101 (Round 2) Update

Hello All... All 6 of you. :) I've been working my way through several things on my list, concentrating mostly on the simple things that help me, as a stay-at-home mom, stay connected with the world.

Starting from the top:

6. George and I have been walking at least once a week. Lately, it's been inside the mall, but only because it's so cold here! I think he likes it, he smiles at everyone!

10. I'll admit, I've been doing alright with this lately because I've had no time to waste! Between traveling, holidays, getting ready for a new quarter of school, and working on some projects at home, I'm tapped. Oh yeah... I've been watching the little man too. :)

24. Gotta love Facebook for this one! Instead of just writing a generic "happy birthday," I've been trying to include a memory, an inside joke, or a specific wish for my friends and family. I hope that they realize I'm thinking about them even if we haven't connected in a while.

26. I love this one! This year instead of buying St. Nick's presents for each other, we bought 6 ducks through World Vision. They will be headed to a family in need and used for eggs, meat, and breeding. It's amazing how little it takes to make a difference in someone's life. Next year, we're aiming for a whole menagerie!

29. I've officially registered for my last classes as a college student and I've applied for graduation. Wish me luck on getting everything done and wrapped up in time!

34. Easy way to use less paper towels? Stop buying them. Ta-da!

88. I love postcrossing! So far, I've sent 10 postcards around the world- to people in the US, China, Canada, Taiwan, Turkey, the Netherlands, and more! I've also received 8 cards from around the world. It's so cool getting to hear about other people and how they live. The cards are beautiful and often written in other languages... it makes a mailbox full of bills much more friendly!

94. I've completed 4 MUA swaps already, with 3 more in process... this is such a good way to recycle cosmetics. For me, it's all about the nail polish. I've traded 10 polishes that I didn't like/didn't wear for 23 polishes that I've wanted to try. Of course, not every swap works out like that, but I was getting rid of some high-end polishes... who needs 'em!

The best thing about having these goals is that a lot of them don't require much time, effort, or energy- all things I'm pretty short on right now. And finally, I leave you a picture that represents what happens when I have a spare moment. 'Til next time!

Laura

Finally! My NEW 101 List:

Hello Again!

It's taken me a bit longer to finish this list than the last one, but this time around, I have a 4 month old son and a full class load. But never fear! I have valiantly plugged along, and now it is finished!

So, same rules apply:

The Challenge:
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 your part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple challenges such as New Year's resolutions or a 'Bucket List'. 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 organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips, study semesters, or outdoor activities.

You can find more info and view the lists of lots of other people at dayzeroproject.com.

On to the list!!

For all intents and purposes, my journey with this list began October 1st, 2011 and will be complete on June 28th, 2014. Again I have broken it into several different areas and this time around, I might have a secret goal or two...

Mental & Physical Health:

1. Lose weight. (while this goal itself doesn't have a set amount, other goals will give clearer signs as to where I want to end up)

2. Ask for help when I need it.

3. Try to relax more; it's only life. (I believe my husband will be able to tell me if this is a success or not!)

4. Get a flu shot each year. (0/3)

5. Eat a salad every day for a month, twice. (0/2)

6. Take George for a walk at least once a week. (0/143) For the record, George is my son, not an animal. :)

7. Fit into Old Navy size XL or L.

8. No candy for 1 week.

9. No cookies for 1 week.

10. Stop wasting so much time!

Spiritual Life:

11. Complete a Bible study with Matt.

12. Finish reading the Bible.

13. 15 minutes per day of devotional time (reading the Bible, praying, etc.) for at least half of the days. (0/501)

14. Complete a Bible study with Ben and Stephanie.

15. Pray daily with Matt and George.

16. Mature in my faith.

17. Teach George the Lord's Prayer.

Caring for Others:

18. Donate 100,000 grains of rice on freerice.org. (0/100,000)

19. Donate one scarf per year to Knit Your Bit. (0/3)

20. Donate at least one Christmas Box per year. (0/3)

21. Do 10 nice things for people, without them knowing. (0/10)

22. Give free manicures to teens for dances at least once a year. (0/3)

23. Donate money to postpartumprogress.com.

24. Send personalized birthday and anniversary messages to friends and family.

25. Write Matt a love letter.

26. Donate 1 animal per Christmas to World Vision. (0/3)

Education/Life Skills

27. Learn to drive stick.

28. Take a self-defense class.

29. Graduate college.

30. Get my CPR certification.

31. Learn to french braid.

Environmental:

32. Actually use the re-useable shopping bags!

33. Recycle.

34. Use less paper towels.

35. Have a garden next summer.

Financial:

36. Pay off credit cards.

37. Start a savings account.

38. Sell 20 items on Etsy in one year. (0/20)

39. Sell Matt's car.

40. Have 100 No Spending days, twice. (0/2)

41. Check our credit scores once per year. (0/3)

42. Save $5.00 for each task I complete.

43. Set up a budget, and STICK TO IT.

44. Shhh, it's a secret.

Creativity:

45. Take a young me, now me photo.

46. Start a nail polish blog.

47. Complete a cross stitch sampler.

48. Write a letter to myself to open in 10 years.

49. Dress up for Halloween twice. (0/2)

50. Complete a 31 Day Nail Challenge. (0/31)

51. Learn to crochet.

52. Get caught up with scrapbooking.

53. Send a secret to Postsecret.com.

54. Learn to make two more homemade soups. (0/2)

55. Furnish dollhouse, add inside door and attic stairs.

56. Journal at least once per week. (0/143)

57. Use my sewing machine to complete a project.

58. Take more family pictures.

59. Complete 25 creative writing prompts.

60. Try 10 new types of manicures. (0/10)

Travel:

61. Take a picture on the Brooklyn Bridge, holding a copy of A Tree Grows In Brooklyn.

62. Take a train somewhere.

63. Spend a weekend in Chicago with Matt and George.

64. See the Golden Gate Bridge.

65. Go on a hot air balloon ride.

66. Visit 5 new states. (0/5)

67. Visit Jeremy and Marissa in Italy.

68. Visit New York City.

69. Go on a BIG trip for our 10th wedding anniversary in 2013.

Culture, Mostly Pop: Music, Movies, and Books:

70. Buy new trivia books for the bathrooms. (0/2)

71. Find an original/very old copy of Joy in the Morning in a book store.

72. Complete 15 crossword puzzles, at least one hard. (0/15)

73. Go to 5 museums/art galleries. (0/5)

74. Make a list of 15 movies I want to see and watch them all. (0/1, 0/15)

75. Meet someone famous.

76. Go to a drive-in with Matt.

77. Listen to all 500 songs on the Rolling Stone's Greatest Song List (most recent edition). (0/500)

Misc.:

78. Go to an NFL game.

79. Go to an MLB game.

80. Re-learn and memorize all the state capitols. (0/50)

81. Learn and memorize the order of the US Presidents. (0/44)

82. Take George to the zoo.

83. Memorize George's SSN.

84. Wear each color of nail polish I have.

85. Buy living room furniture.

86. Print 1 new picture of George a month for a frame in the bedroom.

87. Re-do my Etsy shop.

88. Send 25 postcards through postcrossing.com. (0/25)

89. Organize pictures with Mom.

90. Brush Varmit once per week. (0/143)

91. Mow the lawn on a riding lawnmower without incident.

92. Put together a family recipe book.

93. Buy colorful rainboots.

94. Complete 10 MUA swaps. (0/10)

95. Shhh, it's another secret!

96. Get another tattoo.

97. Put together a list of Kolosovsky family contact information, birthdays, and anniversaries.

98. Write a letter to someone who changed my life.

99. Get a new digital camera, and learn to use all of the settings.

100. Have a rummage sale at the Inn.

101. Get a video camera.

There you have it! My new goals! I hope that they inspire you to reach for new things too.

Laura

Coming to the End...

Hello Everyone!

