52 Things

Every year I prepare a list of 52 things I'd like to accomplish in my personal life within the next year; one thing for each week of the new year.  Since starting this, I have never once completed all 52 things, but I do believe I have accomplished more by having the list, than not.  Besides, it's a list!!  What could be more happy-making than writing a nice list?!?  There aren't many rules.  Each item has to be something I can easily accomplish in a week.  I don't have to do them in order and I always try to break each item down into workable units to get them done over the course of the week.  It's fun...really...I promise it is!!  Here's my official 2013 list!

1. Make up a new recipe and test it out on the family and then blog about it. Done.
2. Clean and organize the main bathroom linen closet. Done.
3. Read, Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head & Other Drawings, by B. Kliban. Done.
4. Read, First Grave on the Right, by Darynda Jones.
5. Go through Son's clothes and remove all of the ones he has grown out of, which should be many! Done.
6. Get all of the ingredients and make a big batch of Stuffed Grape Leaves.
7. De-clutter 1/4 of the garage (1of 4).
8. De-clutter 1/4 of the garage (2 of 4).
9. De-clutter 1/4 of the garage (3 of 4).
10. De-clutter 1/4 of the garage (4 of 4).
11. Complete a business trip to New York. Done.
12. Take my first leisure trip to Hawaii with my sister! (Okay...this changed to Las Vegas...Done!)
13. Take down the Christmas Tree!  (I'll be doing this one first on January 1.) Done.
14. Put up the Christmas Tree!  (So, this happens the same time every year, the day after Thanksgiving.) Done.
15. Go through my clothes, shoes and bags and remove those things which are no longer useful. Done.
16. Rearrange the furniture in the living room. Done.
17. Purchase and hang window coverings for the dining room. Done.
18. Paint the master bathroom. Done.
19. Clean all the windows in the house. Done.
20. Freshen and redecorate the front porch. Done.
21. Come up with a new nail art design and blog about it. Done (so many times everyone is sick to death of it!!)
22. Drive a completely different way to work each day of a the 5 work days one week and blog about it.  (That's right!  You too can be totally bored to death by my nonsense, just by reading my blog!! You know, like now!! :)
1. The MoPac way. Done.
2. The IH35 way. Done.
3. The Double Sneaky Back way. Done.
4. The Lamar to Breaker to Dessau way. Done.
5. The Metric to Rundburg way. Done.
23. Plan and prepare a week of only Italian food meals for the family and then blog about it.
24. Clean and redecorate the back patio area.
25. Plan and prepare a picnic for the family at a nice location near home.  (Let's see if they go or if I'm alone in this one!) Done.
26. Plan and prepare a week of only vegetarian food meals for myself and then blog about it. (My boys will never want to do this one!)
27. Detail my car.  (I must do the work myself!) Done.
28. Clean and organize the master bathroom linen closet. Done.
29. Purchase and install a new light fixture for the dining room. Done.
30. Select, purchase and install new outdoor lighting for the front porch and back patio.
31. Complete the 2014 travel plans for me and my sister. (She's stuck with me!!) Done.
32. Take a favorite look out of a fashion magazine and then try to recreate the look for myself for less than $100. Done.
33. Take a 2 hour hike in a local natural area.
34. Take a walk each day on a different walking trail in the area.
35. Clean out the drawer of my bedside table.
36. Learn how to better organize my blog. Done.
37. Make a video for YouTube on something I feel strongly about. Done.
38. Get my CHL.
39. Plan and complete the reorganization of my vanity area. Done.
40. Go to a concert. Done.
41. Take a weekend trip to a resort within driving distance of my home.
42. Try a different 30 minute workout routine every day for a week. Done.
43. Select a cookbook and make dinners from that book every night for a week and then blog about it.
44. Wear nothing but black with one pop of a different color each day, for a week and blog about it.
45. Plan and prepare a dynamite Halloween costume! Done, but didn't get to wear it!
46. Complete a full Spring cleaning of my home. Done.
47. Complete a full Fall cleaning of my home. Done.
48. Plan and prepare a week of Cowboy food meals for the family and then blog about it.  (Yes, there is such a thing!)
49. Select a favorite Cowgirl look from a magazine and then try to recreate the look for myself for less than $250. (I'm investing in me this year! ;)
50. Go through and get rid of all the unnecessary magazines there are around this place! Done.
51. Plan and prepare a week of German food meals for the family and then blog about it.
52. Take a 3 hour hike in a local natural area.

Also, there is a list of 5 things that I want to do for 2013 in general, all the time and we'll just call these my resolutions.  Here they are:

1. Eat when I'm hungry; stop when I'm full.  You know, like normal people do. Not so done.
2. Exercise at least 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week. Close, but still not completely done.
3. Stop weighing!  The number on the scale is not even important to me, so why do I still look at it? Done!
4. Take my lunch to work from home as many days as possible.  (Need the extra $ to fund some of my 52 Things above!) Done!!
5. Listen.  What? I don't think this will ever be DONE!

I'll update this blog posting each week and mark out something that I've accomplished.  So, I guess my list making is coming to an end for today.  I've had fun writing the lists, I just hope you're still awake!  Thanks for dropping by and I'll see you soon, Sweeties!