101 in 1,001 - The End

So it turns out, my 101 deadline came and I never did do anything else since my last post.  So I ended up accomplishing 61 of the items on my list.  This means I have 40 things that I didn't do.  One of those was to donate $5 to charity for every item not accomplished.  I still plan on doing this (so really, there's only 39 items not accomplished), but because of my financial situation, it will have to happen over time.

So, I've decided within the next year, little by little, I will donate $195 to a variety of charities that mean something to me.  I will definitely donate to the Alzheimer's Foundation in honor of my grandmother who passed away this year.  I also hope to support some local non-profit organizations that some of my friends work for.  

In the meantime, despite the deadline being up, hopefully I can still knock some of these items off my list.

101 in 1,001....time is running out!

Back in 2009, I posted a list of 101 things I wanted to accomplish in the next 1,001 days. My 1,001 days will be up in less than a week.  Looking back on my list, I realized there was a lot on there that I never accomplished.  I'm currently standing at 61/101 accomplished tasks, however with almost a week left, I plan on knocking a few more things off my list.  Allow me to comment on what I have left:

• Visit my grandparents - I was lucky enough to get to see both my grandparents on the Taylor side before my grandma passed away.  However, having this on my list helped me to realize that I haven't seen my Grandma Thornhill once in the last 1,001 days.  That deeply saddens me and makes me realize that I need to make a trip out to Hillsboro to see her.
• Get a brother or sister for the pup - I don't feel bad about this one.  If we were to get another dog, it would be for selfish reasons, and not for her to have a companion.  The truth is, she hates other dogs and would not appreciate a canine sibling.
• Stay at a Bed & Breakfast - I wish we could have done this, but it's something we can aim for in the future.
• Sing karaoke with my husband - Perhaps someday...if he's really drunk!
• Make out in the rain - We should have done this on the float trip! 
• Go on a walk with my husband and dog every month - This was a good goal, but was hard to do when weather got bad.  And the truth is...we got busy.  And lazy. 
• Make a baby/Do a weekly photo documentation of pregancy - This one makes me really sad, but it turns out I did everything in my power to make it happen.  Hopefully someday...
• Go to the dentist twice a year - I ALMOST made this one.  I haven't been yet this year.  Whoops!
• Run 10K/Marathon relay - I would LOVE to get back into running and do both of these.
• Be able to do 50 push ups - I didn't ever really try to do this one.  But I should!
• Try on wedding dress every anniversary - This was a fun thought, but honestly, I just never remembered to do it.  Also, I'm now about 15 lbs heavier than I was the day we got married.  Whoops...sorry James!
• Volunteer at food drive or homeless shelter - My friend Lisa and I had actually scheduled to do this this summer with the kids we nanny.  Sadly, the only day that would work was the day my kiddos were on vacation (and I had to teach summer school).  I'd still like to do it sometime.  Perhaps next summer with the girls!
• Travel outside of US - We actually got to do a bit of traveling, but didn't get to leave the country.  Maybe for our 5 year anniversary we can take a big trip?
• Visit cousins in Florida - I SO need to do this!!!
• Go on a trip over Spring Break - Didn't happen, but NEXT Spring Break, I will be going to Chicago for my friend Diane's bachelorette party!
• Visit a National Park - Well maybe if my parents would have invited me to go to Yellowstone with them....
• Go through stuff at old house - Ugh, this is something I know I need to do, but I seriously dread it!
• Go on a strenuous hike - Hopefully we can get out to Colorado soon and hike up a mountain!
• Blog once a month - I'm SO mad at myself for this one.  I blogged every single month, except for the month of June 2012.  I actually started a blog that month, but never finished it.  Grr...so close!
• Ride a horse - I still really want to do this.  It's been way too long...
• Go skiing - Perhaps we can knock this one off the list along with the "strenuous hike".
• Go snorkeling - Gotta do it!
• Finish Harry Potter series - Perhaps next summer...
• Read all David Sedaris' books - I blame 50 Shades of Gray for this not happening.
• Bake an apple pie from scratch - Yum...but I have to wait for this fall or winter.

The following are items that I didn't do, but I'm going to try to accomplish a few of them within the next week.  Wish me luck!

• Go to Gate's BBQ
• Write a letter to an old friend
• Cook something on the grill
• Clean out my inbox
• Share a recipe with at least 10 people
• Write something and share it with someone
• Write a song
• Go fishing
• Go on a bike ride
• Win big at the casino
• Go to the shooting range
• Buy khakis that actually fit
• Put together a puzzle every year
• Donate $5 to a charity for every item not accomplished

I've decided, I AM going to do the donation thing.  I'd like to donate some to the Alzheimer's Association in memory of my grandma who passed away earlier this summer.  I also have a few girlfriends that work for non-profit organizations that I would love to contribute to.

