Sunday, 3 March 2013

101 Things In 1001 Days

START DATE :: 4th March 2013
END DATE :: 30th November 2015

COMPLETED :: 03
IN PROGRESS :: 33
NOT YET STARTED :: 65
FAILED :: 0



    goals 01 - 12 :: weight/health/fitness :: click to expand
    Renovating the Temple




  1. Get back to my goal weight, and maintain it for the rest of the 101/1001 period
    By this I don't mean my Weight Watchers goal weight, although obviously I will need to get back to that first. My ultimate goal is a weight I was happy at before and feel I will be happy at again. However, it is not as low as I was at my lightest, because I want a weight I can realistically maintain without getting all weird and unhealthy about it.




  2. Do a Couch to 5k running plan
    There are so many of these about, and I don't know if they're all the same. All I know is that I am not a runner, so this is a really big goal I've set myself. I think I'll try the NHS version of the programme, simply because I'm hoping it really is written for our nation of total beginners!




  3. Create a recipe book with diet recipes
    Nothing makes it easier to stay on track with healthy cooking than simplifying the whole process. Having all my favourite recipes together in one file - including any tweaks I may have made to the original, and written in a way which works for me - would just be a handy tool to have.




  4. Work out twice a week on a regular basis
    It seems such a small thing, but I go through fits and starts with my exercise attempts and I really need to make a proper commitment to it. Losing weight is one thing, but conditioning my body to be a shell I'm happy with is a whole other issue which can't be altered through diet alone.




  5. Reduce my body fat percentage by 5%
    Now, I don't know a whole lot about the science of body fat, or whether this will be an impossible task. I may find that if I complete all my other fitness goals, this one will sort itself out...who knows? I don't even know what my current percentage is, but I'm willing to bet it's above the ideal range so I don't think 5% is unrealistic.




  6. Do the 30 Day Shred
    Gillian Michaels is a wee hero of mine, I think she is phenomenal. But I've always been too chicken to do anything more than watch her force other people to work out. Now, it's my turn. I know this wont be enjoyable or fun! I will consider it achieved if I manage either to get up to level 2, or I at least manage 30 days at level 1. I think level 3 is an impossibility!




  7. Complete the Zero to 1650
    With a son who swims competitively, I feel ashamed to think of how I've neglected my own swimming...it's time to see if I still have the stamina I used to have!




  8. Don't start smoking again
    I'll admit it...part of me is just waiting for the opportunity to light up again. But apart from the fact that it would be financially selfish of me to spend the kind of dough I used to on my own disgusting vice, there are a million other reasons why I shouldn't give in to this. I would like to have kicked the habit once and for all.




  9. Walk 300 miles
    Not all in one go...I'm not a sadist. But walking really kicked my body back into gear in the months since Mini Milk arrived, and it's such a simple way to get some exercise that I want to keep it up. I can walk a mile on the flat in 15mins, so I had toyed with the idea of 500 or even 1001 miles. But I'm aware that I do have quit a few other fitness goals here and I don't want to set myself up to fail, so I think 300 is more realistic. Especially when coupled with goal #20.




  10. Take a Pilates class
    Just because, really. I enjoyed the DVD I did when I was pregnant, so lets see where this interest can take me.




  11. Join a gym...and go!
    I was at my fittest when I had a gym membership, and I need to admit to myself that having somewhere I make time to visit is the only way to keep my exercise motivation up. I just lack that momentum when I only work out at home, because it's too easy to avoid.




  12. Use the Slendertone for at least 8 weeks
    Now we have one, I should at least test it out to see if it's all gimmick. I have realistic expectations though, after a big weight loss and two pregnancies I don't think any amount of magic will get me a six pack!



  13. goals 13 - 25 :: family time :: click to expand
    My Brood



  14. Get Mini Milk an Elf on the shelf
    I love Christmas traditions, and we have quite a few now. But pretty much every one we have is something I started with Half Pink. I'm carrying them on for Mini Milk, but I'd like to start one in his honour too. Plus, the creepy little elf doll appeals to me!




  15. Go on a family holiday abroad
    Obviously I'd love this to involve all three kids, but that decision isn't mine to make. I just really want to hang out with the kids by a pool, play in the sand by the sea, show them some culture and enjoy some great food with them all whilst making some memories that we'll share forever. Plus, it's been waaay too long since I last went abroad...I'm getting cabin fever!




