LONGEST MONTH OF MY LIFE!!!

Uppy-datey! SO I lost steam... are we really THAT surprised? ^.^v Luckily I have done a little somethin' somethin' since last time:

#19. I've now jumped up to 2/15 recipes done!! Go me! I brought this delicious "dessert" to my bookclub meeting on Monday (we read Delirium by Lauren Oliver if ya'll are curious) and it turned out fairly successful... I added Malibu to it to make it more adult ^.^; And also stirred it a bit much so it wasn't as fluffy as I wanted it but still delicious! We served it with pineapple, apples, strawberries, graham crackers, Nilla Waffers and mango!

#32. DONE!!! This is what the title is really all about. Freakin' LONGEST month of my life!! I've found out that drinking nothing but skim milk, water and tea that I've brewed is REALLY, REALLY difficult if you're not pregnant!! A lot of my friends asked why I didn't just wait until #7 (Be pregnant with my second child) came around but the point of this list is to stretch myself a little. Surprisingly, I miss alcohol and drinking with my friends at the bar on Monday's but what's worse is waking up with little sleep on a rainy day and not being able to have coffee!!! My kingdom for a cup of joe!! Good thing is that now that it's back in my life- I'm going to be restricting it to those tough days, only one a day and I'm going to actually measure out my creamer ('cause I used to have a little coffee with my cream...) *insert sigh of relief here*

#35. This is still in progress but I'm going to go ahead and pat myself on the back a little 'cause I've been semi-rocking it at Moms on the Run!! I'm maintaining a once a week (if not twice a week) presence! I even went running today with the hubby, even though it's ridiculously easy for him to run two minutes, walk two minutes at my slow @$$ pace, but it was still really nice :)

#66. We bought a new flipping camera!!!! However this is only partially done 'cause we still need to get a new video camera. Even though we love our Flip- it'd be nice to have something for big family trips that won't take up half the camera in one take. I feel like we got a great deal on our camera though- it's a nice Canon with two lenses that we got from Sam's Club for a steal!

#70.  I feel like I have a semi-life!! I've now gone to two (count 'em) two of ten movies in a theater!! First was Hunger Games *drools over the oh-so-sweet Josh Hutchenson* and the other was Avengers Assemble *drools over the oh-so-archery-smexy Jeremy Renner and the three other hotties* Gotta say the book was better than the movie in the former but still well done and the second was... just... great....so flipping amazingly great....

#89. Pink Ipod Shuffle acquired and said kick@$$ playlist below:
        1. Starships- Nicki Minaj
        2. Turn Me On- Nicki Minaj and David Guetta
        3. Fireworks- Katy Perry
        4. Lights (Bassnectar remix)- Edie Goulding
        5. Help, I'm Alive- Metric
        6. E.T.- Katy Perry
        7. Poker Face- Lady Gaga
        8. Kodo (Inside the Sun Remix)- Yoshida Brothers
        9. Untrust Us- Crystal Castles
       10. Derezzed- Daft Punk
       11. Firestarter- The Prodigy
       12. Bones Theme- Crystal Method
       13. This is What Rock'n'Roll Looks Like- Porcelain Black
       14. Bleed It Out- Likin Park
       15. Black Betty- Ram Jam
       16. Don't Stop Me Now- Queen
       17. Threshold- Sex Bob-Omb
       18. Clap Your Hands- Sia
       19. Shut Up and Let Me Go- Ting Tings
       20. That's Not My Name- Ting Tings
       21. Fireflies- Owl City
       22. Porcelain- Moby

#90. And lastly, I'm typing this all up on my NEW LAPTOP!! (and there was much rejoicing amongst the villagers.) It's not what I was thinking but I went in to Best Buy and after a bit more researched settled on a Samsung with 8GB RAM (upgraded it from 6GB) and a 1TB harddrive. So far so good... wish the mouse clicks were a bit wider but can't win 'em all right? Right?!

And there ya have it! Mid-May update! Shazam!
~Live Long and Prosper!~

Speed Bump!

Sooo... it's probably a good thing I didn't actually adjust anything on my list 'cause I've lost the momentum I supposedly had ;_; The walking 10 miles a week was great in theory... I should've taken into account my backup plan for when it rains half of the week.... yeaahhh.... However, I've gotten the ball rolling on #32 (Drink nothing but water, milk and tea for a month) and it is MUCH harder than I thought it was going to be >_<; I never thought I reached for much else than milk and the occasional juice for breakfast but I'm starting to realize I relied on other beverages (diet pop, coffee, alcohol) a LOT more than I thought! I suppose that's one of the reasons I added it but still... consider my mind blown!

I also did part of #41 (buy a whole outfit from a thrift store) and got an uber adorable Mossimo top for about $4!! I've also been to both of the Moms on the Run sessions that have been held so working on that #35 and so bought myself an Ipod Shuffle. Now I've got to compile a kick-@$$ running playlist to complete #89!! I even bought $30 in ITunes giftcards for myself so I don't go tooooo overboard with downloading music!

