2023 Project Plans (& annual recap)

Hello 2023—we have made it another year! 2022 was a busy one for our family, mostly focused on our Hacienda Hideaway renovation. Do you remember these highlights?

You can get caught up on all of the Hacienda Hideaway updates, or browse through this year's DIY tutorials if you missed any of the fun.

Goal setting and planning is my favorite part of the new year, and I always look forward to sharing our plans here on the blog. Last year we did not reach our big goalof finishing the Hacienda Hideaway (or other goals like finishing our own laundry room) so I am lowering the bar this year!

2023 Project Plans

Finishing the Hacienda Hideaway is at the top of our list and our primary focus over the coming months. Here are the spaces that still need to be finished:

Living room

This space is close to being done! We just need to hang the TV, build/buy a console table, build/buy a coffee table and DIY/buy a tree. My original plan was to DIY all of these, but of course that would push our timeline back—it is a tough call.

Two bathrooms

These bathrooms are actually more than halfway done, but I have not posted any of it yet! I'll share the design plan and progress updates for both real soon, I promise.

Two bedrooms

We have just started on the DIY box beams for both rooms, and plan to have one of the bedrooms finished in February.

Backyard and exterior landscaping

This backyard is undoubtedly the most involved project, and we have experienced many setbacks. But progress has been made, and there is a big update coming to the blog soon! Here is a current photo:

Dining Room + Entrance

Still working on sourcing products, but I plan/hope to incorporate a couple DIY projects (pendant lights and foyer table). This will probably be one of the last completed spaces.

Laundry room

We ordered the appliances so there is something! To be honest, this will be a very basic makeover as it is not a space worth pushing back our timeline for. I have not even started to think about the design—it will probably be saved for the very end.

That covers it for the Hacienda Hideaway renovation! Any guesses on when we will actually finish? We went through our to-do list and timeline last night, and if there are no more delays/surprises, we should have it up and running in May/June. But I know from experience, these big renovations never go exactly as planned.

Heights House Projects

There are only two rooms in our house that we plan to tackle in 2023—first and most importantly, Esmé's Big Girl Room:

This one will be pretty involved DIY-wise, and this week I have been finalizing the design with Lucas. We plan to start on it next month and hope to get her settled in by baby boy's arrival. I am excited to share the plans with you soon!

The other space is our laundry room, which we started last winter but put on the back burner to focus on other projects. We have every intention to finish it after all the other projects mentioned above—genuinely hoping that can finally happen in 2023.

Personal goals

Last year, I made a few personal goals: get back into more creative and hands-on DIY projects, travel and spend more time with family/friends, and prioritize my mental health. I followed through with each one and am happy overall with the balance achieved.

This year will genuinely shake things up with baby boy arriving in just three short months. My main goal is to try and enjoy the rest of this last pregnancy and give myself grace during those challenging newborn months. I am hoping the transition from 1 to 2 kids will be easier than 0 to 1, but I have been mentally preparing myself for what's to come.

With that said, there will be a lot less travel and social outings this year, and more time spent focused on health and well-being. I need all the energy I can get to tackle house projects and chase two kiddos around!

Another house

In addition to finishing the Hacienda, projects at our house and a new baby, we will be looking for our next property to renovate as soon as we can catch our breath. Our goal is to have something under contract this summer, after the Hacienda is up and running.

We are beyond grateful for every one of you for following along and supporting us along the way! This year will bring more DIYs and exciting transformations, and I hope you will continue to learn and be inspired.

Now I am curious: what project are you most looking forward to, and what would you like to see more of in 2023? I would love to hear your thoughts!