As I started thinking about my 2011 year in review, I thought I’d revisit my 2010 year in review post. I loved reading over my thoughts and seeing that I’ve ended my year much in line with where I started the year. Which is funny because this year has not only been the longest year of my life but also the most life changing. Longest year because 2011 was basically divided into three distinctly different parts—the first third pre-baby, the second quarter on maternity leave with a new baby, and the third halfish when I returned to work as a new working mom. And I don’t think I need to explain why this year was the most life changing.
I didn’t make any real goals for 2011, but there are a few things in my 2010 post that caught my eye. I mentioned, “I just want to live a full life and not be bogged down by this, that, or the other. Life's too short and moves entirely too quickly.” There will never be enough time to do everything I want to do. I always wish I did this or that or the other, but this year I’ve been able to let go of some of the stress and anxiety of not fitting it all in. And not only have I slowed down and allowed myself to not worry about things as much, but in the process I was able to focus on many different interests and hobbies.
I love reading. I really do. I love reading and thinking and talking about books, but when that’s all that I focus on, I feel unbalanced. As I said last year, “Since blogging I've been so caught up in how many books I've read, how many I need to read to fulfill challenges, how many books I haven't read yet that I want to, how many I'm acquiring, numbersnumbersnumbers, Ineedtoneedtoneedto.” I will always love books and I will always be passionate about them, but that’s not all I want to be passionate about. When someone asks me my hobbies, I don’t want to have to think really hard and only be able to come up with, “Well, I like to read a lot.”
Although I didn’t set any real resolutions for 2011 (not a big fan of “resolutions”), I did write down a few things that I wanted to accomplish this year:
- finish a quilt for Scott and make one for the baby
- read 24 books next year (2 a month)
- cook one new recipe every month
- continue learning more about photography
- exercise regularly (which might only mean 3 times a week)
- spend more face time with family and friends
- finally blog about that trip to Europe
- mostly, I just want to live a full life
For 2012 I’m going to try to take a similarly relaxed approach. For someone as incredibly high strung as I am, relaxing is sometimes really tough, but Frankie says to Relax!
So, the things I’d like to do in 2012:
- Finish that damn quilt for Scott. The front and back are done—just need to quilt and then bind but I’d like to free-motion quilt it and I don’t know how. Am going to try to take a class on FMQ sometime in January
- Finish my Christmas Quilt from my Virtual Christmas Bee. Before next Christmas. Preferably before Thanksgiving
- Maybe another quilting project. A handful of bloggers have mentioned interest in a quiltalong but I don’t know about the logistics. Anyone want to help plan this with me?!
- Read/listen to 24 books
- Read The Stand by Stephen King. For funsies.
- Use My Kitchen Appliances/Gadgets!! I have so many cool things in my kitchen that I never use. Fondue maker? Shake maker? Ice cream machine? Going to make this a personal challenge
- Make one dessert (from scratch) a month
- Twelve new recipes (also keep up with my recipe scrapbook)
- Make something I pinned on Pinterest
- Run a 5K race
- Attend four cultural events with Scott. This could be anything, really. Basically get out and do things (besides run errands)
- Continue to work on my photography. Trying to figure out a way to make this a quantifiable goal but don’t have any ideas--any suggestions? Photo a day doesn’t work for me.
- Continue to write (i.e. blog) about all types of topics. I’d really like to write about motherhood related stuff. And try to get back to writing more about the books I finish.
Wow. That list looks long. I’d also like to try to find a face to face book club but am drawing blanks on where. My library doesn’t have anything and my local indie bookstore has a group that reads books I’m not terribly interested in. Despite my outgoingness here, I’m not terribly outgoing in person in real life. I need to work on this but am really selfish with my “free” time.
So, I didn’t mean for this post to turn into the mother of all posts, but I’m really excited for 2012.
What are you excited for in 2012?
I'm hoping to be way more relaxed about my reading this year too! Good goals :)
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! Good luck with your goals! It has been fun talking with you this year, Trish. I feel like we always circled around each other before so it was nice to 'talk' this year!
ReplyDeleteA well-rounded list of goals is the best kind, imo. I love that you're including so many things. I love the feeling of a round, multi-faceted blog. :) It means the blogger him/herself is round and multi-faceted. :D
ReplyDeleteI love love love your list of things you're hoping to do this year, Trish!!! It's such a well-rounded list, you know. And it sounds like a personally fulfilling one. I hope you find this year brings you great joy and contentment, whether you finish your entire list or not!!! Happy 2012, my dear!!!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you have some fabulous goals! I have a feeling 2012 will be your best year yet!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! Looks like a great list for 2012!
