40 Before 40

As I celebrate my last year in my 30s I’ve been inspired to come up with a 40 before 40 list – 40 things I want to do before turning 40. I started my list last week and it’s comprised of various things; some things I’ve never done, some things I haven’t done in a while (thank you, Covid 🙄), and some things I’ve been meaning to do for a while but haven’t gotten around to.

And so I present it to you, in no particular order:

1. Read through the Bible – I have yet to do this and I’ve tried the last few years. I’ve decided to just keep going from when I started last year and am not starting over. Goodness, I’ve gotten through the first 10 books or so quite a number of times 🙂

2. Read 40 books – starting with the one I’m currently reading.

3. Finish reading The Wingfeather Saga with Steve – we started reading this together last year (I had already read it on my own). Right now we’re in the middle of book 2 out of 4.

4. Run a 5K

5. Run a 10K

6. Pay off my car – we bought it on my birthday 2 years ago (not intentionally a birthday present, my car had just died).

7. Go to Michigan – see my folks and sisters and brothers-in-law, and nieces. They last saw Evie when she was just 2 months old and have yet to meet Lucy.

8. Listen to 15 books – I love audio books.

9. Eat in a restaurant – we’ve gotten plenty of take out and did outside dining last summer, yet I’d like to eat in somewhere. We last did that last February.

10. Get take out from a new place.

11. Organize the basement – we moved into this house in 2017 and the basement has been hit hard the last two years, first with moving our guest bed down there to make Evie’s bedroom and then moving Steve’s office down there that make Lucy’s room.

12. Update photo our photo wall – babies grow and a new one was added!

13. Complete Lucy’s shadow box

14. Make braided T-shirt jump ropes – for Operation Christmas Child. I’ve had a ton of old T-shirt’s about with the intent of doing something with them.

15. Make a braided basket – a half started project from last year.

16. Make Lucy’s mobile.

17. Beat Yoshi’s Crafted World – I’ve never beaten a video game in my life…this one will require Steve’s help 😉

18. Wear clothes that fit in 2016.

19. Get Evie’s journal up to date.

20. Get Lucy’s journal up to date.

21. Make felt play food.

22. Write letters to 10 different friends.

23. Complete a little free library – money I got for my birthday is going towards something I can use as one whether it’s an old cabinet or something I find at the thrift shop. It’ll probably take a bit longer to save up the money to make it official.

24. Write Steve a love letter.

25. Watch 10 best picture movies I’ve never seen.

26. Make pasties – I have done this before, but not since a Evie was born.

27. Go on a family picnic.

28. Make a quilt – or quilted wall hanging.

29. Try hot sauce with a meal – Steve loves hot sauce and convinced me this would be a good thing to add to my list. I actually did it last week! I’ll update on that in another post.

30. Write a poem – I haven’t written nearly as much as I’d like to and I love it so.

31. Write a story – ⬆️

32. Find a new family doctor – I found out a month after the fact that mine left the office I was going to. In the time of Covid it’s easy to over look this, so I thought I’d add it to my list so I remember to do it.

33. Make pretzels from scratch.

34. Bake something with Evie – maybe she’ll be able to help with her sister’s birthday cake.

35. Listen to 25 albums from new-to-me artists – I’ve got a pretty good list of suggestions thanks to my friends in the Rabbit Room Chinwag group on FB.

36. Record the first episode of Page & Screen – a podcast Steve and I have talked about doing since we got married.

37. Learn to do a smoky eye – I’ve never been one to do a lot with makeup but thought this would be fun.

38. Commission a work of art from a kid or teen.

39. Spend an evening stargazing with Steve – we have a fire pit now and I imagine this to be the perfect night.

40. Wear my wedding band and engagement ring – these haven’t fit since before Evie was born and I’m too stubborn to get them resized.

So there you have it! I’ll be updating along the way, so stay tuned! In the meantime, what would be on your list (no matter if you’re no where near 40 or have long past it 😁)?

Love & Blessings,

KJ