Friday Favorites - Vol. 2 - Today

A really quick Friday Favorites for you today. Today my favorite thing is.. Today! April 27th. 30 years ago today, I made my appearance in this world. Yeah. 30. 3-0. One of the big ones.

Me on my 2nd birthday

10 months ago I made myself a list. 30 things to do before I turned 30. Well here I am. Staring at 30 and honestly.. I didn’t finish my list. And I’m okay with that. I got some of the easy stuff, like the reading section done. And I got a new camera, redesigned my blog, entered and won a baking competition, and baked and ate some new things. But I didn’t quite get to some of the others, like baking a pie or making a tiered fondant cake. Oh well. I'll get to them eventually.

But I think the one thing I'm proud of actually accomplishing is a 15 mile bike ride. Boyfriend bought me a bike last month as an early birthday present, and this week, after only a handful of rides, I made it all 15 miles. I really didn’t think I was going to, since the day we went was windier than anything—the first 5 miles or so we rode directly into a 15-20mph wind! I swear it felt like I wasn’t even moving half the time, and several times I thought about just giving up. But the whole way I kept convincing myself, “just make it to that next tree. Alright, go for the fence post now. It’s not that far to the next crossing. Just make it to that.” For every landmark I passed, I’d pick a new one in the distance to make it to. I rode 15 miles 50 feet at a time. And guess what. I didn’t die. I’m still sore days later, but I didn’t die.

So as I look at 30 and beyond, I’ll do the same thing. I won’t think about how long the road is. I’ll only look towards the end of today, knowing if I can make it through this day, I’m on my way to the next, and the next, and the one after that.

30 before 30: Halfway There

It’s getting closer and closer. I’m just 6 months from the big 3-0, and I feel like I’m falling way behind on my list already! I didn’t even update last month, because I felt like I hadn’t accomplished anything. So it’s time to hold myself accountable, and get my butt in gear.

7. Get back into sewing (or another hobby I’ve given up on): I’ve been bitten by the crafting bug. I blame Pinterest. Not only have I sewed a little lately, but I’ve been knitting like it’s my job. Not that I have anything to show for it yet, because I end up pulling it all back out and starting over, but soon. Very soon, I’ll at least have a new scarf to wear this winter!

10. Send out Christmas cards: I had the grand idea to make my own Christmas cards this year. If I spent time and money on making my own cards, I just had to send them out, right? Well, after realizing just how much I’d have to invest in yet another new crafty venture, I decided to just stick with the premade ones I already have. So we’ll see if it happens. Someone remind me. Constantly.

14. Read 3 non-fiction books: I’m up to 2 now. I finally plowed my way through the book I wasn’t enjoying, and promptly went right back to reading a bunch of mindless fiction. I have a couple non-fiction books I want to read, so I think I’ll be able to handle one more in 6 months!

17. Read 8 books I already own: Check 3 more off that list. The great thing about working for a bookstore is that publishers send all kinds of free copies for us to read to be able to recommend. Most of them are things that would never interest me in the first place, but I’ve taken home a few that I’ve actually enjoyed.

* The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern-- filled with absolutely beautiful imagery, but I think I’ve been spoiled by young adult fiction, because I kept waiting for something huge and spectacular to happen, and it never really did. Nevertheless, I liked it.
* Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close--Chick Lit is something I normally shy away from, but I liked this one. Centered around a group of friends trying to navigate their way through young-adulthood, it’s completely relatable. I found myself laughing at parts and thinking, “I’ve definitely got to pass this one on to my friends to read when I’m done.”
* Glow (Sky Chasers) by Amy Kathleen Ryan—Yes, it’s teen. And yes it’s sci/fi. But it’s not the typical type of teen fantasy that fills the shelves now. No vampires. No paranormal stuff. And it’s not mindless fluff either. It’s totally a make you think, big issues type book. The general idea of it didn’t thrill me at first. Set in space? No thanks. But once I got into the actual story, I was hooked. Bound for New Earth, Kieran and Waverly are the oldest of all the children aboard one of 2 ships—those that will be the future of New Earth. When the 2nd ship in the mission suddenly attacks Kieran and Waverly’s ship, they only want 1 thing. The children. More specifically, the girls. I won’t go into too much more because I don’t want to give anything away, but Glow brings forth a lot of big issues and really makes you think, which is a bit of rarity in the YA genre.

18. Bake 5 things I’ve never tried to bake before: 1 more down. Recipe still to come, but I made Apple Crisp last week for Boyfriend with my haul of handpicked apples. I know, I know. A crisp? Easiest thing in the world! But I’d never made one before, so it totally counts.

