Goals For My Next Trip Around The Sun

It’s my birthday today, prompting a moment of reflection on the year gone by and the aspirations that I hold for the upcoming one. Admittedly, much of the past year presented challenges and fell short of the goals that I had set for myself. However, I am optimistic about my potential to accomplish more in the coming year. 
I have a few other personal goals, but I’ll spare you the mundane details and instead, focus on the exciting endeavours ahead.

Work on a Few Room Makeovers
Though our home was largely move-in ready, there are a few spaces that could use a touch of personalization, especially since there are some paint colours that don’t align with our preferences. I am excited about embarking on makeovers for specific spaces in our home. While recognizing that these areas will be a work in progress (and most likely not be completed this year), starting these projects holds the potential to breathe new life into our living spaces, creating a fresh and inviting atmosphere that aligns more closely with our style and preferences. The rooms, and what I want to work on are:

• My home office – The light blue walls need to go. I am not fully decided on what I want to do in this space as it depends on placement of my desk (and getting proper outlets put in), so even painting the walls with a primer to cover up the blue right now would be an improvement.
• The rear entry – It’s a small space, but it desperately needs organization for our cleaning tools (brooms, mops, duster, etc), a place where we can hang our jackets, store our shoes, and maybe keep the garbage and recycling bins.
• The front living room – We need to hang a curtain, and get some furniture in. Currently we just have our TV, small bookshelf, and a plant shelf in here.
• Our bedroom – The paint colour also needs to go (it looked like a grey in the listing which was awesome as this is the colour we intend to go with, but it was actually a medium dusty blue colour), I’d also like to make a closet door, and we need some furniture (nightstands and dresser)
• The stairwell to the basement – Not a huge priority, but want to use this as an experiment/trial run for some other handy projects.

Photograph More
Photography consistently remains a perennial goal for me, and I plan to continue focusing on bird photography. And with the added advantage of now having a backyard that adds an extra dimension to my pursuit, I am able to immerse myself even further in this passion.
Reflecting on the past year, I had envisioned creating a print shop for my photography, a goal that unfortunately remained unrealized. The decision on whether to pursue this venture in the upcoming year is still pending, as there are aspects that I need to further delve into. Regardless, should I decide to move forward, I will certainly share!

Landscape Our Yard
Originally, I had contemplated waiting a year before landscaping our yard, but a series of temporary projects I had planned sparked the realization that there is no reason to delay. Our foremost priority does involve the imperative task of regrading our property to ensure optimal water flow away from our home, but we also want to craft a harmonious and vibrant outdoor space that not only fulfills our aesthetic preferences, but also aligns with our commitment to creating a wildlife-friendly environment.
Should there be no roadblocks related to underground utilities, our background is poised for a significant transformation. This includes the removal of two large brick flower beds to be able to maximize our limited space. Our vision encompasses the creation of a wildlife pond, adopting a food forest approach for our garden (we may start small with our garden in the first year), establishing serene lounge spaces with a hammock, a firepit, and a revamped patio area. Simultaneously, we plan to landscape the front yard, and ideally introduce a boulevard garden. Features such as a butterfly/bee pollinator garden, a dedicated night garden to cater to nighttime pollinators, and birdscaping will be an integral part of the overall design. A key aspiration to come out of our landscaping efforts is to attain the Wildlife Friendly Habitat Certification from The Canadian Wildlife Federation.

Continue learning French
Having successfully completed a year of the French Duolingo course, I am eager to dive even deeper into the language. Therefore, if you come across any French words sprinkled here and there, it’s a result of my continued commitment to expanding my proficiency in the language. (Don’t worry, I will always have the translation below in the “information” section at the bottom of my blog post). 

Read more books
As I navigate the world of gardening and landscaping (with only two years of balcony gardening experience) I realize that there is a substantial amount to learn. Concurrently, my towering TBR pile continues to grow, presenting a vast reservoir of books waiting to be explored as I delve into my goal to read more and broaden my knowledge surrounding my current interests.

Knit/crochet more frequently
Despite a potential scarcity of time in the foreseeable future (due to house and garden things), I am determined to knit and/or crochet more. Currently, I am approximately one-third of the way through a crocheted blanket that I would love to finish soon. I have also amassed a small collection of yarn with the intention of mastering the art of knitting socks. Additionally, I aspire to knit wool Christmas stockings by mid-November. My overarching goal is to expand my knitting skill set, enabling me to incorporate intricate patterns into my creations while also increasing my efficiency in the process.

Thanks for reading! Until next time,
Tracey

INFORMATION

TBR = Acronym for “to be read”

---

If you enjoyed this post, please consider supporting my work on Ko-fi!

PIN IT