Make a List - 2012

OK, here is my list of New Year's Resolutions.  In no particular order, I present:

Jen's List 2012

1. Weight loss.  Lose 10 lbs by February 25th (special event), and 25 lbs by May 15th.  Maintain weight thereafter for rest of year (and onward).  I have been tracking my calories through Live Strong, and it has been a great resource.
2. Exercise.  Work fitness needs into daily schedule.  For almost half of 2011, I went to the gym 5 days a week.  Then I went back to work and couldn't fit it in.  Right now, I am aiming for 3 days/week, with at least one Zumba class.  I have missed Zumba.
3. Fitness, part 2.  Once I am in shape and feel confident in keeping it up, no later than June 15th, expand fitness horizon.  This one is deliberately vague. There is a new fitness trend I read about that I might like to pursue as a trainer.  No one does it in my area, and that would be a huge, HUGE leap for me.  But I like having it in my goals.
4. Chickens, dammit!  I am saving my personal money to buy chickens this Spring.  The household will need to budget for the hen house and fencing, but the chickens are coming out of my money.   I already contacted a breeder.  Dammit.
5. Garden.  Sigh, gardening.  How I love you.  I have to find a way to fit gardening successfully into this year.  Maybe raised beds.  Maybe truckloads of soil.  Probably a combination of both.  But we need a real commitment to growing out own this year.  The garlic is already planted.  Now I need to order some seeds, and plan out where everything will go.  Realistically.  Reality is hard.
6. Family/household structure.  This one is already off to a great start!  We are making a real effort to eat our meals at our kitchen table, instead of in front of the TV, which was our habit for much of last year.  So far the kids are responding really well to it and we are actually talking and enjoying each other's company.  And the kids are relearning their manners.  (yay!)  Homework is also happening there, too.  The kitchen table is becoming the heart of our household and I love it!
7. Laundry.  Ugh.  I hate putting away clothes.  Washing, folding, and wearing clean clothes don't bother me.  But actually putting them away always seems like too much.  So I am going to fold laundry the night it comes out of the dryer, and put it away within 24 hours of folding it.  Let's be realistic!  
8. Painting.  I want to paint the living room by February 10th, so it will be finished by my younger son's birthday.  I just need to figure out colors.  I love painting.  And I hate the builder-white of that room!
9. Painting, part 2.  And then the kitchen.  By Christmas.
10. Finances.  This one is ALWAYS on my annual list.  I fall off the wagon and have to drag myself back up.  But we are in good shape and have these goals planned out.   We have some improvements already budgeted, too.  I don't talk money, in general, so suffice it to say that we will be more in control of our money.
11. Goats.  A girl can dream, right?  Goats would require a much bigger commitment than chickens so this may have to wait another year.  We need fencing, shelter, etc.

Here's wishing you all a happy, successful, and fun 2012.

Project 14 - Document Case

This week's project was born of necessity.  I am going back to work (long story for another post), and so we needed to buy a second car.  Which we did.  On Friday.  Come Friday night I realized I need something to keep the registration, etc., safe and handy in the glove box.  (I know I could just use an envelope, but they get damaged and lost easily.  And what fun are they?)

So I decided to sew one.  Well, two.  We have two cars, why not make two document keepers.

I found some scrap plaid fabric and linen to line it in my stash, and used some buttons I have had forever (I love buttons!)  So this project was completely free.

I love that I could make up a pattern and it looks almost like it did in my head.  I also love that I finally got to use my button whole maker and it worked perfectly!  Love, love, love this sewing machine!

If I had to do this one again, I would add some batting to make it more sturdy.  Overall, though, I count this a success.

I will post pictures when I can get the computer to talk to the camera.  Right now, they are apparently feuding. Update 4/22/11, pictures finally posted.

Project 13 - Two-Handed Oven Mitt

I am so excited!  This is the project I have been wanting to make for weeks.  But it seemed every time I sat down to sew I either had the wrong fabric, too little fabric, no time, or just plain didn't understand the pattern.  Well last night everything clicked and I can finally present....

My Two-Handed Oven Mitt

I have always wanted one of these, so when I saw the pattern on sew4home, I knew I had to make it.  And I am so happy with the way it turned out.  It is pretty, it is functional, and it was fairly easy to put together (once I understood the pattern). 

I love it.

Project 12 - Egg Cozy

I forgot to post the latest project!  We lost internet for half the weekend and then I was ill, so those are my excuses and we will all just have to live with the consequences.

