101 List update

Health and Wellness
1. Lose enough weight to be in my BMI target range.
3. Go vegan for 2 weeks I'm very close to actually being able to do this. I've been researching veganism and the baking doesn't sound so impossible, something I was scared of before. Now to just start loving tofu more.
17. Try at least 5 fruits and 5 vegetables I've never tried before SO FAR I’VE TRIED A POMMELO AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS. LIKED THEM BOTH.
18. Exercise 30 minutes a day (weekdays) for at least one month
16. Drink nothing but water for a week
27. No fast food for one full month (even for kids) I GOT TWO WEEKS INTO THIS AND THEN CAVED. STARTING OVER.
92. Follow Tio's diet for one week - I have decided to just pay for this one. There is no way I can go from a carb-heavy vegetarian to his meat-heavy diet. It just won't work for me!
53. Take tennis lessons
83. Stop drinking soda entirely
84. Have acupuncture done
86. Complete the Couch to 5k program
100. Abstain from sweets for one entire week

Spiritual/Faith

4. Finish reading the Bible (as of start date, NT has been read)
6. Start journaling again I'm so pleased to be journaling again. It's amazing how therapeutic this is. 5/30/08
11. Take a seminary class that I will enjoy. I have not started the class, but in doing a little research, I found out that Covenant Seminary in St. Louis allows you to listen to the class--no homework and no papers to write! (Tho I want to write, just not have a deadline!) I will date this when I actually take the class, tho.
23. Read the Bible daily for at least one month (can include #4)
29. Pray for immediate family and friends daily for one month
37. Finish my Banner Pole of Remembrance
61. Read the holy book of another world religion
73. Memorize ten of my meaningful "life" verses/passages
93. Initiate and tell one person why I am a Christian
98. Find a church to join I visited B's church this past Sunday and enjoyed it a lot, so maybe a step in the right direction?

General

2. Go to a "hot" beach (during warm weather!)
5. Go 1 week with no television
10. Finish the 1000 Challenge to get rid of 1000 things in my home (as of start date, 500 things remain) I'm currently on 830 items gotten rid of-no date til 1000 things are gone. END OF NOVEMBER '08 1000 THINGS GONE!!!!!!!!!!
12. Grow and maintain a veggie patch (current tomato plants do not count)
14. Bake bread on a weekly basis (this only counts when I have successfully done it for at least 2 months in a row)
15. Train Pele in obedience
19. Take a full spa day
20. Buy lingerie
21. Get fully dressed every day for at least a month I started this one off well, and had a whole week under my belt, but then I lost stamina after the move. I'm going to start over.
22. Get my teeth professionally whitened
24. Get my nose pierced
25. Build something (a bookcase?)
26. Knit something for myself I found a pattern that I love and am going to make when I finish Helen's and Joelle's baby sweaters!
28. Find a wine that I actually like (will take suggestions!)
30. Finish knitting that silly pair of socks worked a few more rounds, but still have a long way to go, and I'm still on sock #1
31. Learn to sew 5 practical things
32. Buy a bed and a living room set
33. Wake up before the kids by 15 minutes every day for 2 weeks
34. Buy an original painting to hang in my home
35. Travel internationally for 30th birthday
36. Take pottery lessons
38. Bring no plastic into our home for one month
42. Learn to whistle with my fingers (loudly!)
43. Ask the Chef at Automatic Slim's for a recipe I love (if he says no, ask another professional chef) Dang! We moved from M-town, so I'm either going to do it when I visit or find another restaurant I love. HOWEVER, I DID GET ANOTHER RECIPE FROM A DIFFERENT CHEF AT CAYENNE MOON FOR HIS REMOULADE SAUCE. YUM.
44. Read 10 books I currently own but have not read 1. Shepherding a Child's Heart. 2. Velvet Elvis. 3. Blue Like Jazz. 4. Ascension 5.
45. Get my children's clothing line going been doing a LOT of thinking about this.. from names, to ideas, to designs...
50. Research and narrow down which home-(un-)schooling method I want to use - ONGOING
51. Utilize nothing but the farmer's market for family produce needs for one full month
52. Change the oil in my car one time
59. Make a family tree or trace my genealogy
60. Replace at least 3 cleaners with environmentally friendly versions (for home or body) USING AN ALL NATURAL WINDOW CLEANER AND BAKING SODA/VINEGAR TO WASH COUNTERS. I PLAN ON BUYING SOAP FROM A WAHM FOR MY OWN SKIN NEEDS.
67. Go ice-skating
70. Go camping as a family (if we have small babies, then camp in the backyard)
71. Design and bake a wedding-worthy cake
72. Pose nude for a photo shoot (after goal weight is achieved)
75. Minimize energy consumption by only using clothes line, no lights before 6 pm, etc.
77. Change ten bad habits into good habits I am currently trying to stop cussing. I would like to change that into being a better encourager. TRYING TO STOP SLEEPING IN AND FULFILL MY GOAL TO WAKE UP BEFORE THE KIDS.
79. Bake a perfect souffle
80. Try 5 cheeses I've never tried (even if I don't think I like it) This may not seem like it counts, but I have tried cottage cheese, which I grew up hating even tho I'd never even tasted it. It was ok. I CANNOT REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE CHEESE, BUT I WAS AT WHOLE FOODS AND TASTED SOMETHING THAT LOOKED LIKE CAMEMBERT BUT WAS MUCH MELTIER… IT WAS SOOO GOOD!
81. Go to and play at a casino
82. Make limoncello
87. Ride a real roller coaster-no kids!
101. Take voice lessons
46. Finish quilting my square

