10 on Tuesday: Things I Want To Do or Try

This month’s theme for 10 on the 10th now hosted by Whitney at The Perfectly Imperfect Mama is 10 Things I Want To Do or Try. Unfortunately for me I wasn't ready on the 10th, but I still wanted to participate! Better late than never, right?

Create a Free Little Library 
This might be the easiest one to accomplish on this list. Never heard of this? It's a little library that an individual or organization sets up where people can take a book or leave a book. I've been looking up how to get started, and am now investigating possible locations, especially since there don't seem to be any near me. You can create your library out of nearly anything (birdhouse, old entertainment center, even a mailbox or plastic container!) , and a charter is only about $40. Now I just have to find out about zoning laws in the location(s) I want to set up shop. 

Go White Water Rafting 
I feel like I did this early in college but that was a long time ago and I don't really remember it, so it couldn't have been that exciting, right?!  Anyway, I want to do it again, with BIG rapids, one where I have to wear a helmet and paddle around boulders down the river! 

Attend Oaks and/or the Kentucky Derby... and Finish The KY Bourbon Trail
I don't know much about the derby or Oaks, tbh. Kristen made Oaks look fun- that's the female horse race the day before the Kentucky Derby, everyone wears all pink everything, and it's more casual than the derby (says Google). And if I'm going to Oaks, I may as well stick around for The Kentucky Derby, right? My grandpa was into horse racing, and sometimes I'd bet (and win- woot!). Also, Blue and I got about halfway through the KY Bourbon Trail a few years ago when we went out there for my birthday, so it'd be really cool if we could finish it! 

Ride in a Hot Air Balloon
I've been to hot air balloon festivals, but now I want to go up in one! Which is kind of ridiculous since I've become somewhat afraid of heights as I've gotten older. (Speaking of which, has this happened to anyone else? Becoming afraid of something with age?)

Road Trip Down the West Coast
I want to take 2 weeks, fly into Seattle Washington, and then road trip down through Portland, stop by some national parks, sip my way though Napa Valley (and possibly that hot air balloon ride mentioned above), and finish up in San Francisco. Completely doable right?! Look, I even found a road trip itinerary already laid out! And into don't want to miss anything, which is why I've bookmarked this list of 101 things to see/do in the PNW!

Go Parasailing
Another adventurous one that just looks like fun that I haven't done before! Blue is probably laughing at me if she's reading this right now though, because once we went on a (not very high) ferris wheel and I was white knuckled for most of the ride! 

See the Northern lights in Iceland
Fingers crossed for this one! I already purchased my parka and boots, and we're looking at dates for next year. Whether we actually see the Northern Lights or not is up to Mother Nature, but we're certainly going to try! 

Swim in a geological hot spring
This was actually supposed to happen in March when I visited my friends in Colorado, but then she wasn't feeling well so we stayed in. I hear they have some in Iceland too though, so definitely going to try and incorporate visiting one on our trip! 

Try a Sensory Deprivation Tank or Acupuncture
No real reason for this one, but it's suppose to increase happiness, release muscle tension, and as Healthline states, some "reported spiritual experiences, deep inner peace, sudden spiritual insight, and feeling as if they were born anew." Sounds good to me! 

Finish paying off all of my student loans- meaning I'd have 0 debt! 
Do I really need an explanation for this one? It's definitely in my grasp too... if I put my mind money to it, I could probably do this by the end of the year. 

What are some things you want to do or try?

ABC's of Spring and Summer Goals

Happy first day of summer! I'm back to recap the outcome of my spring goals. If you missed the last update, you can see that here. Also, if you try to comment and I don't respond, my apologies. I added Disquis when Blogger stopped sending comments to my email, but it hasn't been syncing properly. Anyone else having this issue? It's such a pain! Anyway, moving on... ones marked with an asterisk are from my March goals, and "101 goal" ones are from the Day Zero Project. 


Albums (101 goal)- I have photo albums, and I have photos. I need to put them together lol. 

Dentist appointment*- Scheduled for 7/17! 

Eyebrows- clean up, reshape and learn how to fill them in.- Cleaned up and reshaped, and going again next Wednesday. 

Fix wireless printer*- I didn't specify who was fixing it, right?! Blue was able to set it up properly again. 

Gallery wall- I have frames, I just need to fix the printer so I can print some recent photos- Got printer fixed, and even got photo paper, but this still didn't get done! 

