101 Things & Amy

So, I've been contemplating this post for a really long time.  It is one of those things that is easy to put off, just as easy as putting of the things ON the list can be.  Here is my reasoning for doing it now, I just lost an amazing friend, mentor, and confidante to cancer two weeks ago.  She was 50 years old. 

I've been doing a lot of thinking about her, what it must have been like to be resigned to the fact that there might have been things on her bucket list that didn't get accomplished, because we all think there will be more time.  We think about things in terms of when I retire, or when the kids go to school, or when the baby is older, or when we have time, but the simple fact is we don't know if time will even be there tomorrow.  That isn't to say that you can't plan for the future, I'm certainly not telling you to not have a plan.  I'm just a big believer in not staying stagnant, we should all be evolving as human beings, we should all be doing and not just talking.   And sometimes we all need a little reminder, a little push to keep that in the foremost piece of our minds.  My girlfriend and I were sitting at dinner last night with our husbands and she summed it up perfectly, "you can spend a whole day cleaning or doing laundry or other mundane things and before you know it, you've realized that your entire day is gone."  So here is my reminder not to let the days slip by so quickly.

First, all the info can be found here...

Second, here are the particulars...

The Mission:
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 my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. 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 or outdoor activities.

And finally here it is... MY LIST expires on Sunday, May 27, 2012.

1. add a stamp to my passport
2. blog daily for one month {0/30}
3. send a package to Any Soldier
4. learn to sew
5. organize our house ideas binder & find our dream house
6. pay cash for a new car
7. save more monthly for our house downpayment
8. visit 3 US cities I've never been to before
9. visit New England
10. visit San Francisco
11. read 50 books {0/50}
12. go on 12 dates with my husband in a year
13. lose 15 pounds {0/15}
14. learn Photoshop!
15. got to bed by 10 pm every weeknight for 2 weeks {0/14}
16. have another technology free day
17. join BlogHer
18. take one photo of Finnegan every day for 30 days {0/30}
19. get our will completed
20. get a membership to the art museum
21. get started on baby #2
22. try geo-caching
23. re-vamp our budget
24. get a massage
25. host 5 game nights {0/5}
26. host a Christmas party
27. get a pedicure with my mom and my sister
28. try one new food I am not sure I'd like
29. visit Elise in Kentucky
30. call my Meme, GramCrackers, and Oma once a week for a month {0/4}
31. be the one to apologize first
32. go to bed with a spotless kitchen every night for a week instead of leaving dishes for the morning {0/7}
33. use my 'good' watercolor paper to create something beautiful with Finn
34. learn to use the manual setting on our camera
35. spend money locally 20 times when the option is available {0/20}
36. write 50 handwritten letters {0/50}
37. do something kind for a complete stranger
38. do something kind for a friend
39. clean out our cup/glasses cabinet
40. buy a lottery ticket
41. do the 29 days of giving challenge for the second time
42. visit Revolver again
43. write 101 comments on other people's blogs
44. watch every episode of The Office this season
45. help Annie get her Etsy shop up and running
46. take Finnegan sledding
47. Meet my blogging readership goal.
48. be a better friend
49. have a family photo taken
50. join Toastmasters with Dave
51. research {and buy} an electric tea kettle
52. go apple picking
53. set up an auto payment for Finnegan's 529
54. hug someone that needs it
55. go to Zingerman's again
56. go to Mackinac Island
57. go to the drive-in
58. watch The Tudors first season {0/10}
59. visit Steph, Sirius, Violet, and the dream killer in Chicago!
60. go to a concert
61. brush Dexter once a week for 6 weeks
62. be conscious and try to avoid using the word 'like' for one week in conversation {0/7}
63. create a list of meaningful gifts for Christmas rather than being absorbed in the commercial
64. create a new tradition in our family
65. go camping!
66. double our monthly family income
67. take my vitamins every day for a month {0/30}
68. watch 5 foreign films in 5 different languages {0/5}
69. research and find the best pre-school fit for Finnegan
70. remodel the bathroom
71. eat at 7 new restaurants
72. have the hallway plaster fixed & paint the hallway
73. learn how to knit
74. put in the front flower bed edging and mulch
75. make macarons
76. cut out all fast food for 6 months {0/6}
77. get & make Lisa's recipe for briased short ribs
78. make Bridget's awesome potato soup again
79. create a weekly menu plan for 6 straight weeks {0/6}
80. re-hang the photos in our living room & add more
81. clean out the basement and get rid of/donate all of the unwanted stuff 
82. clean up the basement laundry area and make it a more enjoyable place to do laundry
83. buy a new laptop
84. buy and install new kitchen sink
85. win something
86. complete 30 consecutive days of the 30 Day Shred {0/30}
87. get Finnegan's baby book up to date
88. have a picnic with my friends
89. make a household inventory for insurance purposes
90. find & buy a new pair of favorite sunglasses... my faves got broken
91. make a vision board
92. practice french once a week for 3 months {0/12}
93. make someone laugh
94. make a donation to PBS & NPR
95. buy a pair of red shoes
96. let someone know how they've changed my life for the better
97. make Dave an amazing breakfast in bed
98. rent a house on a beach
99. host The Night Before again now that we have a 'real' table
100. Take Finnegan to the Butterfly House
101. inspire 5 others to make a 101 list... if you do this after reading my post, please let me know & you can do this even if you don't have a blog... just grab a pen and a piece of paper! {05}

You can see my updated list in the tab at the top of my blog.