Deployment project #1

In today's post we are talking about "deployment project number one". In case you don't know, my husband is currently serving in the US Air Force and is deployed overseas. As one of my many "keep busy to survive during deployment" lists, I have three projects that I have decided to do while he is gone, hoping to finish before he gets back and surprise him. 

The three projects are:

Project #3: reorganize the furniture in our bedroom to optimize the space.

 Project #2: reorganize, redesign and clean out the office to maximize the space, clean out the clutter, and make it a peaceful, serene and an inviting space we can both use and enjoy together. 

Project #1: replace the dining room set with something less linear/masculine with a set with more vintage character that i can paint to add pops of color and brightness into a very white, plain space. The previous table set was given to my husband when he was still a bachelor, for free. It is a 4 to 6 person rectangular table that is very staunchly, with crisp, white paint and clean lines, but limits the use of the space. 

I was looking for a round table with double-drop side leaves, extendable center leaves, and a single, plain base that at the smallest would seat as few as two, and at the largest would seat as many as eight.

I was also looking for a set of four chairs with interesting and intricate details that would add character and a slightly more feminine, vintage style.

I was inspired by this picture that I found on Pinterest.

Sure, I would love a room with these rounded, bay windows, this amount of space and light, but I just liked the furniture. I wanted pieces that were full of character, vintage style and were also versatile. I wanted the table at the smallest size, to be used as a buffet and at the largest size as an entertaining and dinning space for dinners. 

I wanted the chairs to be full of character but also comfortable enough to be used as alternate pieces of living room furniture for extra guests. I chose a fabric that would work in both a vintage/country chic dining room and also that would work with the eclectic style of the fabrics of the throw pillows on the living room sofa. I wanted the color I chose to blend with the colors of the living room and kitchen spaces but to definitely add some great pops of the eclectic, fresh color.

Teaser: I found both for under $150.  They were not purchased together as a matching set but when put together really work. I will post pictures in my next post.

Generally the object of all 3 to 4 projects is to clean out, get rid of, and leave clear spaces to give the illusion of a larger space and make it more comfortable and pleasant. Jason has said the past that coming home to this house can feel  oppressive, stifling and depressing because there is so much stuff. I wanted to clean out and start over. I wanted him to feel like he can come home to spaces that were warm, full of character, pleasant, open, clutter free and generally inviting, warm and livable.

I will keep you posted with pictures of the transformation process. My next post will be part 1 of 2 or 3 posts on the project! So keep your eyes peeled!

Recipe for Motivation

Recipe for Motivation

1. Dissatisfaction - reason to change
2. Desire to make a change - do I really want to change this?
3. Believe that change is possible
4. Willingness to do what it takes - be willing to take whatever action is needed to accomplish the goal
5. Goals: both short term, and long term
6. The tools you need to accomplish your goals
7. Support from others

Motivation is a matter of choice, not chance.

Followmeg.com Pre-launch

Back in June 2012, you may remember reading about "the better body project". Well that was over year ago and I haven't written since about health and fitness.  Then again in March, you may have read about my packing for vacation to Hawaii. In the two months prior to that trip, I spent January and February really digging deep, and lost 10 to 15 pounds and was in the best shape of my life, all in preparation for that trip. I was determined to look amazing in my little black bikini and I feel like I succeeded (although I got zero pictures as proof). But after that point I kind of lost the plot. 

I have the tools. I know what I need to do; what I need to eat and what I need to avoid, how to work out, how to prepare and apply myself and really work to see the results. 

The problem now is motivation. A lot of people will say
"I want to look amazing, I want to lose weight and I want to be healthy but I just don't know how to get started or don't have the motivation."



Me, March 2013 (125 lbs)

Let me tell you something; I'm with you! When I was in Hawaii I felt and looked amazing, and also felt like I deserved a break. But then I got totally  lazy and backslid to the point where I am at the heaviest weight I've ever been in my life. Many of you may be in the same situation. Whether you were once fit but life may have gotten in the way (or laziness, like me), or if you've never been  a fit person to begin with, we're all in the same boat. We aren't where we want to be, for whatever reason. It's easy to be so discouraged that you don't even want to bother, or too overwhelmed to know even where to start.



