Flag Quilt - It's Finished!

I've been working on my flag quilt for years (read about it here). I finally finished it last week! While my parents were here, we got a bar to hang it and got it hung up (with a little straightening help from hubby). Personally, I think it looks awesome! It's not perfect but I'm so happy to have it up. Not only does it look great but when I look at it I feel a huge amount of pride in knowing that I started and finished such a cool project.

I've got a ton of other projects waiting to be started and/or finished: stacking alphabet blocks for Bubba, place mats and runner, a quilt for the guest bed, another flag wall hanging...and that's just a few of the quilting projects I'm thinking of. As I've mentioned numerous times, I also want to get back to scrapbooking. I enjoy looking through the books I finished on my USAFA years, so I'd really like to do books for the rest of my time in the AF - as well as finish Bubba's baby book. I need a couple more hours in the day, the ability to sleep less without getting a headache, and/or a better schedule for my day...or all of the above! 

Life List

It seems as if in the last few years everyone has written a bucket list. I like the term "life list" better. It's stuff that someone wants to accomplish during their lifetime - not just stuff to do before you die. I guess it's really the same thing but maybe a more optimistic way of looking at it.

I wrote out a life list years ago - I remember waiting for a Boston Pops concert to start and just started scribbling stuff I wanted to do on a piece of scrap paper from my purse. I kept that list for a really long time. I'm pretty sure I actually still have it somewhere. As my husband would attest, I keep all kinds of odds and ends thinking I might use/need them someday.

I'm pretty sure most of the things on my current life list were on that first one. Since I wrote that list almost 20 years ago, it would be neat to see how many things I've accomplished in those two decades and how many things are still undone.

So here's my current life list (not in any particular order):

Be the best mother I can be     Be the best wife I can be
Learn how to improve my blog     Write at least four blog posts a week     Write something every day Do the Happiness Project challenge     Learn some constellations     Stop wasting time/procrastinate less Grow my own veggies     Grow an herb garden     Set up weekly menu plan with healthy food Take voice lessons     Read the entire Bible     Become a yogi     Quilt more     Go to church regularly

Make scrapbooks for time in AF     Scrapbook Bubba's life annually
Learn how to play poker     Learn how to do my makeup (right colors, application, etc.)     Be less judgemental

Start a children's lit book club     Exercise at least 3x/week     Lose weight     Run 5k without walking     Try Pilates     Complete the Body for Life challenge     Take flying lesson     Ride in a Stearman/biplane  
Fly a glider again     Learn how to kayak     Learn how to sail     Learn how to rock climb (indoors first)Learn how to snorkel (and then maybe scuba diving)     Visit each state     See northern lights     Paint/draw regularly     Visit Scotland     Visit Russia     Visit Albania again     Visit Africa (go on a Safari/see elephants) Visit Portofino and Rome (Italy)

Visit Croatian coast/beaches     See more of Germany     See more of England     Visit Ireland again     Visit Norway     Visit Australia and New Zealand      Visit Vietnam     Walk on Great Wall of China     See pyramids in Egypt     Participate in National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo)

Time Management

I've been having a problem getting things done. I have more than enough time for the things I need to do and yet they don't get done...So I figured I need to start with deciding what is important to me and what I really want to get done.

Things I'd like to do on a daily basis:
Play/Be With Little Man
Spend Time with Hubby
Clean/straighten house (30-60 min/2x day?)
Blog/Journal/Write (1-3 hours)
Read/Notes (1-2 hours)
Exercise (30-60 minutes)
Cook Dinner

Things to do on Weekly basis:
3-5 Blog posts
3-5 walk/run/workouts
3 hours crafting (photos, scrap booking, quilting)
2-4 Family/Friend phone calls
Date night/afternoon
Plan Weekly Menu
- Grocery Shopping
- Prepare 2 meals for "later"
Vacuum, Laundry, Dust, Clean Baby Toys

So, with this initial list of things I'd like to get done on a daily/weekly basis I need to figure out a daily routine. I don't want to say schedule just because I don't like the word - it automatically makes me want to do the opposite...

I'm trying not to get too frustrated with myself about all this. And I know for a fact that my husband is an amazing man for not already getting frustrated with me. I just can't figure out why after 10 successful years as an officer in the USAF, I even have a problem trying to figure out how to make a schedule/routine so I can get stuff done around the house? Aaargh....

So, what now? How do I change a list of things I want to do into a realistic routine that will help me get things done? If only I had the time to read that time management book....