It has been 987 days since I started this endeavor. And it has been a journey indeed. I barely remember the person I was almost 3 years ago. So much has happened since then. Marriages, health issues, births, travels, adventures, misadventures, and everything in between. I've started writing a 2nd 101 list because even though this 1st list may not seem like a success in terms of what I finished and what I didn't, at least I was working towards some things. And in the past couple of years, this list has helped open the doors to a lot of wonderful people, places, and things.

Anyhow... time to update the first list for the final time. Stayed tuned for the new list, which I hope to have completed by September 30th, the final day for this list.

Overall Health (Mental & Physical):

1. Lose 5lbs. (45/5) That's right- 45 pounds! I lost it in a manner that I would never, ever recommend. I've kept it off for 2 months now.

2. Keep weight off for at least 12 months. (2/12)

3. Stand on the dock at Grandma Findlay's house at sunset and yell for any or no reason.

4. Try acupuncture.

5. Work out at least 3 times a week. (?/429) I'm not sure of the number, I don't think it's over 100 though. Something to strive for in the next list!

6. List 25 things I like about myself. (25/25) My hair; the beauty mark on my right collarbone; 90% of the time, my glass is more than 1/2 full; I never ever stop hoping; that Mamma Mia! makes me so happy I want to cry; I'm smart; I'm funny; I love my family; I'm creative; I have nice ears; I can paint my fingernails so well it looks professional; my voice; my name; my dreams; my goals; how I can remember song lyrics after only hearing the song once; my sarcasm...sometimes; my ability to put together puzzles; my handwriting; my love of nesting dolls; how easily entertained I am; my love of bad jokes; my choice of husband; my faith; and my CD mixes.

7. Do yoga at least once a week. (?/143) I did this at least 20 times, but again, something to work on for the next list... if I want to!

8. Try the couch to 5k program- start in the spring.

9. Get new glasses.

10. Take a dance class.

11. Ask for help if I need it. Never have I been more successful with this. Thank God!

12. Cut out red meat for two weeks. (doesn't have to be consecutive) (0/2)

13. Cut out bread for three weeks. (again, doesn't have to be consecutive) (0/3)

14. Eat only when I'm hungry. Taking a mulligan on this one- this doesn't work when you are pregnant or depressed.

15. Find better birth control.

16. Take a self-defense class.

17. Make a list of 100 things that make me happy. Optional, doodle them onto the craft room walls. (0/100)

Generosity:

18. Donate 1,500,000 grains of rice. (177,450/1,500,000) Fell a bit short... but I tried!

19. Help someone cross an item off of their 101 list. (within reason)

20. Donate blood at least three times. (3/3)

21. Be a Salvation Army bell ringer one season.

22. Tip the cost of the meal once.

23. Tip 50% of the meal twice. (0/2)

24. Donate at least one scarf a year to Knit Your Bit. (3/3)

25. Donate two Christmas Shoeboxes a year. (0/4)

Spiritual:

26. Complete two Bible/Spiritual book studies with a friend. (5+/2)

27. Read The Love Dare by Stephen Kendrick with Matt.

29. Make finding a church home a priority.

30. If we find a church, try joining the worship team. This didn't work out, but I did try it.

Skills/Education:

31. Take two lifelong learning classes at WTC. (2/2) Sadly, they were very boring. On the up side, they could be counted towards my degree.

32. Enroll in college and complete three semesters/quarters. (3/3) And then some! Only a couple more to go!

33. Learn to drive a stick shift well... no more bumpy first gear!

34. Learn to shoot a handgun.

35. Learn archery... learn to arch?

36. Become CPR certified.

37. Learn to french braid.

38. Learn to make origami cranes.

39. Learn to knit.

40. Make a better effort to learn Russian.

41. Learn to juggle.

For the Environment:

42. Use only cloth napkins.

43. Buy ten reusable shopping bags. (10/10)

44. Stop buying bagged salads, learn to make my own.

45. Find something better than plastic bottles to keep me hydrated.

Financial:

46. Use all tax returns to pay off credit card debt. (2/2)

47. Save $10 from each of my paychecks, and $20 from each of Matt's. (min. $50/month) Every $100 goes to credit card debt.

