And so it begins...

Well, here we go. Thanks to a lovely young woman named Emily (wise beyond her years, and someone I feel honored to know), I have committed to doing 101 "things" in 1001 days. Some of these things, sort of an extended New Year's Resolution/Bucket List, may seem ordinary and mundane to some people, and certainly aren't quite as adventurous as much of Emily's list (she doesn't have 3 kids!)- but I am excited to get started, and to share the adventure via this blog (while simultaneously meeting one of my goals!). I've dabbled in blogging before, and always wanted to be committed to it- to feed my love of words and writing- but I always end up falling off the wagon. I've never really felt I had anything interesting enough happen to me to follow through on for an extended period of time. I hope this is different. I hope this spurs me on to actually finish a 'to do' list, and to achieve some of my goals that have been floating around my head for a while- and I hope it makes for some great stories along the way. So, without further ado, here is my list, and if you'd like to check out Emily's list and my inspiration for this adventure, visit her at: http://www.emlajolie.blogspot.com/2014/01/101-in-1001.html

101Things in 1001 Days

Start date: January 24, 2014
End date:  October 27, 2016

1. Inspire someone else to write a 100 in 1001 days list
2. Learn to make my own chicken stock
3. Drink a caipirinha
4. Complete a 30-day push-up challenge
5. Take Randy to a Red Wings game 10/14
6. Read the Bible (the whole thing)
7. Make compost
8. Upcycle a wood pallet
9. Take a yoga class
10. Finish my Bradley exam
11. Go ice climbing
12. Take a ceramics class
13. Become a LLL leader
14. Complete a home improvement project all on my own
15. Learn to sew
16. Visit at least 1 country I’ve never been to before
17. Join a CSA spring 2014
18. Raise an animal for meat
19. Sell something I’ve made on Etsy.com
20. Transition to eating gluten-free
21. Complete a triathlon
22. Snowshoe at Hidden Lake Gardens
23. Attend a baby’s birth
24. Make a pair of mittens from an old sweater
25. Make crème Brule- June 2014
26. Take my kids sledding for the first time, ever- winter 2014
27. Go on a family camping trip
28. Make homemade ice cream
29. Donate blood
30. Nominate someone for an award
31. Visit a state I’ve never been to before
32. Pay cash for a car
33. Frame and (finally) hang pictures of my kids and family
34. Sell my house and buy a new one- Spring/Summer 2014
35. Bike the Kiwanis trail
36. Teach my kids basic German
37. Buy something old and refinish it for my house
38. Get on the bone marrow registry
39. Drink tea at an authentic tea house
40. Host an adults-only dinner party
41. Celebrate our 10^th wedding anniversary in style
42. Make soap
43. Build a rain barrel
44. Ride the train to Chicago
45. Take my kids to Greenfield Village
46. Upcycle an old t-shirt
47. Cook a raw artichoke
48. Visit the Hockey Hall of Fame
49. Visit at least 1 of my PAX students in their hometown
50. Go to an art fair
51. Tour a brewery
52. Read 20 new books (1/20)
53. Go curling
54. Upgrade to a smart phone (and learn how to use it!)
55. Take a belly dancing class
56. Get a facial
57. Go on a picnic
58. Try 30 new recipes (0/30)
59. Eat at 5 new restaurants (1/5)
60. Run 20 miles in one month
61. Establish a weekly family game night
62. Go to Las Vegas
63. Visit an old friend who lives far away
64. Eat 5 things for the first time (0/5)
65. Buy a king-size bed- summer 2014
66. Facilitate a meeting between Wyatt and Dr. Pol (From the TV series, The Amazing Dr. Pol)
67. Hear Kaethe tell me she loves me
68. Go kayaking- summer 2014
69. Make at least 1 gift for each of my kids and husband for Christmas
70. Complete 25 random acts of kindness (1/25)
71. Teach Gretchen to ride a two-wheeler
72. Make my own laundry detergent
73. Plant a garden
74. Help my kids choose a pet to adopt
75. Send my mom flowers ‘just because’
76. Donate my hair to Locks of Love
77. Invite someone to church
78. Organize (and purge) my files
79. Establish monthly date night (1/30)
80. Build a sand castle with my kids
81. Rake leaves
82. Do something unexpected and special for each of my siblings (0/5)
83. Thank a woman for breastfeeding in public
84. Light sky lanterns
85. Clean my oven
86. Buy a piece of jewelry from a pawn shop
87. Make my kids’ Halloween costumes
88. Ride in a hot air balloon
89. Write my will
90. Buy a great pair of boots
91. Start meal planning
92. Mow the lawn- summer 2014
93. Watch a sunrise
94. Invest in a nice DLSR camera- winter 2014
95. Climb Sleeping Bear Dunes
96. Stay at a Bed and Breakfast
97. Fly a kite with my kids
98. Drink a cup of black coffee
99. Put $10 into savings for each goal accomplished
100. Start a blog to document my 1001 day journey
101. Write a new 101 in 1001 days list