30 before I'm 30

originally i had this scheduled for a few days after my birthday. then came the foreclosure...the packing...the hospital stay...the flood. so i'm just a LITTLE late. :)

here's my 30 before i'm 30 list...30 things i want to accomplish and do before i turn 30 next march! none of these are earth-shattering huge things...but if the last few months have taught me anything it's that even the little things count.

truth be told, i hesitated at even posting this. it seems so...frivolous...after all that's happened just in the last few months. but something my smart boyfriend and his father pointed out to me as we were packing my stuff up for storage and moving is that i need "wins" right now. little ways to smile and acknowledge that i've accomplished *something* no matter how small.

so some of these are silly, some are fun, some are serious, and many are modified because at the time i first wrote this list i had no idea i'd be losing my house.

1. actually run an entire 5K (I've run/walked several now)

*modification due to asthma...run at least HALF a 5K. we'll work on the whole after that.
2. take a trip to Holiday World--i want to introduce A to a place that was fun for me as a kid!
3. visit at least one brand-new-to-me place
4. eat 3 fruits/veggies every day for a full month (0/30)
5. read 20 books (0/20)
6. volunteer at *something* at least 5 hours/month (2/12)
7. take one picture per day of my 29th year

*modification due to foreclosure, moving, hospital and flood...start a 365 photo album on january 1 next year like everyone else...and just attempt to take a picture every day for the remainder of this year to get used to that
8. try 30 new recipes (2/30)
9. fit into the majority of my professional wardrobe. This will require losing another 20ish pounds, but preferably 30-40. (3/20)
10. review 12 books in 12 months for le blog (0/12)
11. find and perfect a mojito recipe
12. grow a container herb garden
13. look into graduate programs and decide what to get my master's in (hopefully to be completed by age 35)
14. play the piano daily for a month (0/30)
15. begin practicing yoga again, up to 3x a week by my 30th birthday
16. have at least one meatless day a week
17. wear more hats because I love them
18. entertain at least once a month, whether that be a big party or another couple (can be at A's place or mine as long as I have at least 1/2 the responsibility) (2/12) *modification...cooking for A's family counts!
19. get my cds organized...oy
20. reorganize kitchen

(uh...does finding all the kitchen boxes and organizing THEM count?

*modification: find some space saving solutions at IKEA and implement them. Atlanta trip coming up in June)
21. go through wardrobe as I lose the weight and toss clothing that no longer fits into a box for clothing exchange/donation
22. have fresh flowers in the house weekly (from my own garden or an inexpensive bouquet from TJ's)
23. find a wreath for the front door that I love

(ok it's now a side door, but still)
24. once I get it, use the WiiFit at least 3x per week (usually more, especially once it gets cold!)
25. put at least 3 new pieces of jewelry in my Etsy shop per month
26. try at least one new ethnic food group
27. visit NYC
28. unless i'm out of town, keep up with the blogs in my google reader...because 300 unread blogs is NOT a good normal
29. take Emi to the vet for a check-up. it's been awhile...
30. complete a 30 in 30 list (because that's an accomplishment in itself--it's hard!)

Thursday's Ten: Thankfulness

As promised, we're doing this early so that everyone can do their Thanksgiving thing on Thursday!



Today's topic is simple. List ten things that you're thankful for.

If you're like me and trying to narrow it down...I'm going to skip all the normal "big stuff" like my health, my amazing boyfriend, God's grace, chosen family, music, and all that...and focus on some of the little things that I don't normally focus on. So, here's my list of little things I'm thankful for.

1. sweet tea, especially when I'm sick and nothing else in the world tastes good.
2. scarves
3. cuddling
4. tank tops and yoga pants
5. date nights
6. pretty food and beverages
7. the occasional bubble bath
8. beads and beading
9. calendars because I get to organize
10. pictures

There's so much to be thankful for--and so many "big things" on that list. But if I'm to be faithful in small things I should be thankful for those small things too, right?

Happy Thanksgiving all!
(grab the button and sign MckLinky to join up!)

Thursday's Ten -- Your Bucket List

Welcome to Thursday's Ten! Please link up or grab the button (and let me know so I can visit you) and write your top ten list! It can be about anything or nothing, what's going on in your life or 10 of your favorite things. Or you can go with the theme I've picked out.



So, I've been thinking a lot lately about goals. Some of them silly, some of them strange, some of them deep and real. I am planning to do a big "30 before I'm 30" year starting next March, so I guess this post is kind a precursor to that.

What's on your bucket list? The things you want to do before you leave this world? That's what Thursday's Ten is about this week.

(clearly there are more than 10 things that most of us want to do before we die...just pick out 10 to share!)

Here's mine:

Bucket List

1. Get married and have children
2. Visit Ireland
3. Volunteer at an eating disorder recovery center
4. Drive the coast of the western US in a convertible...from Washington to SoCal.
5. Become licensed to teach yoga
6. Take a cruise
7. Enroll in a ballroom dancing class
8. Run a marathon
9. Learn to swim
10. Attend an Inauguration

Please sign up on the linky or grab the button and let me know you're participating...see you on your blog!