This week I'd like to knock off:

#22- Make a monthly meal plan
#63- Go through magazines/organize them
#66- Buy a new camera/video camera
#87 for this month- write a hand-written note
#90- Buy a new laptop
#99- Write a note to myself to read at the end of the 1001 days!

Of course I also hope to complete that stupid playlist but I want to get a new computer first so I'll essentially have one laptop per IPod and won't have to deal with the confusion of using ITunes with both ^.^

I'm also going to work on these this week a bit as well....hopefully:

#43 Draw something using each letter of the alphabet
#44 Finish drawing the signs of the zodiac outfits
#45 Finish the unicorn cross-stitch

And lastly, my brother, who I was close with when I was little, then grew apart from during the rocky teenage years and young adult stage, and now have gotten closer with these last few years surprised me with an uberly sweet gesture. He wrote on my Facebook the other day, asking if he could take me to my first concert to see Trampled by Turtles- one of his favorite bands and whom I really enjoy as well! It just blew me away and really touched me for some reason... Anywho... that's all for now! Thanks for stopping by!
~Lovin' Life~

Working on Number 29!!

Don't mind me... I'm just gonna go ahead and pat myself on the back a little. With the help of bestie B, I got up to 13.5 miles walking this week! ^.^b I'm finding that it's really easy to fit in, which is a good thing if I'm gunning for that 5k in the fall. Toshi loves to be outside and it easily fills the time between waking up and having dinner in the afternoons!

Speaking of the 5k, I had my meeting with the trainers of Moms on the Run this morning at Caribou Coffee (really- like a fitness meeting is really going to derail me from getting a Turtle Mocha!?) It was brief but I got my official Moms on the Run t-shirt, went over my goals, and basically why I joined. It breaks down to a few simple things:

1. I want to set a good example for Toshi as he's getting older. I'm with him 6/7 days of the week and I'm starting to become really aware of all the habits and things I want/don't want him to see and mimic. Like all (most?) parents, I really want to get him off the best start possible without being a hypocrit and not doing the actual behavior I'm trying to encourage (if that makes sense.) Hopefully he's learning to move and get outdoors when possible- I think he's getting the message a little tooo well 'cause he keeps crying when I try to herd him back inside for dinner....

2. I actually weighed LESS while I was pregnant than I do now or did before I got pregnant. That is just sad ;_; While I'd like to blame it on a medical reason I think I've just stopped paying attention to what I've been putting in my body and I've definitely realized how little I've actually got up and moved after having him >_<;

3. It's actually a dream of Acy's (my husband) to finish a race with his significant other (me) and the guy doesn't ask for much and it's only a 5k... right? ^.^;

I'd like to say this is exciting but I'm really really dreading running >_< I've never ever thought of myself as a runner in anyway and I've never really understood why people run- it's painful man! But this will be a good outlet for stress and hopefully have a bit of a social aspect as well to it. I also really enjoy the "Learn to Run" program they've created which is similar to the 30 Day Jumpstart from Biggest Loser... gradually adding more time to running and less time to walking. I'm not confident but I'm hopeful that this'll work out well! ^.^b

Love to you!

Day 3!

So I'm thinking I'm going to have to readjust some of the list 'cause I'm already "cruising".... but maybe that'll be a mistake.... I'll think about it I guess.

Some things I've started working on:

Bought "Wreck This Journal"
1/15 New non-crock pot recipes = 4.10.2012 Red Cabbage and Feta cheese (instead of Gorgonzola)
1/15 New crock pot recipes= 4.8.2012 BBQ chicken w/carrots (didn't use onion or red pepper flakes. Next time will use a different sauce as this one was already quite spicy for us!)
1/26 Alphabetical movies= 4.7.2012 Priest (mmm... Paul Bettany)
1/26 Alphabetical books= 4.8.2012 Undomestic Goddess: Sophie Kinsella (I love her fluff!)
1/? Books off my shelf^

I feel like it's a fairly good start to this project!

 I showed my list to my co-worker/friend Brookestar and we had a giggle over #45 and #81. A little about both: #45 was a cross-stitch unicorn that I was origionally making for my first niece who's going on 4 now >_<; So it's time. As for #81, I've been to quite a few concerts but they've all been classical. I've lived a bit of a sheltered (albeit well-travelled) life so I'm determined to put on my Big-Girl Pants and see a normal, real concert!

Day Zero Project

Hello and welcome to yet another person's Day Zero Project blog! You'll probably be able to get a good idea of what kind of person I am from the "about me" section paired with my list. If not, then follow along a bit and it'll all unfold ^.^b So to kick this off, here's The List:

April 7, 2012 - January 3. 2015

Family

1.      Have a family zoo-day

2.      Teach Toshi how to swim or take a mommy and me swim class

3.      Go strawberry picking as a family

4.      Save all photos on discs and store them safely

5.      Write Toshi a hopes and dreams letter

6.      Send my mom flowers for either Mother's Day or her birthday

7.      Be pregnant with my second child

8.      Send out Christmas cards with a Christmas letter

9.      Go on a family bike ride up in Alex

10.  Get Toshi a slide/sandbox/water station for outside

11.  Build two sets of emergency kits

12.  Do 10 "rainy day" art projects with Toshi each year

13.  Make a new photo book for Toshi each year

14.  Get a professional family photo taken each year and print and frame it!

15.  Do one "holiday" themed item with Toshi every month for a year (start in second year)

16.  Have a full day outside of the house/cabin with Nani/Bappa/Toshi/Me once a summer with pictures! (i.e. Zoo time, a picnic, flying kites, etc.)