  16. Take the kids to Center Parcs
    Again, I'd love this to include all three kids. I've always meant to give this a try and I've heard nothing but good things about Center Parcs breaks from others...and perhaps it could work as a warm up for goal #14.




  17. Sign Half Pint up for piano lessons
    He has always shown an interest in my piano at my parents' house, and I've been a bit rubbish at encouraging his artistic side because his sporting ability gets a bulk of his time. I think we need to give this a try to see if it suits him, before he heads to high school and gets all the extra homework and responsibilities that come with that part of his life.




  18. Do the Great Scottish Swim with Half Pint
    This will need to wait until 2014, when Half Pint will be old enough. Hopefully it will still be held in the same place, and we can hire wet suits...or this could get pricey! I have to have completed goal #7 first too.




  19. Take Half Pint on the Jacobite (aka the Hogwart's Express)
    This is probably a birthday trip. He's reading Harry Potter and I think he'd get a kick out of this. Plus, I love the chance to soak up some beautiful scenery!




  20. Learn and use at least five baby sign language words
    I remember how a lot of Half Pint's late baby/early toddler tantrums stemmed from an inability to express his needs. Hopefully using even just a few key signs will help ease that stage for Mini Milk.




  21. Be the dog walker once a week
    One for my little fur baby - the Pooch and I need to have some bonding time.




  22. Don't feed Mini Milk jarred baby food at home
    Ideally I wont be using jarred food much outside of the home either, but I know there will be times where that isn't practical. I want to make the bulk of his food myself and definitely only feed him homemade food at home (although baby rice and porridge are ok to use).




  23. Give the kids their own special space
    If/when we move to a new house, I want to do more than simply paint the walls the colour that the kids chose for their bedrooms. Obviously, the outcome of this depends on the house we get and what the kids want, but I want there to be at least one aspect of each of their rooms that is personalised for them.




  24. Take Mini Milk on at least ten days out, with picnics
    Obviously the older kids can come too, if they don't think it's too lame. I'm thinking that we have to revisit some of my favourite places we've visited with Half Pint and Pink Milk like the aquarium or Deep Sea World, Edinburgh Zoo, Blair Drummond and Kelburn. I also want to try Findlaystone and Lamont Farm, although we've never been to them before.




  25. Play crazy golf with the kids
    Can you believe I've never played real crazy golf?! And I think the older kids would still be up for this.




  26. Make sure our new house has a dog-free area of the garden!
    I want a garden that isn't just a dog toilet, that was can sit out in during the summer and more than anything I want to make sure Mini Milk has a safe place to play.



  27. goals 26 - 33 :: improving my appearance :: click to expand
    How to be a Woman



  28. Learn how to curl my hair
    I am so bored of it just sitting there when I wear it down!




  29. Visit the Benefit make-up counter for a demo
    This is on here because I was meant to do this years ago, but had to cancel and then never did it. And if I'm going to trust any stranger to smear stuff on me, it's gotta be lovely Benefit stuff!




  30. Get my teeth whitened before my wedding
    A must - years of coffee and ciggies have wrecked my smile, and my confidence.



  31. Get into a skincare routine
    I ain't getting any younger and I've been lucky that my laziness hasn't got me in trouble so far. I know that wont last, so it's time I at the very least got into the habit of taking my make-up off at night!




  32. Learn how to wear my hair in three new ways
    I may be a mum, but its time to stop looking like one all the damn time!




  33. Learn three new make-up techniques
    I only started really wearing full make-up in my mid-twenties, and my skill set is limited. I need to try some new looks.




  34. Get my nails done monthly
    This will have to wait until I'm back at work to start, as it's an extravagance I can't justify on maternity pay. But I think I could spare one lunch break a month to feel better about myself, and this includes my toenails in summer so I can enjoy wearing cute shoes.




  35. Get my hair done every ten weeks
    Again, an income-reliant extravagance that needs to wait until I'm back at work, but I hate how I feel when my roots get bad...so I'm going to try and eliminate that feeling!



  36. goals 34 - 42 :: improving + neatening everyday life ::click to expand
    Oh Just Grow Up!




  37. Clear all my things from mum and dad's house
    I've been a homeowner for long enough - it's time to stop using my parents house as a storage unit!




