Progress Report: 101 in 1001

I'm doing the 101 Things to do in 1001 Days challenge. Six hundred and forty some odd days to go, and I've made some more progress.

14) Learn to sew at least well enough to patch something or re-attach a button.
I haven't done this yet, but our community centre offers free sewing classes and I signed up! Classes start in January and are during the day, so unless I manage to get a job before then (doubtful), I will be taking ten weeks of sewing. Yay!

59) Take Baboo out on a sled in the snow

There wasn't enough snow to actually pull it, so he just sat on it. Hopefully we'll get more snow later this winter, but if not, at least I didn't miss the opportunity to *kind of* do it.

76) Go to the movies with Hubbs at least once

We went to see this movie when we visited the In Laws. They watched our Sweet Baboo, and we had two glorious hours to ourselves. This movie was a little much for this mama to handle, though. If you're sensitive and a toddler mom, bring tissues!!!

79) Shop at a Farmers Market

Also accomplished on our trip to the Hubbs' hometown. I got together with a college friend, and we strolled the farmers market, had lunch, tasted yummy organic wine, and caught each other up on our lives. It was fun.


101) Take a class for something I am interested in (glass-blowing, pottery, cooking, spanish, etc).
See number 14!

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101 Things to do in 1001 Days

This update has been a long time coming, and I've been slowly plugging away at my goals. The clock is slowly slipping by, like sand through an hour glass, and I sometimes stop and wonder if I will succeed or if I will fail. Many of these goals aren't life-defining or earth-moving in and of themselves, but I think it's what these goals represent that counts. Namely, the ability to know that I am not all talk. The ability to look back on my year, or on the past 1001 days, and think "I grew. I learned. I changed. I became." It is so important to me to never be stagnant or complacent, but to always be striving to live my life to the fullest. So, my 101 Things to do in 1001 Days update. I haven't looked at these recently, so hopefully I'll find that I have actually accomplished something since my last update. If not, I will have to kick my own butt into gear.

1) Learn to crochet and complete at least five projects. This definitely isn't done, but I've made about one tenth of what is to be a massive blanket. I also plan on making little hats for the baby girls of two of my cousins. I'd make one for my Sweet Baboo, but he'd just rip it off. I'm looking for an ear flap hat for him that buckles under the chin, because that's the only kind I'll be able to keep on his stubborn little head.

2) Make an alphabet book for Baboo for his first birthday present. Yeah, fail. Here's what happened. I was going to make him the book, but then I figured I should probably wait until after his birthday so I could include photos from his birthday. And now it's October and I've decided that I'm going to scatch the alphabet book idea for now, and instead make him a board book from Photo Works, with pictures of him doing his favourite things. I've already put it together and just need to order it. I think I'll save the alphabet book for his second birthday, because the alphabet template can't be ordered in board book form, and he would just end up ripping it apart. So even though I didn't technically complete this goal, things change. Roll with it. I still think I deserve to check this off my list.

3) Collect and Perfect 10 new recipes. I'm up to 9! Thanksgiving pumpkin muffins and peppercorn lime chicken helped with that. Hopefully by Christmas I'll be able to add Grand Marnier Chocolate Mousse to the list, and then cross number 3 off entirely.

5) Do a photoshoot of Baboo every month until he's a year old. Done and done. Now I just need to find a frame that fits 12 photos and I can display it prominently on our wall.

9) Get a massage. As previously mentioned in a recent post, my first appointment with a massage therapist is scheduled for next Wednesday, and hopefully it'll be a weekly thing. I can't wait until I can return to feeling like a 20-something, rather than an old lady. That kid sure did a number on me while he was living on my sciatic nerve for 9 months.

12) Make Baboo a texture book. I did this! We are going on a little trip to visit the in-laws (which I am kind of dreading) later this month, and I have been planning ways to keep Baboo occupied on the four hour plane ride. This seems like as good a time as any to make him a texture book, so I am working on it, and it's almost done. Honestly, it's not the greatest, and I'd be surprised if it makes it through the entire plane ride there. Turns out I'm not as crafty as I'd like to believe. But I made it, and I guess that's what counts. I'll post a picture of it later.

