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Monday, October 31, 2011

Day Zero ~ 101 Things in 1001 Days

If you haven't heard of the Day Zero Project, you should definitely check it out.  I'm excited for it.
http://dayzeroproject.com/

Almost as excited as I am about Christmas.  Almost. Speaking of Christmas, my husband saw my eyes light up at Lowe's this weekend when I caught sight of a pretty, white, metal, tree with lights for outside.  I have one that's done it's duty for almost ten years and needs to retire due to rust.  My cat approves of the colored lights. (we had to try it out) Heck, I approve of the colored lights.  Those led ones are pretty nifty.


ANYWAY.  Day Zero Project.  I'm doing it.

Here is my list:
1    Run a 5k race for time
2    Identify 100 things that make me happy
3    Learn a poem by heart
4    Make a custom recipe book
5    Get to my goal weight and maintain
6    Go on a picnic
7    Learn to say "I love you" in 10 languages
8    Learn to write with my left hand
9    Keep the kitchen spotless for 30 days
10  Be proficient in conversational French
11  Take a photo of the same place every month for year and then turn it into a calendar for the next year
12  Build a piece of furniture I'll want to pass on to my children
13  Be able to play a full Christmas song, by heart, on the piano
14  Make a pie on Pi day
15  Make soap
16  Answer the "50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind"
17  Make a list of the top 5 people who have positively influenced me and write them letters
18  Keep my room tidy for a month
19  Create a painting worthy of hanging in my house
20  Have a new list of 101 Things written before my 1001 days are done
21  Have a monthly game night for a whole year
22  Make a quilt
23  Serve dinner by candlelight every Friday during the dark of winter
24  Read 10 books by local authors
25  Learn to juggle 3 balls
26  Build a gingerbread house
27  Do at least 1 project a month off of Pinterest
28  For one year, pick one person a day and honestly compliment them
29  Do a charity bicycle ride
30  Make a souffle that my husband likes
31  Make a simple household chores chart and stick with it
32  Send 101 postcards via postcrossing.com
33  Draw at least once a week for a year
34  Make a pillow for the bed
35  Go ice skating
36  Read the bible and make a list of bible verses that touch me
37  Sew an apron
38  Take time for a coffee break once a week
39  Do all basic maintenance on my truck for 6 months
40  Lay in the grass and just watch the clouds go by
41  Make homemade pickles
42  Make a last name photo collage from my own pictures
43  Host a non-holiday party
44  Develop a daily stretching routine
45  Do 1 random act of anonymous kindness a week
46  Make mozzarella in my own kitchen
47  Grow my own mushrooms and cook with them
48  Make 10 random babies smile
49  Say "I love you" to my husband. Every day
50  Take 10 minutes a day to just sit and think about non-pressing things
51  Change someone's life for the better
52  Take a day trip to a state park
53  Wear nail polish and keep it looking nice for a month
54  Play a round of golf with my husband
55  Re-learn to cross-stitch and make something useful
56  Make my own candles
57  Study 6 different cultures per year; have a themed weekend for each with food, music, culture and geographical info for the family
58  Wear a sexy halloween costume
59  Make a family tree
60  Learn how to take a compliment
61  Have my make-up done at a make-up counter
62  Learn how to play the harmonica
63  Find a four leaf clover
64  Climb a tree and take a photo of the view
65  Have a Halloween party
66  Decorate my bedroom
67  Find a hat I don't look silly in
68  Write a poem
69  Go to a drive-in movie
70  Make a list of things I'd like to see before I die
71  Develop a signature entree that will one day be what grandchildren compare all other foods to
72  Design and build a vertical garden
73  Learn to love myself even just a little bit
74  Make a pretty calendar of some sort to keep track of birthdays and other special events
75  Decorate the family room properly
76  Teach 6 people to appreciate Christmas
77  Get rid of all clothes in my closet that do not and never will fit
78  Enter something for competition at the Sioux Empire Fair
79  Detail my truck's interior and keep it that way with weekly maintenance
80  Bring back kissing under the mistletoe
81  Get recertified at CPR
82  Make a time capsule to be opened on our 20th anniversary
83  Hit 50 lbs weight loss goal
84  Learn to be comfortable naked
85  Write a list of songs that I want played at my funeral
86  Watch the sunrise and sunset on the same day
87  Knit a blanket
88  Spend a weekend living like it's the 1800's. No electricity, no internet, just old fashioned entertainment
89  Spend an evening watching a meteor shower
90  Develop 5 new soup variations
91  Pick 3 things that are stereotypically "man activities", and learn to do them well
92  Get confident enough to once again sing in the presence of someone else
93  Scan old family pictures and make a book or books of them with proper labels
94  Make 5 new family traditions
95  Sew a week's worth of outfits
96  Learn to do a fancy braid to my own hair
97  Complete the P90X workout system
98  Go on 6 day trips to places I've never gone in my area
99  Sew a patchwork tablecloth that's pretty for any season
100 Combat my negative self talk with positive self talk. Daily
101 Teach my niece something that only I can do 
 