Ok, enough drama.  Project 12 comes directly from The Knitter's Year (page 29), though with a slight pattern change so that I could knit it in the round.  It is a silly little project that gave me a disproportionately large headache.  In honor of the Easter Bunny's imminent return, I give you the Egg Cozy.

Cute, isn't he?  

My husband said I should knit a second on so that each kid gets one.  I said (to myself) he should learn to knit if he has such great suggestions.  I was cranky.

I am a little concerned, though.  There is just something sinister in his look. 

Like he is organizing his minions.

I may knit another one, but this one actually hurt my hands a bit.  It is made from cotton yarn and knit on needles a size smaller than normal.  The combination means a lot of tension on the yarn and a lot of force to make it do its job.  Worth it, though, since he holds his shape so nicely.

Unless he is consipiring against me.  In which case,

you are on your own, dude.

Week 12 - Project 11 - Grocery Tote

We had company this weekend and had a great time.  However, I didn't let that distract me.  I finally managed to get my weekly project done.   This week I continued my using-plastic-grocery-bags-is-bad-for-ME kick.  So to go along with my produce bags (week 10), I made grocery totes out of some curtains my mother gave me.

Yes, that is gold lamme!

I liked this project (found on the Wisdom of the Moon blog), but I am not sure I love it.  Yet.  It certainly sewed up fast.  I cut three bags in 5 minutes, and sewed one in 20 minutes.  Honestly, making the handles and trimming the thread took the most time!  I can probably get 8 more bags out of one curtain, which is fairly awesome.  And these are self-lined, since the curtains also had lining.  And I have 3 more curtains (all gold)!

I just need to see how they do with real groceries.  Real  ones, not these plastic ones the kids lent me.

Project 12 coming soon...

Week 11 - Didn't Happen

I failed to do a project in week 11.  I claim gloomy, distracting weather; work out-related injury (or extreme soreness); grumpiness; gardening; and the need to get a lingering sock project off my needles as my excuses.  And March Madness, can't forget that.  (Go Tar Heels!)

I did plant 150-200 onion sets and two types of peas.  And I started seeds for my brassicas (brussel sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage), herbs, and tomatoes.

 

And we started two more batches of beer.  Still working on the socks, though.

But all is not lost.  I will just have to do two projects next week.  Which is actually doable.  I think.  If I start tomorrow.

Geez, Jen, that is a lot of justifying.  I guess I feel guilty for letting myself down.  sigh.

Week Ten- Produce Bags

This week's project requires some back story.  I do all the grocery shopping in my family and each week I find myself disgusted with the amount of plastic that comes home with me.  Before the move, I always used reusable cloth bags for my shopping.  Our local grocery store clerks in our new town are not supportive of that, but to hell with them.  Next week the bags are coming back out.

That said, I never solved the problem of all the plastic produce bags I need for all our fruits and veggies!  I tried bringing them back every week and using them until they ripped or got nasty, but that tended to be hit or miss.  So lately I have been looking at reusable bag options for produce.  I have seen net bags, knit bags, and vinyl bags, but recently I found the solution I love.  Sheer bags made from curtains.

I love this project!  It cost me exactly nothing and is the essence of reusing materials on hand.  The sheer curtains were given to me by my mother, and one curtain made NINE bags!  It was also an amazingly quick project.  Nine bags, an hour and half of work!  Wowza!

Next week's project is related to this one.  So if you liked this, stay tuned.  If not, bear with me.  The quirky, less practical projects are coming.

Week Nine - Purse

I am so in love with this week's project! 

The design comes from Sew4Home, though it is slightly adapted to my needs.  (I didn't have enough fill to make it sturdy to the top, but I like the floppiness of my edge.)

This is a nice, narrow bag, with a cute, punky feel.

It has two, cute pockets inside.  And the pink is deep and saturated.  Just the way I like it.

I like the look of this project, and the usefulness.  I also learned a few new techniques, and got to know my sewing machine better.  We are developing a nice relationship.

And I definitely could not have done this project without the cutting mat you see behind the bag.  My mother-in-law sent it to me as a surprise, and it has been amazingly helpful.  Thanks, Kathy!

Week Eight - Bag Dispenser

I gave up on the planned project for this week when I realized that I didn't read the instructions well and bought the wrong amount of fabric.  Typical.  I will keep the idea in reserve, for now.

