Monday, October 18, 2010

130 Before I'm Thirty

I'm a big fan of lists: to do lists, grocery lists, bucket lists, you name it.  So, inspired by Twenty Six to Life's 101 in 1001 Days and Making It Lovely's 30 Before I'm Thirty, among others, I decided to create my own list, with a twist.  Here is a list of 130 things I want to do before I turn thirty.

My 30th birthday is December 12, 2016.  Think I can do it?  I'm sure going to try and blog all about it along the way, of course!

Note: I've been working on this list for several weeks, but because work has been hectic lately and I worked all weekend, I haven't had a chance to share it before now.  That's why one of the items, number 57, is still on the list even though I accomplished that last week! I'm not cheating, I swear...

130 Before I'm Thirty

Gardening

1. Plant a garden and can the fruits of my labors
2. Grow a pumpkin from seed
3. Grow two heirloom vegetables
4. Grow a fresh herb garden with thyme, rosemary, dill, basil, and oregano
5. Grow my own lettuce
6. Grow potatoes
7. Go to a grape stomping, like this one
8. Start composting
9. Plant a tree

Cooking
10.  Make Ina Garten's homemade chicken stock
11.  Make Beef Wellington
12.  Make Boeuf Bourguignon
13. Bake homemade sour dough bread
14. Start a wine cellar
15. Cook and eat an all locally sourced meal
16. Cook my way through an entire cookbook, Julie and Julia style
17. Make pasta from scratch
18.  Make homemade gnocci
19.  Buy an immersion blender
20.  Make an authentic Spanish meal, complete with tapas and Paella
21. Make an authentic French meal
22. Make an authentic Indian meal
23. Join a supper club
24. Go vegetarian for a month
25. Complete a Chopped-style challenge at home
26.  Cook with a meat I've never cooked with before, like bison, duck, or goose
27. Write my own recipe for one dish

Reading
28. Read all of the books on my friend JDP's Must Read Book List
29. Join a book club
30. Start a book club
31.  Go to a book signing
32.  Meet Nancy E. Turner, author of my favorite book, These Is My Words


Civic Engagement
33. Volunteer on a Native American reservation
34. Volunteer for a political campaign
35. Have a letter to the editor published
36. Write a letter to a public official about an issue I am passionate about
37. Vote in every election
38. March in a political parade or participate in a sit-in

Travel
39. Travel to Europe
40. Go to either the Kentucky Derby or Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event
41. Visit Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park or Niagara Falls
42. Go backpacking with J
43. Go camping with J
44. Sleep on a boat overnight
45. Go on a cruise
46. Visit at least 3 presidential libraries with J
47. Plan and go on a staycation with J
48. Go to NYC to visit Megan
49. Take a trip by train with J and sleep on a train overnight
50. Visit a local museum in each new city we visit
51. Write postcards to ourselves on each trip we take

Blog
52. Host a giveaway on the blog
53. Learn how to use Photoshop
54. Buy Photoshop
55. Get own domain
56. Have 50 followers on my blog
57. Get featured on a blog--accomplished 10/15!

58. Blog twice a day, five days a week for two months straight
59. Buy a good camera
60. Comment on 10 blog posts in one day

Education
61. Relearn Spanish
62. Research family tree
63.  Attend an academic lecture for fun
64. Take guitar lessons
65. Learn finger picking on the guitar
66. Take voice lessons
67. Learn to restring guitar

DIY
68. Reupholster a piece of furniture
69. Sew our wedding quilt
70. Scrapbook our wedding pictures
71. Refinish and restore a piece of furniture
72. Learn to knit
73. DIY a home improvement project in our own house
74. Give all homemade gifts for Christmas one year
75. Buy a sewing machine
76. Create craft room or craft desk

Fitness
77. Join a couples bowling league with J
78. Carry a 150 average in bowling
79. Bowl a 160 game
80. Get to ideal weight
81. Learn to play tennis
82. Buy bicycles for J and I
83. Complete a Half Marathon
84. Complete a Triathlon
85. Take ballroom dance lessons with J

Equestrian
86. Buy a dressage saddle
87. Compete in a Dressage training level horse show
88. Own a horse again
89. Go on an overnight trail ride
90. Volunteer at a equine therapy facility
91. Learn Parelli games
92. Teach my future horse Parelli games
93. Buy a horse painting
94. Attend Chincoteague Pony Swim
95. Spend time with a foal

Big Purchases
96. Buy a new car
97. Buy at least a queen size bed, if not a California King
98. Buy a house

Finance
99. Pay off new car (when we get one)
100. Save 20% of income for 2 years
101. Create a 6 month emergency fund
102. Create a 9 month emergency fund
103. Overpay on mortgage payment at least three times (when we have a mortgage)
104. Pay back J's student loans
105. Deposit one year's tax refund directly into savings account

Miscellaneous
106. Learn to drive a stick shift
107. Learn how to change my oil
108. Learn how to change a flat tire
109. Learn to sail
110. Start writing letters to my sister again and write consistently with her
111. Go on a retreat with J

Health and Beauty
112. Go to the dentist
113. Learn to French braid my own hair
114. Grow my hair out
115. Dye my hair brown
116. Cut my hair short and donate to Locks of Love
117. Get eyelash extensions
118. Get a couples massage with J
119. Buy a great pair of jeans
120. Buy J some new great smelling cologne
121. Wear makeup every day for one month

Entertainment
122. Attend a local play production at least once a year
123. Watch ten new-to-me films that won the Oscar for Best Picture
124. Watch Citizen Kane and It's a Wonderful Life
125. Watch five new-to-me Broadway musical films then see a live production of the same musical
126. Watch all of Alfred Hitchcock's films
127. Go see all of the Best Picture nominated films during Oscar season one year

128. Go to a drive-in movie with J
129. Go to a dinner theatre
130. Attend a murder mystery dinner

What do you think?  Do you have a similar list with less or more items on it?  Would any of my "to do's" appear on your list?  Let's hear it...

2 comments:

  1. oh my goodness! that's quite a list, but such a good one too! there are so many things on it that i'd love to 'cross off' as well. i've seen nearly all of alfred hitchcock's films, and my favorite has always been 'rear window' - love jimmy stewart and grace kelly with a passion. oh, and i recently made paella for the first time - although not with the seafood... haha! i think it still counts! best of luck to you! xo.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks! I think I might have to start with Rear Window, especially since Design*Sponge just did a Living In piece on it:

    http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/10/living-in-rear-window.html

    Sounds perfectly creepy for Halloween!

    ReplyDelete

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