101 in 1001

I first saw this idea over at Sunshine & Chaucer and thought it would be fun to try - make a list of 101 things you would like to accomplish in 1001 days.  Thanks for the idea, Jennifer!  S&C is also the first blog to feature one of my projects - my JOY frame, back in December before I changed my blog title and address.  It was sooo exciting to have someone out in the blogosphere liking my stuff - and now I'm addicted :)  I am happy to pass on a little blog love to Jennifer - make sure you check out her 101 in 1001 list!

So anyway, back to my list.  I thought it would be super easy to think of 101 things, but it was soooo not.  I tried to pick things that would be somewhat attainable and measurable.  I also tried to pick things that wouldn't just happen due to the amount of time that will pass (for example, Carly being potty trained).  With some big events still being undecided (like when to remodel the kitchen and when to start the adoption process) it was difficult to include things relating to those topics.  In reality, if we would begin the adoption process soon, our family could be larger by November 13, 2013, the date my 1001 days come to an end (use timeanddate.com for an easy way to figure this out).  But we still don't know that will be happening, and I don't want to set myself up for failure, so I tried to just stick with basics.  Hopefully within those 2.75 years, we'll at the very least have picked an agency to work with and some of the other beginning steps. 

Enough rambling!  On to the list!  (I'll be editing this as the goals are met by changing the text color and adding the date completed!)

1. Paint craft room.
2. Organize craft room.
3. Paint trim and doors in laundry room.
4. Paint trim on the staircase.
5. Paint shutters - going from a country blue to black! (May 2011)
6. Paint the front door, or maybe get a new one - red front door here I come!!
7. Finish sewing the apron I started back in October or November.
8. Complete 5 more sewing projects. (aka - sewing projects with the machine, not hand stitching!) (2/5 - burlap pillow shams, pillows for porch swing)
9. Make a photo book of Carly's 1st year.
10. Make a photo book of 2010.
11. Make a photo book of 2009 (yep, I'm a little behind).
12. Choose an adoption agency.  *6/24/11*
13. Complete the home study.
14. Get a passport.
15. Grow blog to 50 followers (I'm talking public followers here, on my sidebar).... *2/21/11*
16. 100 followers?!?! *3/25/11*
17. Ok, I'm cheating and erasing one - this used to be 150 followers, but I remembered how much I really want to go to an auction - I've never been to one!  So I'm redoing #17 and it's now:  Go to an auction.
18. Host a giveaway on my blog!
19. Have blog visitors from all 50 states.  (I'm almost there, but Vermont is proving very elusive).  *3/1/11* - yay, Vermont!
20. Have blog visitors from 50 countries.  (since installing Google Analytics 2/2/11, I'm already up to 37!)  *2/26/11*
21. Have 10,000 visits to my blog. *As of 6/14/11, had over 25000 visits!*
22. Sell the juicer I found at a yard sale and thought we would use all the time.
23. Sell the Nintendos we bought at yard sales to resell and haven't yet.
24. Sell 15 more items from my stockpile of eBay stuff.
25. Make a pie crust that looks pretty.
26. Make or get a growth chart. *May 2011*
27. Get some kitchen storage so I can...
28. Paint my great-grandma's cabinet and move it to the laundry room.
29. Can something.
30. Watch the entire Star Wars series with Jackson.  (have watched 1/6)
31. Spraypaint all our old hardware on the doors with the lovely oil rubbed bronze.
32. Send at least 2 cards or letters each month via snail mail.
33. Have a weekend (3 days, 2 nights) away, just me and the hubby!
34. Try at least 2 new recipes a month for 6 months, and
35. Make at least 40 recipes from the Pioneer Woman's cookbook (originally planned to cook through it, but there's just some things I plain old don't want.....like grits and mushrooms).  (have made 10/40)
36. Lose 10 lbs and keep it off.  (Which could be difficult if I do #35)
37. Print off pictures instead of keeping them on my computer indefinitely and then
38. put them in photo albums.
39. Figure out a better way to digitally store my pictures.
40. Crack open the wall safe, even if it means calling a locksmith.
41. Read 10 of the books I haven't already read from one of these lists, or these, or pretty much any list of great books.  (currently have read 1/10:  Schindler's List)
42. Purge magazines,
43. books,
44. craft supplies,
45. kids clothes,
46. my clothes, *2/22/11*
47. toys,
48. and pantry items,
49. and sell/donate/recycle/toss them.
50. Move linens to underbed boxes, making more room in my tiny bathroom cabinet.  *2/26/11*
51. Come up with a better system for organizing paid bills & other important paperwork.
52. Create a daily chore list and
53. Stick to it for at least a month!
54. Exercise 3x/week for 2 months - hoping to ingrain this one.
55. Take a daily vitamin for one month, hoping to ingrain this habit too!
56. Get back on track with couponing! *2/19/11*
57. Make sure the leftovers get eaten.
58. Get a clothesline.
59. Successfully grow some tomatoes and herbs....thinking of trying a container garden....and
60. use more fresh ingredients in cooking.  *Summer 2011*
61. Make it a habit to get up early.  ugh.
62. Eat breakfast more days than not.
63. Make daily devotions and time with the Lord a priority.
64. Be less frustrated.  Let things roll off my back.
65. Make my bed at least during the week for one month (another habit to ingrain) - it looks so nice made, it just gives me incentive to clean!
66. Try 5 new restaurants instead of going to the same ones all the time.
67. Finish changing all the lightswitches and outlet covers to white instead of the cream/tan/ugly color they were.
68. Keep all our most important papers together in the fireproof box.
69. Hem bedroom curtains.  *8/28/11*
70. Mount the TV in our bedroom on the wall.
71. Have one couple or family over each month for dinner or a game night.
72. Waste less time (ironic because it's crazy how much time I spent coming up with this list...)
73. Get the kids more involved with chores.
74. Play with the kids more, instead of just giving them ideas of things to do.
75. Encourage others through notes, emails, phone calls, etc.
76. Make artichokes.
77. Take down the wallpaper in the kids' bathroom (the only room in the house that still has wallpaper),
78. and paint it!
79. Figure out a color scheme for the master bathroom,
80. paint it,
81. and get towels that actually match.
82. Get the wireless printer to work again.
83. Put pavers around the firepit.
84. Get a new light for the entryway, or at least give it some ORB treatment.
85. Paint the porch swing, or determine if we need to just give in and get a new one. *May 2011*
86. Host at least 2 more international students. *1/2 - Taisei Kimura of Japan - March '11*
87. Go to a Penguins or Steelers game.  (I'd like to do both many times over, but I'm being realistic here!)
88. Make homemade donuts.
89. Have 2 more of my projects featured on other blogs. *3/14/11 - Changeable wreath featured on The Frugal Girls and Elmo cupcakes also featured on The Frugal Girls!*
90. Paint the ceiling in the dining room
91. and in the toy room.
92. Buy a great find on Craigslist.
93. Sell something on Craigslist.
94. Improve my photography - take more time and experiment.
95. Finally complete the final white coat of paint in the dining room and
96. master bedroom.
97. Paint the 1/2 bath.
98. Reinstate soup/salad/sandwich night at least twice a month for 6 months.
99. Care less about what people think of me and more about what God thinks.
100. Clean out the built-in shelves in the living room.
101. Tell my husband and kids I love them way too much, every day for the next 1001 days!

So there it is, my list.  I'll hopefully be keeping you updated by labeling my posts with the "101 in 1001" tag and also editing this post.  I'd love for you to join me in the 101 in 1001 project!!  If you make a list of your own, please leave a link in the comments so I can visit!