101 in 1001

I'm sure everyone has seen these lists floating around, but they seem to be extra-abundant among my blog friends lately. I feel inspired by their 101 in 1001 lists because they don't seem super hard to achieve over the course of about 2.75 years. I think I can do this. I admit, some of it is stuff I'm gearing up to do anyway, but now I'll have the extra satisfaction of crossing something off a list. I also admit that I got some inspiration from these ladies: Kallay, Allyson and Shana. My deadline is August 11, 2014.

Some revisions made 1/3/11, Updated 3/7/13


1. Give homemade Christmas gifts to everyone on our list

2. Learn to knit Completed January 2012. I won't be making sweaters any time soon, but I've got the basics

3. Reduce grocery spending by $50 a month through couponing

4. Convert guest room to craft room Completed 6/3/12

5. Build a custom desk (with Dan’s help) for craft room  Completed 6/3/12

6. Buy a DSLR

7. Read 30 books in a year (The Hunger Games, Sweet Grapes, The Help, Catching Fire, Mockingjay, I'm Taking My Eggs and Going Home, Silent Sorority, Rules for Virgins, Bossy Pants, Sing You Home, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Then Came You, Are you There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me, Every Drunken Chearleader Why Not Me?, Freakonomics)

8. Answer the "50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind" - I like these a lot better than the 30 truth questions I tried to answer, so this should go over much better than that failed attempt I did answer them, and am working on when, if, and how I will share them. Very enlightening, though

9. Lose 25 pounds

10. Run a 5K Completed 11/17/2012 I can't say I RAN a 5K. I participated in one - after deciding Zumba would be good training - it's not. But I did one.

11. Go on a vacation with just Dan

12. Send my grandmas handwritten letters or cards once a month

13. Pay off current debt In progress! My personal retail cards are gone, and we consolidated debts (Dan had a card with a ridiculous rate that we just weren't getting anywhere with, despite paying way over the minimums each month), and will have it all paid off in about 2 years

14. Take a cooking class

15. Get through my bucket list of cooking

16. Continue therapy twice a month for at least 6 months (Thanks to changes in insurance, I simply can't afford bi-monthly appointmets. I'm going every 4 weeks, instead)  Completed 5/3/12

17. Participate in infertility awareness week in April each year

18. Find a place to volunteer my time once a month

19. Learn a new cupcake recipe per month for 6 months

20. Learn a new frosting recipe per month for 6 months

21. Create one original cookie design per month for 6 months

22. Blog all new cookie, cupcake and frosting recipes/designs

23. Do two Pinterest projects a month for six months, and this can include recipes (tree skirt, flower scarf)

24. Find one new blog to follow each week

25. Read postsecret.com with Dan on Sunday mornings for a month

26. Put away every fresh load of laundry right away for a month

27. Drink 96oz. of water a day for a month (to become a habit)

28. Clean out friends on Facebook once every 6 months. It’s okay to not be friends with everyone

29. Learn how to do fabulous eye makeup

30. Make the dogs homemade biscuits as a once-a-month treat for 6 months

31. Exercise 4 times a week for one month (to become a habit)

32. Paint 3 new pieces

33. Get one new tattoo I did it, I honestly don't remember when, though

34. Attend a blog gathering (TJs at PJs in February 2012 and 2013)

35. Go to two concerts (Poz and InfeKt - 12/2/11)

36. Write our will

37. Go to Europe That really just isn't going to happen. I'm replacing it with: Amass a collection of greeting cards to be on hand for any occasion

38. Go snow skiing with Dan

39. Invest in 4 quality classic clothing pieces

40. Spread infertility awareness publicly I'm well on my way. I've applied to be a a state legislation advocate and am waiting to hear back on how I'll be helping my community. I'm also "out" retty much everywhere, and take any opportunity I can to educate

41. Read three books related to infertility (Sweet Grapes, I'm Taking My Eggs and Going Home, Silent Sorority)

42. Find a way to support or be involved in proper sexual health education I'm working on this one too - I've expressed my desire to the RESOLVE people, and hope I can get into this somehow
43. Attend a food festival

