Every year I set a bunch of goals, many of which I won't really reach, but I like taking the opportunity to reset the vision every year. So these are mine for 2018- do you have any goals this year?

1. Four Pieces of Plastic Per Grocery Trip

Going completely plastic-free is so tough (like biggest fight of 2017 tough) but I have found that moderating with SPECIFICS makes it feel less oppressive and more like a ga,e. We are already pretty aware of this issue in our house, but we still can't resist blueberries or remember our container for deli-meats. This year, I want this to be a fun challenge where we use less plastic without going crazy. Want to join us? Go on a regular shopping trip and count how much packaging you use, cut it in half, and go for it!

2. Learn to Sew (For Real this Time) 

This year, I noticed one of our biggest sources of waste is clothing, so I really do want to learn how to start patching things to make them last longer.

3. Read More Books and Less Facebook. 

Like most people out there, I could use another 10 hours per day. Think how many more bossy blogs I could write AND actually get healthy amounts of sleep! Since getting more time is not really a thing, I have been trying to figure out where I am not really doing anything useful with the time I have. Surprise! That wasted time is on Facebook. I do get sucked right into the Facebook vortex, so I want to visit twice a day, morning and evening, instead of popping over whenever I draw a blank or get on the computer. On the same token, I would like to read more substantive materials. I miss books, but I never seem to have time for them. I would like to feel like my brain isn't constantly at the brink of atrophe.

Every year, I set goals like most everyone else on this day or near it. I have a blog, so I get to reflect semi-publicly about my success and not so much successes. Resolutions get a bad reputation, but we can only do more good if we are trying to, so I really like them. That being said, let's see how 2017 went. I mean, we all know 2017 was mostly terrible. But let's see how the goals went.



1. Learn to Sew- Nope! Didn't get there at all, and I am still wearing leggings that essentially look like assless chaps. The longer I spend as a mother, the more I look like Christina Aguilara in the "Dirty" video, and not in a good way. This one is making the list again for 2018, because I know I can do it.


2.  Take Better Pictures- Eh, yes and no. I think I have Lightroom and Pic Monkey mostly figured out, so I know that the pictures on this blog are improving. Someday, this thing is going to look professionalish! That being said, I know this is one I would still like to keep working on, because I would like more effective shooting.

3. Use Even Less Fossil Fuels- Yes! I think we are to the point where we are filling up our cars less than once a month. We also are getting really good at buying everything locally or secondhand, so our stuff is using less fossil fuels as well. I walk a LOT. We do most of our basic shopping on foot during the week. I am nervous this won't be the case in 2018, because the baby will get too big to carry and the Bub is potty training, but in general, I hope we can keep up the momentum.

4. Grow Teal Tuesdays- No, I really let this one fall apart. Our September turned out to be a bit of a mess and honestly all of our holidays and special events were not the best this year. Definite goal for next year.



5. Embrace Meatless Mondays- Yes! I wouldn't say we are scheduled enough to really do it on Mondays, but I would guess at least 2 of the dinners we plan every week don't have a protein. And we have been serving the same amount of meat we always did, but now it is across four people, so our servings are getting smaller too (this really helps). This one turns out to be pretty easy as you find more and more recipes you like. I even tried and like mushrooms now!



6. Throw an Awesome 30th Birthday Party- A party was thrown with lots of Harry Potterness! Super fun to do these crafty parties with my mother-in-law, and now we have lots of cute Harry Potter stuff in our house. In 2018, we will be going smaller.



7. Finish this Table- Done! Thank goodness for paternity leave, because we got a lot of things off that darn to do list. Super proud of our table, which we got for no money and we will keep forever. Even if it did take us YEARS to complete that project. Next year's big project? Bookshelves!

8. Be a Better Responder- Eh, some? I try, I really do, but this will probably be a thing I work on forever. Sorry friends, I really do love you.

9. The Great Donate 2017- I didn't make it to 2,017 things, but I still think this project was a complete success. I will write more about it later (maybe later today? Hard to know) but I feel like gifting and donating was a totally encouraging, life-giving, and house-cleaning goal this year, so maybe you will join me next year?

10. Fight for my Own Optimism- Oy, it's been a rough year. If you care about the environment, it has been a rough year. If you care about other human beings, it has been a rough year. If you have two tiny children and nearly no time for self-care or life-care or just holding it together, it has been a rough year.

But I am still going. And I am rallying within myself, because I truly believe that 2018 is a crossroads for our country, our world, and our environment, so I know I don't have the privilege of wallowing or feeling down long. And just being able to have that rally, knowing so much more about the world and my own blindspots now, feels like a new optimism. I am more involved than I have ever been, and that feels like optimism. The fact that I still write this blog, and that I am hopeful people can change their mind, see the problem, and choose to care feels like optimism .I feel  like anyone who is still fighting after this year drained everything is practicing a new kind of optimism. Look out 2018, because I have never come at anything harder.

Ok, so, 2018 was a bit of a mixed bag, but I am grateful to have survived this stinker year. How did you do at your goals in 2017?

1. Get Better at Small Talk- Eh, is a total embrace of my awkwardness considered a success? Alas,  my banter is still sub par, but I do have a lot more people around that I really really like, so hopefully that tones that down a little. But, I think I have just accepted it and try to push through on a daily basis.The other thing is that toddlers give you about 10 seconds to talk before you have to chase them down, so even if I am awkward, being constantly distracted is way worse.

On the other hand, one of my favorite things about this year was that we really have some great friendships now with other parents, so I feel like I have a pack of friends and I am not always trying to make small talk with people who don't know us all that well. Small talk is easier now because I just keep meeting people that I really like, and the more I know them, the more I am glad that I know them. Definitely one of the biggest blessings of this year and of our life in this city. Makes Seattle feel more like home and less like a place where we should be small talking, schmoozing, and networking.

