#2- B

When I wrote goal 2, I wrote it with this book in mind. I've been wanting to read Bloom for a long time. (Watch the trailer and you will want your own copy!) Bloom is a memoir written by blogger, Kelle Hampton following her daughter's unexpected diagnosis of Down Syndrome. If you don't know me, then you should know that I am a caseworker for people who have intellectual disabilities; including Down Syndrome. If you don't know, you should know that the best people in the world have Down Syndrome. No joke. The best hearts, the sweetest souls, the kindest smiles... they're there. Having a child with a disability is full of uncertainty though. Will they ever live independently? Are their health concerns that we'll face down the road (people with Down Syndrome are more likely to have heart defects, thyroid issues, or be diagnosed with Leukemia)? Will they have friends and fit in?

In Bloom, Kelle doesn't just accept Nella's diagnosis, their family grows and blooms proving that there is "beauty in the unexpected." Definitely worth the read!

Finishing the 21 Day Fix

I finished the 21 Day Fix on 7/15 and by the end, I had lost 15 pounds. By the end, I was making better food choices. I was eating real food... not donuts for dinner. I felt sooo good too. It kinda made me mad that I was feeling better. I had more energy. My back hurt less. It was really working.

Since I finished, I have slipped back into some bad habits that I'll have to figure out how to manage, but  I still did it!

21 Day Fix- Halfway Point!

I started doing the 21 Day Fix eating plan. I bought generic containers on Amazon and I'm not doing the exercise program with it. Last time I tried to do this, I lasted until day 5 and gave up. Knowing what I know now, I think my biggest issue was that I tried to change my eating, exercise, and quit drinking pop all at the same time and I failed miserably. Because I quit pop nearly a month before starting, I didn't go through withdraw. I'm really surprised by how well I'm doing (and feeling!) Which kind of annoys me, because I was hoping I wouldn't feel any different and could go back to eating junk. I have more energy, I'm peppier, and my back doesn't hurt so bad that I think paralysis is a viable option. It's also getting easier to choose healthier alternatives without thinking much about it and halting my knee jerk reaction to use food to cope with stress. Who knew??


See my list! 

Monsters in These Books!

My mom has been  rearranging her house and she cleared out some bookshelves and brought out a lot if the girls' books. The Hurricane, my oldest daughter, loves all things school, so she sorted and organized and turned them into "the library." When you want to borrow a book, you use the card that she made and she scans them before you can take them. I was super excited to dig through the piles of Little Golden Books and I "borrowed" my two all time favorite!!

We laughed so hard and I still loves these books. My littlest, Tornado, told me that these are her favorite books ever! Mine too, Baby, mine too.

What was your favorite book as a kidlet?

See my list! 

Do you know Rachel Hollis?

#2 on my list is to read 26 different books, each one starting with a different letter of the alphabet. My friend B (who has been very instrumental in not allowing me to quit working on my list, even though that was my initial plan, yo) lent me her copy of "Girl, Stop Apologizing" just in time for Rachel and Dave Hollis to start the "Girl, Stop Apologizing" book club, but because I hadn't read the first book, "Girl, Wash Your Face," I didn't want to start on the second.

I remember when "Girl, Wash Your Face" was released. I saw several post on Facebook where several women raved about how good it was... how it set a fire in them. I was intrigued, so I headed to my favorite place... Amazon and I read the reviews. Unfortunately, Amazon showed me 1 star reviews first. I read a few where women complained that Rachel was privileged and sheltered. She hadn't faced any real adversary in her life. Regular women couldn't relate to this book. Don't waste your money. Blah, blah, blah, so I decided not to buy it, based on the opinions of these strangers on the internet versus the opinions of women who I actually knew in real life. Crazy, right? I know.

In reflection, after watching every episode of #theGSAClub, I might not be able to lose all the weight, cook awesome meals, or develop a rockin' budget to allow us the opportunity to take amazing vacations; however, I have learned one thing from Rachel and Dave- I will never do anything on my list if I don't believe that it is possible. I need to believe in myself and my ability to reach my goals. In a recent live stream on the "Start Today Morning Show with Rach and Dave," Rachel said (and I'm paraphrasing, because it was a lot) that motivation is getting up over and over and over because your desire to change is greater than your desire to stay where you are. I want a different life than the one I'm living where I'm just existing. I might just be able to do this.

I'm adding to my list! #73 is to do 30 Days of "Start Today" journaling. Check out my list here.