19) Read ten books. Done and done. In no particular order: SAHM I Am, The Sounds of Us, Expectations, Novel About My Wife, The Other Woman, Going it Alone, The Wild Zone, The No Cry Sleep Solution, The Bag Lady Chronicles, A Million Miles in A Thousand Years.

88) Okay, so I am supposed to be moving my blog to wordpress. I am not going to do this anymore, and here's why. 1) It's too much of a pain in the butt. 2) Blogger now has all the things wordpress had that made me want to move. It now has the ability to add pages, and check stats, etc. So there's no reason to move. Also, I think I wanted to move back when I had illusions of actually being a popular mom blogger. Now that I realize that that isn't going to happen, and also don't care because I have more important goals than trying to get people to read my blog, I just can't be bothered. No offense to you guys or anything, I'm beyond thrilled that someone at least reads this thing. It's just that I've realized that I don't have it in me to be a real mom blogger. I don't have it in me to host giveaways, advertise, market myself, track down sponsors, etc, etc. I've always been a journaler, for as long as I can remember, and blogging is just so much easier than trying to write with a pen and paper when you have a toddler who tries to grab everything and anything out of your hands. I love having this place as an outlet, and having the ability to keep track of my goals and the happenings of my life here. But I guess I just got over my desire to be popular. I wasn't popular in elementary school, nor was I popular in high school, and I don't expect that to change on the internet. LoL. I will, however, be replacing goal 88 with something else. I just need to think of what it will be.

That's all for today! Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a comment sharing the goals you've accomplished over the past year or what you hope to accomplish during the next!

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School Years Resolutions

I read somewhere that when it comes to resolutions, Fall is the best time of year to make them. Apparently it has something to do with being inspired by the changing of the leaves. If you're a student, and/or have kids, then scheduling other changes during the natural change of going back to school is supposed to make goals easier to accomplish. I can definitely say that I am NOT inspired by the blah feelings that come with the end of the Christmas season, and 3 or 4 more months of wet, cold winter stretching out in front of me in January. I made some resolutions in September, but slacker that I am, I didn't blog about them until now. You might think that doesn't bode well for me actually keeping them, haha. I'm just going to say that I've been so busy trying to live my resolutions, that I haven't had a chance to blog about them. *wink wink*

One thing my life definitely needs is a handful of good friends. I've written here and there about attending a moms group in the past, but to be 100% honest with you, I just never felt like I gelled with the other women there. I felt like we were "friends" simply because we all have kids and stay home, and that was it. Of course, some of the other women bonded and were really close and that's great for them.

I mean no disrespect if you're this kind of Mama, but I personally have no interest in discussing my hair, or my nails, or whether my husband is doing a good job at being the leader of my home. Honestly, I mean no disrespect at all, but that's just not me. I'm the mom wearing yoga pants around all day without shame (I secretly can't wait to get my yoga instructor's certification so that I can have the excuse). I'm not the mom who sleep trained at 6 months (or ever) and has been getting beauty sleep for over a year now. I'm the crunchy, granola, Earth-Mama type who would have absolutely no issue having all her kids and the family pet in bed together if they made mattresses big enough. Just nothing in common, you know? I felt like I couldn't be related to, so I just stopped going. One of my goals for this school-year is to make a couple of good
friends.

Another goal is to do something about my back pain. I've had back issues since high school required that I keep a small library on my back at all times, but it's been really bad since carrying a kid on my sciatic nerve for 9 months. It took a full year after delivery for my hips to stop feeling like they were separating from my body whenever I walked, but my back is still a mess. I've decided that this year, I need to make my health a priority. I'm twenty-five years old, I should not be taking 3 extra strength Tylenols every night before bed until I've at least achieved Grandmother status.

I've made a doctor's appointment for tomorrow morning, and though I think it will just be a consultation, I'm excited about working out a treatment plan that will hopefully include chiropractic and massage. I'm going to need it if that fat kid still insists on me carrying him around several times a day. I kid. He's not fat. He actually has no fat on him whatsoever, and I'm honestly a little jealous. He is pure muscle, so still heavy--when we aren't calling him "Baboo", his nickname is Bam Bam.

I have also been working quite a bit on secret goal number 32, from my list of 101 Things to do in 1001 Days. I'm still not ready to reveal it, lest I die from embarassment, but I'm aiming for completion somewhere around January 2011. Go me!