Relationships
7. Go on a weekend getaway with no kids
8. Go 1 week without getting on the computer. FIRST WEEK OF NOVEMBER! DONE!
54. Go to lunch with a friend once a month for 4 non-consecutive months Had lunch with Amy. Had coffee with Christina. SINCE MOVING THIS HAS BEEN DIFFICULT SO WHEN I MAKE NEW FRIENDS, I WILL JUST BE PROACTIVE IN HANGING OUT WITH THEM AND GETTING TO KNOW THEM.
55. Learn to and play a video game with Hunny.
68. Plan a romantic night for Hunny, and surprise him with it once a month 6/22/08 8/9/08
90. Become proficient in non-violent communication I've been learning to deal with some of Bear's obstinance by redirecting and helping him to put his feelings into words. ONGOING.
91. Study and understand Generalized Anxiety Disorder found an excellent website with great information. Already feel more compassionate towards Hunny and understanding his needs/fears. 6/29/08
94. Write a letter to mom I sent her a jar of peach preserves and a note. She didn't respond. 7/14/08
89. Spend a night at the Peabody or the Madison for anniversary

Financial
9. Save $1 a day, saving $1,001 by the end of the challenge I had saved about 20 bucks and then spent it all. I didn't build in a consequence for this... uh oh. new update: still no money.
78. Start a savings account for Bear and Bunkin Hunny started this 8/24/08
85. Cut my college loan debt in half. WE ONLY HAVE A THIRD TO GO! SO HALF IS DOWN, AND A BIT MORE TO GO. AMAZING.

Community
39. Practice acts of kindness for a full day (pay for an expired meter, pay for the next person's coffee, etc) 5x
40. Take a daily walk, picking up trash along the way, for one week
41. Walk (or run) for a cause (March of Dimes, Susan G. Komen)
47. Continue growing my hair and donate to Locks of Love Does anyone know if it is true that your hair can be dyed but not bleached? b/cs right now I have some bleach streaks left over from my purple highlights.. if that is the case, I need to cut my hair before growing out. WELL I TRIED TO DONATE IT, BUT B/CS OF THE BLEACHED STREAKS, I WAS NOT ABLE TO. SO MY HAIR HAS BEEN CUT AND IF I CAN GROW IT OUT AGAIN, I’LL TRY TO DONATE IT AGAIN. (Nov '08)
48. Meet at least 4 neighbors, and pursue conversations at least 2 more times each talked with one neighbor after giving him herbs, but we moved after that. Will have to start over in our new neighborhood. NEW HOUSE UPDATE: MET ONE NEIGHBOR SO FAR.
56. Send a birthday card to all immediate family and friends for a full year
64. Research how to join (and if I qualify, join) a bone marrow donor registry
69. Rescue a pet from a shelter (if we have small babies, then donate money instead) RESCUED SUGAR FROM HER KILL DATE.
74. Research how to donate breastmilk and if there is a local bank
76. Have a conversation with a homeless person/volunteer at a soup kitchen
96. Buy a TWLOHA shirt to support that cause got my shirt!! 6/08
97. Find a friend or group with which to barter services B AND I ARE GOING TO TRADE BABYSITTING SERVICES.
95. Buy 25 flowers for 25 random strangers

Enrichment/Learning
62. Read the rest of Shakespeare's plays (those not read in college)
63. Learn calligraphy well enough to nicely address envelopes
65. Learn to identify 10 (local) birds by sight and sound
66. Re-memorize the times tables (no laughing at me! I need to!)
57. Re-learn Spanish (become conversational again) This is only a start, but I had a short conversation with a mujer in the laundromat! NOW I’M SPEAKING SPANISH TO HER KIDS REGULARLY—KIDS MAKE THE BEST TEACHERS!
58. Read a book in Spanish13. Read classic works of fiction every couple of months (list to be determined). REREAD FAHRENHEIT 451.
49. Be able to identify 3 non-Dipper constellations
88. Rewrite a college paper and submit for publication in a journal
99. Get pregnant! (After goal weight has been reached and if Hunny agrees to it!) DUE AUG ’09. J GOAL WEIGHT NOT MET, BUT WORKING ON A HEALTHY PREGNANCY ANYWAY.