✨ Turning 40: The 40 Things I Want to Do ✨

(As I step into 40 — 12/29/2025)

I spent so long worrying about getting my life together
that I almost forgot…
I’ve already lived through things I never thought I could.

This list isn’t pressure.
It’s permission.
To want. To try. To play. To heal. To live.

🌿 Adventure + Wonder

1. Hike Mount Washington

2. Put my toes in warm ocean sand

3. Take a spontaneous road trip with no plan

4. Watch a sunrise and a sunset in the same day

5. Ride a bike just for fun — wobbling allowed

6. Visit a place I’ve never been before

7. Eat dessert for breakfast

8. Go skydiving 🪂

9. Take a ferry somewhere just because

10. Lay under the stars for hours with a snuggle

🧵 Creativity + Craft

11. Sew a quilt just for me

12. Finish a quilt that’s been waiting patiently

13. Teach quilting somewhere new

14. Sew a quilt just to give it away — no strings attached

15. Write daily — not to publish, but to process

16. Share my story honestly, without over-editing

17. Try a color palette I wouldn’t normally choose

18. Make something messy and imperfect on purpose

19. Document the process, not just the result

20. Sew something story-worthy

💛 Heart + Healing

21. Let myself grieve Nathan without rushing the overwhelming, painful feelings

22. Laugh hard enough to cry

23. Say no without explaining

24. Ask for help sooner

25. Trust joy when it shows up

26. Do something spontaneous just because it sounds fun

27. Forgive myself for the early months and first year — for surviving the best way I could

28. Love bravely and show love to people I’ve never met — without shrinking

29. Be proud of how far I’ve come

30. Let life surprise me

🌱 Life + Becoming

31. Move my body with intention — yoga & Pilates at least 4 times a week

32. Spend intentional time with my boys

33. Build a business that feels like home

34. Rest without guilt

35. Celebrate small wins loudly

36. Hang out with the penguins at the Boston aquarium for hours 🐧

37. Go to a Patriots game 🏈

38. Go to Monster Trucks with the boys to see Grave Digger — in honor of Nathan 💚

39. Learn how to drive standard — even if it’s just around a big empty parking lot

40. Keep showing up — exactly as I am

These are all things I want to do as I step into my year of 40 years old.

A Reflection as I Step Into 40

When I look back, I see how far I’ve come — not in perfectly planned steps, but in quiet bravery. I see the seasons that asked me to survive, the moments that felt impossibly heavy, and the days when simply showing up was the win. And now, as I look forward, I’m not in a rush anymore. Life feels like it’s gently slowing into something happier, steadier, and more intentional. I don’t need to know every step ahead — I trust that joy will keep finding me as long as I stay open to it. This list isn’t about proving anything; it’s about honoring where I’ve been and welcoming what’s next. I’m stepping into 40 grounded, grateful, and ready to keep becoming — one meaningful stitch at a time.