Can you believe it's already time for another home goals post? I must say, these are some of my very favorite posts to write!
I've learned that by simply writing down my top 3-4 goals for my home for the next few months, I stay on task when I get frustrated and want to hop from one project to another around the house. Putting my home goals in writing helps me get more done. Really! Even when projects feel like they're taking forever!
Just as I write down my top 3 goals in my planner each day, I use the same approach for getting things done at home. If you haven't tried it and find yourself jumping between projects without finishing any, I highly recommend it!
Last year I set goals for every quarter, but this year I'm working in four-month blocks. The last quarter of the year is basically a wash because of the holidays, and some projects were taking me more than 3 months to start and finish. So this year I've split things into January-April, May-August and September-December.
When I started my first goals of the year I had no idea that what I started in January would almost all take place in April! But it did! We focused on outdoor projects over the spring because we had two major areas of concern: the trim & shutter colors and the yard. And I’m happy to say both have been completed!
Let's take a closer look…
How I Did on My Home Goals for 2021, Part 1
I'll share updates on each goal from the past 4 months. If you'd like to read the original Home Goals 2021, Part 1 post, you can find it here. Since most of these just wrapped up, I haven't had a chance to write full posts about them yet, but they're on the way!
January through April
My goals for the past four months centered mostly on the outside of our home. We had largely neglected the garage and the exterior last year, so once spring arrived it was time to tackle them!
1. Get an Estimate for Painting the Trim and Shutters
I set the bar really low for myself. Ha! I assumed that finding the right painter, saving the money, picking paint colors, getting HOA approval and waiting for perfect weather would take more than a couple of months.
I'm thrilled to report that the trim, shutters and front door have all been repainted!!! I could NOT love it any more if I tried!
The full reveal is coming soon. It won't be a super dramatic before and after, but the smile on my face when I pull up to my house, which is no longer yellow and green, is worth it! I'm so in love with how our house looks now, and it's so rewarding to do the projects you love! I'll share more about the process when I write the full post, which I really need to get to ASAP!
If you need a teaser in the meantime, I shared one in my painting update here.
2. Fix the Grass
I told the story of how a yard company killed our grass last summer, and when they wouldn't repair the damage, we knew we'd have to sod the front yard.
I'm happy to say it's finally done!! The sod arrived the last weekend of April, and my husband and a team of 6 of his wrestlers (he's a coach) laid it. They did a fantastic job, and now we're watering it like crazy while we wait for it to take root and grow.
It has already greened up a lot, but it will take a few more weeks before we can start mowing. I'm taking photos periodically and will share everything we learned once it's greened up a bit more!
3. Finish the Kitchen Makeover
This one is so funny, because it was the smallest thing on the list and it's still not done! Haha!
The two things I still needed to finish were:
- Get the stair runner picked out, ordered and installed
- Order bar stools
I ordered both, and neither one is finished yet.
The Stair Runner. I ordered the original stair carpet I fell in love with (after trying samples and other rugs I just didn't love). It arrived a few weeks ago for installation, but the person who placed the order had mis-measured, so we were short enough to leave the top 3 steps unfinished.
So they ordered a bit more carpet, had it bound, and it has been sitting on the installer's truck all week while he works another job. He's supposed to be here in 5 minutes (as I write this). Fingers crossed it gets installed today!
The Bar Stools. If you saw my update a couple of months ago, you remember that I ordered the bar stools of my dreams, but when they arrived they weren't quite as dreamy. You can read the update here.
So I went back to the drawing board and ordered a different set. That was back in February! The stools are now scheduled to SHIP on June 16. I know that's just how the furniture industry is right now. But I'm going to throw a huge party when my kitchen is finished.
This has been the longest mini-makeover of my life! LOL People have built entire houses in the time it's taken me to buy some barstools and add some hardware and carpet. My goodness!
See my original Kitchen Makeover plans from July 2020.
