Coming up on the 1 year mark

Pretty soon it is going to be one year since I started my 101 Things in 1001 Days. So far I have 32 things checked off the list, that is about 1/3! Not bad! I have a feeling that we won't be completing the whole thing due to monetary issues but that's not going to keep us from trying to doing what we can, when we can. Over the next year I hope we can do more than last year, maybe 40-50 things! We'll see though! :0)

# 69

69. Bake my own bread

I made rosemary focaccia the other day and it was delish! Even more surprising is it was EASY!

Did more than I thought lately!! 5 down!

37. Get window treatments for the kitchen- I just got these in the mail today! I think they look really nice, but they still need to grow on me. Hopefully they help with the cold those windows let in!
43. Clean and organize the guest room- Everything is out of there except baby things! And we got the carpet in the professionally cleaned! Woot!
66. Go through all my clothes and donate the ones I no longer wear/need- Tonight I created a pile that is HUGE just from extra clothes from the closet, looking at the pile and looking back in the closet it's a miracle it all fit.
68. Have my neighbors over for dinner- They are over for dinner all. the. time. now! So fun!
88. Get new frame for Jason's uncle's painting- We got the painting custom framed with a 60% off coupon, even with 60% off it was still $80! Sheesh!

#62 and #70

62. Get carpets professionally cleaned
70. Make a friend a birthday cake from scratch

The carpets were done yesterday to a tune of $322. Yikes.

I also made a randow birthday cake for my neighbor for her surprise party. It turned out quite colorful and quite pretty! I was proud! Except that it didnt have enough icing because I ran out, oh well, it was still yummy!

Just did a quick count

I have 24 things done! About a quarter of the way there, and there is still a lot of time left, hopefully I can accomplish the whole list!

3 down!

35. Go on a road trip
41. Go hiking with Jason
82. Research Denver and Colorado Springs, figure out which we are going to move to

We just got back from a trip to Colorado! Denver more specifically and while we're still planning on checking out Colorado Springs we thing the Denver area is it! We went hiking around a mountain lake and had a great time in general!

# 23

23. Organize my photo's on my external hard drive

This took me about two weeks! Sheesh! I consolidated all photos from three computers, burned all to DVD's (took about 6 4.5G DVD's!) and backed them all up onto my external hard drive. That is a HUGE weight off my chest! I would never have forgiven myself if I lost all Ethan's baby pictures when I've been meaning to back things up way over a year now!

3 more down!!!

3. Take a class in photography
4. Learn Photoshop
7. Buy an excellent (professional) camera

I am currently a couple weeks into my photography and editing classes!! It is so exciting and so, so fun! (but very overwhelming at times!) I'm so pumped about what Im going to learn this semester!
And the most exciting thing?? I got my just released Nikon D300s a couple days ago! WOOOOOT!!!! Let the fun begin!!

# 28

28. Get a couples massage with Jason

We did this yesterday and it was fabulous!! We got 60 minute massages and 30 minute feet treatments! Pure Bliss!!

#42

42. Write letters to Ethan as he grows up for him to read once he's older

I just finished my first letter, I started it around his birthday, LOL. My plan is to write one maybe every 6 months, but definitely every year. I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with them yet, I'm thinking maybe put them into seperate envelopes and then into a memory box to give him when he's older. 16? 18? 21? When he has a baby?? I don't know, but I have time to think about it!

#59

59. Get new TV for master bedroom

YAY!! We just bought a new 40 inch 1080p flat panel for the bedroom! We are so excited, though I think Jason is more excited than I am, haha. It should be here in a few days!

# 60 and #61- DONE!

60. Put ceiling fan in Ethan's room
61. Put ceiling fan in guest room

This week we have crossed off quite a few 'things'! It's very exciting for me! We bought fans at Lowe's for Ethan's room and the guest room/future nursery. We installed Ethan's yesterday (it looks soo nice!) and the guest room one is all there but wanting to be put up. Yay!

# 81

81. Get a video monitor

I just ordered a digital video monitor! I'm so excited for it to get here! Can't wait to see what Ethan's doing in his crib when I hear him 'talking' before bed. :0)

# 25 and # 34

25. Create a college savings account for Ethan
34. Have professional photos taken of Ethan, Jason and myself

I started a savings account for Ethan! There's not much in it, but hey, at least it's created! We also had pictures taken of all of us last month, finally! Took me long enough to get that set up!

# 6

6. Get pregnant with baby #2

DONE!!! :0)
I'm PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2 under 2... Wow!

7.23.09- No heartbeat. So step 6 is/was done, though now we have to 're-do' it. :0( I miss my baby.

Was learn to sew on my list??