High Line- this has been on my Spring bucket list for at least 2 years. I really want to get there! 

Jigsaw puzzle (101 goal)- Blue and I started doing one 2 years ago (ha!), but she got tired of doing it and would get aggravated. I still have it though and would like to complete and frame it.  - Big fate NOPE. I started doing it again, but then I realized I just didn't feel like actually accomplishing this goal, so I donated it. 

Obtain a new scale* (101 goal)- Totally forgot this was one here. 

Pedicure- I'm marking this as a pass since I'm going next Wednesday right before vacation. 

Set up my Echo Dot and Alexa-fy my apartment*- Not sure about "Alexa-fying my apartment," but I did set up my Dot!

Take a class (101 goal)- Some ideas include a wine pairing, cocktail mixology, cooking, chocolate making, or woodworking (if I can find one locally). -Nope. 

Update my resume fo reals (101 goal)- Always a work in progress, but it's in a great place right now! 

Visit Citi Field for a Phillies/Mets game... it's tradition!- This will not be happening. We missed the series in April (and 2 got postponed), and the next one isn't until July. 

eXamine Spring wardrobe; pull out and purge as necessary- Yes! 

Yelp reviews- I'm going to set this one low at 15 or 5/month, for starters.- Haha, I completely forgot about this one. Oops! 

18/26- not too shabby! There are definitely ones I could have completed easily that I just didn't, and ones I straight up forgot about, but oh well. 26 is a lot of goals, and I'm happy with the progress I made!

That was a fun way to do goals, but I think I need to cut back a bit for summer. These are less "goals" and more fun stuff/bucket list type things I'd like to do this summer. 

Summer Goals

Visit the dang High Line!

See an outdoor movie- getting on this one early; seeing Thelma and Louise next week! 

Go to the dentist

See an outdoor concert- tickets purchased for Evanescence and Lindsey Stirling! 

Work on Erin's 9.0 Book Challenge- it starts 7/1 and if you're interested, you can join here! 

Continue the purge

Visit the NJ State Fair

Go down the shore

Visit Citi Field for a Phillies/Mets game... it's tradition!

Complete 10 goals from my 101 in 1001 List- I know I'm not going to complete the whole list (I had a lot of lofty travel goals on there), but I would like to make some more progress on it! 

Other summer plans include a destination wedding in Key West, Florida, our annual camping trip in Delaware, planning and celebrating my sister in law's retirement, and of course, celebrating Blue's birthday. It's going to be an awesome summer! 

What are your summer plans?

Linking up with The Blended Blog, Betsy, and Sara! 

Tasty Tuesday: Amish Country Casserole

I honestly don't remember the last time I posted a recipe, mostly because I haven't been cooking anything new. However in an effort to complete my 101 goal of trying 12 new recipes, here we are. Also in an attempt to shop my freezer/cupboards, I perused my Pinterest boards for a recipe where I already had all of the ingredients on hand. This recipe is adapted from here. Serves 6. 

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 bag of egg noodles
1 can (10.75 oz) Cream of Mushroom Soup (original calls for Golden Mushroom)
1 can (10.75 oz) Condensed Tomato Soup 
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese (I used Mexican Blend because it's what I had; can use any)
2 Tbsp dried onion flakes (or 1/2 fresh onion, chopped, or 1 tsp onion powder)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder

To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Cook noodles according to the directions on the package and drain.

3. Brown the beef with the salt and drain. 

4. In a large mixing bowl combine the condensed tomato soup, mushroom soup, milk, onion flakes, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir together.

5. Add the cooked egg noodles and beef. Stir together.

6. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and sprinkle cheese on top.

7. Bake for 25 minutes.  

Bon appetit! 

Linking up with The Blended Blog! 

ABC's of Spring

I don't know how it is by you, but it does NOT feeling like Spring in NJ. No matter, today I found some inspiration from Amanda and I'm sharing my ABC's of Spring! Some of these are goals rolled over from last month (the ones denoted with an asterisk), some from my 101 list which ends in September, some are new goals, and some are Spring bucket list items. I figured instead of making 2 different lists/ posts, I'd just roll them into one! 

[photo cred]

Albums (101 goal)- I have photo albums, and I have photos. I need to put them together lol. 

Blogger date in NYC!

Craft beer festivals! 

Dentist appointment*

Eyebrows- clean up, reshape and learn how to fill them in

Fix wireless printer*

Gallery wall- I have frames, I just need to fix the damn printer so I can print some recent photos! 