ReplyDeleteGreat list of goals! :)
ReplyDeleteI really want to learn how to sew, so that I can quilt in the future. I've always wanted to learn how, so maybe this year will be it for me! :)
Happy New Year! Great list of goals. I did a Couch-to-5K program at the Y and it was a great motivator. I never could imagine running before I did it.
ReplyDeleteLove your list for 2012! Happy new year!
ReplyDeletePhotography: don't try a photo a day. Instead just keep your camera with you always and get over hesitating to take it out when you see something that catches your eye. Take a lot of whatever that was. Cropping is your friend. Trust your eye so photos become reflect your own vision. It's an ongoing, lifelong process.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have some really fun goals.
Trish: Last year I did the one dessert a month thing too (trying to find a "signature" dessert, ha, that I could bring places when people asked.) I hope you have better skills than me! I have enjoyed your blog and tweets and our conversations this year.
ReplyDelete@kellysimmons
Those are great goals. Here we are on the first of the year and I haven't even looked back at last years goals, let alone thought up new goals! I might be in for your quilt along. Are you thinking of hosting it?
ReplyDelete*Stacybuckeye - I still wish I could fit reading in more often but I like not being so stressed with how much I'm reading!
ReplyDelete*Kailana - I've known you through blogging for a while but I feel like this is the year we really connected. ;)
*Amanda - I agree Amanda and I've loved seeing some of my favorite bloggers moving in that direction as well. When all I was doing was reading, I felt really flat.
*Debi - Thank you Debi--I have a feeling this year will be a wonderful one. Hope it's happy for you as well. :)
*Bermudaonion - Thanks Kathy--hoping that 2012 is the best for you as well!
*Laura - Happy new year!!
*Allie - I admit that the only sewing I know how to do is basic straightline sewing for quilting. No clothing or anything fancy. It's actually not as hard as it looks...just takes patience!
*Chrisbookarama - I ran before I had the baby but sadly haven't been working out very much since then. Need to get back at it. Will look into Couch-to-5K!
*Belle Wong - Thanks for coming by. ;)
*Beth F - Thanks for the photog tips. I definitely need to keep my camera on me more often! I love the pictures that you take.
*Kelly - I love baking but don't like the clean up. Ha! Thanks for coming by Kelly--I enjoyed getting to know you a bit better this year as well.
*Lisa - Well...I was hoping that I could talk Wendy from Caribousmom into hosting a quiltalong but I think I'm just being pesty. Ha!! I'd be ok hosting--just not really sure how to go around starting!
Happy New Year, Trish! I look forward to another blogging year, and like you, I want to be much more creative in 2012 and not solely post on reading or books, even though that will always be the foundation for my blog. I want to focus more on scrapbooking and journaling, and also photography, but I also want to document more in a "local newspaperish" type of way the things going on about town, which I created into a weekly feature in December. I wasn't planning on extending it into the new year, but I think I might, even though it barely has many participants (if any at all!), simply because it is fun for me. Which is really the whole goal of blogging! :) I can't wait to read your posts in 2012!
ReplyDeleteI think it's so funny to hear that you are not that outgoing in real life because neither am I! People seem surprised when I tell them I am a rather internal, solitary kind of person in real life.
ReplyDeleteI think you've come up with a great list of goals!
Trish, you goals or rather plans seem totally realistic. Give that cutie some New Year's Hugs.
ReplyDeleteHope 2012 is a wonderful year for you.
I don't want to be known as just a book blogger either, but lately that's what I've been writing about: need to work on that. As for you, it's looked like you've lived a full life last year and will live an even fuller life this year, at least, here's hoping.
ReplyDeleteI also want to start or join a face to face book club but am not sure how to do it, LOL
ReplyDeleteYou've had a lot of important things happen this year. I do recall those years with small children and juggling career and family.
ReplyDeleteI read more now, but I did enjoy those years, too.
Good luck with your goals...and thanks for visiting my blog.
Happy New Year Trish! I love your relaxed approach :) And I can't wait for you to try FMQ...you are going to love it!!! The first part of my year looks a little crazy, but I might be interested in helping you with a quiltalong. Let's let the "dust" settle from the holidays and then talk some more, okay?