17.  Go sledding with Toshi this coming winter and makes a snowman

18.  Visit Cissy's grave and lay a note and flower on it

Food and Cooking

19. Try 15 new non-crock pot recipes

20. Try 15 new crock pot recipes

21. Try 3 new restaurants (hopefully once a year)

22. Make a monthly meal plan

23. Try the fresh produce drop box thingy and use all the items!

24. Cook a non-frozen meal for family dinner night for 2 months

25. Brew beer at home

26. Open a cookbook to a random page and make whatever it is 5 times!

Health/Fitness

27. Finish a 5k

28. Visit the dentist

29. Keep walking at least 10 miles a week April- first snowfall

30. Swim from the Alex dock to the sandbar

31. Stop S.I.ing and biting nails

32. Drink nothing but water and milk for a month

33. Go to an archery range and shoot again

34. Wake up before everyone and be ready for the day for one week straight (early bedtime here I come.)

35. Maintain a presence at Moms on the Run once per week April- Sept.

36. Drop 2 pant sizes

Crafts/Hobbies

37. Make 10 items using my sewing machine

38. Participate in and finish NaNoWriMo

39. Make 5 DIY things from my board on Pinterest

40. Modify/upcycle 10 items thrifted

41. Buy a complete outfit, head to toe, from a thrift store (can be done in more than one trip)

42. Buy a Polaroid camera and keep a 365 day album (one picture a day for a year)

43. Draw something using each letter of the alphabet

44. Finish drawing the signs of the zodiac outfits

45. Finish the unicorn cross-stitch

Giving

46. Finish selling/donating/storing items we don't wish to keep for baby #2

47. Donate blood at least 10 more times

48. Leave an inspirational note inside a book for someone to find

49. Pay for someone's order behind me

50. Influence someone to make a Day Zero list

51. Donate $5 to charity for each goal not complete at the end of the challenge

52. Donate hair again to Locks for Love

Financial/Home Improvement

53. Start up a savings account for Toshi

54. Put away $5 for Toshi for every item completed

55. Create a budget that realistically outlines spending (Mint?)

56. Get a new flat-screen TV for upstairs and set-up blu-ray

57. Finish unpacking all the boxes- garage and spare room

58. Get a new car

59. Paint "The Purple Room"

60. Have each room in the house completely decorated

61. Fix/get a new oven

62. Get granite counter tops for kitchen and new garbage disposal

63. Go through magazines and find a way to organize the things I want from each and dump the rest or donate to a school for art projects

64. Have a living-will drawn up

65. Get new blinds for big window, baby room, and Purple Room

66.  Get a new camera and video camera

Movies/Reading

67. Watch 26 movies I haven't seen before starting with each of the letters of the alphabet

68. Read 10 additional books off the 1001 books to read before you die list

69. Watch all the IMDB's top 250 list movies that I have not seen

70. See 10 movies in the theater

71. Read all the books from my bookshelf

72. Read 101 books- at least 10 mystery thriller (books on shelf included?)

73. Write a review for 20 of the books I read

74. Read 26 books I've never read starting with each letter of the alphabet

Acy and Me

75. Go on a weekend holiday just us two

76. Fully plan and go on at least 1 date every 2 months

77. Finish a 5k together

78. Take a class together (cooking, pottery, etc.)

79. Secretly keep a log of 101 things that Acy's done or said that make me feel happy/loved

Personal/Activities

80. Visit Ireland

81. Go to a real music concert

82. Write and get Josh Hutcherson's autograph

83. Write and get George Takei's autograph

84. Use my full spa day gift certificate

85. Subscribe to one magazine that I really want

86. See Phantom of the Opera

87. Send someone a hand-written note, postcard, card or letter each month

88. Write a note/journal to: Cissy, Grandma N., Molly, Yohei, Guy I slammed my car door with about forgiveness. These must be written outside the home.

89. Buy an Ipod Shuffle and make a kickass running playlist

90. Buy a new laptop

91. Buy and complete Wreck this Journal

92. Try 5 new beers

93. Go on the Zombie Pub Crawl

94. Answer the "50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind"

95. Rock a pixie/asymmetrical 'do again

96. Dress up for RenFest and drink mead

97. Have a girls' weekend up at the cabin every summer

98. Figure out how to use then use the whirlpool downstairs

99. Write a letter to myself to read after the 1001 days is over

100. Review and update this list at least once a month

101. Consider doing this again at the end