December Goals

My ideal scene...

My real-life scene.

Before listing my December goals (which will be far less extensive than last month's), let's see what I actually did in November (bolded ones are tasks I did):

*Make a Christmas music playlist and upload it to my phone

*Research washer and dryer prices

*Pay off one credit card, start paying off the other

*Buy more cloth diapers (possibly online to save some pennies)

*Start prepping for handmade Christmas presents (research, gathering supplies, etc)

*Set a date for holiday craft making with the girls from work

*Write to Jelena (with pics!)

*Make the cute little trees found above, come up with cute display

*Work on Consulting pitch for my job

*Go through clothes and household items, find what I can give away before we move

*Make an Operation Christmas Child box

*Research cribs/car seats/strollers

*Aim to do at least ten 52Q cards (or more) <--I did get 5 or 6 done, but not 10

*Start a few Christmas decor projects

*Wash and pack baby clothes that I've bought so far

*Work on new blog design

*Print more pictures from the last couple of months

*Record my Week 14-20 vlog and take my Week 22, 24, and 26 belly shots

*Blog at least twice a week (and write the posts ahead of time)

*Throw out BBQ and clean off porch before snow comes

*Put items for sale in Etsy shop

*Make new baby name list

*Buy supplies needed to start December Daily album; start building book and think of journaling prompts <-- didn't get this last little bit done, perhaps this week!

*Buy supplies needed for Christmas cards and look for some cute samples

*Practise embroidering

*Take at least 10 self portraits (not just belly shots)

So overall not too bad! Now for December; like I said, I won't have nearly as many because getting anything done these days feels like a major challenge (I think I'm starting to panic about how short and quick the next 12 weeks are going to be, but shh, don't tell anyone.)

Anyhoo, here we go, December Goals:

*Make 6 more Christmas cards, write in store-bought cards and have all of them sent out by the 11th
*Finish gift for my friend in Italy, mail by the 7th
*Have 95% of my Christmas shopping done by the 18th
*Journal in my December Daily album every day and take a photo every day (print pics once a week to add later)
*Have a turkey dinner with Dan
*Put up Christmas tree by the 18th
*Pack up everything that's non-essential to living for the next 10-14 Weeks
*Learn how to make the tabs at the top of my blog like the ones everyone else has (I need a cleaner design)
*Get the car winter ready (I'm so paranoid about it now that I'm expecting!)
*Find out my delivery date and tell the people at work my final day
*Continue paying off other credit card and saving money; keep spending to a minimum
*Have a name chosen (we're about 65% set on one name, I still have some thinking to do though)
*Wrap all my gifts in an eco-friendly way (re-use items, natural materials, etc)
*Write to Jelena (carried over from last month)
*Record my Week 20-26 vlog, take Week 26.5, 28.5 and 30.5 Shots (eek!)
*Watch Elf, the Sound of Music, Charlie Brown Christmas and other Christmas favs
*Blog at least twice a week (write posts ahead of time)
*Make candied citrus peels, White chocolate bark and shortbread cookies with icing
*Decide on a stroller/car seat and crib; look for a 2nd hand glider, make list of baby items that are needed
*Try not to let this season rush by in a panicky whirl!!

Umm, I think there may be as many goals this month, if not more, than last month! Oh well, that's just me, I won't hold myself accountable if I don't get everything done, lol.

Now, because of all the boxes and messiness going on in my house at the moment, it's getting really hard for me to get into the Christmas decorating spirit. I think that this year most of my viewing pleasure will be done online, but I have grand plans for next year once we're in a more settled space. In the meantime, though, I'm dreaming of looks like this:

(I HAVE to do something with pinecones either this year or next!)


Gorgeous.
(all photos via Country Living)

Well, that's December, it will fly by I'm sure, but there's lots to look forward to, friends that are visiting, a growing baby, family to see, good food to eat, snow (hopefully) and getting some plans set into motion!

Happy December to you :)
G.

PS-Oh, today my friend Anna sent me an early Christmas present, I was so excited! She gave me an adorable pyjama set from Roots for the baby and this book, which is soooo yummy and dreamy and inspirational, it kicked me right out of the no-Christmas-for-me self-pity/gloom I was feeling today. Hopefully I'll get to share some of the projects (and recipes) inside over the coming weeks. Thanks my love!