Anyway, I took that fabric from the non-project turned it into something useful.

A Bag Dispenser!

I love it.  I always save my plastic bags and reuse them as much as possible, but I get really tired of the plastic bag tumbleweeds rolling across my kitchen.  Now I have this simple solution.  And it is huge, so it should take a while to fill up.  (I didn't mean for it to be so huge, but it is.)

Week Seven - Knit Hairband

Is it only the 7th week of the year?  That is not that far in, and yet I am already chafing a bit with this resolution.  This may explain why I still haven't done my planned project for which I have materials and a pattern.  Instead, I knit a quicky project because it reminded me of spring.  And finished it with 2 hours left in Week 7.  Phew.

A hairband!

The yarn is sport-weight, hand-died wool from my stash.  My husband bought it for me a few years ago and I have skeins of the stuff.  I like the striping!

I am not totally pleased with the results, but I have some ideas to make the headband pattern better.  I don't like how it rolls in on itself, but that is easily fixed.  And it is actually the right length for my head (I measured), so that is good.  I did learn a new technique.  I can now make rows larger (M1), not just smaller.  It is such a basic skill, and yet I never formally learned how.

I also learned not to have my husband take my picture at 10:30 at night.  Hello, no make-up.  Yuck.

Farewell, week 7.  In Week 8, I am definitely tackling the project I have been avoiding.

Week Six - Fondant

This blog post is late, but the project for week 6 was on time.  I promise.

Okay, so you know how the 52 Weeks of Projects resolution officially says "knit or sew" one project a week? Well I changed the parameters for this week only.  For week six, the parameters are Any New-To-Me Creative Project.  Given that caveat, this week's project was created for my youngest son's fifth birthday.  I had too much going on to get ready for his birthday to do both a cake and a project, so here we are.

Every year, I make special cakes for my boys for their birthdays.  The cakes never look professional, but I am fairly happy with the results, as a general rule.  But I always, always, use icing.  This year I wanted to make a minion from Despicable Me, and it just needed to be smooth.  So I tried my hand at fondant.

And I must have done it right because while it looked okay, it tasted like sweet chalk.

Which is how every bite of fondant I have ever tried has tasted.

This cake was a challenge, for while it seemed a simple design, the cake batter was very, very delicate.  As soon as I trimmed a section of cake, it became very crumbly.  So crumbly that the icing I covered it with (to go under the fondant), peeled right off if I tried to smooth it.   It got very frustrating, very fast.  However, once I gave up and just covered it with fondant, the bulk of the cake came together quickly.  I did have to improvise the eye, but my sister and husband saved the day on that.  Apparently they had so much fun that they also took over design of the mouth.  I think they did a great job!

I will probably never make fondant again.  Even though this did have a nice flavor (lemon marshmallow), it still had an unpleasant consistency.  Everyone just peeled it off the cake or ate around it.

What I liked about this project:

• I like that I learned a new technique, but I think that goes without saying. 
• I like that I got to share the experience with my family.  My mother and sister, and even, at times, my husband, watched with bemused expressions while I turned a pile of confectioners sugar and molten marshmallows into a thick putty.  My mother was especially worried about the food coloring staining her counter tops. (It didn't, thank goodness!)  
• I liked that fondant became an achievable product with this recipe.  I always see the cake decorators use it on TV and it looks lovely, and so difficult.  Mine was nowhere near perfect, but I can see how I could get better with practice.  If only fondant tasted good.  Cake should taste good!
• And I liked the look on my son's face when he saw the cake.  "It's a Minion!"  That shout told me I did something right.

 

Spring Cleaning

It's Groundhog Day and apparently we will have an early Spring.  Virginia seems to have taken Punxutawney Phil to heart, because the weather today is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!  65 degrees, sunny, and mildly breezy.  So in honor of that, and in horror of the mud, I kicked off my shoes and mopped the kitchen floor.  (And you are blogging about that??)

See, the mud had apparently gotten completely out of hand.  Yesterday I looked at my kitchen floor in disgust; the dogs had tracked muddy paw prints all over.  I was disgusted with my dogs.   But as I wiped those prints up, I discovered that what I thought was the color of the linoleum, was actually a nasty, red-brown skim-coat of dried mud.  And I walk barefoot on that floor!  I was now disgusted with myself.