Me, August 2013 (143 lbs)

Well this is your golden opportunity. This is the place to get started, with me as your friendly guide along the way. FollowMeg.com is a place to get inspired, find new recipes, weekly menus and shopping lists, work outs, inspirational blogs, as well as a place to leave comments and ask questions. I really do want to hear from you, and help you in whatever way you need, whether you ask "what should I make for dinner?" or "how do I get started?" or even if you just need a  regular word of encouragement or a kick in the pants, this is and a platform for beginning your fitness journey. FollowMeg.com is YOUR place to ask questions, leave comments and let me know what you need to keep you motivated and on track as you jump-start your fitness journey toward a healthy lifestyle. So feel free to email me at Followmegfit@gmail.com, and let Me know what you need to help you get started!

For the time being Followmeg.com will post out of mirrortheinnerbeauty.blogspot.com

I will keep you posted when Followmeg.com goes live!
Keep watching for updates!!

I will be posting my journey; yes- the good, the bad and the ugly will be posted, hoping it will encourage you on yours. Please forgive the pasty-whiteness, the lumps and bumps, the occasional bouts of self-loathing, and the blatant honesty, but my hope is to lay it all out there, and show you what works and what doesn't. My biggest goal- to help you, in any way I can.


 

Projects - Mama Mia!

So my mom came up to visit for  couple days, and one thing you've gotta know about my mom, she's a slavedriver... in a good way.  Whenever she comes up to visit, she's like a bloodhound for projects. She won't be happy unless she's helping finish undone projects, tidying up, cleaning out something. She's like that at home too, it drive my dad crazy, but I like it! It's probably, because he's around it all the time and I get it small doses.



 
 



 My moms motto is "get it done while you're thinking about it and don't put it off for later". She got her motto from her mother, who taught her to work hard and not procrastinate and she is working hard, both on life's to-do list and in passing that legacy on to me.

 

 



 
 


In the two days she was here, we: cleaned out and packed up the office, moved out all the furniture including two large desks into the garage that i had wanted to sell on craigslist, Finished the chair cushion upholstering project, painted my table base, stained the table top, and finished the office.

 

 Look out for posts to come on my table project and chairs project, and the before and afters of my dinning room and office!!

 

 

 
 

The other thing that she and I like to do is called "putzing around". This usually involves going to thrift stores, Ross, IKEA, and other assorted stores and just generally window shopping and thrift store shopping and having a good time. Then we come back to the house and do fashion show, to rediscover and enjoy all the things that we purchased that day. We usually go out for lunch too. 

 

  

  

This time we did just that. We started out going to IKEA, then to the Goodwill pound store, then to lunch at Mod pizza and Menchies for dessert, and last but not least Target, Ace Hardware, and the scary thrift shop (because I talk about it a lot and she wanted to see it for herself). 

 

 

If you haven't tried or seen my last post on Mod Pizza, read here.

 
 

 

 

  
So we had a full couple of days of putzing around, doing projects, watching movies and going in the hot tub. It was pretty exhausting. I've spent all of today just recuperating from all the projects that we did, but also trying to plan new projects to start on next.

 

 

 

 

 

It probably would've taken me several weeks to accomplish what she and I did in just two days. I think I will make a list of future projects to have around so that when she is here the next time we can simply look at that list in case there aren't any obvious projects that need doing. For better or for worse she is often times the voice in my head and sometimes the voice in real life urging me to work hard, to get projects done, and to look back with satisfaction on jobs well done.

My Favorite Haunts: MOD Pizza

Let's talk MOD

  
 Mod pizza that is!!! Meet my new favorite obsession! Fire-stone oven baked, totally personable perfection!! For one price, you can build your own pizza and put as many or as few topping as you want. Or build a loaded Mod salad! Or both, with their salad-topped pizza on top of warm asiago pizza crust. Either way, the food is delicious and their topping list is huge!!!