23. Cook 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried making before: 2 down now. I made steak before and this time, BBQ Chicken Pizza. I’ve made pizza before, so that wasn’t a big deal. But for the first time ever, I made my own BBQ sauce. And it was gooood. I’ll have to make it again so I can get some good pictures, but I’m definitely putting it up here for you guys soon. It was so good, Boyfriend still asks for it.

I think that’s it for now. I really need to work very hard on a lot more of them, so hopefully next update, I can have a few crossed off completely! Here’s to the last 6 months of my 20s.


Self Improvement:
1. Lose a dress size
2. Ride my bike 15 miles (without passing out or dying.)
3. Get my hair cut finally. And actually style it every day
4. Get highlights
5. Pay off my credit cards (or at least significantly pay down)
6. Get back into couponing
7. Get back into sewing (or another hobby I’ve given up on)
8. Decorate my house and put pictures up on my walls
9. Finish an entire crossword puzzle from the Sunday newspaper on my own (without looking at the answers)
10. Send out Christmas cards
11. Visit a new city
12. Visit another state
13. Get a passport (even if I don’t get to use it right away)

Reading:
14. Read 3 non-fiction books (2/3)
15. Read 3 classic books (1/3)
16. Read 3 Shakespeare plays (1/3)
17. Read 8 books I already own (6/8)

Food:
18. Bake 5 things I’ve never tried to bake before (3/5)
19. Enter a baking competition (and win!)
20. Bake a pie
21. Make another tiered, fondant covered cake (I will master you, fondant.)
22. Try 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried before (2/3)
23. Cook 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried making before (2/3)
24. Make pasta from scratch
25. Cook more, eat out less
26. Put together a cookbook of my favorite recipes (even if it’s just for me)

Blogging:
27. Get back into a blogging routine (I've been a slacker lately! Sorry.)
28. Be more interactive in blogging (Giveaways and other ideas I’ve had rattling around my brain)
29. Give the blog a makeover?
30. Buy a fancy DSLR camera (and learn how to use it)

30 before 30: 8 to Go

2 months into my 30 before 30 challenge, and another month closer to the big 3-0. So far so good, I think. I've been working on the low-hanging fruit of the list, knocking them off so I can concentrate on the big stuff later (Like that whole lose weight thing. That's gonna be a hard one.) But I've done pretty well so far. I think. Here's where I stand after this month.

#6: Get back into couponing - I finally went through my stack of coupon inserts the other day. I buy the Sunday paper almost every week, and I get coupon inserts in the mail, but I've slacked off actually cutting them out and using them. Well I've got the cut them out part in check finally. Now to keep them organized and remember to take them to the store and use them regularly.

#9: Finish an entire crossword puzzle from the Sunday newspaper on my own (without looking at the answers) - I'm addicted to crossword puzzles now. I still haven't gotten anywhere near finishing a Sunday crossword, but I did get a book of NYT Monday Crosswords (the easiest day of the week), which I've been working my way through, and I actually finished one without any help at all! So there's some progress.

#14: Read 3 non-fiction books- I'm reading a book right now called The Rules of the Tunnel. It's about a writer's battle with depression. Or at least it's supposed to be. I'm struggling with it because more than half of the book has been about people this guy has written articles about for his magazine, and their struggles with depression and bipolar disorder. With a little bit of the author's story thrown in. So far, not my favorite book.

#18: Bake 5 things I’ve never tried to bake before - 2 down, 3 to go! I made graham crackers before my last update, and now I can check Peach Handpies off my list too! And I even made it with from-scratch pie crust! 1 step closer to accomplishing #20 too.

#19. Enter a baking competition (and win!) - At the last update, I had just taken my cookies to the fair to be judged and at the end of the week I was taking my cupcakes as well. Well, I've got the results! Every single one of my cookies placed. And 2 of my 3 cupcakes as well! 5 out of my 6 entries won ribbons!! Here's how they stacked up:
In 3rd place: drop cookies (Mexican Hot Chocolate) and chocolate cupcakes (Mocha Cupcakes)
In 2nd place: decorated cookies (Brownie Cut Outs) and chocolate chip cookies (Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies)
and last but not least, in 1st place, with a blue ribbon: vanilla cupcakes! (recipe to come)
So this one is definitely DONE!

#22: Try 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried before - I tried Indian food before, which I actually enjoyed, and this time I went for something I literally had to force myself to eat. If you know me at all, you know that I despise any food that's green. Any of it. I hate vegetables with a passion. But I actually, willingly, ate a salad. Well. Part of a salad. Two different times. I have no idea what possessed me to buy a salad for lunch one day, but I did. And I got through about half of it before just giving up because there was nothing but lettuce left. It didn't taste bad, it just didn't taste good. I'm not really a fan of the crunchy texture of lettuce. So I'm still not convinced. But Boyfriend made me try again, so I got a different kind the next time. One with mixed greens instead of lettuce. BAD idea. I hated the taste of most of the greens, not just the texture, and one bite of the one that looked like weeds in the front yard literally made me gag. Like almost lose my dinner kind of gag. At the table. In a restaurant. Not cool. NEVER eating mixed greens again. So 2 down, 1 to go. (I'm throwing guacamole in as a bonus point to this goal. It was part of a sandwich I ordered, which I didn't even realize, so I don't really feel like I can count it toward the goal. But I ate it. Gotta say, not a big fan of that either.)