High Line- this has been on my Spring bucket list for at least 2 years. I really want to get there! 

Iphone 8- my 16GB iPhone 6 is on its last leg. I attempted to just get the battery replaced but after waiting 3 hours, they told me that there was water damage and they could only replace it for an additional $300. Say whaaaaat? Um, I have a free upgrade, so that's what I'm going to do. 

Jigsaw puzzle (101 goal)- Blue and I started doing one 2 years ago (ha!), but she got tired of doing it and would get aggravated. I still have it though and would like to complete and frame it.  

Keebler's Birthday! Old man is turning 6! 

Live music - I already have 3 concerts coming up just next month, P!nk, Brandi Carlile, and Bon Jovi. I've never seen any of these artists live before and I'm so excited! 

Movies with MoviePass- Blue finally got hers in the mail (after 2 months of waiting and harrassing them), but I was able to read A Wrinkle in Time while we waited, so going to see that tomorrow! 

New driver's license- mine's up in May. I'm still debating whether I want a new picture or not. 

Obtain a new scale* (101 goal)

Pedicure

Quality time with mom for Mother's Day

Redecorate my living room with a new couch and rug* (101 goal)

Set up my Echo Dot and Alexa-fy my apartment*

Take a class (101 goal)- Some ideas include a wine pairing, cocktail mixology, cooking, chocolate making, or woodworking (if I can find one locally). 

Update my resume fo reals (101 goal)

Visit Citi Field for a Phillies/Mets game... it's tradition! 

Work conference/vacation- I'm still waiting for confirmation on this one, but if it goes through I'll be heading to sunny Long Beach, CA in May! Fingers crossed! 

eXamine Spring wardrobe; pull out and purge as necessary

Yelp reviews- I'm going to set this one low at 15 or 5/month, for starters. 

Zoo! (101 goal) - another one that has been on my bucket list for quite some time! 

What are some of your goals or bucket list items for Spring? 

March Goals + 101 Update

A Friday post?! Whaaaat? This is what happens when I get not one, but TWO snow days! Woop woop! The above pic was taken from my porch on Wednesday night. But full disclosure: this post was 3/4 drafted by Tuesday night, so not really all that amazing, but I was able to complete the last 3 of my March goals on Wednesday, so yay you get pics! And WOW...

this makes me chuckle every time I see it

Kidding! But seriously, there's SO MUCH MORE SPACE (pics below)! I lucked out with my apartment- I have maaaaaad closet space. A coat closet, linen closet, "other" hallway closet, and then 2 double door bedroom closets. It's crazy. But then I throw shit in there and forget about it because I can. I was able to throw out 2 big bags of garbage, donate 3 boxes worth of "stuff" (and things), recycle one large box of papers, and post/sell other things (I sold 20 of those tiny perfume samples for $15- whaaa?! Why would anyone want that? Apparently 15 people in 3 hrs before I marked it as sold!). ANYway before jumping into March, let's review February!

February Goals

• Dentist appointment- I tried, but apparently they never received my paperwork from the insurance company, so I couldn't go. SIGH. 
• Schedule iPhone battery fix- Yes! I didn't realize it was such a process though. You call, they take down your info, and then you gotta wait two weeks until they get your battery in stock... redic. So I'm going on Saturday. 
• Purchase a new scale- I forgot this was on here. Oops.  
• Get taxes done- Check! 
• Continue working on Erin's Reading Challenge- Yup! 8/10! 
• Upload, organize and delete phone pictures- there's no storage on there, again. sigh. - Yes! 
• Book Florida vacation for friend's wedding- Again, I tried. Waiting to hear back from the bride about hotels before purchasing flight so we can bundle it. 
• Book another getaway- Nope. I'm waiting to hear back from Bossman about a work conference that I'd turn into a vacation, otherwise I think we'll do a long weekend in NOLA.  
• Clean out one closet- Check! 

5/9... at least it's more than half? (Also I'm surprised I only had 9. What an odd number.) At least the ones I didn't complete were out of my control though. Onwards! 