  Sauces

MOD red sauce

Pesto

BBQ sauce

Alfredo

 

Cheeses

Mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

Gorgonzola cheese

Asiago cheese

Feta cheese

 

Meats

Pepperoni

Mild or spicy Italian sausage

Crumbled meatballs

Canadian bacon

Salami

Bacon

Grilled chicken

Toppings

Black olives

Kalamata olives

Chopped tomatoes

Garlic

Pineapple

Fresh rosemary

Fresh chopped basil

Artichokes

Anchovies

Spinach

Pepperoncini peppers

Sun-dried tomatoes

Green bell peppers

Jalapenos

Roasted red peppers

Red onion

Mushrooms

 

 

The possibilities are nearly limitless! You order what you want, down to the way they cut it, watch them make it in front of you, (Subway style), and if it's a pizza, in less than 8 minutes, it's baked to bubbly perfection. I love it for many reasons, not the least of which is because the atmosphere is super friendly. Every time I go in, I am greeted with a warm “Hello!”. The décor is funky, fresh & inviting. Both clean and industrial chic with a open, family-style floor plan, two bay doors with windows that can be retracted to let in the warm summer air as you sit at the high-top bar style tables on stools. Or you can sit outside on the patio, or in cozy booths if you like, or traditional tables.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Has all this deliciousness left you feeling thirsty?? The soda fountain has out-of this world flavors of classic or berry lemonades, teas or just classic fountain drinks. There's smoothies or (again) customizable ice cream floats for those with a sweet tooth.



There is truly something for everyone, especially the hungry!!

 So, go there with a friend, share a pizza, or get your own! I'm pretty sure that I could eat pizza 7 days a week, and it is definitely a new favorite hangout of mine!

 

Lessons on Selling on Ebay for Beginners: Shipping

Practical lessons learned from selling as a beginner.

 

 

This week, I sold my first item on Ebay!! It took me weeks to get started, I was so worried about not doing things right. I've bought things on Ebay but I hadn't ever sold anything. Although  I didn't know much before researching and reading tons of books, I DID know that your seller rating is SUPER important. In order to make sales, you have appear trustworth, dependable and honest. And they only way potential buyers know if you are or aren't is based on if you have a high seller rating. If you don't have a high rating, you won't make sales.

 It's the whole "what came first, the chicken or the egg" cunundrum. Or, It's kind of like trying to get your first job. You can't get experience without a job, but you can't get a job without experience. Seller ratings seem to be the same way. The good news is, I have a high buyer rating, having bought lots of different stuff previously, so at least buyers can look at that, and realize that if I am a good buyer (sending payment quickly), then I'll most likely appreciate good sellers (shipping quickly and honest communication), so that's at least something to reccomend me. Still, I had a bit of anxiety going into it, knowing what buyers expect of me and really wanting to live up to it and get good ratings so I'd sell more stuff. 

So I prepared well.. maybe too well. I read lots of books and articles on how to sell on Ebay, agonized for about a month and a half, and finally, bit the bullet and put a few items up for sale. By the way check out my eBay auctions live!! It took a few tries, and a few fruitless auctions, but then, I finally made my first sale. I did it!! I was pretty excited, but I still had some pretty serious trepidation when it came to one last area; shipping!

I've sent lots of care packages to my military husband and brother, both overseas and locally, so I know all about flat rate boxes, and the money you can save with them. But the first item I sold via eBay was too big to fit in even the largest flat rate box, and I didn't know if that was the most effective, low cost

shipping option available. Could a lighter item fit in a non-flat-rate box, and cost less? Or was flat-rate the least expensive option? So, when it came to even setting up the listing, I was hesitant, mainly for the reason that I don't know how much shipping will cost for the item, because I don't know who, from where, will buy it. I worry I'll ask too much or too little for shipping, and then have to pay out of my own pocket if it is too little, and will get a bad customer review if I ask too much. I set up the ad so it would be calculated shipping based on where the buyer lived. I figured that would be the best way; to say “when I know where you live, you'll know how much it costs to ship”, and the discrepancy would be at a minimum for figuring out the shipping.

