Saturday, January 31, 2015

101 in 1001, Round 2 - Update 2

In addition to completing the "host a crock-pot party" task on my 101 in 1001 list, I've also started several other activities.

Organizing my computer files/Organize digital photos.  I've been working on this since the new year hit and have made quite a bit of progress.  The documents (Word files, Excel spreadsheets) haven't been causing too much trouble but boy oh boy do I have a mess with my photos!  So many photos and so many duplicates (and then more duplicates) of a ridiculous amount of pictures.  I've already deleted THOUSANDS of photos and I still have a long way to go.  It's so much easier to stay on top of things than have to go back and work through it all; why do I never remember this at the present time?

Complete a 1000-piece puzzle by myself.  I started my puzzle this past Sunday.  I've made a lot more progress than I thought I would after seven days of working on it and have actually had more fun than I thought I would.  There's definitely something satisfying about finding two pieces that click together just right!  (Yes, nerd alert!)


Learn how to embroider/Learn how to crochet/Learn how to knit.  I ordered this book last week (totally old school - copyright 1979 with that lovely aged smell!) and all 685 pages arrived this week.  I have not yet dived into this wealth of information but I'm excited that I have this valuable tool at my fingertips when I am ready to get started my stitching endeavors.  Hopefully that will be real soon!


Watch an entire television series from beginning to end.  I've borrowed the Sex and the City series from a friend and since I haven't seen very many episodes it will almost be like starting a brand new show!

101 in 1001, Round 2 - Update 1

I have officially crossed a task off my 101 in 1001 list!

Last Saturday I invited a few friends over and we enjoyed stuffing our faces with soups, dips, little smokies, macaroni and cheese, and even caramel peanut butter hot fudge cake out of crock-pots.  It was a great evening full of delicious food and wonderful company.  I may have to make this an annual event!



I forgot to take a photo of one other crock-pot and that bothers me (probably a little too much)!  Yes, I know, it's ridiculous and I need to get over it but just in case you were wondering it was a pretty red Crock-Pot brand slow-cooker.


The food was so delicious that none of these lovely ladies even seemed to notice me standing on a chair to get this picture.


Happy hostess at the end of the evening.


Tuesday, January 13, 2015

101 in 1001 - Round 2

Several years ago I discovered the 101 in 1001 challenge: complete 101 tasks in 1001 days.  I created a list, completed some of the items on the list, and then slowly but surely forgot about the list - the exact thing I said I wasn't going to do!  I'm extremely disappointed that I abandoned my first list so I decided to make it up to myself by creating another list (many items from the first list are now on this list) and I'm determined to stick with the challenge this time.


101 in 1001
Start: 12:00am January 1, 2015
End: 12:00am September 28, 2017


ACTIVITIES (12)
Organize my computer files
Revamp my blog
Blog 101 days in a row
Complete the 100 Happy Days challenge: Completed June 2, 2015 - September 9, 2015
Make three recipes from my "Yummy!" Pinterest board
Try one thing from my "Let's Give it a Whirl!" Pinterest board
Participate in an Instagram challenge
Learn one new piano song
Learn how to style my hair in a new way
Use the roaster we received as a wedding gift
Make a pie on pi day

ARTS & CRAFTS (7)
Complete three arts/crafts from Pinterest
Complete one embroidery project
Complete one crochet or knitting project
Complete one paper quilling project
Complete one piece of origami
Turn my handwriting into a font
Give my scrapbooking desk a facelift

BOOKS & MOVIES (23)
Complete one book folding activity
Read The Book of Awesome
Read The Book of (Even More) Awesome
Read the Book of Holiday Awesome
Read a memoir: Completed August 2015
Read a classic novel
Read a book series
Read all novels written by an author
Reread a book I don't remember
Reread the Harry Potter series
Read a book from my childhood
Spend a lunch break reading in the park
Read 101 books during this challenge
Keep a list of all the books I read during this challenge
Read one Christmas novel each Christmas season of this challenge - Christmas 2015; Christmas 2016
Read a novel then watch the movie
Watch a documentary
Watch a classic movie
Watch a movie series
Rewatch a movie I don't remember
Watch the Harry Potter movies after reading the series
Watch 25 Christmas movies from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Day each Christmas season of this challenge
Watch an entire television series

FAMILY & FRIENDS (9)
Go on a strudel ride with dad
Make cheesebuttons with mom
*Sissy*
*Mitch*
Make dog treats for Crickett
Host a crock-pot party - Completed 01.24.15
Send three pieces of fun, "just because" mail
Give three handmade gifts
Give three handmade cards

FIRSTS (7)
Whiten teeth
Try dry shampoo
Try acupuncture
Play bingo at a bingo hall
Go snowshoeing
Ride a horse
Get a tattoo

HEALTH & WELLNESS (12)
Complete a walk-to-run program
Run a 5K
Run a 10K
Run a half-marathon
Complete the one-hundred push-ups challenge
Complete the one-fifty dips challenge
Complete the two-hundred sit-ups challenge
Complete the two-hundred lunges challenge
Complete the two-hundred squats challenge
Become flexible enough to touch my toes
Go for a run while on a trip/vacation
Bike to work at least once

NORTH DAKOTA (12)
Walk/run/bike a trail in town that I've never been on before
Volunteer at the local humane society
Volunteer at the library's used book sale
Attend the Holiday Home Walk
Attend a local Symphony-Orchestra concert
Visit the new Heritage Center
Visit the former Governor's Mansion
Ride the Lewis and Clark Riverboat
Travel the Highway 21 Treasure Hunt
Travel the Enchanted Highway
Visit Dickens Village

PHOTOGRAPHY (15)
Start and complete Project 365
Organize and scan film photos
Organize digital photos
Read "point and shoot" manual
Read DSLR manual
Photograph three North Dakota towns
Work my way through my Photoshop tutorial book
Read Photo Idea Index
Read Photo Idea Index: People
Read Photo Idea Index: Places
Read Photo Idea Index: Things
Create and complete my own photo-of-the-day challenge
Take a fun perspective photo
Recreate an old photograph
Have a professional family picture taken

RANDOMOSITY (3)
Buy new glasses
Thank an employee for great service and notify the manager

Monday, January 5, 2015

Word of the Year, 2015 Edition

I've decided to jump on the "word of the year" bandwagon.  I love the idea of having a single word help guide you through the year, something to focus on when you need inspiration or a simple reminder.  I had the perfect word jump out at me in December while I was pondering the new year ahead.



gray (grā) n. a shade between, or mixture of, black and white

As much as I'd like life to be black and white, it's not.  Very few things in life are that simple and clear-cut and while I understand this fact, I have a hard time accepting it.  My mind is set on "all or nothing" and has been for as long as I can remember.  I've definitely become more flexible over the years but I still stress myself out on a near daily basis by not being able to meet myself somewhere in the middle, somewhere in that "something" range.  Gray is the color of compromise - it sits between the extremes of black and white, after all - and that is exactly what I need to start doing, compromising with myself.  I need to teach myself that it's okay to live in the mixtures of black and white where everyone else is living, where all the best things in life are waiting.  I need to start living in the gray spectrum because if I don't, I'm going to miss out on being the happiest and healthiest version of myself that I know can be.

So, here's to learning to live in the grays in 2015.  It's going to be hard but I suspect it will be a lot prettier of a place.