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! I hope you accomplish everything.
ReplyDelete*Natalie - I'm so thrilled to see other book bloggers branching out to other areas of interest. Of course books are what brought us all together, but there's so much more! (dang that Pinterest...). I noticed your Virginia Beach feature--will look into it more!
ReplyDelete*Trisha - It's part of the reason why I'm a bit reluctant to meet other bloggers--I hate small talk so sometimes silences are awkward. ;) But I think a lot of us are the same way.
*Diane - LOL! I think my only true goal is to be realistic! And maybe relax a bit. ;) Happy new year to you!
*Unfinished - It's easy to fall back on the topics that we know...books. In my case I'd actually like to write about them more! Just can't seem to get started.
*Jenny - I've even looked on Craigslist for a book club! (Softdrink's suggestion). Unfortunately my library has a great group but they meet during the day. :(
*Laurel-Rain Snow - LOL! It's tough to juggle it all. Happy new year!
*Wendy - I'm really looking forward to going to the FMQ class--hopefully it will ease my fears a bit. ;) And I promise not to pester you about the quiltalong. Ha!
*Vasilly - Hope you have a wonderful 2012!!
I'm hoping to accomplish some other projects in the new year as well. I really want to work on a scrapbook among other things. And actually printing off some of the photos I take would be nice. I hope that you have a wonderful new year Trish!!
ReplyDelete2011 was certainly an eventful year for you! Wishing all the best for you and your family in 2012!
ReplyDeleteI hear you on the issue of free time. But I don't think it's selfish to want to spend it doing things that are important to you. I just quit my book club because they choose books that I've already read...and they meet on Wednesday nights. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! May you fill your time with things that make you happy!
You have some great goals there. My big goal for this year is going not take everything so personally and try to make an effort to actually not annoy my mom and to really try and not act out. I also want to comment more on people's blogs, hopefully with something substantive.
ReplyDeleteSee part of the reason is that I have Asperger's and when things go awry, even slightly, I don't act well. So basically I am going to act more my age (I am turning 32 in later this month).
In terms of reading, I want to read Les Miserables. This has been on my TBR list since I was about 13 years old, when I managed to finish about half of the book (I think I just read it for a number of days straight and for some reason I stopped and never quite got back into the book). I also want to read a number of Shakespeare plays this coming year.
Hope to chat with you during the course of the year.
I love your laid-back approach to goals. I'm pretty high-strung too, and I find it puts to much pressure to list very specific goals because I beat myself up if I don't finish. I have some kind of loose ones that I'm working toward.
ReplyDeleteI love your recipe scrapbook. I remember seeing the post on it and being super busy so I didn't comment. I'll have to make one this year. I have a box of random recipes that I have to dig through every time I want to make something. Not very efficient, so I might steal your idea. :)
All the best to you and your family, Trish! Have a great 2012!
We can be of the same mind sometimes Trish. Although your list is long, I think it's totally attainable. The exercising 3 days a week is something you must do, but it will take time from other things. But once you start you'll never want to stop.
ReplyDeleteOur blogs are about so much more than books. We are not one dimensional people. Photography is interesting and I hope it brings you joy and scratches your creative itch. As for quilting, while I love the finish products, I can't imagine sitting there sewing, hence I do knitting. Which the same thing could be said for that. I think organizing an on line bee would help you finish or start projects. The bee could centered around that.
As for not being outgoing in real life, I am the same. I am friendly, willing to try anything, and pretty much go anywhere. However, there is nothing I enjoy more than staying at home with my hubby. Watching something on TV or doing our own things, being homebodies are perfectly acceptable. My two closest friends are the same. We just love sacking out at home.
Here's to a wonderful, exciting, and adventurous 2012 :)
What am I excited about in 2012? Getting to see the cool things YOU will do! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year 2012 to you!!
ReplyDeleteI can imagine your 2011 felt like a whirlwind ;). Life changing indeed. But so worth it!
Letting go is so important! And so liberating!
It will be in my 'new year blog entry' as well (still in draft but to follow soon ;).
I agree with you about the challenges. I tend to feel pressured by the numbersnumbersnumbers too. I always read less than anyone else because I have so many other interests in life. So I gave up on that and just read when I want to. And do other things when I feel like it as well. It feels so good to read that you feel the same way ;)
Wow, quilting. That sounds so cool. I love quilts but I guess I will never get there to make one myself lol. I will have a look at the one you made for Elle later (curious!)
