24 in 24

so, today is my 24th birthday. it feels really weird because most days i still cant get over the fact that im not still 14. 23 was ok, but i dont know, i have a good feeling about 24. i feel like 24 is going to be a good year. 24 seems like a real respectable adult age, like maybe i might be able to take alice to the park without getting a backhanded comment about being soooo young (ok maybe thats asking for a bit much).

so far ive had a pretty awesome morning: i turned off my alarm clock and got to sleep in. james made me breakfast in bed and alice helped me eat it. now were getting ready to go to disneyland. i really couldnt ask for more in a birthday.

one cool thing ive seen a lot since ive started blogging is birthday lists, where bloggers make a list of things theyd like to do in the next year. i feel like im MUCH better at doing things if i blog about them first, so i thought id give it a shot.

my list is kind of all over the place, some are things for me, some for the family, some for work. also its got some really big things AND some really small things, and im not sure its even possible to get all of them done in a year, but i think thats ok.

so heres my list (in no particular order):

1. find a better place to live. its not like our current place is terrible, but its getting to the point where id be willing to move to another one bedroom in order to not live on a major boulevard and be able to keep jamess bike outside.

2. find a new hobby just for me. sometimes i get frustrated that i dont have thing to go do by myself or with grown up friends. i need to fix this.

3. hit 25,000 blog pageviews. im almost to 10,000 right now and id really like to keep growing!

4. do a craft fair. i LOVED doing craft fairs, and id really love to start doing them again.

5. quit my job at joanns. this is a little ironic because im currently in the process of trying to get more hours at joanns, but im really hoping i can find some other form of income soon.

6. write a business plan. this is something i never did with my old shop, and im pretty sure that played a big part in it fizzling out.

7. take a family trip. obviously a big family vacation to florida isnt going to happen, but id really like to try and do something.

8. find a new family hobby. ive come to the conclusion that we need something fun for the three of us to do together on a regular basis.

9. try a new restaurant. this is a difficult one with my diet restrictions and all, but i get into food ruts really quickly.

10. clean out my closet. and i mean really clean it. like take everything out and only keep the things that actually fit.

11. make something just for me. something big. like a dress.

12. make $100 from blogging. i read somewhere that 89% of bloggers never make $100, id like to take that challenge.

13. color my hair an actual color. ive had this same weird yellow just bleach color for like four years now. and im bored.

14. take alice to the zoo. why havent we managed to do this yet? i dont know. total parenting fail.

15. sponsor some new blogs. and make some new blog friends. because ive learned that its really fun.

16. get better at sewing. especially things that arent just rectangles.

17. publish my original knitting and crochet patterns. ive been talking about doing this for SO long and i really have no excuse for not doing it anymore.

18. host a dinner party. you know in the three years weve been married weve never hosed a dinner party?

19. take real family pictures. because alice tolerates getting pictures taken now and we should have them.

20. purge useless files and backup our computer. yeah... were probably a couple years overdue on this one.

21. get a new tattoo. my left arm is supposed to eventually turn into an americana-themed sleeve. someday.

22. get at least 12 etsy orders. thats only one per month, thats not a bad goal for starting out, right?

23. start doing yoga again. fun fact: i dont work out. ever. i hate it. but i do like yoga, and id probably feel better if i did it regularly.

24. learn to relax. because, most of the time, i just cant. i guess i do a pretty good job at hiding it, but im probably one of THE most worried and anxious people i know.

so thats my list for 24. now if youll excuse me, im off to disneyland for birthday-ing (with alice dressed as minnie mouse, of course). see you later.