#27:  Get back into a blogging routine - I've been trying to be better about this! I really have. I think the once a week (each Wednesday) thing is working out better for me. With a small budget and a fluctuating schedule, twice a week in a regular pattern is just too hard at the moment. I've skipped a couple weeks just because I didn't have time, but I'm trying really hard. I even made myself a Google Calendar to force myself to plan ahead and keep me on schedule!

#28: Be more interactive in blogging - I've been trying lately to post a little bit more to Facebook so I can get to know you guys, what you like, and how you bake. You were all great help to me in making pie crust! And giving suggestions on new books to read! Thanks so much! And a couple weeks ago, I held a giveaway for two autographed copies of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer. I love this book and I'm so excited to share it with the winners! I have more ideas for giveaways to come, so be on the lookout. You might just score something cool too! :)

#29: Give the blog a makeover- Done! This one actually came together a lot easier than the previous incarnations, and I think it looks pretty good. What do you guys think? Have you found anything that needs tweaking yet?

Well I can cross off 3 full ones, and I'm well on my to crossing off a few more (hopefully by next update!) But I've got to get cracking on some of the others, like NOW! There's only a short window of time to ride my bike 15 miles before it gets too cold and snowy. And the next 8 months are going to fly by before I'm ready!

The List:
1. Lose a dress size
2. Ride my bike 15 miles (without passing out or dying.)
3. Get my hair cut finally. And actually style it every day.
4. Get highlights
5. Pay off my credit cards (or at least significantly pay down)
6. Get back into couponing
7. Get back into sewing (or another hobby I’ve given up on)
8. Decorate my house and put pictures up on my walls
9. Finish an entire crossword puzzle from the Sunday newspaper on my own (without looking at the answers)
10. Send out Christmas cards
11. Visit a new city
12. Visit another state
13. Get a passport (even if I don’t get to use it right away)

Reading:
14. Read 3 non-fiction books - 1 1/2 down.
15. Read 3 classic books - 1 down, 2 to go
16. Read 3 Shakespeare plays - 1 down, 2 to go
17. Read 8 books I already own - 3 down, 5 to go

Food:
18. Bake 5 things I’ve never tried to bake before - 2 down, 3 to go
19. Enter a baking competition (and win!)
20. Bake a pie
21. Make another tiered, fondant covered cake
22. Try 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried before - 2 down, 1 to go
23. Cook 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried making before - 1 down, 2 to go
24. Make pasta from scratch
25. Cook more, eat out less
26. Put together a cookbook of my favorite recipes (even if it’s just for me)

Blogging:
27. Get back into a blogging routine (I've been a slacker lately! Sorry.)
28. Be more interactive in blogging (Giveaways and other ideas I’ve had rattling around my brain)
29. Give the blog a makeover? (I usually end up doing this once a year anyway)
30. Buy a fancy DSLR camera (and learn how to use it)

30 before 30: 9 Months Left

It's been about a month since I started working on my 30 before 30 list. And I'm excited to say, I've made a bit of headway on it! Not a whole lot, but some. There are definitely some that need a whole lot of work. Like #1. (Oh, that said LOSE a dress size. I thought it said gain. Maybe a box of Dots candy and a couple cookies for dinner wasn't the best idea..) But I'm happy with how things are going so far.

My reading goals (#14-17) are coming along well. I've managed to finish 1 non-fiction book (Virtually You by Elias Aboujaoude), 1 classic (The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde), 1 Shakespeare play (A Midsummer Night's Dream ), and I've owned the last 3 books that I've read (Dorian, Midsummer, and Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares). 

As for the other goals...

#2. Ride my bike 15 miles (without passing out or dying.) - Well I went 5 miles the other day. And thought I was dying. It's going to take a while (and a break in the relentless heat) to work my way up to this one.

#7. Get back into sewing (or another hobby I’ve given up on) - I've thought about sewing, I just can't find the kind of fabric I wanted to work on the project I had in mind. But I'm still tossing the idea around. In the meantime, I spent several late night hours watching YouTube videos, trying to teach myself how to knit instead. (Like I need to learn any new crafts when I don't finish anything else I've started.)

