May 2018

This month I tackle what is quickly becoming a digital landfill -- my photos.

Next month both of my kids graduate, one from grade school and one from middle school. This seems like the perfect time to spend some time on memory lane and organize some of the great photos from the last 13 years! They sure have changed a lot.

April 2018 Results

I would love to say that my attic is now as clean as the day I moved into the house, but no one would believe me. However, I did make progress and took a ton of stuff to Goodwill:

• 8 black garbage bags of clothes (mostly kids)
• 2 LARGE bags of stuffed animals...don't worry, there are plenty more in the house
• 6 boxes of kids toys

I also called around and found out a veterans organization that will pick up from the house. This will be phase 2.

March 2018 -- Result

This month is the very reason why I like this challenge...I only needed to make progress.

The project I made is that I now have a plan, and a couple of contractors to call about some new closets.  No pictures, just a plan.

April 2018

Yay! This month I get to tackle my attic.  We have lived in this house for 11 years, but my attic looks more like we have lived in the house for 111 years!  I don' t know how this happened.

My goal this month is just to make progress.  Do I really need my calculus and chemistry textbooks from college? Probably not.  Wish me luck, I will need it.

March 2018

First, happy birthday to those whose birthday is today. You know who you are!

Next, This is the best challenge ever!  I made progress. In fact, I finished my February challenge.

Knowing that there was only one thing on my list last month helped me focus and not feel guilty or torn that I was neglecting other things.  Of course, I’m not sure what I am going to do with the cross-stitch, but that was not on the list, so maybe forward progress in 2019.

March will be more challenging as I cannot both sit by the fireplace and organize my linen closet. However, it may necessitate a trip to one of my favorite stores...the container store.

Here is where I am starting. This is a month where I will be happy to just make some progress. Even a plan of what I am going to do would be better than shoving in more stuff and hoping it doesn’t fall out. Not the best organization method.

February 2018

February 4, 2018

Super Bowl LII and I am cheering for the Patriots.  I would hate to think that the Patriots are short a fan this year, so I am trying to do my part in honor of mom.  (Also, I could care less, so I might as well think about mom tonight).

Ok, Now that Urban Quilter has selected #8 as our first forward progress challenge, I guess I better get started.

Number 8 is my cross-stitch initial.  I have not gotten very far yet, but this is about forward progress...so there is still hope.  Here is where I am now:

Why, you might ask, is my picture sideways.  The answer is that this is my second blog post ever, and I have no idea why it is sideways, when my photo is not sideways on my computer.  I did not put "learn how to blog" on my forward progress list, so it will have to wait until 2019.  

I am off to cross stitch now.  Happy Super Bowl Sunday.

2018 Forward Progress

2018 Forward Progress Challenge

Moving outside my comfort zone here, I am joining my sister's forward progress challenge this year!

Here it is, my first-ever forward progress project list

1. / 7. Mitered-Square Afghan: I found some very pretty variegated yarn for my first attempt to make a pieced afghan. I just started this in the last couple of weeks, and my goal is to have it complete by Christmas 2018.
2. /8. Cross Stitch Initial: Another first, my first cross stitch project since I was a kid! My sister put together a cross stitch kit for me (and one for each of my kids). We are going to all be cross stitch masters by the end of 2018.
3. /9. Christmas/Hanukkah Quilt: I am embarrassed to say that I have had this holiday quilt "kit" for at least a decade.  My sister picked everything out, wrote out all the directions, and packaged it up in what seems the equivalent of a paint-by-numbers for beginning quilters, and yet I still have not started.
4. /10. Linen Closet Redesign: While not nearly as fun as the crafting projects, I need the additional motivation to get my linen closet cleaned up, organized, and install a door.  It used to have a door, but I took it off for my cat, who at the time was quite old and needed easy access to her facilities!
5. /11. Photo Albums: When I first had my daughter, I was good about printing out photos, making albums, framing cute pictures, and generally sharing the photos.  Two years later my son came along, who was equally photogenic and adorable, but suddenly I had a lot less time to organize their photos.  Well, they are now 11 and 13 and I am running out of excuses.  Time to cull the digital disaster and document the memories!
6. /12. Attic Purge: Again, not a creative endeavor, but one that is sorely needed.  There is a lot to do and even if all I do is make forward progress I will be happy.  There are a lot of things ready for donation (the baby clothes from the aforementioned teen and preteen) along with really valuable things like textbooks from college for technologies that are now ancient, and glorious bins of yarn that may become Forward Progress 2019 projects!

You may be wondering why there are only six projects on my list, but anyone who knows me will be surprised that I managed to make the posting deadline at all!  If I can make progress on all six things on my list this year I will be very happy!