So, yes, I mopped the floor.  Three times, actually.  What was once nasty, is now lovely.  And I am keeping the Swiffer Wet Jet next to the door so that I can immediately clean up the mud prints from now on.  I have been doing well on other self-made-promises this year; I am fairly confident I can keep this one, too.

Spring is coming, folks.  I have a clean floor to prove it.

Week Four - Recycled Sweater Mittens

This week's project was funded and inspired by my sister (thanks, Mellie!).  By funded, I mean she discovered holes in her nice, cashmere sweater while we were visiting, and made me take it.  By inspired, I mean she mentioned words like "Martha Stewart" and "mittens" and "crafty" as she forced the sweater into my hands.  The brute.

So under that considerable pressure, I looked up the actual Martha Stewart pattern  for recycled sweater mittens (Doesn't Molly Ringwald look scared?  Sheesh!), and a few others, and got to work.  I decided to try a bit from one pattern and a bit from another pattern.  Since I had an entire sweater's worth of cashmere to work with, I also decided to try out two different techniques, cutting straight from the cloth, and felting.  I have never felted, successfully, before.  Should be a cinch, right?

First Set of Mittens:

The first almost-pattern suggested using the sleeves for mittens, since they are already mostly sewn, and have a nice cuff built in.  The pattern just suggested edging out a thumb from the sleeve.  Minimal cutting, minimal sewing. 

This sounded great, but my sis is a good bit trimmer than I am, so the sleeves on her sweater are very narrow.

I decided to graft on a thumb.  The cutting was easy, but the grafting was difficult.  I had to invent a way to sew something onto a tube without closing the tube.  It took some time, but I figured it out.

I also had to work with my new sewing machine to find a stitch that wouldn't pull through the soft cashmere.  Thank goodness I read the manual!  The tension looked a little bit wrong, but it didn't pull through, and it didn't snarl.  Bonus!

The first mitten (the right one in the photo below) came out pretty great.  I hadn't anticipated the seam around the thumb.  (I'm an amateur.)  However, I actually like the look.  A little rustic edging.

The second mitten (the left one, above), however...ugh.  Look at that thumb!  Apparently I went a bit off when I sewed around the top.  And apparently there was a seam on that piece of fabric that also affected the shape. 

They are crazy soft, though!  And they fit like, well, a glove.  Without fingers.  Forgive me.

Second Pair of Mittens (Martha-esque Mittens):

I made this second set of mittens from the body of the sweater.  But first I also tried my hand at felting, since Martha recommended that in a different sweater-mitten pattern.  Holy Fluffiness, Batman!  In hindsight, I am not actually sure you can felt cashmere.  Perhaps all the warnings about washing it aren't so much because of shrinkage, as because of imminent fluff.  But I pressed on.

After the mistakes of the first pair, I simply cut along a pattern I made of my hand.  They should have turned out much more similar than the first pair (hello, thumbs!)

Much as I hate to admit it, Martha Stewart does know her crafts.  These sewed up easily and the two mittens actually looked the same.  Even after my inept sewing.

I definitely like the Martha Stewart ones better, even if the cashmere didn't truly felt.  They are consistent, comfortable, and very easy to make.  I am already thinking of other ways I can raid my closet for wool sweaters so I can make more mittens.

Lessons Learned:

1. Thumbs require precision; if one is not careful they can become shockingly, hilariously funky.
2. Cashmere doesn't felt so much as disintegrate into soft pieces of fuzz that stick to the inside of the washing machine (and everything else).  Running it through the dryer does not make that scenario better!  Just much, much fluffier!
3. Patterns might possibly exist for a reason.
4. You can make a lot of mittens out of one sweater!

Overall, I give this project...

Thumbs UP!

Week Three - Mug Hugger

Week Three Project - Mug Hugger

I ran into an interesting problem in this the 3rd week of my 52 Projects.  I have too many projects to choose from and no distinct order to get them accomplished.  Because of this strange problem, I found myself dithering.  Until suddenly I realized that if I didn't choose, I would fall behind!  And it is way too early to fall behind.

So I chose a quick project at random and ended up with a Mug Hugger.  This silly little project was inspired by one in A Knitter's Year, but I did it my way.  (More on that in a moment.)  It is purportedly to insulate a mug in order to keep your drink warmer longer, but I think mine would work better turning an ugly mug into a fancy pen holder.