4. Organize the Garage
Y'all! I'm so excited to share that this is mostly done! I have a couple more things to arrange before I can take pictures and write up the blog post. It's AMAZING what some simple organization can do for a space!
Stay tuned!
While I'm writing and photographing those projects over the next few weeks, I'll be starting on the new projects below!
Home Goals for 2021, Part 2
Now that almost all of those items have been crossed off my list, let's move on to the next items on my to-do list! As a reminder, I try to plan 3-4 updates over a 3-4 month stretch. I know some people move much faster than I do, but this is the schedule I've found works best for my time and budget. I highly suggest finding the pace that works for you and sticking with it! Don't worry if someone else is "making over" their space faster than you are. (Preaching to myself a little, too.)
This time I'm taking on some smaller projects that should be easier to finish!
May through August
1. More Updates to the Front of the House
Now that the sod is in and the trim, shutters and front door are painted, I'm itching to work on the rest of the outside of the house!
- Landscaping. Our flower beds are looking atrocious. We aren't gardeners (yet), so we've called in a professional to help us get them into shape!
- Planters. I love having planters on either side of our front door, but I'm ready to move the DIY planters I made a few years ago to the back of the house and buy some new planters for the front stoop. Maybe some faux boxwoods in there, too?
- New porch light. I've been eyeing this lantern light for a while. I just need to make sure it isn't too big, and then I'll order it!
- Power wash the driveway and front sidewalk. I already pressure washed the front steps and they look a million times better!
Here's what I have in mind for the front stoop: a New Orleans style lantern, new classic planters, some faux boxwood topiaries, an American flag and a new monogrammed front door mat. Voila! A fresh new facelift!
2. Mini Powder Room Makeover
I love giving a tiny room a big personality! There's something about a pop of pizzazz in a small room like a laundry room or powder room.
I've been pinning gorgeous bathrooms over the past year, and I'll reveal my plans soon! I'm drawing inspiration from some stunning spaces:
I'm not planning to change out the vanity or toilet, but the lighting, mirror and wall treatment will all be changed! To do:
- Change out the light fixture
- Wall treatment – maybe a board and batten treatment, but definitely wallpaper
- Change out the mirror
That's the list! I can't wait to get started!
3. Mini Butler’s Pantry Makeover
Let's do another mini makeover, shall we?! See a theme here??
This sweet little butler's pantry sits right off my dining room and acts as a pass-through between my kitchen and laundry room. I love it for extra kitchen storage!
Once again, I like to go bold in small spaces, so we're making a statement in this little nook!
- Wallpaper all of the walls. It has to work with the adjoining kitchen, dining room and laundry room, so I'll make sure it coordinates from every direction.
- Fix the glass in one of the cabinets. My daughter slammed one of the doors open when we first moved in and broke the glass. I'd love to get it fixed!
- Paint the countertops!! I've never painted countertops before, but I think this space would be the perfect place to try it!
- Replace the light fixture. I actually already did that!
- Replace the hardware to match the kitchen. I've already done that, too!
So, as you can see, I've already started with the hardware and the lighting...
I still have a few more things to do in this space to make it feel like mine! See my great-grandmother's crystal collection in the picture above? I love having a place to display it in my home.
4. New Window Treatments in the Upstairs Rooms
The girls' bedroom and the playroom both have dormer windows that face the front of the house. The house came with cute tie-back curtains that looked good from the outside but blocked no light at all.
So I swapped the girls' window covering for a curtain that doesn't fit the space well.
I'd like to find a solution for both rooms that looks good from the outside and also darkens the rooms at the same time!
I'm leaning toward some kind of roman shade, but we'll see what works!
That's all on the list for now! We'll see if I can knock these out and maybe add a few more before the end of August. With summer on its way and the kids' schedules being crazy this summer (thank goodness), I'll probably be pushed to get these done! But maybe while my kids are at camp I'll knock out a bunch of things.
I'd better get to ordering!
What home projects are you working on right now? Share them in the comments below!
