All in all, I completed 65 out of 101 goals, which I think is pretty good. Several more goals are in process, many don’t really apply to my life right now, and some of them just aren’t a priority at this time.

I don’t plan to make a new list right now. Goals really work for me though, so I’m thinking about what to do next. I might make a list for the first year of my 30′s, or maybe I’ll start monthly goals. Not sure, but I’m looking forward to figuring it out.

Here’s my final list. Items in bold are completed, items in italics are still in process.

FOOD

1. Shop at a farmer’s market.
2. Cook dinner once a week for a month. (4/4)
3. Cook something with my Crockpot.
4. Be a vegetarian for a month.
5. Make David’s lunch three times a week for a month. (4/4)
6. Compile a recipe book of go-to meals.

FITNESS

7. Do a bike race.
8. Run another 5k.
9. Join a yoga studio.
10. Do a Wii Fit body test once a week for twelve weeks. (12/12)
11. Buy a nice pedometer and wear it at work.
12. Buy ankle weights and start wearing them at work twice a week.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

13. Spend an entire day at the spa.
14. Buy three new pairs of heels. (3/3)
15. Drink 64 oz. of water a day for a week.
16. Find the perfect mascara.
17. Get my teeth whitened.
18. Transition to all-natural personal care products.
19. Try microdermabrasion.

FINANCIAL

20. Pay off my credit card bill.
21. Put at least $1000 in my IRA.
22. Refinance the house.
23. Transfer my old 401k.
24. Implement a system for David and I to save our change.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET

25. Back up all of my computer files. 
26. Learn CSS/HTML/PHP well enough to design and run my website independently. Intentionally not completed.
27. Sell something on eBay.
28. Do a video blog post.
29. Spend a week without internet, except email once a day.

NURSING

30. Become oncology certified.
31. Take the charge nurse class.
32. Take the preceptor class.
33. Get promoted.
34. Get ACLS certified.
35. Thoroughly research nurse practitioner programs in the area and decide whether or not to enroll.

CULTURE

36. Watch all of the movies that have won Best Picture. (43/83 – List)
37. Track down this classical piece by Mendelssohn that I used to own but lost, and only know the melody to.
38. Read 5 Pulitzer Prize winning books that I haven’t read. (3/5) - Olive Kitteridge, Middlesex, Gilead
39. Read 5 books of David’s recommendation. (3/5) - And the Sea Will Tell, Columbine, Losing Our Religion
40. Participate in a blog reading challenge and post reviews for every book read.
41. Attend a Messiah sing-a-long.
42. Take another class from Leisure Learning Unlimited.
43. Obtain or transcribe the clarinet sheet music for “Desperate For Love” by Over the Rhine.
44. See another live musical. - Wonderland (also saw many others!)

HOUSTON

45. Eat Sunday brunch at Birraporetti’s again.
46. Walk the Kemah boardwalk.
47. Go to another Dynamo game.
48. Go to a Texans game.
49. Drive through River Oaks at Christmas.
50. Go to Dickens on the Strand.
51. Visit SeaWorld and do the penguin encounter.
52. See the Beer Can House.
53. Visit the Orange Show monument.

TRAVEL

54. Go camping again.
55. Change passport to married name.
56. Go saltwater fishing with David.
57. Take David to Tabor’s homecoming.
58. Stay in a bed & breakfast.
59. Take David to visit my aunt and uncle in South Carolina.

HOME

60. Paint the entire front half of the house.
61. Set up a writing desk in the front room.
62. Sell/give away/donate all the books I don’t need or want.
63. Plant something.
64. Get the carpet replaced.
65. Have the locks changed so they all open with a single key.
66. Get all the electrical outlets working again.
67. Set up a fully-functional and decorated dining room.
68. Obtain a vacuum cleaner.
69. Refinish my old desk chair.
70. Get the drywall in the bathroom ceiling replaced if needed. - Turns out the drywall wasn’t affected by the leak in our attic! Hurrah, one less project to spend time and money on.
71. Buy 5 original/handmade art/craft pieces from local creators to display in our home. (0/5)

RELATIONSHIPS

72. Write David a list of 100 things I love about him.
73. Babysit my new nephew.
74. Get pregnant.
75. Send 10 ‘just because’ cards. (7/10) - Lauren P., Jennifer W., Lauren A., Stephany R., Tabaitha K., Erin S., Grandma
76. Hand write a letter to my Australian pen pal.
77. Host a game night.
78. Give David 5 random love cards. (1/5)
79. Send out timely Christmas cards.
80. Attend my 10-year high school reunion.