Problem was, when I went to ship the item, in my own box, it wasn't the weight that was the problem, it was the size of the darn box! So, in order to ship it using the funds allotted by the buyer and the Ebay shipping calculator, I couldn't ship it 2-3 business days, but in 7, maybe even more (though I sent it on a Monday). The other option was to take a $15 bath, eating my profits and spending $30 on shipping to assure that it'd be there in 2-3 days. Grrr! Obviously I didn't want to do that either. So, the dilemma is, ship it slower and risk your buyer getting mad at having to wait longer to get it, or spend your profit money on faster shipping for the sake of a (hopefully) good rating. What to do??

In the end, I sent it slower with the allotted shipping money from the buyer and then contacted them to let them know about the estimated ETA, give them the tracking number, and ask them to write a review once they got their item. I figured optimism, honesty and good communication were the best way to go without losing a profit or a good rating.

So, thoughts on selling things on Ebay as a means to supplement income from home? Ok, yes, I made about 3 ½ X the amount I originally spent, but it felt like I made a pittance compared to the time and trouble of that one item cost me. It serves as a lesson about buying and selling on Ebay.

If you want to make a profit, you need to make either lots of sales on less expensive items OR you can get away with making fewer sales but you need to sell higher pricing items. So where do you get those and still make a profit? Good question!

For example. If I wanted to make $2,500 to $3000 per month, I'd have to sell, say100 items at $25-30 each/month to make $2,500-$3,000 per month, which is 25 items/week, 5 items/day – 5 days/week. And if you're like me, and you want to get your stuff at thrift-shop and garage sales? You're gonna have to do a LOT of bargain hunting!

Shipping

If you are selling larger items, chose a box as close to the size of the item, or take the box into the post office for the most accurate shipping estimation

 

Or just don't sell big items.

Otherwise, sell items small enough to fit inside the flat-rate boxes and smaller, less expensive mailers.

Get a scale, a measuring tape, and try to use standard size boxes or flat-rate boxes. Plus, you can always use the online USPS shipping calculator, <--- link here!!

If you were looking for a direct, cut & dry answer to the question "how much does shipping cost?" then I'm afraid I don't have a good answer for you. It depends on variables such as: what are you shipping? where are you shipping to and from? how fast do you want it to get there? how much does your item weigh? how big is your item? how much extra room is there in the box? (shipping costs are extra for non-standard size packages). Whew! So, the straight answer? It depends... sorry if that isn't more helpful. 

 

Well, I'm still just learning myself! If you are a new eBay seller then we're in this together!!

 

Got questions?? Answers?? Comments?? Me too! :)) Leave 'em here, I'll do my best to answer them for you.

Brown Sweater Redo

So I'm on a bit of a altering/sewing kick, and today, its a cozy, fashionable brown sweater getting properly fitted. It's another cheap Goodwill Pound store find. 73cents baby!

Again, I simply used the basic sewing tutorial posted earlier.

BEFORE:         I'm afraid it's a little too big!

Matched up, cut and pinned

AFTER:                   Voila'! I'd say it fits quite lovely, don't you?

Goodwill Hunting Finds

Hey Y'all! Just poppin' some tags!!!

My most recent trip to Goodwill yielded some fun finds. Always keeping my nose to the wind looking for bargains, I was ten steps inside the door of the South Hill Goodwill and saw the sign for a media sale! 50% off is always a good deal! So, DVDs, VHSs, music and books were all up for the hunt. Because of the sale, on this occasion, I chose almost exclusively books and media.

**Thrift-shop hunting tip! Wait to buy books and media until they have special sales like this one. I saved $18.46 on this purchase alone! Ask your local thrift stores' manager for info on upcoming sales (the Goodwill's in Pierce County print out monthly calendars showing the upcoming color tags that will be on sale and what other, special sales are coming up.)