It's a handful but I think if I challenge myself I can do it.  If you'd like to follow me on the Challenge site:
http://dayzeroproject.com/user/KickMeImAnna

Monday, October 24, 2011

I'm a Sinner

Life has been crazy.  I've been sick since last Thursday, demolishing my homework to-do list, cleaning my house, I sold my soul, and made the most delightful pumpkin-carrot cake with cream cheese icing.  Seriously.  If I gain a pound from eating it, I'm fine with it. No really!  SO worth it.

I used this SparkPeople recipe: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=157762

But I altered it a touch.  I definitely didn't use light butter. Paula Deen would approve. I used 3 whole eggs instead of using the egg whites. For the topping, I didn't bake it.  Instead I whipped together 3 C of icing sugar, a brick of cream cheese (not light), a splash of vanilla, a stick of butter, and a big splash of heavy cream.

SO worth it.  Because:
Look at my numbers!  They're almost even!

ALSO:  I'm totally doing the 101 things in 1001 days challenge.  I'm still thinking of my last 10 items but i start November 1st.  If you'd like to get on board here's the link: http://dayzeroproject.com/

I'll post my list and updates here on the blog as I complete.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

My Mind is Blown!

I've working out, nothing big, just walking and running mostly.

I've been so busy with school and other stuff that no, I have not been counting my calories on SparkPeople this last week at all.  I eat healthy food to begin with and think I've been snacking enough to keep my calories in an acceptable burn instead of starvation zone.

I stepped on the scale this morning and cringed as I waited for the digital readout to tell me I screwed up and that the Coke I drank on Tuesday, coupled with the 3 chocolate dipped cocoa rice krispie bars in the last three days (but they were good!) has resulted in a big weight loss dud.  NOPE.  I'm officially on the rice krispie treat and Coke diet because dang it works!


In other news:  I found a happy-place today.  I started piano lessons after nearly two decades without touching a piano.  It all came flooding back.  I'm weak and obviously don't have the comfort level I did years ago but it felt so natural and perfect!  It's something I can be a success at no matter what else happens in life.  We don't have a piano at home and I can't afford a snazzy sixty-plus key Yamaha or whatever keyboard, so for the time being I'm going to practice by plugging away on the only thing I could afford.  This:


It's cheesy, cheap, and meant as a kid's toy..  Oh well.  Music is still music.  I'll make do like I always will.  Maybe I'll luck out and Santa will have a spare big-girl keyboard lying around by Christmas  ;)

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Weight Loss Goal Met.

Hi.  I'm officially less fat today than I was yesterday.


But you know what?  I can't really see it.  It's 20 pounds!  That's like 3 small newborn babies.  You would think that it would be evident I had lost that much. It's not.  I still feel fat as ever.  SO..  I think it really must be all in my head this time.  That whole "the first step is admitting you have a problem" saying is right.  I'm there.  I know that my perception of myself is skewed.   I'm working on it but I really don't have a clue what I am doing.  No clue other than that I've begun to tell myself to shut up if that little voice in my ear gets loud and negative.