48. Make a budget with Matt, and stick to it! (2/30+)

49. Pay back J & K. ($500/$500)

50. Have 501 No Spending Days! (150/501) Oi! I'm so bad with this! I really want to include this on the next list and give it a better try.

Writing:

51. Write a letter to my future firstborn. Started 2/1/09 Still working on it.

52. Write a poem.

53. Send a secret to Postsecret.

54. Send five letters/postcards/care packages for no reason each year. (15/15)

55. Journal at least once a week. (143/143)

56. Send Ella and Eli a letter once a month. (3/30+)

57. Write better descriptions for all my Etsy listings.

58. Keep a dream journal.

Travel:

59. Visit Jeremy in D.C.

60. Take a picture of myself on the Brooklyn Bridge, holding a copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

61. Take a road trip with no destination.

62. Ride a train somewhere.

63. Go on a hot air balloon ride.

64. Visit Betty Smith's grave with mom.

65. Go to Six Flags with a group of friends for my 26th birthday.

66. Visit five new states. (0/5)

67. Mule the Grand Canyon.

68. Chase a storm.

69. Visit Anna in London, and go to at least two other countries while there. Part done, part still working on it!

Music, Movies, & Books:

70. Clean up my Ipod- remove every song I don't like!

71. Get rid of all VHSs, replace with DVDs.

72. Get new trivia books for both bathrooms. (0/2)

73. Watch every episode of Freaks & Geeks. (18/18)

74. See The Weepies in concert. A great big YAY!

75. Find a hardcover copy of Joy in the Morning in an antique store.

76. Convince someone of the awesomeness that is Abba.

77. Find five new songs/musicians/groups each year that affect me (i.e. make me so happy or so sad or so etc... perhaps something I can listen to over and over again.) (15/15) The Call, Regina Spektor; Baba O'Riley, The Who; Dust in the Wind, Kansas, Defying Gravity, Kerry Ellis; Petra Haden; Whatever It Takes, The Faders; Many the Miles, Sara Bareilles; Matt the Electrician; Poker Face, Lady Gaga; Waking Up in Vegas, Katy Perry; Be My Thrill (album), The Weepies; You Make My Dreams, Hall & Oates; Hallelujah, Kate Voegele; The Runaways; Tuesdays Gone, Lynyrd Skynyrd.

78. Read at least two new-to-me books a week from the library. (286/286)

79. Read Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead.

80. See the musical Wicked. Twice!

81. Read the Twilight series.

82. Make and keep a movie for insurance purposes. Started 1/23/09 Last Updated 12/09

83. Watch all the movies we have that I haven't seen yet. Done!!

Misc.:

84. Complete (with no outside help) fifteen crossword puzzles. Can be any level, but one must be hard. (4/15) 3 Easy, 1 Medium

85. Complete (finally!!!) my hot air balloon puzzle.

86. Organize childhood photographs with mom.

87. Finish refurbishing dollhouse- including furniture.

88. Brush Varmit once a week. (?/143) This kind of got derailed during my pregnancy and now with a newborn.

89. Make someone's day.

90. Limit computer time to two hours a day, four out of seven days a week. (?/572) Epic fail! Again, something I should really strive for... may be easier after I stop going to school online. :)

91. Complete Keri Smith's 100 ideas. (0/100)

92. Buy big happy rain boots and go puddle jumping.

93. Dye my hair red.

94. Wear false eyelashes on a regular day... extra points if they're sparkly. Glue allergy... enough said.

95. Scrapbook at least five hours a month. (0/175)

96. Try eggplant.

97. Buy a new nude bra.

98. Submit a photo to bestkisses.com.

99. High-five five strangers in non-athletic venues. (1/5) 1/28/09 High-fived a guy at the counter at the Barnes & Noble Cafe... he was quoting my favorite poem!

100. Reconnect with my Kolosovsky family. Still working on this, but it's been going well!

101. Find the best tattoo artist in the state (or tri-state area) and have them do my little red dragon.

There you have it- 42 completed, with 20 others that I have started. So, 62 out of 101. Not bad! Wish me much luck on the next one.

Laura