#19 Day 15 without pop

I stopped drinking pop. If you don't know me, you need to know something... I love Coke and Mt Dew and Baja Mountain Dew and pink Mountain Dew from Sheetz.... mmmmmm. The first few days were real, y'all. My head hurt. I was twitchy and irritable. It sucked. My goal was originally set for 7 days, but my friend B likes to torture encourage me and challenged me to 30 days. Not being one to pass up a bet, I muscled my way through the withdrawal and it has become a lot easier. When I order water in a restaurant, it feels a lot less like I'm asking for a glass of depression. I'm halfway through B's challenge, but I have completed #19 on my list. Only 99 more to go!

If not now, then when? The birth of my list.

“If not now, then when?” My friend B said to me as we sat in my office, discussing my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. I had created my list 3 months prior and it sat with very little progress. I shrugged. My life was and is a hot mess. My girls take dance, play softball, and I am overly involved with the Girl Scouts in our community. I’m existing… going through the motions, but am I really living? I’m a dreamer and I have so much I want to do, one day… but I never seem to make time to do it. So, I decided to create my list, which I finished in time for New Years. Cheesy, I know. Then it fizzled out. I went back to existing and planning to do my things “one day.” B’s words, “if not now, then when?” rang in my brain. Would I wake up one day, a senior citizen, and realize that I didn’t live enough? Regret the things that I planned to do, but never committed to finish? I need to do it. I need to put pen to paper, metaphorically, and make it happened.

Without further ado, here is my list of 101 Things to do in 1001 Days:

January 1, 2019- September 28, 2021

Self-Improvement/Fun

1. Launch a blog and write about my 101 Things

2. Read 26 books starting w/ each letter of the alphabet

3. Create a budget and stick to it for 6 months

4. Read 100 different Little Golden Books to the girls
                                       1. The Monster at the End of This Book 
                                       2. Another Monster at the End of This Book

5. Learn to change a tire

6. Do a 5K fun run

7. Take 5 Different Classes

8. Wear Make-Up every day for a week

9. Get my hair cut and styled

10. Eat vegetarian for a week

11. Go to the gym 2x a week for 4 weeks

12. Get 3 massages

13. Get 3 facials

14. Stay out of Wal-Mart for a month

15. Get a patch from every Girl Scout Council

16. Try Amazon Prime Pantry

17. Try Wal-Mart Pick-up

18. Get a tattoo

19. Don’t drink pop for a week

20. Contact GSWPA about the Presidential Service Award and earn it if they support it

21. Lose 10 lbs

22. Lose 10 more lbs

23. Lose 10 more lbs

24. Lose 10 more lbs

25. Lose 10 more lbs

26. Complete 2 Coursera Classes

27. Try 3 Subscription boxes

28. Do the 21 Day Fix

29. Drink 64 oz of water a day for 2 weeks

30. Make 25 different crafts from Pinterest

31. Sell Something I made

32. Enter 40 Projects in the fair

33. Watch 30 different movies I’ve never seen or haven’t watched in the last 2 years.

34. Use reusable grocery totes (or Thirty-One!) for 5 grocery trips

35. Make a Tasty recipe

36. Make 10 new recipes from Pinterest

37. Make 10 new desserts from Pinterest

38. Learn to confidently tie 5 different knots

39. Get 10 celebrity autographs

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Family Adventure

40. Go to Disney World

41. Go on a road trip

42. Visit 5 different museums

43. Beach trip!

44. Earn the Exploring DC patch and all 3 segments with the girls

45. Go Berry Picking

46. Go to 3 different concerts

47. Take the girls Geocaching

48. Go to a Bubba Show breakfast

49. Plant 5 different veggies in the garden

50. Plant an herb garden

51. Plant a tree

52. See 5 plays/musicals

53. Take my Girl Scout troop camping 3x

54. See Disney on Ice

55. Do a 10 church crawl

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Home Improvements​​

56. Build a closet bed

57. Bunk the girls’ beds

58. Get a new couch

59. Put clothing wardrobes in the girls’ room

60. Install a new livingroom floor

61. Clean and organize the girls’ room

62. Clean and organize our room

63. Assemble the corner cabinet

64. Organize the pantry

65. Organize the cabinets

66. Make labels for the spice rack

67. Make 10 freezer meals

68. Get a new kitchen table and chairs

69. Install a shelf for the microwave

70. Paint the kitchen

71. Paint the bedroom

72. Bring in the 2nd Oak cabinet from Pap-Pap’s

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74-101 to come!