Haha! I was smiling a big smile when reading "for someone as incredibly high strung as I am, relaxing is sometimes really tough". It's hard for me at times as well.
I like the excitement in your post!!
I bookmarked your blog now, will come back to you :)
I wish I could quilt...there's nothing I like more than to snuggle under one...there's just something homey and safe about them. I have many and some are precious bc of the women who made them for me. Maybe one day...
ReplyDelete:)
Good luck with your goals! Happy new year!!
ReplyDeleteMay 2012 bring you much happiness and health!
ReplyDeleteI think well-rounded is definitely the way to go. And ha ha, I also have too many kitchen gadgets that I want to use more! :-) Happy New Year, Trish!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Trish!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping to read more books this year and of course, spending more face time with my family!
You certainly did have a big year! So much has changed, hasn't it?
ReplyDeleteI may have signed up for a bunch of challenges this year, but I have a come what may attitude about them. I just want to have fun with them.
Good luck in the coming year and reaching your goals, Trish!
you have so much to enjoy at this time in your life, particularly Elle. Don't worry about a face to face group, on the net you can not like the books and just hop over and read with someone else. I think you do marvelously, a new mom, cooking and working, and quilting, and reading. BRAVO Have a Wonderful New Year, I know you will.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 2011 accomplishments. Very well done. Steph has been enjoying your crafty posts. I let her know when you do a recipe or post a quilt so she can check it out. She liked the recipe scrapbook.
ReplyDeleteI too plan on reading The Stand this year. I've been meaning to forever and I've finally decided this is the year. My mother-in-law has read it and I still haven't. That challenge needs to be accepted.
Looking forward to 2012.
Pax
*JoAnn - I hope that you have a wonderful and relaxing 2012!
ReplyDelete*Softdrink - For sanity's sake I think one needs to be a little selfish at least some of the time! Lest we all turn into robots. ;) Bummer at the F2F club. I'm trying to restart my work book club even though everyone started flaking out and not reading the books on time (or at all). Ah well.
*Melissa - Thank you for your open comment. I didn't know that you had Asperger's but I'm sure it's been a struggle. I hope that you're able to find some inner balance this year and a bit of peace. :) As for Les Miserables, I read it in 2010 and absolutely loved it. It did take me about 5 months, but it was well worth it. I hope you enjoy it this year! Best wishes to you.
*Kristi - I know what you mean about beating yourself up for not acheiving goals--I feel like these goals are specific enough to acheive but also flexible enough and easy enough to be within reach. And yes, definitely make the recipe scrapbook. We've made several of the recipes and found some new favorites. Much easier when everything is pretty before your eyes. :)
*Jenny Girl - You make a lot of great points in your comment and I apprecite your ability to relate. Sometimes I feel bad for being a homebody and I do enjoy the company of other people, but I'm most natural around family. Sometimes I succeed at projecting my bubbly personality in person, but normally when I'm very comfortable. Always been a struggle! Anyway... Yes, I know about the exercise. I've always tried to exercise regularly and KNOW that I need to get moving at least three times a week. Need to let go of those "excuses"--mostly the lack of time. What I need to do is crawl out of bed early and get the workout done first thing, but getting started is always the hard part, huh? Would be nice to have all my old clothes fit, though! Whew--sorry for the long response. ;)
*Care - I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be a rock-tastic year!
*One Experience/Cessie - Thank you so much for your wonderful comment! I'm always a bit nervous when I make mention that there are so many other things in life besides reading since most of my blog readers are book bloggers, but I think it's important to remember. We can get so caught up in everything and forget the rest. Don't want to do that! And you should try quilting one day--it isn't as hard as it looks. Happy new year. :)
*Peppermint PhD - I feel like I've been saying this a lot lately, but quilting really isn't terribly difficult. Just takes time and patience (both of which I often run short one these days). ;) But sewing makes for great audiobook time!!
ReplyDelete*Anna - I hope you have a wonderful new year, too!
*Joy - A very merry and happy new year to you as well!
*Joanna - I've thought about opening the kitchen gadget thing up for a relaxed challenge but not sure how many takers there'd be. But yes--why have all that stuff if not going to use it. Sheesh! ;)
*Melody - I hope you have a very happy new year as well! And good luck with your goals--they're simple but perfect.
*Lit Feline - It has been quite the year--sometimes it's unbelievable the amount of change. I know that 2012 will be a great one. ;) Enjoy the challenges Wendy--there are several that caught my eye but...!
