My 2012 Project

I know we are a week into 2012 already, but I have finally decided on my 2012 project. I had a few ideas floating around in my head, but in the end I decided to join my blogging friends, the J Sisters, in their 30 before 30 lists. Now, I know I already turned 30, but apparently that is not a problem since many participants have adapted their lists to be 30 before 32, 30 before 30 something and even 30 before crazy :) So just like age is just a number....the 30 list items are just that too...a number of things I want to accomplish in the next year!

As I sat down to come up with my list I was reminded of a similar list I found last year in an old journal of mine....it was a list of things I had written at the age of 12 that I hoped to accomplish by the time I was "old...like 30".Yep...it actually said that. I guess 30 seems a lot older than it is at the age of 12! The list consisted of things like.... be famous, marry a rich man, have 3-5 children, have a large house, beautiful wardrobe, and a vacation home on a private island. I think this was more of a fantasy list than a realistic expectation of where I thought I would be at 30, so I definitely won't be using any of those list items! 

Then, when I was 25 I had a bit of a quarter-life crisis and ended up writing a bucket list of things I wanted to do in my lifetime. That list was not only less shallow and more meaningful than the list made by my 12 year old self (I guess I matured a bit in 13 years...thank goodness), but also more attainable. That list has 95 items and I have checked off 45. Not bad.... but that means there are still 50 things left, so I borrowed a few from that list and combined it with more specific ones to where my life is now to create my 2012 list. There is also a bit of a theme for the list I came up with....life, love and baby!! Yep...one of my big list items (both from the 12 year old version and the one I made at 25) involved having children....and we are thrilled to be expecting our first baby in June 2012. So, that is kind of a big change in our lives that has shaped my list for sure!!! Since baby is coming right in the middle of the year, I decided to divide the list into pre-baby and after baby. I love the idea of using the list as a reminder of what I want out of life, to help me focus on what I find important and to do what I enjoy.....both as a part of a family of 2 and as a family of 3.

After all that is what my One Life to Love project is all about!

So that was my extremely long-winded explanation of how I came up with my list of 

30 things to accomplish while I am 30 (I turn 31 in December) 

and of course I will be blogging all about it along the way! 

The List

Before baby:

1. Host a dinner party 

2. Purge and organize storage room and dreaded office/filing nightmare corner

3. Whistler Weekend getaway with the hubby

4. Read 5 books

5. Do a belly photo shoot

6. Get a new car

7. Visit one of the Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives recommended restaurants in Vancouver

8. Outfit the house for baby for under $5000 

(do lots of crafting, DIY, borrowing, craigslist and second-hand store hunting)

9. Finish the craft projects I started or bought materials for and never got around to 

a) make a maxi skirt

b) Vancouver Photo Wall Art project

c) crocheted blanket for baby

10. Continue craft and Bachelor Mondays with Jill and Corinne

11. Seattle Shopping Weekend Getaway

12. Decorate the Baby corner (since we have a 1 bedroom apartment, baby gets a corner)

13. Take a prenatal yoga class

14. Go to the Museum of Anthropology (Ty won free passes at his Holiday Party)

15. Movie Date with hubby 

After baby:

16. Blog at least twice a month

17. Learn more about photography and take lots of photos

18. Go to a FreshAirCinemas outdoor movie

19. Do a Family Camping Trip

20. Take Family trip to Ontario to visit extended family

21. Family snowshoe adventure

22. Try and stick to doing family date night once a month 

(take advantage of free and cheap activities in Vancouver)

23. Bowen Island picnic and hike

24. Do the 12 Dates of Christmas in December (idea from the Rockstar Diaries blog)

25. Cut down our own Christmas tree

26. Buy a condo (hopefully)

27. Have a beach BBQ

28. Start and continue exercise program to lose baby weight

29. Host a waffle brunch party

30. Learn how to make baby food

Now that you have seen my list..... who wants to join me? You can make a list too and send it to onelifetoloveproject@yahoo.ca so I pass it on to the J Project Girls. 

Then we can track each others progress and create a community of support and encouragement to check off those list items!!

Good luck and Happy List Making!

♥ Lindsay