44. Treat Dan to a sky diving session

45. Learn to shoot a pistol Completed. My dad gave a pistol he'd given to his father, and Dan taught me how to use it.

46. Write Dan an anniversary love letter every year

47. Celebrate the anniversary of our engagement with dinner and Wild Horse each year (2012, 2013, 2014)

48. Attend a Post Secret event

49. Learn to make headbands Completed 1-4-11, though I will continue to make other kinds

50. Floss daily for a month (to become a habit)

51. Do a 52-week picture challenge

52. Donate my bridesmaid dresses Completed January 2013

53. Go to Zoo Lights with our friends’ kids

54. Spend each Christmas Eve with Dan and find something fun and competitive to do together

55. Make a headboard (once we buy our new king sized bed)

56. Commit 3 random acts of kindness

57. Start a “pay it forward” in a Starbucks drive-thru Completed July 2012

58. Try one new recipe a week for two months

59. Compliment Dan each day for a month

60. Send two “just because” cards to friends each month for 6 months

61. Learn the moves of one Mortal Kombat character and then play and defeat Dan… by a lot. We seriously just don't play games together much, and this is just not really going to happen, since there are more productive things we can do together. I'm replacing it with: Do three big home projects from start to finish with Dan

62. Take my dad to a Rams game

63. Take my mom to a performance of some sort

64. Send a soldier a care package

65. Send 20 Christmas cards to soldiers each year (2011, 2012, 2013)

66. Watch the news daily for a month

67. Visit Seattle Completed February 2013

68. Visit Chicago Completed June 2012

69. Visit NYC in the winter

70. Buy and use a sewing machine My mother-in-law is giving me hers, so I won't be buying one, but I still have to learn to use it and make something. I'm thinking craft room curtains

71. Win the Christmas cubicle decorating contest at work (I may in trouble on this one, it seems as though they've done away with the contest. But let me assure you, my Advent Calendar of 2011 is a ginormous hit) I'm calling it a W

72. Do a staycation weekend in Arizona with Dan

73. Paint the living room

74. Throw an adult-like dinner party

75. Donate old clothes twice a year

76. Buy a motorcycle or have a 2 year plan at the end of 1001 days to buy one

77. Send a secret to Post Secret

78. Meet more blog friends (this one is sure to thrill Dan) Completed 3/29/12 when I met Shana

79. Learn more about wine

80. Do all my cooking for the week on Sundays for one month

81. Visit 3 farmer’s markets in the valley

82. See the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert

83. Volunteer baby-sitting services to our friends once a month so they can have a date night

84. Host Thanksgiving (2011 and 2012)

85. Find a dog park near the house and take the girls on Sunday mornings for a month

86. Get my Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving

87. Subscribe to and read a craft magazine for a year

88. Do 100 tweets a month for 3 months

89. Find a show to recap and stick with it for a whole season

90. Get a bigger dining room table

91. Do a major update of the music on my iPod This one might not happen. Now that I have my Kindle, I don't use my iPod. And I only wanted to revamp my music on the iPod so I would use it, but it seems to have been replaced with something I do use, and it has a lot of new music the iPod didn't. That kind of counts, right?

92. Get off blood pressure medication, if possible

93. Max out my HSA for my annual out-of-pocket limit in the event of catastrophic illness

94. Increase retirement savings percentage by at least 2%

95. Surprise Dan with new lingerie for at least one special occasion per year

96. Do my own oil changes for a year (it’s only 4)

97. Organize a cookie exchange

98. Try yoga

99. Take better care of my skin – I’m lucky now, but may not always be

100. Each year, find and buy a planner that functions well for me and use it regularly (2012, 2013, 2014)

101. Write a new list

You may notice there are quite a few that require longevity. I know that I'm not good at starting something and sticking to it when I get bored of it. I'm purposely including tasks I have to keep doing because I want to better myself in that way.

Do you have a 101 in 1001 list?