If not (which I don't think it is) it should be! Because that's what I'm doing! I'm still learning soo much, but here's my first (pain in the ass) project! I have titled them Crazy Cats for many reasons, some of those reasons being I was crazy to make them my first project and they look down-right goofy!

Inspiration book and picked fabric.



Starting the cutting!



Stiiiiillllllll cutting and embroidering.... (Did I mention I'm making SIX?!)



Starting to sew!! Ears, nose and feet!!



Cute little face! :0)



After the two sides were sewn together, in the turning process, I thought it looked like a piece of gum!



Almost done! Just need to sew his heiny closed. (With a hand stitch I dont know how to do therefore he still has a hole in his butt!)



:0)

# 32

32. Make new friends!

I actually did this!! I joined a local Mom's Club and the ladies and kids that are involved are amazing! I'm so happy to be able to get out of the house a couple times a week and talk with other SAHM's, I love it!!

# 3, 4 and 7!

3. Take a class in photography
4. Learn Photoshop
7. Buy an excellent (professional) camera

In progress!!! I'm enrolled in a photography class and an editing class this fall!! I'm also doing everything I can to save up for a nice DSLR before these classes start! I'm so excited!!

Almost there!

63. Sell extra wedding decor

I sold most of it today!! I still have some flowers and candles but I'm hoping I can sell those soon! I'm hoping it'll all total to $500. I sold the stuff today for $360 so I'm getting close! Wish me luck on selling the rest!

Bulk Post- 3 more down!

65. Make something handmade for Ethan
84. Learn to knit
89. Baby proof the house

I'm learning to sew and I made a 'crazy cat' for Ethan! It's a stuffed goofy looking kitty! I think I did okay for it being my first sewing project!
I also learned to knit! Nothing fancy like Bio, but a nice and simple knit and purl stitch are now easy things in my bag of tricks!
Baby-proofing the house... well, we did that. But its a never ending job, just when you think you're done he's found his way into something else, or a way around our baby-proofing. Smart little booger!

I will update this post later with some pictures!!

Here they are! (Turns out I'm updating this waay later! LOL)

The scarf I'm knitting- that I havent touched in about 2 months :0(



I'm not crazy about the color but my MIL loves it so maybe she'll get it!



And my something homemade for Ethan- A Crazy Cat!



Yes, he farting because I haven't sewn his butt closed yet!

# 16- In progress!

16. Pay off all current debt except mortgage

We've got a really good plan and we're knocking things out! My student loan- PAID OFF. We already own all three of our cars, so now we just have three things left! One of them should be done within the next two months or so! Woot!

Things look a little different??

New site, same blog! In short, Blogger deleted my blogs, for the entire story why, go Here.

I had a back-up of this blog already (don't know why I didn't of my personal blog!) so I'm back, I'll soon do an update of the progress I've made on some of my 'things'!

# 80

80. Fix Jason's truck (Feb. 8, 2009)

Woot! This was actually a painful one. We took the truck in knowing that it would be expensive, so we saved up for it and knew we had our tax refund coming just in case it ended up being more. It needed the rear main seal fixed, which involved taking out the entire engine (sounds like I know what I'm talking about, huh?!....well I don't, lol, so don't freak out!) Soo into the shop it goes, then we get a call, of course, the clutch needs to be replaced because it has burn spots on the plate, Mmmkay. The owner of the shop was super nice and offered to put in the new clutch for the cost parts only because the engine was already out (normally about $600-700 labor alone!) So we think that is a good deal though the clutch kit is another $350. *sigh* Oh well, we finally go and pick it up to a tune of over $1400... that really hurt! We don't even drive the truck unless we're going camping/hiking/offroading, none of which we do much of anymore because of little E, but it needed to be fixed, and now it is! So #80, CHECK!

2 for 1!

#46 and #48! (Jan. 13, 2009)

46. Go to a movie in the theater
48. Have a date night with Jason at least once every two months

Jason and I had a wonderful date night last night! We took Ethan and he stayed the evening with his uncle Ian while Jason and I did dinner and a movie.
First we went and saw Marley and Me, I thought it was a very cute movie and totally made me cry! Jason said it made his throat hurt, LOL. We had a great time, it was nice just to sit and relax and not have to worry about anything.
After that we went back to his brother's to change for dinner, which was awesome because we got to see E in the middle of our date! We we came in and Pete, Ian's roommate who is a doctor had Ethan sitting on his bed tearing up a magazine while he read him the physiology of the stomach... he loved it, he's going to be a smart kid! ;0)
After we changed we went to Scalo, a really nice Northern Italian place. We had a mussel appetizer, then I had spinach and ricotta ravioli in a sage cream sauce, and tiramisu for dessert, my fav! I love my husband so, so much and it was nice to have a little one on one time with him! Can't wait to have more date nights!