  38. Interior design our next home
    I want to have a solid idea about how our rooms are going to look before we start. Pinterest, colour palettes, plans. I hate decorating, so I'd rather just do it right first time so we don't have to think about it again for a good few years!



  39. Get serious about savings
    This is a priority once we've paid for the wedding, to make sure we always have a financial cushion. I think these baby steps are a good approach.




  40. Reclaim my inbox
    My email is about 99.999% shite circulars and junk. I need to make this stop!




  41. Have an address/birthday/date book
    I envy people who get their cards out on time...I think this is what middle age is meant to feel like.




  42. Get some decent art/ornaments for the house
    Surround myself with beautiful things? Don't mind if I do.



  43. Brush the Pooch at least once a week
    I have dropped hints, nagged and actually even cried at the amount of dog hair that has to get hoovered up every day. It's clear no one else is going to do this, so I need to add it to my chore list for my own sanity.




  44. Learn ten new housework tips and use them regularly
    Who'd have thought it, I'm actually a wee wifey underneath it all.




  45. Have a solid answer/decision/plan
    This one is private, but it needs to be here.



  46. goals 43 - 46 :: doing my bit for good causes :: click to expand
    Pay It Forward



  47. Regularly donate blood
    I am a big supporter of the blood bank, but due to pregnancy haven't been able to give blood for a while. Once the nine month post-baby period is over, I want to get back into this.




  48. Donate a shoebox to the Operation Christmas Child appeal each year
    Preferably two actually - one for a boy and one for a girl - but I'll aim for at least one.




  49. Take part in the Race for Life
    If I complete goal #2, its only right that I push myself by taking part in an official 5k. Doing one for charity would give me motivation.




  50. Reinstate my charitable direct debits
    Another one of these goals which has to wait until I'm back at work, but my Red Cross and NSPCC donations are just a small thing I can do for others.



  51. goals 47 - 59 :: adventures in cooking, baking + tasting :: click to expand
    Foodie Fun




  52. Cook "Christmas" dinner
    Christmas day itself looks set to always be spent with one set of our parents or the other, but I like the idea of trying to cook the most important meal of the year at least once. So I'm going to give it a try for the pre-Christmas meal we have with Pink Milk rather than going to a restaurant for it.




  53. Have four baking go-to recipes perfected
    My baking sucks. I've tried to bake cakes, cookies, muffins...but they're never anything to be proud of. I'm not aiming for Parisian patisserie, but homely mum stuff would be an achievement.




  54. Barbecue something classier than cheap burgers!
    I think I'm pretty good when it comes to putting meals on the table, but our barbecue offerings always end up being sawdust burgers from Farmfoods. Its such a rare treat in this country to dig out the BBQ, I feel it should be honoured with more than just frozen crap wrapped in cheap white buns.




  55. Try real sushi
    For years I had convinced myself that I didn't like fish. Turns out that was a lie. But raw fish is still a leap I haven't made. It's time.




  56. Plant a herb window box with at least three types of herb
    I'm sick of dried herbs, I want to use the real deal in my cooking. But buying fresh herbs seems a bit of an indulgence, surely it makes more sense to grow them? Of course, there is the slight issue that I kill every plant I even look at...but maybe I'll discover green fingers if I'm getting to eat my efforts!




  57. Perfect five non-diet main courses
    I learned to cook when I learned to diet. The two have always been linked. I need to spread my wings.




  58. Bake bread
    Either using my mum's bread machine, or by going totally old school. And I need to do it until I get it right.




  59. No meat for a month
    Not for any political reason or anything, this is just to see if I can. And to see if it has any impact on my weight. And, y'know...to lessen my chances of accidentally eating a doped-up horse.




  60. Bake a birthday cake
    Once I manage goal #48, this would be cute to try.




  61. Actually make something from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
    I've drooled over her blog for years, and treated myself to her book...but my fear of the calories has always held me back. Well, no more!




  62. Make my own hummus
    Shop bought stuff never satisfies in the way the homemade hummus I used to order in a little tea shop did. I need to try and recreate that natural, wholesome taste and comforting mouthfeel.




  63. Try tofu
    It would seem that I'm intolerant to Quorn, which doesn't really help goal #54. Maybe tofu isn't as bad as it looks...? And maybe as a sub-goal here, I should give Quorn another try just to see if I get the symptoms again.