Another thing I really want to do this year is go to counselling. I've been having a lot of anger issues come up lately, when I think about my childhood. I think they're resurfacing because of everything that's going on with my parents. I don't feel like getting into my frustrations right now, but I feel like I need to let go of those feelings and work through those issues while my Sweet Baboo is still a baby. I want to make sure I can be the best mom possible for him, and that I won't be repeating a cycle of emotionally damaging  my kiddo(s) because I still have unresolved crappy feelings inside.

Lastly, I want to bring focus back to my relationship with the Hubbs. I feel like its just being pushed into the margins at all times. He does schoolwork all day, then he comes home and plays with our son, and then when our kid finally goes to sleep we have a little bit of time to ourselves. I've written before about trying to leave Baboo with people other than family, and it just NOT going well (ie, them calling us after half an hour because he screamed hysterically the entire time). Well, on Friday we decided we'd try it again. We left him at a child care program at the community centre, and he had a blast. We got some time to ourselves, and he played with the other kids and the teachers and didn't shed one tear the entire hour we were gone. I'm so relieved, and now we plan to have a standing date, at least twice a month, where we leave Baboo at the community centre (its a day program, but the perks of having a student hubby are that he's sometimes available during the day) and have a date. We'll just do lunch, take a walk, see a movie, or just come back home for "alone time" (bow chicka bow wow), but it will be glorious.

I'll keep you posted on my progress, and I know there's a MUCH overdue update needed on my 101 in 1001 goals. More on that later.

What are some things you hope to accomplish in the next year? Any tips to share on staying motivated?

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101 Things in 1001 Days--April Check-in

Goal # 22--Breastfeed Until End of Flu Season 2010

With one week left in April, I think it's safe to say that I've met by goal of breastfeeding through flu season 2010. Go me! Thinking about weaning causes me serious anxiety. My son will take a bottle, but if he wants mommy milk, he WANTS mommy milk and nothing will convince him to take formula. It would be one thing if I was planning on weaning cold turkey--I could just make my supply dry up and then milk just wouldn't be available, so when he wanted to nurse nothingwould come out and then he'd HAVE to take a bottle. But I want to go with a gentler approach--I think. And I admit, it's only partially for him--it's for me, too. I'm not planning on weaning until we hit the year mark, but I still can't imagine being done with breastfeeding in less than three months time. It seems way too soon. Our Sweet Baboo breastfeeds about 8 times a day, so our plan is to drop one nursing session a week until we're done. I have a feeling it sounds simpler than it's actually going to be. We'll see.

Goal # 7--Take a family vacation

We are planning a vacation this summer out west, where the Hubbs is from. His parents want to use their airmiles to fly us out so Baboo can finally meet his aunts and uncles, so I guess we're going if everything works out, schedule-wise. Do I not seem enthused? lol. I just think its going to be really awkward--when we moved away we definitely weren't on good terms with any of them. On the plus side, we'll also get to see The Hubbs' dad and stepmom and their three precious children, and I'm really excited about that. PLUS, we are hoping we'll get to go during the time when one of our friends is getting married. I would just love to, and we'd leave Baboo with his grandparents while The Hubbs and I have a real, grown-up day and night out. That part of it sounds wonderful. We really need some time to ourselves, as evidenced by the fact that I am now reading Baby Proofing Your Marriage--which incidentally adds a book to

Goal #19---Read Ten Books

Secret Goal # 31--can't reveal yet or will die of embarassment--but talks are in the works. That's all you need to know.

Goal # 33--Refinish a Piece of Furniture

I planned on doing that this weekend, but it's supposed to rain and I need to leave the dresser on the balcony to dry, so I guess I'll have to wait. Supposed to have sunny skies next week, though, so hopefully I get a chance then. I'll post a picture when I'm done. Very excited.

Goal # 46--Make friends with another couple with kids

Done and done! We have got together a handful of times with a friend of The Hubbs from school (and his wife and son), and we are going to church with them tomorrow, which ties in with

Goal # 78--Attend Church More

That's all for now, folks! I've also re-evaluated and either changed or adapted a couple of the goals on this list, but I'll save that for another post. Ta ta!

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Momversation Monday: Life List

This momversation is about life lists.



