what next?

Well friends, I made it.  All 30 goals were completed by my birthday, complete with a family getaway.  Thanks for all of your support in helping me get there.  It was really challenging to whip out all 30, especially since the day before my birthday I had my mom lined up to help me "sew something," and a friend take some pictures for my fb profile pic (which I felt insanely dorky doing) but it is done.

Here's to the next 30.

30 before 30 update

Warning: after taking the summer off from blogging this is one wordy post.

The countdown is on.  I have 2 weeks left ticking on the clock before the big birthday.  And as you know, I have been working hard for about a year for this to happen.  The big 30 before 30 list is nearly complete.

I have 25 goals accomplished.  25!  That still leaves me 5 to do, but I remain optimistic about them.  I will graduate to the next decade of my life as a successfully list-crosser-offer if it kills me.

And so, since some of you have been asking for updates here are the 25 complete items DONE.

(*I should mention that if you are one of my avid readers that followed along closely to my list that I have changed some goals.  No, I don’t consider this cheating because the replacement goals were done so because they still pushed me to reach a different potential.)

1. Put together a meal idea book.  This was probably the most productive goal that I benefit from every week.

2. Painted an oil painting to go over our stairwell in the entry way.  Bug even made the frame for it, bless him.

3. Met with Bugs aunt & uncle to peruse family photos.  Such a fun evening.  Love these dear people.  My next goal should be to do something with the photos they gave us.

4. Read the Book of Mormon.  And if you want to hear me brag: I did it in a month and a half.

5. Sold my first oil painting.  It was to a neighbor that has since become a dear friend as well…but I promise the friendship would have happened painting or no.

6. Saw the Little Mermaid in St. George this summer with my family.

7. Painted my kitchen cabinets. Why on earth did I pick a weekend my painting buddies were otherwise occupied? No matter, it is done.

8. Got new countertops in the kitchen & installed a new backsplash.  So excited about this one, especially since it included a new sink and gas stove top.  Both very much needed and appreciated.  You all really deserve a picture of this one.

9. Repurposed free standing jewelry box.  Love it.  Already couldn’t function with out it in our bedroom.

10. DI my clothes. Did this a while ago…probably time to do it again?

11. Printed off my blog for my mom

12. Sorted through every cupboard in my house. Now I know exactly how many towels, blankets and sheets we have.  Hooray for us.

13. Organized A’s room. 

14. Hosted a YW reunion dinner complete with homemade calzones.  Loved hanging out with the girls I dearly love and the leaders who were true friends.

15. Invited 4 new neighbors to dinner.  I specifically signed up for the neighborhood progressive dinner for this one, and was under a different impression on how this would go.  We ended up hosting 12 different couples for 3 different courses.  I feel I have satisfied this goal.

16. Host a craft party.  Amendment: Hosting Art night regularly for 3 months now.  I have 3 dear friends come with art supplies in tow, and we paint, sketch, and most importantly debrief about our roles as mothers.  This is hopefully a lasting tradition.

17.  Eat at least 1 serving fruit & veggies a day.  Amendment: I am much better than I used to be, but I made this goal a year ago and so to pick something more measureable, I made a dish with 2 foods I have no experience cooking with: Mango Quinoa Salad.  (Jenn thanks for the tip on this delicious recipe) I love mangos, but embarrassingly haven’t ever prepared one.  And the quinoa was ridiculously easy to prepare.  Yum

18. Go to Thanksgiving Gardens with Bug.  Have wanted to go with him for years, and finally made it happen.  Nothing beats a family picnic dinner in such a beautiful spot.

19. Updated my good reads profile.

20.  After much trial & error found my perfect shade of red lipstick.

21. Hung a picture of the temple in our house.  I am picky about what goes on my walls, but if the general authorities bring this topic up again for conference, I say: bring it on.

22. Take the South Temple Walking Tour.  This was definitely one of my more favorite goals to do. Bug and I just crossed this off on Labor Day, with the perfect cloud cover for a long walk we parked at 13^th east and walked to
    State Street
    , had lunch at the Lion House Pantry and walked back.  Such a beautiful part of our city so richly steeped in history.  Many thanks to a husband willing to go with me.

23. Consign something.  By now, my favorite consignment shop knows me by name.  And I am quickly finding myself addicted to this way of life.

24. Participate in a local flea market.  This one kicked my butt, but good things came out of it.  For example my most favorite pieces of art are now available as greeting cards.

25. Attended an author reading & signing event at a local bookstore.  The book store is so quaint, just like out of a scene from “You’ve Got Mail.”  It was fascinating to learn about the process an author goes through beginning with an idea and turning it into print.

As for the ones still to be completed:

1. Sew something.  My arch-nemesis.  I know what I want to sew…just need the materials and the discipline to do it.

2. Take a better facebook profile picture.  I hesitate putting this on here, because now you’re all going to remind yourself what mine is, and it’s terrible.  You could do me a big favor in the next 2 weeks if you see me looking particularly hot by taking my picture.  Because there are no pictures of me…I am the photographer, not the photographee.

3. Journal in the kid’s journal each month.  I just have September to do and I am done.

4. Watch all the shows on my BBC movie list.  This one has turned into a monster.  I originally started a year ago with 7 or 8 movies.  The list morphed into 17 since everyone had a great recommendation.  I have my last 3 movies on hold at the library and am anxiously awaiting the email telling me to come pick them up.

5. Be on vacation for my actual birthday.  Looks like this may happen.  Bug is in charge so I can’t give you the details, but it is requiring some finagling since my birthday is on a weekday.  So work will have to be skipped, and kids farmed out.  Darn.

And there you have it.  To recap in the next two weeks I’ll be watching movies and taking obnoxious pictures of myself.  Sounds like a great way to usher in a new decade of living.

Thanks to everyone for helping me thus far, and GOOD LUCK to all my friends involved in a similar project.

This has been so fun and rewarding…and challenging.  Glad I had the excuse to do something’s I otherwise never would have.

Wish me luck in the next few weeks.