  64. Make something from Babycakes
    My mum bought me their book a good few years ago, but the ingredients were from another world. I've noticed recently a few of these strange things being available in regular supermarkets, so maybe finally trying one of the recipes is no longer an impossible dream!



  65. goals 60 - 66 :: getting more involved in blogging :: click to expand
    Blog Off



  66. Blog my 101/1001 journey
    The whole point of this list is to enrich my life with little achievements, so I need to commit them to memory.




  67. Blog twice a week, most weeks
    Sometimes I can go nearly a month without writing a thing. I want to get back to being the prolific blogger I used to be, so that when I'm old and grey I have something to look back on.




  68. Complete the blogging month - completion entry
    This isn't really anything official, it was just a bunch of blogging prompts I found and combined to give me a different topic each day. But it may kick start my blogging and get me in the right frame of mind to complete the other goals in this section.



  69. Write 30 diet blog posts
    Probably just in here first, but possibly I'll put them together eventually on a blog I unsuccessfully tried to start on another blogging platform. I just feel I have a lot of knowledge in this area, and I want to share it with others who may be on weight loss journeys. I know how vital tips from others in the same boat have been for me over the years.




  70. Reply to every comment I get in my blog
    I've slacked with this terribly over the years, and as a result my friendships have slipped. Its time to show my appreciation for those who take the time to read and reply.




  71. Do a blog hook-up
    I'm actually not even 100% sure what this involves, but I've seen other bloggers do it and it looks like fun!




  72. Do a "day in the life" photo/blog post
    I saw this on a lot of other 101/1001 lists I looked at for inspiration, and I think it sounds like the dorky sort of thing I'd enjoy doing.



  73. goals 67 - 70 :: recording my life in pictures :: click to expand
    Snap Happy




  74. Complete my photography course
    This gift from the Milkman is a fantastic opportunity for me, so I need to make sure I take it. My photos are my most prized possessions, but I need to improve my abilities




  75. Take a photo of the same view once a month for 12 months
    Obviously this can wait until goal #67 is completed for the best results!




  76. Do something with all my digital photos
    Firstly I need to better organise them, and then I plan to print enough to fill my existing photo albums and then step it up a notch and get a bit more creative...like making photo year books in the Project Life sort of vein.




  77. Actually use my photo negative scanner
    I'll feel a lot more comfortable if I know that I have digital copies of at least some of my old childhood photos.



  78. goals 71 - 78 :: becoming my soul mate's wife :: click to expand
    Hey Baby, I Think I Wanna Marry You



  79. Have a spa hen party
    A tacky hen do in a nightclub which ends with me puking into a gutter, wearing an L-plate covered veil and willy-shaped deely boppers is the stuff of nightmares for me. I would much rather spend time being pampered and drinking fine champagne with the women who are most important to me.




  80. Make my own wedding favours...
    ...or at least personalise them. I've pinned too much crap on Pinterest not to do this!




  81. Make my own wedding table centre pieces
    Pinterest clearly has my soul...




  82. Make my wedding stationery...
    ...or at least personalise it. Yeah, Pinterest has a lot to answer for.




  83. Find an alternative to real flowers
    Particularly for my bouquet, but also if we have posies for my bridesmaids or button holes for the guys. I think real flowers are such an expensive waste.




  84. Find a sleeved wedding dress
    There can be no compromises here! I don't like my upper arms and I don't want to spend the most important day of my life worrying about them being on show. But I also don't just want to throw a bolero over my dress.




  85. Get married!
    This is the most important goal on this list, but also the only one I don't really have to worry about as I know nothing will stop this happening.




  86. Book (and go on) an incredible honeymoon.
    We deserve this. But I'm not getting bogged down in details, because I know anywhere we go will be great. Every holiday we've had together has been wonderful, because we always have such a great time in our own company.



  87. goals 79 - 84 :: seeing more of my home patch :: click to expand
    I'm Out and About So I'm In With A Shout




  88. Go to the Willow Tearooms
     I've been to pretty much everywhere on the Mackintosh trail, but never the Tearooms...which is mental considering I have a weakness for both the architect and the chance to stuff my face.