I already have my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days posted on the side-bar of this blog, and it's been fun doing it and also kind of cool that when I think of putting something off, I can say "but I have to do it, it's on my list." It gives me an excuse to be a little indulgent and selfish, and make some of the little and big things that are important to me a priority. The idea of a life list, however, is a lot more intimidating. Maybe its because the fact that I have the rest of my life to complete these tasks means I'm more likely to put them off and never do them. Maybe its because the things on my life list would all be big things, as opposed to be 101 things list, which is comprised of both the silly and the significant. Instead of just listing off the things that I want to accomplish in my life, my life list is more of a set of ideals. It answers the question, "What are the most important things in my life?" Another way of phrasing it would be, if I look back on my life in 60 years, what do I want to remember having done?

My Five Big Things:
(in no particular order)

-Family
-Travel
-Professional Fulfillment
-Art & Growth
-Security

So how does this translate into a list?

Under family, I would say my goals were to get married and have children, as well as to add to my family by fostering close friendships. I am a firm believer in the idea that you choose your family even more than you're born into one. I have the husband and I have the baby, I have friends that are close enough that I'd consider them relatives, so as I go through life I just want to make sure that I continue to make these relationships a priority and really strive to make them work. I want to be close to my husband and son, always.

As far as travel goes, I have a list of places that I definitely want to experience. That list includes:
-Greece
-Hawaii
-New York (I went on music tour but the trip was too short. I want to go again and experience all of it)
-South America
-The Maritimes
There are a lot of other places too, but these are my top 5 (apparently five is a theme for me).

Professional Fulfillment: I want to start my career in a field that helps people, and I want to move around in that field until I find my niche. I also have other professional goals, which are also personal goals because they are things that could end up being business endeavors but could also be just for me. I'll talk about those under. . .

Art and Growth:
It's important to me to always be learning and growing and furthering myself as a human being. Some of the goals I was referring to above include becoming a better photographer. I do not necessarily need to become a professional--in fact, the more I learn about photography and the drudgery of editing, the less I want to do it for anything more than personal enjoyment. I do want to take a class someday, and I would love to have photos published. I want to be a professional quality photographer without actually having it be my job.

I also want to pursue writing. I have always wanted to have something published, and that is on my life list. Other goals include becoming a certified yoga instructor and getting my doula certification to assist women in childbirth.

Security:
Security to me means having put down roots, as well as having an investment in our future. In short, I want us to have a home of our own one day, and I want to save up enough money to retire comfortably. I want to be able to bless my kid(s) with a good education and a contribution towards their wedding or home, and I want to be able to help send my grandkids to college.

These are my Big Five. What's on your list?

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Studio 54

Number 54 on my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days is create an artsy photo wall in our house. I was just turned onto this idea and I absolutely love it!

Tara Whitney is a genius. Absolute gorgeousness. Consider it stolen! The best part is, that in our ancient apartment building we cannot hang photos the normal way with nails. The walls are made of actual cement, so we have NO artwork up! This way, we just vignette the photos while they're still in the computer, then use lightweight plastic frames to put them up and we can attach them to the wall using double-sided tape. I can't wait to get that project underway!

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Number 16--done and done!

We just spent a gruelling hour and a half with a representative from Canadian Mothers Resources and the Heritage Education Funds. My brain is totally flooded with mutual funds, bonds, GICs, shares--for someone who failed grade 9 math, it was NOT a fun hour and a half. Thankfully, though, it's done. We have a registered savings account opened for our Sweet Baboo. By the time he's ready for college or university, at the rate that we are saving right now (and we plan to increase once we have both graduated and entered our careers) he will be $75,000 saved up for school. The best part? We can't touch it until he's 18, so we can't blow it and leave him with nothing the way that my parents did. What a load off!

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I found this little gem at Chapters today for $2! Gotta love that annual hardcover sale! Hopefully it'll help with goal number one on my 101 things to do in 1001 days list!

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The List

I have made some more progress on my list of 101 Things to do in 1001 days. It is so gratifying to be meeting goals! I love nothing more than being able to scratch items of a to-do list, especially a list of things that I actually want to do, as opposed to just a shopping list or list of errands. Without further ado...