GIVE BACK

81. Donate blood once a quarter. (9/9)
82. Register to be a bone marrow donor.
83. Start using reusable shopping bags.
84. Send Mary, the child we sponsor in Uganda, a picture of us.
85. Make an achievable plan of steps to take to have a more environmentally friendly life.

BE CREATIVE

86. Finish a cross-stitch project. - See it in Meredith’s nursery.
87. Complete NaBloPoMo.
88. Make and send birthday cards to everyone on my birthday list for three months.
89. Make an inspiration board.
90. Have a custom stamp made.
91. Take a sewing class.

SPIRITUAL

92. Memorize Philippians 3.
93. Complete the Biblica New Testament challenge.
94. Fast for 24 hours and evaluate.
95. Be a regular at a women’s Bible study.
96. Complete a Beth Moore Bible study with homework (on my own with downloaded sessions or live). - The Beloved Disciple

ET CETERA

97. Buy another leash and walk the dogs simultaneously.
98. Get new windshield wipers for my truck.
99. Become a true fan of the Texans by following every game and discussing with David.
100. Complete a New York Times crossword puzzle without help.
101. Compile a list of favorite quotes.

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/.

***

I’m not super into makeup and beauty products, but I’m also not uncaring of my appearance and skin health either. Actually, over the past year I began the process of transitioning all my personal care products to natural versions, and I’m not talking high-end stuff. I’m on a budget, and I want to do this the healthy way AND the cheap way. I’ve tried a lot of things, and this is what I’ve come up with.

>Facial care: I’ve started using the natural oil cleansing method, mixing extra virgin olive oil and castor oil, then wiping off with a warm towel. I can get away without using any  moisturizer, but I find that if I do that the fine lines on my face are much more visible. Burt’s Bees Radiance Night Creme takes care of that (or, honestly, whatever lotion I have lying around – my skin isn’t sensitive).

>Body: Alba Botanica lotion is wonderful. Smells good, goes on clean, all natural, and lasts a really long time. Oh, and this isn’t all-natural, but I refuse to part with my anti-perspirant and am dedicated to Dove deodorant.

>Makeup: I haven’t yet tried a cheaper version of mineral foundation (my favorite kind), but I hear good things about L’Oreal True Match Naturale, so that’s what I’ll go with next. I’ve tried all-natural mascaras, but they just don’t work as well and mascara is really important to me. My current go-to version is Covergirl Lash Blast Mega Volume. With a couple of coats my lashes look awesome, and it applies so easily. And…that’s all the makeup I wear on a regular basis.

>Teeth: Tom’s of Maine toothpaste works well and tastes fresh.

>Hair: I tried the no shampoo thing, but I guess I didn’t try hard enough because my hair felt gross (even though I knew it was clean). So for awhile I’ve been using Nature’s Gate shampoo and conditioner every other day or so. I only need a little bit each time, so they last.

***

Really, that’s about it. I try to keep things as low-maintenance as possible and I find that I’m much happier.  What’s your beauty philosophy?

Completed so far: 59

4. Be a vegetarian for a month: I did this for over a month before I got pregnant after reading the book Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. With all the pregnancy changes I couldn’t keep it up, but I do intend to merge back toward a more vegetarian diet once I have the baby.

30. Become oncology certified: Passed my exam in November 2010!

59: Take David to visit my aunt and uncle in South Carolina: We went last week and had a great time!

60: Paint the entire front half of the house: Other than the tiny bathroom off of the laundry room that needs to be completely redone, it’s all painted! We’ve actually done most of the back half of the house too.

62: Sell/give away/donate all the books I don’t need or want: We took several huge bags to the used bookstore recently and donated. This will be a constant battle as we acquire more books, but we’ve got a good start.

93. Complete the Biblica New Testament challenge: I did this with my church and wrote about it on my book blog.

In progress: 9

18. Transition to all-natural personal care products: This has been a long process of finding out what I like, but I’m almost there! I’m using up what I have before trying new things, so I still need to find a natural conditioner, bar soap, and deodorant.

20. Pay off my credit card bill: We’re slowly chipping away at all of our debt. The medical bills came first, and this is the next one to work on.

24. Implement a system for David and I to save our change: We have a designated spot to place our loose change, but I haven’t yet gone through the process of taking it to get rolled and cashed or deposited.

