even really happen? Hopefully I will come back at the end of 2018 and some of these items will get a big line through them. How satisfying. Or not. I’m really not putting too much pressure on myself, that’s the whole idea of this year: pedalling hard, but still stopping to smell the roses. Don’t sweat the small stuff, but at the same time: getting. it. DONE!

 

House

This year I am going to try really hard to be more proactive about all of the jobs that have been on the house ‘to-do’ list for quite some time…some since when we first lived here in 2010/11 seven years ago. Can’t rush these things! I’ve also come to the realisation that have the mentality of ‘the forever house’ ‘oh one day’…then I recently had a lightbulb moment: well why the bloody hell not today?! Decisions about how we live day to day in our little farmhouse, will effect us and our family life for at least a good long while yet. Just bite the bullet, Emma. Just do it. Not tomorrow, or in five years. The time is now. Although we have renovated all three bedrooms (new paint, carpet, picture rails, cornice, light fittings/fans, built-in wardrobes) and built the sewing room/office behind the carport, all whilst either heavily pregnant or with a screaming newborn in tow…there’s still lots that we want to do, namely:

• get a new fridge, with a freezer – novel! Our freezer currently lives in our external laundry off the back porch, and we have an ‘all fridge’ in the kitchen.
• fit out the existing fridge space in the kitchen to be a pantry space, the new fridge will then go where our existing pantry is (still with me?) Currently our pantry is a flat pack Bunnings cupboard we bought as uni students ten years ago.
• new front doors – we have long contemplated this, and it still may need some contemplation as I’m really not sure what the end goal/solution will be…we never (like, ever) use our front door, only Jehovah’s Witnesses do! They are currently frosted glass double doors, and we would like to let in a lot more natural light (perhaps one feature front door and a glass window panel?) but still remain true to the house’s Art Deco origins. Thoughts? Open to suggestions.
• finally put a skylight in the kitchen! This has long, long, long been discussed, but recently we finally bit the bullet and bought a skylight at Bunnings. I had visions of a schmancy Velllux style one (too much watching The Block last year me thinks), but in the end decided to go with something easy to install/cost effective, but will still hopefully make a big impact. Anything would be an improvement, because our kitchen is a cave!

Garden

• I’ve said for the last few years that in Autumn we would build new garden beds along the western fence which we built in 2010…this year is the year! Herbaceous perennial borders here I come. Man, they could be three years old by now. The time is now!
• Widen front garden beds, move hydrangeas and new rocks to edge/replace ugly existing rocks. The front garden is often neglected and has been on the ‘one day when we have a spare weekend’ list for literally years.
• Build the girls a cubby house – this is a big one. A big job. I know that it will take Matt many weekends (especially because he will want to do it perfectly) but we are hoping to gift the girls a raised cubby with sandpit underneath, slide and cute front veranda for their birthdays…in a mere four months – eeeek!

Professionally 

• This year I have lots of big and small goals when it comes to She Sows Seeds…sometimes the little whispering ones are just as important. But mainly I am happy to ride the wave as usual and see where new opportunities take me, 2017 was full of doors opening left right and centre when I least expected them to. Swings and roundabouts. I’m really looking forward to working with Bupa, and maybe starting to pave the path to some of those ‘big girl dreams’ I have for my blogging and this creative space.
• In terms of my photography business (my poor neglected photography degree…) I’d really like to launch a new website for Emma Steendam Photography in 2018. I said this in 2017 also, then She Sows Seeds got awfully busy. As I type this blog post now at 11pm, when I have literally spent all day trying to get it done with two toddlers literally hanging off my desk, I am wondering when on earth I would have time to re-brand and design a new photography website. But I’ll just leave this goal here anyway…
• Attend ProBlogger conference – in 2015 I went to the PB event on the Gold Coast and was filled with so much inspiration and empowerment. Soon after, I fell pregnant with Harriet, and subsequently took a six months break from blogging after she was born. Last year, juggling a toddler and a baby, I couldn’t justify nor arrange to get to ProBlogger. Perhaps 2018 will be different. I’d also like to attend a lot more networking and blogging events in general this year.

Personally

• Go to the doctor. Go to the dentist. Go to the optometrist. Boom.
• Start making sour dough bread like I always say I will every January when I make New Years resolutions. Perhaps attend a local course at Simply Sourdough or Real Bread by George.
• Cook different meals for my family that are outside my comfort zone. As I’m sure lots of busy mums and wives do, I get in a culinary creative rut always churning out the same-old same-old. This year I’d like to make a concerted effort to cook with more variety, challenge myself and experiment more. Fall in love with cooking again, rather than seeing it as a nightly chore. So far, so good.
• Actually take care of my skin. At all. After four years of either being pregnant or breastfeeding, my skin is battle worn and crying out for help. I should listen to it. Let the healing begin.
• Go on monthly date nights. Or not even date nights, even dinner with our friends sans-children would be novel. I think the last movie I went to I was pregnant with Eleanor in 2014. We are actually achieving that this weekend (dinner with friends, that is). And with my 15 year old niece only a stone’s throw away to babysit, and the girls at an age where they go to bed reasonably well (i.e. Harriet isn’t breastfed anymore), we need to prioritise this – stat! And by ‘monthly’…we’ve already missed January.
• Attend Tamsin’s Table. I’ve wanted to go for the longest of long times, and for whatever reason never have. That I am making a priority this year.
• Sew an item for the girls a month. Well, January has already failed…so I’m envisaging making 12 full outfits in December at this rate! But: no pressure. I am hopeful to get there…but realistic also.

All achievable…right? Right?! Please tell me I am not completely deluded and that at least some of these tasks/dreams/hopes/aspirations can turn into real life tangible achievements. I am going to do my darnedest to try – just watch me!

What have you got up your sleeves for 2018?
Are you a chronic list writer and then under-deliverer?
Set goals, be determined, have bravery, say yes, say no, be realistic in your expectations. Nobody likes a crazy woman running around like a headless chook trying to achieve the unattainable. And nobody likes an over achiever either – ha! I think they call it balance?!
Have a fabulous 2018 – I’ll see you back here to re-visit this post in December to see how we went…