The Update:

#6--we got professional family photos done. We posted an add on Craigs List saying that we were a family on a budget requesting a photographer looking for people to photograph for their portfolio, and let me say, we got TONS of responses. It was actually kind of ridiculous. We would up finding a great photographer who came and did both indoor portraits of us in our home, and more casual outdoor photos in the woods beside our house, and we are thrilled with the pictures. We would up using them on our Christmas card and everything. So if you're like me, and you find studio portraits to be kind of cheesy and contrived, but you can't afford to pay an established professional photographer to come out and take pictures of your family, I would highly suggest you try Craigslist. Our photos were free, and we just tipped her what we could afford.

#3--This Christmas I made three new recipes for my family, so I am making progress on goal number three. I made Homemade Turtles, a Pillsbury Christmas Tree, and Cheese balls. This also took care of #28, as I gave away the Turtles as well as chocolate covered pretzels as Christmas gifts.

                                                               Pillsbury Christmas Tree:

Cheese Balls:

#15--We took our Sweet Baboo to a breakfast with Santa, and it was great! It was much better than waiting in line for 2 hours to pay $25 for a picture. Instead we paid $10, all got breakfast, and got to hang out with Santa. Plus there was limited registration, so there were only 10 families there, which was great. No germy crowds to worry about in flu season. I highly recommend it.

#30--I don't know if this goal has been completed yet, but its underway. I attended my first mom's group and it was great, so once I finish out the season (it resumes in January and ends in May), then I will consider myself to have completed this goal. Hopefully I'll walk away with some friends and continue going once it starts up again in September.

#53-The photobook I ordered from Shutterfly is here! I am happy that I now have these memories of my pregnancy and first days with my son in print form, but I ordered a soft cover book and now wish I'd ordered a hard cover. They are much more professional-looking and durable, which is important since I am hoping to cherish these photos forever, and keep them not only for me and my children, but for their children as well. Just a heads up!

#55--I had a gift certificate to Wee Piggies and Paws, so I got a cast done of our Sweet Baboo's hand. It looks GREAT! It came out much better than I expected. We got a heart shaped one done and we love it. It is now hanging proudly on our living room wall.

#56 was try a holiday drink at Starbucks other than the Peppermint Mocha--I tried the Starbucks Creme Brulee Latte! It was allright! After that, though, I discovered the Gingerbread Hot Chocolate at Tim Hortons, and it definitely wins my vote for best holiday drink! Plus, it doesn't cost an arm and a leg--always an added bonus! I think I got one every time I went out to run an errand this holiday season.

#58--goal 58 was buy musical instruments for our son, and he is now to proud owner of a Tabourine! He mostly just chews on it, but he does enjoy the sounds it makes!

#62 was to fill out our son's baby book. Seeing as I didn't have a baby book for him, it was kind of difficult. I've just been keeping track of his milestones on a list at the side of this blog so I wouldn't forget, and yesterday The Hubbs and I went to Chapters for their hardcover sale and I picked out an awesome baby book that I LOVE.

 It has a literary theme to it, with quotes from classic childrens' books like "The Little Red Hen", "Charlotte's Web", "Hop on Pop" and "Oh, The Places You'll Go" in it. The illustrations are also just darling. I can't wait to fill it out with facts and pictures. I will not do what my mom did and procrastinate! My baby book is the saddest looking thing you've ever seen. It has one picture and a couple lines filled in here and there, but mostly its empty. Oh, mom.

#95 was buy a new camera, which The Hubbs took care of for me this Christmas! I am so excited and thrilled to finally have a D-SLR, and there will be a blog post in the near future of reasons why I love my new camera, complete with photo comparisons from my old point and shoot and my new Canon 30D!

So far I think the completion of this list is going well! I can't wait until I have crossed off all 101!

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Books for Baboo

So, in honour of my goal of filling a bookshelf for my son, I have decided to make a list of all the books I want him to have--some of my childhood favourites, and some that I grew to love when working with children. As a bonus, there's a good chance my mother is going shopping in the U.S. for Black Friday, and if she does, she will pick up a book display I've been coveting from Target, but unable to buy because they don't ship to Canada. Here's the list:

If you can think of any favourites from your childhood, feel free to list them below! I want Baboo to have an awesome library!

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