We are down to the last ten days of the #30ProjectsIn30Days challenge, and I have reached a critical point between getting things done and giving some projects the ax. My ever-optimistic self is not giving up on some of the more time-consuming tasks on our list. However, it is clearly time to let some things go and put them back in the queue for later.

So far, we have completed eleven items on our list 100%, and several more tasks are well on their way to completion. I have two solid work days available, and little sprinkles of time to work during the remaining days of September. Timing is tight, but I am stubborn, so we have that going for us.

Today, I am sharing our master to-do list for this challenge. You’ll notice that it has more than 30 items on it. That is because I have struck some things off the list altogether, and I added other tasks to take their place. The items in bold text are complete. Items in italics are in progress.

Our #30ProjectsIn30Days List:

1. Put window film on the basement window
2. Reinstall handrails on the front porch
3. Plant Black-eyed Susans
4. Reinstall Screen Doors 
5. Repair bottom of the window and replace hardware on the window in the dining room
6. Sew Seat Cushions in the living room
7. Scrape paint off the big window in the living room
8. Caulk in the kitchen
9. Install doors and hardware in the butler’s pantry
10. Put brass door latch on the door in the butler’s pantry
11. Finish cubby in the hall
12. Replace light switches and covers in the front hall.
13. Put the doorknobs back on the doors in S’s room
14. Put the trim back up in S’s room.
15. Install the trim around the ceiling above the bench in the living room
16. Install bathroom lock
17. Touch-up the kitchen cabinets – Waiting on the touch-up kit
18. Coat cabinet knob with rubber (Note: This project did not work.)
19. Prime the ceiling in the breakfast nook
20. Replant the kitchen plants
21. Finish baseboard repair and caulk in the downstairs hall
22. Polyurethane the library table
23. Paint door frame in the kitchen pantry
24. Paint the toe kick in the kitchen pantry
25. Work on library windows
26. Paint the downstairs door blue
27. Clean off the porches
28. Meal Plan
29. Plant Perennials in the front flower bed
30. Hang hook and art in the downstairs hall
31. Plan my One Room Challenge™ room!
32. Create an About Me widget and page on the blog
33. Fix rot by the bifold doors
34. Fix rot on the front porch pillar
35. Get rid of the small trash pile on the driveway

Progress Photos

Not all of our tasks require a full blog post, so here is a little photo round-up of the past week.

First, after over a year, we finally put the beautiful double door screens back up. These doors are just a little piece of the puzzle of the ongoing saga of our giant front door restoration and entryway project. I will be writing several full posts at some point, but I could not wait to put this photo up on the blog. The red, which matches the street side front door, is such a welcome burst of color on this side of the house.

Filed away in the Not Too Exciting category is a new white vs. black light switch, a freshly washed window with the paint scraped off, and the knobs put back on the doors in our son’s room.

An eagle-eyed reader noticed that there were no doorknobs on his doors while reading one of the house tour posts.

There was no ulterior motive. We just never got around to putting them back on after we restored the bedroom over two years ago.  Pure laziness.

Side story: Our teen was genuinely angry when we put them back on the doors. He thought we were trying to take his privacy away by making it easier to open the door. After a long conversation, he now understands that it is a safety issue, and we are just trying to keep him from dying in a fire. Parents are stupid.

My little sidekick and I took a second pass at the landscaping.

M. and I planted four boxwoods and one limelight hydrangea.  I love this flower bed now.  I can picture how everything will look in a couple of years. The boxwoods should fill out the front portion of the bed, and this variety of hydrangea grows tall and wide. Once it reaches maturity, the hydrangea should fill the gap nicely and hide some of that electric meter paraphernalia.

Next spring we will mulch again, and it will look even better.

My eyes crave landscaping symmetry, especially since this side of the house looks more like a traditional Colonial. Colonial houses have even proportions on either side of a centrally-located front door. I plan to go back to Lowe’s to buy a few more boxwood for the flower bed on the right side. I will tear out some pachysandra to make way for the new shrubs.

(Photo from early spring)

Also, I will have to move some perennials to another location. Wayward plants are what happens when a novice like me throws a bunch of plants in the ground “just to see what will happen.” I will tell you what happens. It looks ridiculous.

Exhibit A:

Now, it’s your turn:

Let me know how you are doing. You have a few options to make that happen.

1. If you are a blogger; I created a link-up for you at the bottom of the page. Please keep your linked posts related to the 30 Projects in 30 Days challenge. You may link more than one post.
2. Tag me on Instagram and remember to hashtag your posts using the #30ProjectsIn30Days hashtag.
3. Give me a shout in the comments section here on the blog.
4. Send me an e-mail.

Participants will be entered into a drawing, and one will be randomly chosen to win a prize. I will announce the winner on October 3rd. Let’s make these last ten days count.

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