Essentially, I knit a short scarf and then bound the edges of the short ends together, leaving a hole for the mug handle.  My mug hugger turned out too wide for most of our mugs, so that it would be difficult to drink from it.  At the same time, I think it was slightly too short, so it is a tight squeeze to get the thing fitted over the handles.

However, I made it out of cotton, which I haven't worked with before, so that was a nice change.  Not only is the cotton all natural, but it is machine washable.  It seemed important since I am notoriously clumsy and the hugger would definitely get dirty.

Book Review: A Knitter's Year

 As I mentioned when I first listed my New Years Resolutions, I had planned to use A Knitter's Year as a guide for my 52 Projects in 52 Weeks.  The book, of course, is designed with just that idea in mind.  It contains 52 fairly simplistic projects categorized by season.    However, I am now certain that I will not be using this book for all of my projects, and not just because I want to sew.

The Pros:

A Knitter's Year has a lot going for it.  Not only is it an inspiring idea (clearly), but the projects are not too daunting.  The pictures are wonderful and give a clear idea of what the project should look like, although some allowance must be made for scale.  (Hello, Egg Cups , you look as big as hats.)

Debbie Bliss is a big name among some knitters, though admittedly not this one.   So I know just having a book by her is a thrill for some.  I assume that since she is so well known, she can be forgiven for exclusively using her own brand of yarn, too.  That's just good marketing, baby.

A lot of the projects are quirky, fun little ideas that may inspire a knitter to pick up her sticks.

The Cons:

Unfortunately, this book has some serious drawbacks, if you are a knitter.  For one, while there are a multitude of varied projects in the book, more than once I found myself thinking, really, another hat, scarf, or baby bootie?  No joke, there are two different patterns for baby hats, and four for booties.

And speaking of hats.  I seriously question why every round project (hats, socks, booties, tea cozy, gloves, etc.) is knit on two needles.  I knit a lot of hats and socks (a lot!) and I so much prefer knitting on double-points.  You get a better sense for the end product, and no seams.  Clearly this is the author's preference, but I know I will have to adjust these patterns before I devote the time.

Scale is another issue.  If one only knits one project a week, then why are all these projects on such a small scale?  Fully half of the projects in the book are for children or babies.  The scale of the projects makes me wonder if they are just afterthoughts for your week.  Some projects could be completed in a day (like today's Mug Hugger.)

Finally, for all that this is supposedly a good book for beginners, this is not a teaching book.  I, for one, need to learn to make cables before I can tackle half of the patterns.  And that is frustrating.

All in all, I am glad I have the book, but I am also glad I did not commit to faithfully following its every pattern.  I will be amending them as I see fit, and looking elsewhere for patterns that fit my whims.

Week Two - Curtains

It is the second week of 2011, and I am right on track on my 52 Projects in 52 Weeks resolution.  This is probably my most favorite New Year's Resolution ever, hands down.  I made the standard lose weight, go to the gym-type resolutions, too, but I love the new projects.  I feel like I have a definitive creative outlet, and a firm timeline to keep me on track.

Anyway, on to the project.  Well, some back story, first.  When we were trying to sell our house in Indiana, our Realtor suggested that I purchase some fabric to make a quick swag for the windows in our bedroom.  I did, and it looked good (and the house got an offer), but I always wanted to do more with the fabric, once we moved.  So I carefully packed the fabric and made sure that it got loaded on the truck.  Or so I thought.

Flash forward six months and I had completely given up hope on finding the fabric.  Every box has been unloaded, and I had ransacked the house at least three times looking for it.  As sometimes happens, it seemed that the minute I had truly given up, I found the fabric tucked away in a bag, in a closet.  I was so excited that I screeched and danced around.  And I instantly knew what my project would be this week.  I would make curtains!

I am not a great seamstress, and I have never tackled a project like this before.  However, my Mother-in-Law gave me a fabulous new sewing machine for Christmas and I felt confident that I could do a good job, if I was really careful.

First I read every instruction for the sewing machine - and I faced up to the fact that I was probably the problem with my old machine.  Not the machine.

Then I found a pattern on a great website called Sew 4 Home (thanks Michele!), and they were comprehensive and easy to follow.  I was able to line the curtains and create the rod pocket, all with a minimum of headache.  All in about 6 hours of frequently interrupted work, spread over two days.  Yay!

My only complaint about the project was unavoidable.  I just don't have a workspace large enough for a project this big.  I made due at the kitchen table, but my measuring apparently suffered from the lack of space.  (One curtain is 1.5 inches shorter than the other.  Shhh.  Don't tell.)