2. Music Playlists Every Month- Nope! Total fail. But I do know lots of Daniel Tiger songs? Does anyone have a music service they love? Because I hate them all.

3. Step up the Blog- Done! Still a lot of space to get better, and I am definitely open to suggestions, but I do think I am figuring out how to say what I want to say and how to improve the aesthetic around that. Looking to make more big improvements in 2017, but I do think I am figuring out how to make this useful to a broader audience, which s really my goal.


4. Leap into my 30's with Style- Does a video game themed birthday party and a brush with baby respiratory viruses count? So far, I like being 30, and I definitely feel as confident in my life and choices as I ever have. That feels good. Finding a schtick that is all mine, but I think I am accepting that I may never have the polish needed for real style.










5. Have More Small Adventures- We definitely had a good year for this, even though I turned out to be a prego most of the time We took a pretty spontaneous trip to San Francisco, we took a ferry trip, we drove to a random town festival outside of Seattle. It's another area where I think we (thankfully) have so many adventures ahead of us, but I feel like we really made the most of our weekends and I spent nearly no days at home completely alone this year. I know I have more and more kid baggage, but I am hoping to continue this momentum.



6. Keep Greening that Thumb- Done! Tons of tomatoes, berries, green onions, and herbs. One pepper. Just one. We still have lots to learn, but the garden was my favorite part of this summer. It was fun to learn something new, and I like watching The Boy inspect his garden every morning.

7. Only Buy All-American or Used Clothing- Yes! Well, almost. I bought one bridesmaid dress and one pair of shoes for that wedding that weren't (I bought a Show me Your Mumu dress  first, but it couldn't contain all my post-prego curviness). Otherwise, I bought one pair of fair trade shoes and all made in America clothes and used maternity clothes. I also just bought a lot less and am trying to actually use up what I have. All used or made in America for our kids(minus parts of their wedding outfits) too. If I can do it, so can you!

8. Make More and Read More- Back to teaching art classes, thank goodness, so life is all about making again. I feel a lot more like myself. Plus, toddler-making is super fun so it happens often. I want to improve my photography, because right now I just shoot like mad, but I am happy to be thinking about it again.

9. Get More Sleep- Oh yeah! A switch in jobs and a kickass babysitter have given me time for self-care (writing this blog), writing good curriculum for my job, and pursuing things I care about. And even with a new infant, I am getting twice the sleep I was getting this time last year. It's like I am a person again. Thank goodness.


10. Enjoy it- 2016 was rough, and honestly it is ending on some incredibly difficult notes. I don't think many people I know are feeling a ton of enjoyment about how thee last two months have gone.  That being said, I feel so grateful for our little life right now. I really am appreciating our kids and our little life with them. I think we are getting the hang of this in a lot of ways, so I am excited about that.

1. Start a new chapter of our life with enthusiasm and purpose-Well, we turned the page WAY more than I even expected. We found out I was pregnant a week to the day after we moved into our new house, so mostly I am proud of us for getting through (so far, at least)! I was feeling like we didn't do well enough at keeping things fun, especially with the house which has been a challenge at every turn, but the beauty of year-end reflection is noticing we actually had lots of fun and great days between the roof leaking and the appliances giving up. I feel good that even at those moments we were often having fun (and Arby's)! So between the two of us and setting up a new home, I feel like we achieved this goal.

The baby stuff was all kinds of scary, but especially now that he is here, I feel like we are learning and enjoying it. But all in all, this was a perfect start to the goal list, because basically everything this year is new.

2. Get back to reading more difficult material, going to galleries more often, sharpening my critical thinking- I got a job at a gallery and another working remotely on artsy, so I feel like I have been thinking critically (and practically!) in ways I didn't expect, but am grateful for. I still wish I read more theoretical and dense material, so I will work on that more that this year as I continue to push my way into the art scene here.

3. Visit at least one new state-Done! We ate our way through New Orleans, a city I would happily return to. Only 9 states left to go for me.


4. Take more photographs with a good sense of depth/ play with my aperture more-I actually worked pretty hard on this before the baby came with the hope I could take good pictures of him. I don't know if I got any better, and as a whole it was not my best year for pictures, but I still made some progress in developing my style.

5. Write more honest and substantive blogs-Eh, maybe? I kind of doubt it, but I am still writing consistently, so that is something, right?

6. 500 Stickers, 5 million steps- Haahahaha oh golly. Not the year of banner fitness, I'm afraid. I am glad I kept at it before, and I try to step up (oh puns) my walking every day now, but that precious 6 week mark is still 10 days away.


7. Figure out how to teach conceptual art to children-I did this! I kicked off the new year teaching underserved 3rd graders to do critiques and talk about their choices. I am really proud of the work I did there, and I have mourned moving away from my California jobs all year. Trying to have faith that I will be teaching again soon in some capacity.

8. Take more leadership roles in my volunteering-Eh, this is another goal that suffered from moving early in the year. I have been doing a few volunteering things in Seattle (though not much now), but I am back to wiggling my way into various communities. If anything, my work at CoCA moved me from a pure volunteer to a leader. That's pretty cool!

9. Defrost the Seattle Freeze-This feels like my biggest failure this year, though I can ride the coattails of The Boy's success. I have tried quite a bit, but I haven't really connected with anyone in a big way here yet. Lots of pleasant acquaintances, which is the definition of a Seattle social life. I hope to make some better friends in the coming year.


10. Make at least one thing a week (the blog no longer counts!)- Fail! I HATED the art class (I am not an online learner, it turns out. I have been making things and writing project ideas all year, but the work I got has changed so I wasn't making things as much as part of everyday life. I am not sure this one will improve in the coming year, but maybe I will be happily surprised.