  89. Visit Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis
    I spent years walking and driving past both of these when I studied at Strathclyde and then did placements in the Glasgow Royal, but I've never set foot in either of them.




  90. Take a cruise on Loch Lomond
    I love my Loch so much that I'm getting married on its banks. But its banks are all I've been on - I want to experience it from a different angle.




  91. Go on the Falkirk Wheel
    My uncle has raved about it for years, and my (future) in-laws have also said what a nice day out it is, so I really want to visit it.




  92. Do at least five treasure trails
    I found this site by accident when searching for inspiration to put my list together. It's kind of nerdy, but I think it's actually quite a cool idea and a chance to get more out of a day out with the kids.




  93. Add to our camping kit...and use it!
    This may require buying a whole new family tent as our current one only has three rooms, but we'll play it by ear!



  94. goals 85 - 101 :: random bits and pieces :: click to expand
    Don't Phone, It's Just For Fun




  95. Read at least 75% of the print books I own
    That's 75% of the unread print books I own. And while I'm at it I should decide which of my read books I want to keep hold of and which to give to charity.




  96. Watch all the DVDs I own
    It's ridiculous the amount of DVDs I've bought and then never actually watched.




  97. Get some pretty fishies
    It doesn't have to be some massive tropical aquarium, just a nice tank with some beautiful wee swimmers would make me happy.




  98. Read 10 classic novels I should have read, but haven't
    I did this before and really gained from the experience. I may not have liked everything I read, but it broadened my mind and I'd like to do that again.




  99. Re-join the library for the whole family
    It's time to suck it up and face the massive fine that's probably awaiting me for that book Half Pint lost years ago...



  100. List all my books on Goodreads
    This should help with goal #85!




  101. Watch 10 classic films I should have seen, but haven't
    By this I think I mean classic to my generation rather than the golden age of Hollywood...though I'm not ruling anything out just yet. I am so sick of people acting like I'm from Mars because I haven't watched Labyrinth or The Godfather. For a film fan, there's a lot of films I'm embarrassed to say I haven't seen.




  102. See a play
    I haven't decided if musicals count here...but I need to see something live on stage. I don't think I've been to anything other than gigs and comedy shows since I left school!




  103. See a ballet
    Pretty much what I said for #92.



  104. One evening a month without television
    As great as the programmes the Milkman and I watch are, sometimes I think the goggle box gets in the way of us really enjoying our time together. It would be nice if we could make the time each month just to hang out, whether we go on an actual date or just chill out at home




  105. NaNoWriMo 2015
    I think out of all the things on my list (well, along with goals #2 and #6!) this is the scariest. Notice how I've left it until the very last month of my 101/1001 time frame?! I'm hoping that by then everything else will be completed, and so even if I don't feel up to the challenge I will simply guilt myself in to completing it!




  106. Complete a grown ups puzzle
    I saw this on so many other lists I looked at for inspiration, and I loved puzzles as a kid. I know I have one kicking about that never got done, so I'll give it a shot!




  107. Research my product ideas
    I have a couple of ideas for products lurking in the back of my mind. But literally ideas are all they are. Even if all I do is Google them and find that someone has already had the same idea, at least I'll have moved the process on from where it is just now. You never know, I could be sitting on a goldmine...




  108. Actually find a Geocache
    I've made about three attempts at different caches and been thwarted every damn time. I'm starting to think I'm doing something wrong!




  109. Learn at least the basics of guitar
    I think combined our household guitar collection is sitting at three...and I can't play a note.




  110. Put £10 in a jar for every completed task
    Perhaps the thought of saving a grand will motivate me during the dark times!




  111. Make a new 101/1001 list!
    I just think how great it will feel if I manage even half the things on this list. In life it is so easy to get caught in the daily grind, and its sometimes hard to lift your head to stop looking down at the treadmill of sleep, work, eat, work, sleep, work, eat, work, die. I don't want to look back at life and realise I never did make time to try that food or read that book or go to that place. But the pleasures in life don't have to be big either. Yes, I have a whole section here about getting married which I will grant is one of life's biggies. But on the whole, this list is comprised of things which are just little steps to make life that bit more satisfying. I think that's pretty important.

Disclaimer

Any views expressed in this blog are mine alone. If I am ever lucky enough to be invited by a company to review their product/service, then I will always state so in the entry as well as disclosing any benefit I've received for doing so.