ONE DOWN!

You're going down # 91, you're going DOOOWWWNN!!!! (Jan. 6, 2009)

91. Buy a new battery for my laptop

Wanna know the best part?? We didn't have to pay for it! We finally caved this morning and decided to order my new laptop battery since I start school at the end of the month and since my computer only stays on about 10 minutes if you unplug it. Not awesome. So Jason looks online to see how much they are... $150?! Holy crap! He keeps looking and sees there has been a battery recall (from about 2-3 years ago, LOL) and we qualified for it! WOOT! So now we have a FREE brand new battery in the mail! So awesome to save $150 and soo awesome to knock something off the list! This is fun!

My List-

In no particular order-

1. Figure out what I want to do educationally!

2. Learn to quilt

3. Take a class in photography
4. Learn Photoshop
5. Keep up with printing out and albuming Ethan's pictures
6. Get pregnant with baby #2
7. Buy an excellent (professional) camera
8. Finish painting the house
9. Decorate the master bedroom
10. Get a new bed and bedding
11. Create patio out front 
12. Build covered porch in the back

13. Start a small garden

14. Go on a cruise with Jason
15. Take Ethan to a theme park
16. Pay off all current debt except mortgage
17. Learn how to wake board
18. Go snowboarding at least 3 times
19. Buy a new SUV
20. Tile the bathrooms
21. Tile the kitchen

22. Landscape the front yard

23. Organize my photo's on my external hard drive
24. Print out and organize my recipes
25. Create a college savings account for Ethan
26. Have a vacation planned for somewhere in Europe
27. Let Ethan have dessert for breakfast on a special occasion
28. Get a couples massage with Jason
29. Get a pedicure
30. Buy a new energy efficient washer and dryer
31. Double our emergency fund
32. Make new friends
33. Go camping with Jason
34. Have professional photos taken of Ethan, Jason and myself
35. Go on a road trip
36. Frame more pictures for around the house
37. Get window treatments for the kitchen
38. Read 5 non school related books (5/5)
39. Get better at shooting my gun

40. Go for a walk with Jason, Ethan and the dogs when we are having nice weather

41. Go hiking with Jason
42. Write letters to Ethan as he grows up for him to read once he's older
43. Clean and organize the guest room
44. Visit the ocean
45. Go bowling
46. Go to a movie in the theater
47. Organize the office (with more bookshelves, etc)
48. Have a date night with Jason at least once every two months (1/15)
49. Get a hot stone massage
50. Volunteer somewhere
51. Learn to type properly
52. Watch the sunset at least 5 times (0/5)
53. Research elementary school's for Ethan
54. Look into private schooling
55. Send out Christmas cards
56. Go to a concert
57. Plant a tree
58. Renew my passport with my married name
59. Get new TV for master bedroom
60. Put ceiling fan in Ethan's room
61. Put ceiling fan in guest room
62. Get carpets professionally cleaned
63. Sell extra wedding decor (SOLD 2/3's of it, now for the last 1/3!)
64. Visit two states I've never been to
65. Make something handmade for Ethan
66. Go through all my clothes and donate the ones I no longer wear/need
67. Send a message in a bottle
68. Have my neighbors over for dinner
69. Bake my own bread
70. Make a friend a birthday cake from scratch
71. Try sushi
72. Eat pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner
73. Make a new tradition
74. Recycle more
75. Write a love letter to my husband
76. Create a family night
77. Take a cooking class
78. Go stargazing
79. Get Lasik for Jason's eyes
80. Fix Jason's truck
81. Get a video monitor
82. Research Denver and Colorado Springs, figure out which we are going to move to
83. Have breakfast in bed
84. Learn to knit

85. Get new bookshelves for the living room

86. Get my wedding dress preserved
87. Finish wedding guest page album
88. Get new frame for Jason's uncle's painting
89. Baby proof the house
90. Get new counter tops in the kitchen
91. Buy a new battery for my laptop
92. Have at least 4 weekends away with Jason (0/4)
93. Make several fancy dinners for Jason, Ethan and myself
94. Buy more fresh, organic produce
95. Put closet organizing system in guest room
96. Paint guest room
97. Get a physical exam to try and find the reason for my back pain
98. Try to find a super part time job to help accomplish all these tasks!
99. Donate $4.00 to charity for each task that isn’t completed (charity- animal shelter of some sort.)
100. As I complete each task, write about my accomplishments, set-backs,
experiences, etc.
101. Make a new list of 101 Things to Do by the time my 1001 days are done

January 1, 2009 - September 28, 2011.

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

This is what I am going to do! I still need to compose my list but am very excited to do so! I think this is a way better idea that the traditional New Years Resolution. Wish me luck!