36. Watch all of the movies that have won Best Picture: I’ve seen 42 out of 83, and I haven’t made much progress in awhile. This is going to be a tough one to complete because I don’t have a whole lot of spare time.

38. Read 5 Pulitzer Prize winning books that I haven’t read: I’ve read three new ones, and I have one on my shelf.

39: Read 5 books of David’s recommendation: I’ve read two so far. I need to get him to recommend a few more.

75: Send 10 ‘just because’ cards: I’ve sent seven! This will be an easy one to finish.

81. Donate blood once a quarter: Until I got pregnant I donated blood even more often than this, about every two months if I wasn’t too anemic. Obviously I can’t donate now, and with my anemia problem I don’t know if I’ll be able to continue, but if my counts go back to normal once I deliver I want to get back into the habit.

92. Memorize Philippians 3: This is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, and it’s not too long. I know a decent chunk of it, but I just need to focus to finish up.

Some of my goals are going to be hard to complete, and they might get relegated to a future list. I’m going to try though!

I decided that this past weekend was the perfect time for a visit, so I dragged my youngest brother along and we made our mini pilgrimage to pay homage to folk art of Houston.

This house is covered with 50,000 beer cans, all of which were consumed. There are also 20,000 marbles embedded in the concrete surrounding it. This whole thing was done by the man who owned the house, just for fun. I don’t know how his wife let him get away with it.

Apparently it did lower their energy bills, so there’s that.

***

And then there’s the monument from which the Orange Show gets its name. This was also built by a man on a whim, simply because he loved oranges and wanted to share his love with others.

It looks like a small amusement park, but really it’s just in a regular residential neighborhood taking up one plot of land.

I’m telling you, the guy just really loved oranges. There were sayings like this all over the place.

His plan for the show was to have an organ playing while a tap dancer sang about health and nutrition. But sadly, his dream was never realized since he died 8 months after the monument was completed.

I feel like a better Houstonian now that I’ve visited these landmarks! If you live in the area, they’re worth a quick visit. :)

After these 1001 days are up, I’m going to work on my life list, and I’ll probably take on smaller challenges in the future too. In the meantime, here are the changes I’m making to my current list.

#18. Learn how to style my hair –> Transition to all-natural personal care products. Honestly, I’m not that into hair. I’m so awkward when I try to blow-dry using a round brush that it actually angers me. I decided I don’t care if I never know how to fix my hair in any special way; it’ll look nice enough straightened and left down. But staying in the category of beauty, I am very interested in transitioning to organic products whenever possible.

#22. Make a habit of paying extra principle on the mortgage each month –> Refinance the house. Paying extra principle on our mortgage was an idea we got from David’s uncle, and is probably a good idea if we were positive we’d be staying in our house until we pay it off. Since we can’t be sure of that, it’s not really the best idea. Instead we need to refinance to get a lower interest rate, which will really help out with our cash flow.

#42. Learn conversational Spanish –> Take another class from Leisure Learning Unlimited. Learning Spanish is definitely a life list thing. It’s important to me, but I don’t know how long it’ll take. Instead I just want to take another random class (hiking? photography? cooking?), and who knows what’ll turn out to be my next favorite hobby.

#54. Drive down the California coast –> Take a vacation with only my husband for at least a week. The California coast trip will be going on my life list. It’s just too expensive to try and pull off during this time of our lives when we’re still starting out.

#60. Get the house painted –> Paint the entire front half of the house. Our house basically has a front half and a back half, and when we bought it the entire thing needed to be repainted: trim, doors, ceilings, everything. Since we’re doing it ourselves, it’s quite a chore and going very slowly. If I can finish the front half for now, I’ll be happy.

#63. Plant flowers in the backyard –> Plant something. Our backyard is a constant source of shame for me, as our dogs have really messed it up. I try to keep it tidy, but for the foreseeable future my focus is going to be on the inside of the house, and not the outside. Once I get the inside fixed up and can focus some attention on learning how to garden (and deal with the dogs) I’ll plant some flowers or vegetables. Right now I’d like to start slow, maybe an indoor herb garden.

#67. Build a pretty and well-organized home office –> Set up a fully-functional and decorated dining room. The office project sounds fun, and will need to be done eventually, but what I really need first is a place to have people over for meals. Our tiny breakfast table isn’t cutting it.

#101. Beat Mario Galaxy on Wii –> Expand my vocabulary by 100 words. When we got a new Wii I lost all the progress I had made on this video game, and I was pretty far. I don’t have it in me to start from scratch, though I will play occasionally because it’s fun. But when it comes down to it, I won’t ever care all that much if I beat the game or not. Learning new words, on the other hand, is fun AND something to be proud of.