March Goals

• Get to the dang dentist! 
• Continue morning and night skin routines
• Finish Erin's Reading Challenge/ read 2 books
• Get a suitable area rug for the living room
• Back up iPhone photos on computer and Amazon Photo (free storage for all Prime members!) before battery fix
• Set up Echo Dot (which I apparently owned and found hidden in my closet!)
• Buy new boots
• Fix my wireless printer
• Purchase a scale
• Book Florida
• Book another vacation
• Purchase (and utilize) Moviepass- It's been purchased, just waiting for it to come in the mail.
• Clean out pantry- I actually got this done on Wednesday since I had a snow day! (Sorry, forgot to take pics)
• Clean out another closet- See below!
• Clean out the bathroom cabinets- See below! 

101 in 1001 Update 

Back in December 2015 I decided to start a new 101 in 1001 challenge and actually try to accomplish more than the 33 items I had done on my previous one.  The thing is, with less than a year left, I realized that a lot of my travel goals are completely unattainable. And some of my "goals" are no longer relevant or I just don't care for anymore. So I changed some, but left them on as strikethroughs so I wouldn't forget, and didn't count them in the 101. I may try to change/add a few more realistic ones, but here's where I am currently. To check out the full list, click here!

Start Date: December 12, 2015

End Date: September 8, 2018
Completed: 52/101 (as of 3/8/2018)

In Progress 15/101

Things completed since my last check-in:

Gamble in Las Vegas - went for my bday in December and forgot to blog about it, oops! 
Take a cooking class - went with my mom during the fall and forgot to count it
Pay off  two student loans completely - WOOT! One left! 
Figure out a skincare routine- sharing it on Monday! 

Create a (new) budget and stick to it
Frame Grandpa's flag
Find holy grail skin and hair care products

In Progress: 15/101:

Blog about progress quarterly

Make 12 new recipes: 6/12? I think?

Finish/post or discard all blog drafts

Get to my goal weight

Read all the books I currently own but haven’t yet read 31/70 ?

Read 101 books (52/101): You can see what I've read so far here! 

Put all photos into albums
I just found several BOXES of photos hidden in my closet, so this is still in progress. 

Watch a new-to-me movie starting with every letter of the alphabet 24/26
Missing O and Q, but already have movies picked out for these letters!

Get my apartment and possessions 100% organized
I'm about halfway done with this one. I need to go through all the crap I have stored in the basement that no longer serves any purpose other than taking up space. 

Organize all of my music files, delete/update as necessary
I've uploaded all of these onto my laptop, and then left them there. I need to sort, delete old songs I'm tired of and broken links, edit song titles, etc. 

Clean out my closets and purge
I did this awhile ago, but I'm still working on the "purge" part as I'm trying to sell a lot rather than just throw things out or donate them. 

Completely use up or otherwise get rid of all excess makeup

I've accrued quite a bit of makeup while I've been trying to find out what works, but I still want to use it up or toss it. 

Enroll in a Graduate Program or professional coursework/certification

I'm waiting to hear back from my boss about a certification course this May. Fingers crossed! 

Update resume

Another work in progress. I've done several drafts and enlisted the help of some friends though, so hopefully this one will be completed soon! 

Make and go to all doctor appointments
I just need to get myself to the dentist and I can cross this one off! 

What goals are you working on this month? 

Linking up with The Peaceful Posse and Nicole

101 in 1001: An Update

Back in December 2015 I decided to start a new 101 in 1001 challenge, and actually try to accomplish more than the 33 items I had done on my previous one. One of my goals was to write about my progress monthly, which I've since edited to blogging about it quarterly after finding this awesome link-up on Macy's blog. The thing is, with less than a year left, I realized that a lot of my travel goals are completely unattainable. And some of my "goals" are no longer relevant or I just dodn't care for anymore. So I changed some, but left them on as strikethroughs so I wouldn't forget, and didn't count them in the 101. To check out the full list, click here!

Start Date: December 12, 2015

End Date: September 8, 2018
Completed: 40/101 (as of 11/16/17)

In Progress 17/101

Things completed since my last check-in:

Host a dinner party 1/17/17
Create and maintain a "staples" closet/wardrobe 11/1/17
Attend an Oktoberfest event 9/30/17

Attend an NFL game 8/31/17

Get a credit card 10/4/17
Open a savings account 8/11/17
Try 101 different bars and restaurants 11/10/17

Complete the Fall Film Challenge 11/11/17
Complete one of Erin's Reading Challenges 10/31/17
Walk on the Brooklyn Bridge 5/20/17

Take a hobby class (Intro to Voice Overs 6/20/17)
Get a major haircut/style change 5/15/17

See 3 Broadway shows (musicals or plays): Paramour 5/3/16, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical 1/21/17, Bruce Springsteen 10/21/17

In Progress: 16/101:

Blog about progress quarterly

Try at least one new recipe a month for a year: 6/12

Finish/post or discard all blog drafts

Get to my goal weight

Read all the books I currently own but haven’t yet read 31/70 

Read 101 books (38/101): You can see what I've read so far here! 