In addition, I would like to extend my deadline on this list another 1,001 days and see what else I can cross off.  So, on May 14, 2015, we'll see where we're at on everything!  Until then...

It's Tool Time!

One of the items on my 101 in 1,001 list is to build something with my husband. James is a guy (obviously) and thus is pretty good with tools. Me? I've used a handheld screwdriver and a hammer. That's it. So I got pretty excited when I decided we were going to build a washers set this weekend.

Saturday we made a trip to Lowes and Home Depot to get supplies (2x4s, PVC pipe, wood screws, epoxy glue, and grass carpet). Then we got up Sunday morning, ate a big breakfast, then went out to the garage to get to work.

We measured, we sawed, we sanded, we drilled, we screwed (get your mind out of the gutter), we painted, and we glued. The whole project took 3-4 hours, but I enjoyed every minute of it. And we got the pictures to prove it.

Goals for 2011

• Lose the 5 lbs I gained over the holidays...and keep it off.
• Get on a regular work out schedule. I say this every year. The first half of 2010, I did a great job of this! In April I logged 1,000 minutes of exercise. The second half of the year...I worked out like 5 times. Not good.
• Participate in the Brew-to-Brew run (and hopefully some other 5K, 10K, or marathon relay runs).
• Make at least 3 recipes from my "Top Chef" cookbook.
• Continue to cross off items on my 101 in 1,001 list...in particular the "Buy a House" one.

What are your goals for the new year?

101 in 1,001

***UPDATE: As of 1/2011, 33 items have been completed and 16 items are in progress. ***

101 in 1,001 - to be accomplished by August 16, 2012
Friends/Family
1. Sing “Mr. Jones” with my sisters (CO Trip - May 2010...karaoke with Nicole)
2. Visit my grandparents (Christmas Eve 2010 - Taylor side....still need to go visit Grandma Thornhill)
3. Celebrate the pup's birthday every year (2010...we didn't do much this year to celebrate, but we did get her some toys and Frosty Pawz ice cream, 2011...took her on a car ride to PetCo and picked out some treats from the Doggie Bar, 2012...got her some toys and doggie treats from PetCo)
4. Be a bridesmaid in a wedding (I was a groomswoman in Jeremy's wedding on Aug. 1, 2011....I'm saying it counts!), I was also asked to be a bridesmaid in Diane's wedding next April
5. Go out for sushi with a group of friends (went to lunch on one of our snow days (1/10) with Lisa, Jenni, and Diane...technically it was a Chinese restaurant, but they had sushi and Diane and I both ordered it, so I'm gonna go ahead and count this one, also I went to the sushi train restaurant with James and some of his coworkers 7/10).
6. Get a brother or sister for the pup (this is not going to happen....Kahlua simply just hates other dogs)
7. Have a "Love Actually party" (Dec. 2010 - had Jenni, Lisa, and Diane over for soup, hot chocolate, wine, and the best movie ever)
8. Call up an old friend (James and I called Ben and Kara - Christmas 2010)
9. Attend my 10 year class reunion (this one can't happen before Aug 16th because my reunion isn't until September...still planning on going though, despite the fact that I really don't want to)
10. Write a letter to an old friend
11. Send out Christmas cards every year (2009 - check, 2010 - check, 2011 - check) 12. Send someone flowers (1 - to Lisa when she was having a rough week, 2 - to Diane to show support when her grandmother passed away, 3 - sent a plant to a friend when her father-in-law passed away)

Love-life
13. Plan a surprise date night with the hubby (more of a "date day"...I took him to Shawnee Mission Park where we kayaked and rode paddle boats all morning then later that night we went to Julian at Brookside for dinner)
14. Stay at a Bed & Breakfast
15. Make breakfast for my husband on a work day (Russian Crepes)
16. Build something with my husband (washers set)
17. Sing a karaoke duet with my husband
18. Make out in the rain
19. Go on a walk with my husband and dog at least once a month (this is one that fell through the cracks this past winter....the weather was awful, but hopefully I can make it happen from here on out)
20. Get my picture taken with my husband in a photo booth (James' class reunion, Chrissy's wedding)
21. Tell my husband I love him everyday (I don't suppose I've actually kept track of this, but I'm pretty sure I've told him "I love you" every day)
22. Make a baby (it makes me sad to read this and not be able to check it off)
Health & Wellness
23. Run a 5K (April 2010 - Braden Hofen Benefit Run)
24. Run a 10K
25. Participate in a marathon relay
26. Visit a farmer’s market to buy fresh fruits and vegetables (summer 2012)
27. Go to the dentist twice a year, every year (twice in 2010 - check, twice 2011 - check)
28. Floss everyday for a month (Feb 2010)
29. Be able to do 50 push ups
30. Work out 3 days a week for a month (Feb 2010)
31. Continue to work out regularly after the month is up (April 2010)
32. Try on my wedding dress on each wedding anniversary…and have it fit (July 2010...though it was quite a bit tighter than it was the first time around. Time to get back in shape! 2011 - didn't happen, 2012 - didn't happen)