*Irene - I know there are upsides and downsides to the face to face clubs but I need more in person interaction. Ha! ;) I hope that you have a wonderful new year as well!!
*Pax - Ha!! I'm glad that Steph is enjoying the crafty side of things. Is she a recipe-teareroutter as well? ;) Hopefully The Stand doesn't suck. Ha! Have heard good things about it! I hope that 2012 is a fantastic year for you and your family as well!
Once you discover the wonderfulness of your ice cream maker (I am assuming it is elecrtic!), you will never go back. It is so easy & so yummy! I love ours.
ReplyDeleteGOOD FOR YOU for writing down your goals and even publishing them! What better motivator than public accountability? :)
ReplyDeleteI think for photography, you could start doing photo projects based on the things you enjoy photographing. They could be actual things like sunsets or the wrinkles in Elle's thighs, writsts, etc. (smile), or also themed projects like shades of blue or happiness.
You can pull photos you've already taken into these projects as starting points, and add as you go. And for heaven's sake edit them! It's true that cropping can be your friend, and sometimes so are slightly adjusting highlights and shadows, saturation etc. You can buy Adobe Light Room or you can probably download something for free online. Editing can really turn an awesome photo into outstanding.
So that's my photo advice, since I don't give much good book advice: organizing them and putting themes to them. It will bring a better sense of accomplishment because it's like finishing a shoot for a gallery :)
Now, for me to take my own advice!
Love you, xoxox
Steph doesn't tear our recipes, she gets them from Food Network and the Cooking Channel. She'll download them from the websites, print them off and she's built a binder of her collected recipes. It isn't scrapbooked, they are kept in sleeve protectors and divided into food categories.
ReplyDelete*Elise - I have used the ice cream maker once or twice but wasn't terribly thrilled with the recipes. If you have any recipes for ice cream I'd love to hear! Michelle keeps teasing me with her Root Beer ice cream recipe. ;)
ReplyDelete*Kim - Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment sister. :) And I know I need to look into editing more. We've been talking about it a lot in my photography club at work and I'm thinking about taking my pictures in RAW. They've told me that I can do so much just from RAW without even having to use an editing platform. Might also look into Light Room or Elements as well. Though every time I talk about photo editing software, Scott says we need to get an Apple. Ha! But I'd love to edit all our travel pictures and give Scott a book as a gift.
*Pax - Hmmm--Steph's book sounds an awful lot like mine. :P The only difference might be I stuck mine on bright colored paper and matted it to black paper. Makes it look pretty but wasn't very much work. ? Definitely not terribly creative! ;)
I think that's a great list of goals. I'm thinking about reading The Stand this year too. I haven't read many of his books and everyone says that one is great.
ReplyDeleteOne of my goals for this year has got to be "more timely blog comments". ;) I also need to work on the well-rounded thing this year. I'm definitely going to take more time for photography and maybe I'll learn to use my sewing machine! We are definitely going to travel this year. The kid is voting for Hawaii. And my overall goal is to get my house organized. I started getting rid of things last year and it was awesome. I want to do more of that.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to follow all of your progress this year!
*Melissa - I've heard great things about The Stand as well. Have thought about proposing a readalong but would hate to flake out. :-/
ReplyDelete*Kristen M. - LOL! I'm terrible at timely comments as well--basically it just takes time and time isn't always there! ;) You've got some great goals for this year. We're planning on heading to Maui this summer--sounds like the kid and I are on the same wavelength. Ha!
Trish- I am emailing you the rootbeer ice cream recipe right now. It is the perfect treat!
ReplyDeleteGreat post and I'm right there with Kristen ("more timely blog comments"). Let's see...
ReplyDeleteRead The Stand by Stephen King. For funsies. One of the best books ever. Long, but great. Maybe audio is the way to go?
Make something I pinned on Pinterest Is that what we're suppose to do?! ;)
Run a 5K race I can't run anymore (bad knees), but I want to bike 100 miles in a day. Then I'll really have bad knees! ;)
Continue to work on my photography. Trying to figure out a way to make this a quantifiable goal but don’t have any ideas--any suggestions? Photo a day doesn’t work for me. Have you looked into Aminus3? I used to post a photo there every day and the feedback was fabulous. I wish I had more time for my photography. One of these days, I'll get back into it. I should probably work on organizing my online photo files first. Ha!
Happy New Year, 17 days late!