They were just putting new movies out when I walked in, and so I had the pick of a fresh batch to look through. I found quite a few gems.

I was inspired by the little loves of my life. Yes, my love affair with my nephew and niece continues, and they are reaching an age where they are starting to read, and my love of all things vintage prompts hunting sprees to find treasures to buy for them.

Sigh, I've simply decided that I need to have kids of my own soon, so I can have someone to read and buy books to and buy toys for. I'll admit, I already have a small collection of vintage wood toys and books for them, when they come, which I will have to share in a later post.

First, for the kiddos, I bought four children's books. "The Great Big Fire Engine Book", three little golden books "I love you, Mommy!", "I love you, Daddy!", and "Presto!".

I especially liked Presto!, a book based on the Disney Pixar short, about a selfish and clueless magician named Presto, a hungry rabbit, named Alec, and two magically connected hats. In his classic magic act, Presto reaches into the top hat, that is a magic portal to the pointed wizard hat, where Alec is supposed to be waiting to be grabbed and pulled out of his once-empty hat, to the amazement of the crowd. Instead, using the hats, Alec the rabbit maneuvers himself just out of reach, and puts the magician through a gamete of zany and often-times painful rigors in order to obtain a carrot. I thought the kids would like it because of the funny antics and the infliction of pain. And there is a rabbit :)



Courtesy of Disney Pixar

I finally bought a book for myself that I'd been wanting to purchase for a while, but wanted to hold out for a sale like this one. It's "Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper" by such authors as Dr. James Dobsin, Luis Palau, Bill Bright and Randy Phillips.

I also found a Biggest Loser book; "The Biggest Loser, Successful Secrets".

Then, some workout DVDs.

Billy Blanks' "Billy's Boot Camp" series; "Ab Bootcamp", "Basis Training Boot Camp", "Cardio Boot Camp, and "Ultimate Boot Camp". And "Dirty Dancing - the Official Dance Workout". Who doesn't love the movie, wouldn't love to learn the official dance from the movie, and doesn't love to dance as a form of exercise.

Then, to add to my VHS Walt Disney Studio Film collection "That Darn Cat". This is the second to last of the collection, now I have all but one! (Still looking for "The Sword and the Rose".

And a few DVDs

"Shrek the Third" and "Toy Story 3" - it was totally coincidental that they were both "3s" and animated.

In the non-media category, I found a 4 pack of high quality cloth, chocolate-brown dinner napkins and a fun, bright pink floral scarf.

I also saw a stained wood, corner shelf unit that I had been looking for and liked but on closer inspection, it had too many flaws and needed too much work for the trouble. So I took a picture, and left it there for someone else to enjoy!

More to come soon!

Reflections on Turning 30, part 2

Now that my birthday has come and gone, I felt it only right based on yesterdays post that I should share my "Oreo" birthday celebration weekend. I had two days of "partying" sandwiching my actual birthday, which was really quiet, uneventful, even lonely. The days prior and post were anything but.

Friday, I planned and hosted a Formal Event for our church's youth group. We got all dressed up in "formal" attire, and then went out to dinner at the Olive Garden. Then we all drove to the Pastor of our church's house, to watch a movie and have ice cream. This year, the about 85% of the kids in our youth group are all home schooled, and so, in talking to some of them, was reminded that they had no kind of prom or formal event. When I was in high school, it was the highlight of the year to get asked to the spring or winter formal, or prom, all dressed up, go out to dinner, and enjoy the glances and whispers, all speculating on where we were going and what we were doing. Then we'd go to a dance, get our pictures taken, and dance!! True, in the end, we did not dance, but the enjoyment of going out in public, all dressed up and having an enjoyable dinner all together, then going for banana splits and a movie, was equally enjoyable. All the kids had a great time, and it was indeed a highlight to the year, and a nice punctuation to the summer.