Betterment
33. Vote (Nov. 2010)
34. Clean out my closet and donate clothes (could probably do this a couple more times)
35. Donate money to a charity/good cause at least once every year (2009 - KC Arts Association, 2010 - Haiti Disaster Relief, United Way, 2011 - American Red Cross - Joplin Disaster Relief,  2012 - Rosebrook Domestic Violence Shelter)
36. Donate money to support the fight against breast cancer (Oct. 2010, Oct. 2011)
37. Volunteer at a food drive or homeless shelter

Traveling
38. Travel somewhere outside of the U.S.
39. Go on a trip with my girl friends (Table Rock Lake - June 2010, TRL - July 2011)
40. Visit Ben and Kara in South Carolina (summer 2012)
41. Visit Braden and Diane in Colorado (May 2010)
42. Visit Aunt Dal and Uncle John (December 2011)
43. Visit my cousins in Florida
44. Go on a multi-state road trip (KS-MO-IL: Chicago trip - Summer 2012)
45. Visit a state I’ve never been to
46. Go on a trip during Spring Break
47. Visit a national park

Personal Enjoyment
48. Go on another float trip (August 2010, July 2011, Aug 2012)
49. Buy a houseplant and keep it alive (though I didn't buy it, someone gave me a basil plant back in April....it's August and the parts of the plant that I haven't used up are still alive...it counts!)
50. Go through my stuff at the old house
51. Go on a strenuous hike (hiked the Armstrong Redwoods on our Cali vacation, but it wasn't exactly strenuous)
52. Go to Gate’s BBQ
53. Go on a bike ride
54. Blog at least once a month (ALMOST made it....missed June 2012)
55. Get a professional massage (October 29, 2010 - Par Exsalonce, July 22, 2011 - Mario Tricoci, 2012 - Zen Massage) 56. Visit at least 3 popular Kansas City attractions for the first time (Oklahoma Joe's, Kauffman Center, Royals Hall of Fame Museum)
57. Own a pair of cowboy boots (birthday present 2011)
58. Spend a night in Aggieville (Fake Patty's Day 2010, Paige's bachelorette party - Sept 2011) 59. Find and buy a pair of khaki pants that don’t make me look like a lesbian
60. Go to a shooting range
61. Go to a K-State game every year (Dec. 2010 - basketball game @ Sprint Center, Fall 2011 - KSU vs. MU football, Dec. 2011 - basketball game @ Spring Center)
62. Win a poker game (June 2010, July 2011, Sept 2011)
63. Ride a horse
64. Go on a hot air balloon ride (October 14, 2010)
65. Experience “Winfield” all three years (2010 - check, 2011 - check, WILL be going in 2012)
66. Go skiing (went WATER skiing for the first time at Table Rock 6/10 and 7/12...still doesn't count)
67. Own another Coach (I got a little brown wristlet as a Christmas gift from a student - Dec. 2009, and replaced my old black and gray everyday bag with a very cute black Peyton - Mar. 2010, got 3 super cute bags at the Coach Outlet in Osage Beach - Nov. 2010, August 2011 got a cute purple leather purse online)68. Visit a wine vineyard (Somerset Ridge Winery - Louisburg, KS - September 5, 2010, Seven Springs Winery at Lake of the Ozarks - November 2011, various wineries in Sonoma - December 29, 2011)
69. Visit a beer brewery (Blvd. Brewery - Dec. 5, 2009, Sierra Nevada - December 26, 2011, Old Mecklenburg Brewery in Charlotte, NC - Summer 2012)
70. Put together a 1000+ piece puzzle at least once every year (2009 - December, 2010 - November, 2011 - December)
71. Go snorkeling
72. Go on a picnic (surprise anniversary date 2011)
73. Go fishing
74. Clean out my inbox

Finances
75. Buy a house - It couldn't be more perfect!!!
76. Win big at a casino ($200 or more) I almost accomplished this when we went to Vegas...was $361 up. But then I lost it. I did win $80, but I guess that doesn't fit this criteria.
77. Pay off my Bank of America credit card (Nov. 2010 - yay!)78. Continue to put money into savings every paycheck So far I'm doing a good job of this. Instead of taking it out of every paycheck though, I've been doing it once a month. Whatever...it still counts.