#18. Bake 5 things I’ve never tried to bake before - I made graham crackers! And I have another thing in mind to make pretty soon, if I don't chicken out on it. But I still need to figure out 3 more things I haven't tried making yet.

#19. Enter a baking competition (and win!) - Sunday morning I dropped off my cookies at the Ohio State Fair. Tomorrow I start baking my cupcakes to take on Friday. So entering = done. Winning.. We'll have to wait a couple more days to see.


#22. Try 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried before - Boyfriend and I went to an Indian buffet. I have absolutely no idea what I tried, but I have to say, I actually liked pretty much everything I got. 1 down!


#23. Cook 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried making before - No pictures exist (so it didn't really happen) but I've made steak a couple times now. I'm notorious for overcooking meat (it runs in the family, which is why for the longest time, I hated steak..), so I've never had the urge to ruin a $6 (on the cheap side!) piece of meat. When our Target finally got a grocery section, they had a GREAT sale on steaks, so I nabbed some. I don't have a grill, so it's been on the stove each, but it's been pretty good! I'll have to get a picture next time, so I can prove I've actually done it.

#27. Get back into a blogging routine - Still struggling with this. I first thought I'd go back to twice a week, which I managed, like once. And then I skipped a whole week. The past couple have been Wednesdays only. So I'm still fighting with this one. But I'm working on it.

#28. Be more interactive in blogging - There may or may not be something coming up soon. If I can ever get with it enough to do it. But, the waiting may have been a good thing after all.. It may just sweeten the deal a bit. Hopefully next week you'll finally see what I'm talking about.

#29. Give the blog a makeover - I've started on this! And if I find some time soon to finish up the last little bits, you'll actually get to see it!

So, right now I still only have 2 done. But 13 more in the works isn't bad. That's half the list right there! And I still have exactly 9 months to go. I think I might actually get this! Well.. it is still early. I still have 9 months left to completely fail. But I'm going to try my best! 

Wondering what's on the rest of the list? My 30 Before 30:

1. Lose a dress size
2. Ride my bike 15 miles (without passing out or dying.)
3. Get my hair cut finally. And actually style it every day.
4. Get highlights
5. Pay off my credit cards (or at least significantly pay down)
6. Get back into couponing (not extreme couponing. Those people are crazy. Just the normal save money kind of couponing)
7. Get back into sewing (or another hobby I’ve given up on)
8. Decorate my house and put pictures up on my walls
9. Finish an entire crossword puzzle from the Sunday newspaper on my own (without looking at the answers)
10. Send out Christmas cards
11. Visit a new city
12. Visit another state
13. Get a passport (even if I don’t get to use it right away)

Reading: (I read a lot. My current goal is 60 books a year, which I’m only slightly behind on, but still doing well. The only problem—I read a lot of teen books. Paranormal teen books. Total mind numbing fluff. And I get most of them from the library, even though I have 2 bookshelves full of legitimate literature, most of which I’ve never read.)
14. Read 3 non-fiction books
15. Read 3 classic books
16. Read 3 Shakespeare plays
17. Read 8 books I already own

Food:
18. Bake 5 things I’ve never tried to bake before
19. Enter a baking competition (and win!)
20. Bake a pie
21. Make another tiered, fondant covered cake (I will master you, fondant.)
22. Try 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried before
23. Cook 3 kinds of foods I’ve never tried making before
24. Make pasta from scratch
25. Cook more, eat out less
26. Put together a cookbook of my favorite recipes (even if it’s just for me)

Blogging:
27. Get back into a blogging routine (I've been a slacker lately! Sorry.)
28. Be more interactive in blogging (Giveaways and other ideas I’ve had rattling around my brain)
29. Give the blog a makeover? (I usually end up doing this once a year anyway)
30. Buy a fancy DSLR camera (and learn how to use it)

30 before 30

Yesterday was my best friend Kelli's 29th birthday. She's only 2 months younger than me, which means that I only have 10 months left of my 20s! Not that I'm freaking out that much. 30's no different than 29, and I don't even feel 29 as it is. So I'm sure that 30 won't feel any different either. But it's a milestone, so I feel like I should commemorate it in some way.

After seeing several "30 Before 30" bucket-type lists on other blogs like Beantown Baker, Sugarlush and Joy the Baker, I thought I'd make one of my own. I started searching around for other lists, and noticed a trend. Everyone wants to be incredibly adventurous or athletic, running a marathon, traveling the world, or going skydiving. The only time you'll find me running is if there's a wild animal chasing me, and I won't even get ON an airplane, much less jump out of one. So my list might seem a bit more tame and simple compared to others, but hey. I've got 10 months and limited funds--I made a list I could actually accomplish. So here it is--my list of 30 goals I want to accomplish before I turn the big 3-0.