Overall, I am so very happy.  The curtains are lined, pressed, and as perfect as I could make them.  And I finally have my fabric exactly where I want it: where I can see it.

Week One - Wrist Warmers

Week one in my 52 Weeks of Projects is here and I am right on schedule!  (Hooray!)

Since the book I was going to use as a guide has not arrived yet, I designed and knitted something I have been wanting for a while:

Wrist warmers!

I am always cold.  ALWAYS.  And since I cannot afford to run the heat until it brings the house up to 75', and since our heat pump couldn't handle that anyway, I need to warm myself without making my family crazy.

So I made wrist warmers.  This project was great because I finally learned how to make a thumb hole (and did a dandy job first time out of the box - yay me!), so now I can make more of these, and also transition right into mittens.  

This project also allowed me to use some yarn I had been saving for years, waiting for the right project.  I love how the wool transitions from gray to purple to green.  Very Jen.  My only complaint is that the patterns on the two wrist warmers did not match up.  I thought I was doing great when both the cuffs were gray, but then the manufacturers did a switcharoo and tied a green string to a purple and completely messed me up.  I could have pulled it out, but I didn't want to waste yarn.  Well, live and learn.

So now I can have warm, stylish hands, but usable fingers.

(This picture and the first one were taken by the almost-5-year-old.  He's pretty good!)

Make A List

I read some good advice over on the Cold Antler Farm website (which rocks, by the way.  Just sayin').  Jenna suggested that the best way to make your dreams happen is to write it down.  Seems simple, and I am fairly sure I have heard this advice before.  So this year I am doing it.  And unlike the usual New Year's Resolutions, I am making my list public.  I hope that will make me more accountable.

So here we go, in no particular order.

Jen's List 2011

1. Knit or sew one project per week.  I admire people who set these types of achievable projects with a one-year deadline (a la A Year of Slow Cooking, and the Julie/Julia project).  So, with this book as my guide, I am going to do something similar.  One knitting or sewing project per week.  Maybe I will finally run through my yarn stash.
2. Chickens.  I would like us to have chickens by the end of 2011.  That means saving up for and building the coop.  We already have volunteer help from family to help build the thing, now we just need the financial end to line up.
3. Wood-burning stove.  The heat pump just can't hack these winters.  It is running constantly, even at its low setting, and I am always cold!  So this summer, we need to look into installing a wood-burning stove.  Pretty sure we know where it would be most efficient, now we just need to get saving.  What's more, if we get an old-style one, we can cook on top of it if the power goes out (or just for fun!)  And our property already has some dead trees that need to be cleared, so we can season some firewood ourselves!
4. Financial end.  We need to get these medical bills paid off and our nest egg rebuilt.  This is a priority, obviously.  Maybe the right job will open up for me, locally.
5. Financial, part two.  I am going to keep up with our budget on a weekly basis.  I already told this to my husband, so it has to happen.  And I am starting this week.  Not waiting until January 1st for this one!
6. Garden!  My super-smart husband has an idea for drainage in the garden, so maybe the babies won't wash away this spring.  I am also going to start the plants inside and not sew the seeds directly, unless I have to.  I already have seeds stored for tomatoes, peppers, edemame, and pumpkins.  We also want corn, potatoes, onions, squash, carrots (in raised beds) and melons.  Add mulch and compost to this list, because we still need to work that soil.
7. Rain barrels.  We need to water the garden and orchard, so we are finally going to make our rain barrels.  We have one, pre-made, that the 7-year-old won at a fair, and barrels for 2 or 3 more.  This should be a weekend project, all we need are the connectors.
8. Mud.  Grr, mud.  With three dogs and red-clay, mud has become a major issue.  Basically, the dogs have created a mud patch at the bottom of the deck stairs, from which they track the mud back into the house each time they go out.  We had nice carpets six months ago when we moved in; now they are almost a complete loss.  I just can't get them clean.  Which leads me to number 8.  I can't rage war on mud, so I will just brick over the mud patch!  We are going to install a brick walkway from the deck stairs out to the fence line.  No more mud patch.
9. Then I am getting the carpets cleaned!
10. Keep trying one new dinner recipe per week.  I've been doing that for a while and discovered some delicious meals.  Maybe one day the kids will try them!

So that's the list, for now.  And now I am accountable for it.  What is on your list?