***

I’m really happy about my updated list. It’s more reflective of my life right now, much more achievable, and I’m looking forward to completing every single item!

But first, here are some things we already do:

-Recycle cardboard, paper, aluminum, plastic

-Drive a hybrid vehicle

-Use cold water for laundry & dishes

-Minimize use of electricity & use energy efficient bulbs

-Use cloth bags for groceries

-Drink out of reusable mugs for coffee

-Water lawn at night

-Buy used when possible

Now for the list:

Holidays

-Put up a real, locally grown tree each year

-Make my own cards

-Buy energy efficient outdoor LED lights

-Choose experiential gifts like show tickets, spa gift certificates, etc.

-Use homemade wrapping paper like paper bags, magazines, or newspaper

Home

-Make our own cleaning supplies

-Ditch paper towels in favor of microfiber cloths

-Keep the amount of “stuff” we own to a minimum (we don’t have a lot)

-Reuse, donate, or recycle anything we don’t need

-Stem the tide of junk mail

-Turn off the power strip to the TV when not in use

-Call electric & gas companies to ask about alternative energy sources

-Buy used: everything from gadgets to clothing to furniture

-For future appliance purchases, consider energy-efficient models

-Install low-flow faucets, showerheads, and low-volume toilets

-Start harvesting rainwater

Food

-Start composting

-Start shopping at farmer’s markets for produce

-Find a source of local meat, and eat less of it

-Buy organic when possible

-Buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste

-Cook at home more often, and cook just enough

Personal

-Shop thrift stores for clothing

-Take good care of clothes and wash them sparingly

-Use less products

-Buy organic products from companies whose philosophy I believe in

***

There are so many more ways than this in which a person can live an environmentally friendly life, and for a comprehensive guide I suggest you visit this website. However, the above are the things I feel are achievable for us. There are some ideas I’m just never going to get behind (anyone heard of the “selective flush”?), and some that just aren’t feasible (like building our own, entirely green home).

Some of the items on my list will be easy, and others will take time and effort. But if we can get to a place where we’ve basically achieved them, I’ll be proud.

Tips, links, and advice are always welcome. I’d love to hear about what works for you. :)

Since I couldn’t actually be productive, I decided to plan my productivity instead. But first, I wanted to update you on a few of the goals I’ve checked off since the last time we talked about this.

#25: Back up all of my computer files.

This is the external hard drive that I bought a ways back. Before I got a chance to use it, my computer crashed. I was able to salvage most of my files, but they ended up saved on the external hard drive all in a jumble and unnamed. I finally found the time to go through those files, save the ones I want to keep, and back up my computer for real. Now what I do is back it up at the end of every month and once I do so I set myself a reminder on my phone to do it again the next month. That way I’ll (hopefully) be able to keep up with it! By the way, this gives me SO much peace of mind, and if you don’t already back up your computer monthly, I highly encourage you to do so.

#44: See another live musical.

I think I’ve mentioned it before, but my youngest brother works stage crew at the Alley Theatre downtown, which is one of the most prestigious theatres in Houston. (Sidenote: did you know that Houston has one of the best theatre districts in the country?) Anyway, his job offers some perks, namely that he gets a few free tickets to every show. Since he knows how much I love plays I pretty much get to see every one. Not too long ago the musical Wonderland made its world premiere at the Alley, and I got to be there. I thought it was fun, and the music was poppy and catchy–definitely something I can see myself singing to in the car. My only criticism is that it was 2 1/2 hours long. I’m pretty sure it’ll be edited before it goes to Broadway though!

#90: Have a custom stamp made.

My lovely friend Julie, who I really wish had a blog, designed this stamp for me when she saw I wanted one so much. It made me happy in a time of sadness, and now I’m inspired to write many cards just to use it. :)

#95: Be a regular at a women’s Bible study.

My church held a women’s study that ended last month, and I was happy to be a regular attender. I couldn’t go every week due to work, but I’m pretty sure I went to the majority of meetings. I love the ladies at my church so much, even if I am the youngest one there by decades!

#96: Complete a Beth Moore Bible study with homework.

Beth Moore is a Christian speaker and writer from Houston, and I am blessed that I actually get to see her live frequently. She hosts a couple weekly women’s Bible studies a year, and although I can’t always commit to them I can say that they are always worth it. To complete this goal I bought one of her study books, The Beloved Disciple, and borrowed the CD’s with her messages from a friend.