We had about 23 kids total, and I had quite a challenge in coordinating enough leaders to drive everyone. It took about two weeks to coordinate and communicate with everyone, so when it came right down to thinking about asking anyone to do something (have lunch or go out shopping with a friend), I had been so totally preoccupied with planning my event, I totally forgot.  So the event was festive and fun.

I felt totally overdressed, or at least was the most dressed-up, formally attired one at the party (I wore what I'd have worn in high school; long ball gown and tiara) but felt so beautiful, like a true Cinderella. In fact, the only time I've ever felt more beautifully dressed up was on my wedding day!

I must have showed my age in my choice of formal attire, because none of the kids were wearing full-length, or ball-gown type dresses. The style now a days is tea length. Oh well.
One of my favorite elements to my costume, was my pearl tiara, one that I put together mere hours before the event. When trying on gowns and trying to decide which to wear, I didn't feel the outfit was complete without the quintessential "cherry" on top, so to speak. In my high school days, you'd often see girls at prom, or the other formals wearing little bejeweled crowns; all secretly hoping to be named prom queen no doubt, myself included. So, I made mine, using some pearl flourishes I already had. It truly was the cherry on top, no?

Saturday...

The day of my actual birthday was pale by comparison.While feeling blue and alone, and sitting around the house doing nothing, I got a phone call from my hubby, saying I should go outside and see if I had received a package, and that I should be expecting something special from him. "What could it be?" he coyly assuaged. I had not heard the doorbell ring, any knocks at the door, or any blinks or barks in the direction of the door by my trusted sidekick and guard dog, Bear. Sure enough, there was. Festively wrapped, and sealed with a note, was a smallish box. I was peaked with curiosity. What was it?? And when I opened the box, I wasn't sure what it was, or what the possibilities of the contents of the box were. I was truly a bit daunted. He had sent me a brand new Ipad mini, complete with a bright pink protective case with a keyboard. He knows I am trying to blog more regularly, so the keyboard was an especially helpful and thoughtful addition. Plus, the protective, versatile case was bright, hot pink! My favorite color. I spent the next few hours just playing with it, trying to figure out all the apps and features. It is so cool; even now I can't even tell you everything it does, but it has Siri (which can also be used to take dication, my favorite feature), you can play games, watch movies, and blog!! He had said it was something I'd always wanted, but would never have bought for myself. How right he was! His thoughtfulness and generosity made my day!

Sunday, the day after my birthday, my neighbor and friend, agreed to throw a party for me. Originally I had planned a wine-tasting party (for Saturday), but had no one able to come. I took it personally at first, thinking no one cared to come. But then my darling husband, all the day from an overseas deployment called one of the husbands of the ladies I'd invited, to find out why no one had RSVP'd. Apparently there was a bachelorette party planned for the same day, and all the ladies that I had invited were already committed to going, and couldn't come to my party. So, my honey called my neighbor, who arranged to change the date of the party, and knowing how stressed I had been over planning the formal event, she insisted on doing everything herself.

I had agreed to share half the cost and trouble of preparing food for the wine-tasting party, and with the new one,  after the change, I wasn't allowed to help at all.

She overwhelmed me by her careful and wonderful preparation of food and decorations. And I was equally overwhelmed by the turnout of supportive friends.

My parents even drove up for the day and surprised me! I was overwhelmed by feelings of love and support from all sides. And all because of a phone call from my beloved husband from half a world away. Yes, I think it's fair to say I feel loved and supported by my friends and family on this, my 30th birthday.

Reflections on Turning 30

So within the last few moments of my 30th year, I thought it'd be a good time for some last-minute reflections on what the first third of my life has held for me. The day has been equally as disappointing as  it has been fulfilling and surprising.

I woke up with no specific plan for the day. I found myself alone, with no prospects of doing anything to mark the day as anything special and out of the ordinary. Part of me found strange peace in that, having been sick for nearly three weeks and still recovering. Part of me was horribly depressed.

I was depressed because I figured if I didn't have a day full of fun, planned activities with people who want to beat down my door to be around me, then I must not have any friends.