Work
79. Have a student teacher (I met her in May....she'll start this August)
80. Do a random act of kindness for each of my fellow first grade teachers (bringing coffee/hot chocolate to everyone on a rainy day...not that big of a deal, but it was still nice!)
81. Share a great teaching idea with another teacher (summer school teachers)
82. Move over a column on the pay scale every year (2010 - check, 2011 - check, 2012 - check)

Smarts
83. Read at least 12 books every year (Year 1 - #1 - Twenties Girl, #2 - Holidays on Ice, #3 - The Lovely Bones, #4 - The Hour I First Believed, #5 - A Little Bit Wicked, #6 - A Reliable Wife, #7 - The Help, #8 - The Shack, #9 - The Secret Life of Bees, #10 - Eat, Pray, Love, #11 - The Apothecary's Daughter, #12 - The Hunger Games, #13 - Catching Fire, #14 - Mockingjay, #15 - Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, Year 2 - #1 - The Art of Racing in the Rain #2 - Half Broke Horses, #3 - Ape House, #4 - One Day, #5 - Shiver, #7 - Matched, #8 - Room, #9 - Linger, #10 - Something Borrowed, #11 - How Starbucks Saved My Life, #12 - Delirium, Year 3 - #1 - Forever, #2 - Something Blue, #3 - Crossed, #4 - Like Water for Chocolate, #5 - Pandemonium, #6 - Sing You Home, #7 - 50 Shades of Grey, #8 - 50 Shades Darker, #9 - 50 Shades Freed...since 2012 isn't over yet, I think I can count this one!  I know for a fact I'll read 3 more books before the end of the year!
84. Get my Master’s Degree - March 2010
85. Finish the Harry Potter series
86. Read the rest of David Sedaris’ books

The Arts
87. See a Cirque de Soleil show (December 13, 2009 - Mystere @ Treasure Island in Vegas)88. Go to a concert (Taylor Swift - April 2010 at the Sprint Center, Keith Urban, Dixie Chicks, & The Eagles - June 2010 in Chicago, Eric Church - Summer 2010 free concert at P&L, Luke Bryan - Summer 2010 free concert at P&L, Zac Brown Band - November 7, 2010 at the Sprint Center, Lady Antebellum - November 20, 2010 at The Midland, Cake/Mumford & Sons - June 3, 2011)
89. Go see a musical...OR 12! (Wicked - November 20, 2009, Dreamgirls - July 21, 2010, Beauty and the Beast - August 11, 2010, The Producers - August 25, 2010, The King & I - June 8, 2011, Guys an Dolls - July 13, 2011, Children of Eden - July 19, 2011, Cinderella - July 27, 2011, Into the Heights - June 6, 2012, Memphis -July 11, 2012, Peter Pan - July 25, 2012, Aida - August 7, 2012)
90. Write something and share it with someone
91. Play the piano in public (played at the church for my little sister's wedding)
92. Write a song
93. Sing karaoke…all by myself (May 2010 @ Monica's Graduation Party - Paper Gansta by Lady Gaga and Best Day by Taylor Swift, January 2011 @ Paddy O'Quiggley's - Busta Move by Young MC)
94. Do a weekly photo documentation of my pregnancy (this one won't be happening)

Culinary
95. Share a recipe with at least 10 people (7/10 - gave queso recipe to Jenni, pumpkin flush recipe at Thanksgiving to the fam, White Chicken Lasagna - shared recipe online when requested, blog-shared Russian Crepe recipe, shared stuffed mushroom recipe with family, Panera's broccoli cheese soup with Diane, white wine chicken with Diane)
96. Get (and try) a recipe from at least 10 people (10/10 - Kim's queso dip, Becky Keith's pumpkin fluff, Nordstrom Café Tomato Soup from Paige, Panera's Broccoli Cheese Soup from Nicole/Internet, Crock-Pot Chicken &nRotel from Sara Froese, Bangin' Shrimp from Diane, banana bread from Diane, cream cheese coffee cake from Diane, Bacon Dip from Lisa, Monterey Chicken "shared" from Pinterest)
97. Help cook a Thanksgiving turkey - I cooked my first bird Thanksgiving 2011 for James, Margie, Martin, Madison, Jen, and Juliana. It turned out to be delicious!
98. Cook something on the grill
99. Host a dinner party (“Italian Thanksgiving” 11/25/09 and a number of backyard BBQ's since we've moved)
100. Bake an apple pie from scratch
AND...
101. Donate $5 to a charity for every goal not accomplished

Thanks, Paige!

Okay, I didn't do so well with my daily list of something I'm thankful for. Whoops. So, I'm going to try something new. My friend Paige did this on her blog and she's inspired me to do the same. I'm going to post a list of 101 things I would like to accomplish within the next 1,001 days. I actually made my list tonight. However, I can't post it quite yet. It needs to be organized first. Hopefully, it'll be up tomorrow!

Thanks for the idea, Paige!