Now, these are the goals I’m hoping to complete in the near future…

#1: Shop at a Farmer’s Market. There is one every Saturday nearby, and I’m going this weekend!

#12: Buy ankle weights and start wearing them at work twice a week. Going to get them today, start wearing them tomorrow.

#24: Implement a system for David and I to save our change.

There are many more that are in progress, but they will take a bit more planning and time to complete. I’ve been at this for almost a year now, and I have 39 goals completed. Just under two years to go…I can do this!

I wanted to go to a sing-a-long of Handel’s Messiah because I sang it for four years in college when I was in choir, and I miss it. I wasn’t even going to blog about this event, but that was before I sat next to Gladys.

My mom and I were looking for the soprano section, as there were no signs and it wasn’t our church. I noticed that many of the people had on maroon collared shirts, so I figured they must be the church choir. We walked up to one of the rows and were pleasantly surprised that we had found the right place. Gladys graciously scootched herself over to make room for us.

She was an older black woman, slightly hunched over but with a gorgeous smile. I thanked her for letting us sit there and she replied, “Honey, I don’t own any of these pews so you can sit wherever you want to!” As the performance got started I could tell that her voice was probably past its prime, and she was having a bit of trouble reading the music. It made me wonder how long she’d been singing in that church choir.

During one of the solos, Gladys patted my hand and pointed to my wedding ring. “When?” she whispered, eyes twinkling. I cupped my hand around her ear and said, “A little over a year ago!” For a moment I felt like I was newly engaged all over again. Back when I couldn’t stop looking at my ring, when I knocked it against things and constantly snagged it because I wasn’t used to the weight. Now it’s just an extension of my hand. “Oh, you’re married already? Wow!” Gladys replied.

A while later, after we had just sat down from singing one of the choruses, Gladys looked at me and said, “You have such a pretty voice. It’s sweet.” I tried to clarify that my voice is soft, but she wasn’t having it. “It’s sweet. And you are so pretty.”

During the Hallelujah chorus, I noticed that she lost her place in the music and couldn’t find it. She was using a different score than the rest of us and couldn’t go by our page numbers. She searched and fumbled and finally just put her music down and sang. Something about that made me sad, that she tried so hard to find her place but couldn’t. It didn’t seem to bother her, though. Even when she began singing the wrong part, it didn’t matter. She was singing Hallelujah one way or another.

At the end of the night, after the long Amen, Gladys and I exchanged at least three hugs. I kind of didn’t want to leave, because I will never see this delightful woman again. I don’t know much about her, but tonight she made God proud. I’m sure of it.

Posting every day isn’t something that is a priority for me to continue, but I have gotten into the habit and I think I’ll be a lot more frequent than I used to be. I really appreciate everyone who has encouraged me this month, who have told me how much they enjoy my daily posts. I love the creative outlet that my blog is to me, but the main reason I keep it up is because of the community and the people. Thanks, y’all.

The reason it ended up on the list in the first place is because I am committed to my blog and I like it so much better when it looks nice. I admit it, when I visit a new blog I totally judge its appearance. I won’t not read a blog if it’s badly designed, but if I like the way it looks then it has a higher chance of succeeding with me. I’m sure other people are the same way. (Come on, ‘fess up!)

Right now I have an extremely complicated theme running which doesn’t allow for easy editing. I came to be in this conundrum because my brother is a graphic and web designer, and in the past he has done the bulk of the work for me. After awhile I became weary of my old design, and felt exasperated waiting on my brother to change it. I don’t blame him at all, because he has a full-time job and no computer at home (crazy, right?). So I hastily switched to my current theme without knowing how difficult it would be to work with. There are many things I want to change about it, but can’t on my own. So I wrote goal #26, because I want to be able to do what I want with my blog, when I want.

The problem is that as much as I try to get into learning this website stuff, I don’t enjoy it like I wish I did. It’s not something I can sit down and master in a few hours, and I don’t want to immerse myself in anything I don’t love. I would much rather spend my time on other goals, or with people who matter to me. Giving up on this goal is like breathing a sigh of relief. I’m okay with my blog being “good enough” and not perfect. I plan to search high and low for a user-friendly theme that I love that will work for me, switch over, then do minimal editing from there until it looks pretty. And if that doesn’t work, I can always resort to flattery, bribes, or threats to get the help I need. :)