I figured if I don't have my family all around me, to take me out to dinner then it's a lame day.

I really wanted to have a birthday like in Julie & Julia, full of close friends and fabulously french food, then I would know I'd survived and become a successful adult. 
 

It's one of my favorite movies (and I don't easily chose or commit to favorites) Julie & Julia, a coming-of-age story juxtaposed with a fanciful tribute to Julie Child. I identified with Julie Powell, feeling utter dread in my upcoming rite-of-passage. As if turning 30 was the end of the world unless I could prove I had spent it well, had demonstrable skills and hordes of friends to surround me and make me feel like less of a dismal failure or disappointment. But sitting alone in my house on my 30th birthday opened my eyes to some surprising realizations.

I'm not like Julie Powell, in that I don't have to accomplish those things in order to feel successful, happy, or fulfilled. And I didn't think turning 30 would be terrible. But I did have a list of things I felt I should accomplish in order to feel I spent my life (so far) well.  I just thought I had to accomplish the list by the 30-mark, have certain things, and be with certain people to make it worthwhile. But here I am. 30. And I'm happy.

Truly, I'm happy.

Sure, I didn't accomplish my 30 before 30 list. Not even close really. Here it is, so you can see how dismal my attempts were.

30 before 30 List

Personal development
2. Read through the entire Bible - studying and studying well
3. Finish outstanding craft projects
4. Learn to dance
5. Run a 5k - done!

Fitness
1. Reach my "goal weight" (115lbs)
6. Have an emergency fund/vacation fund (3k min
7. Learn to play the piano. Well.
8. Take a Hawaiian vacation - done
9. Do karaoke.
10. Go to a drive-in movie.

Financial
11. Cook an entire thanksgiving meal
12. Develop & implement a budget
13. Write a book
14. Learn to shoot a gun properly
15. Pay off student loans

Personal Ambitions
16. Be in a play
17. Get a good camera and learn to use it
18. See Kristin chenoweth in concert
19. Mentor a younger girl - done
20. Get a facial - done

Hobby
21. Blog for three consecutive months
22. Set up my own savings account - done
23. Try Zumba (at least 3x) 

24. Attend 24 cycling classes
25. Take up cycling
26. Learn to bake a good loaf of bread consistently
27. Take voice lessons
28. Play softball/coed baseball
29. Conquer my lack of confidence
30. M&D record-memories-parenting plans/spiritual holiday implementations
31. Start a family

So I think I've got about 1\6th of the list done. It doesn't matter really. In retrospect, on the other side of 30, I've survived. It's not that those things aren't important, they are. But it's silly to feel like you haven't achieved anything if you haven't done 30 things on a list by the time you turn 30. More than anything it's a good exercise in finding out what is important to you, what you want to accomplish, but also what will change as you try to work toward checking things off the list. Priorities change. Like this list has several fitness-oriented items, but the revised list has those spots replaced with things like 

make a bosom friend and "see Kristin Chenoweth in concert" is replaced "become more like Jesus". Not bad substitutions I think. 

My real aspiration is to be content. Content with myself, content with what I have and who I am. And to continue to grow. To make goals and then to work towards them. To invest in people. To gain character. To love people and to live life to the fullest. Sure, I've failed at things, I've spent time poorly at times. There is still room for growth. I have not arrived at the end of my life yet (thank goodness). I can take comfort and find contentment in knowing that people like me for who I am and what I bring to their lives. That I'm a genuine person who cares about people. That I try to bring my best to whatever I'm doing. And I'm human! I make mistakes and I can get up from them, and learn, moving on to another day and another attempt. I love that I'm not going to get stuck in my failures. The list will always change, and will never be completed, but that's part of life. That is the object of life. Serve God, love others, work hard, grow, live!

My life is full of people that love and like me, and full of blessings and opportunities. Yesterday was full to the brim with challenges, friends, fun events, disappointments and surprises. Tomorrow will be too.

Happy birthday to me, and I look forward to the next chapter of life with gusto and happy anticipation!