Watch a new-to-me movie starting with every letter of the alphabet 23/26
Missing O, N, and Q, but already have movies picked out for these letters!

Figure out a skincare routine
I've actually figured this one out, but I'm not marking it as completed because I haven't been consistent in following through with the routine daily/weekly. 

Find holy grail skin and hair care products
Thanks to a few blogger recommendations and a recent trip to Ulta, I'm well on my way to figuring out what works best for my face and hair. Of course this takes time, as using a product once won't give the best results, and but I'm working on it.

Pay off 2 student loans 
I'm happy to report that one loan has been PAID. Woot! However I did a huge consolidation for a bunch of other ones, and that's going to take quite some time to pay off. Baby steps. 

Get my apartment and possessions 100% organized
I'm about halfway done with this one. I need to go through some closets, and all the crap I have stored in the basement that no longer serves any purpose other than taking up space. 

Organize all of my music files, delete/update as necessary
I've uploaded all of these onto my laptop, and then left them there. I need to sort, delete old songs I'm tired of and broken links, edit song titles, etc. 

Gamble in Las Vegas: planned for December 2017!

Clean out my closets and purge
I did this in my main clothing closet; I need to continue with the hall and linen closets. I think this will be easier after Christmas, since I've been squirreling away presents for people in there!

Update resume

Another work in progress. I've done several drafts and enlisted the help of some friends though, so hopefully this one will be completed soon! 

Completely use up or otherwise get rid of all excess makeup
I've accrued quite a bit of makeup while I've been trying to find out what works, but I still want to use it up or toss it. 

Have you ever done a 101 in 1001 challenge? 

101 in 1001: An Update

Back in December 2015 I decided to start a new 101 in 1001 challenge, and actually try to accomplish more than the 33 items I had done on my previous one! One of my goals was to write about my progress once a month, which I'm obviously failing at being that this is the first time I've even mentioned since last year! However, I found this awesome link-up to track this list quarterly over at Macy's blog, so I decided to join to keep myself accountable and share my progress. For the full list, click here!

Start Date: December 12, 2015

End Date: September 8, 2018
Completed: 29/101 (as of 5/16/17)

In Progress 17/101

Things completed since my last check-in:

Make a new wreath 6/15/16 (cork wreath)
Go on a sunset cruise 5/11/16
Party in New Orleans (NOT Mardi Gras) 12/8/16- 12/12/16 
Go on a spontaneous day trip (Warwick Winery, 11/5/16)
Try a new food Chicken and Waffles 12/12/15
Get a promotion/new job 7/29/16
See an outdoor movie 7/19/16
Host an annual party (Halloween! Last year's theme was Stranger Things) 10/28/16
Attend an NHL game (NY Rangers vs. Blue Jays 11/1/16)
Attend an MLB game (Phillies vs. Mets 8/27/16)
Organize all of my photos and back them up in multiple places 12/8/16
Set up a new vanity area with makeup and jewelry storage 12/28/16
Create an emergency kit (Christmas present, 12/25/16)
Get rid of 101 items 4/22/16
Purchase a scale (Christmas present, 12/25/16)
Go on a picnic (Easter- 4/16/17)
Find my holy grail item in each makeup category (wrote about it here- 1/31/17)

In Progress: 17/101:

Read all the books I currently own but haven’t yet read 23/70
I've only been reading books that I own, which is why this goal and the next have the same number. 

Read 101 books (23/101) 
You can see what I've read so far here! 

Watch a new-to-me movie starting with every letter of the alphabet 18/26
This is actually one I thought would be done already, but I keep watching movies with duplicate letters! Missing C, E, K, N, O, Q, V, and Y. Have any recommendations for me? 

Figure out a skincare routine
I've actually figured this one out, but I'm not marking it as completed because I haven't been consistent in following through with the routine daily/weekly. 

Find holy grail skin and hair care products
Thanks to a few blogger recommendations and a recent trip to Ulta, I'm well on my way to figuring out what works best for my face and hair. Of course this takes time, as using a product once won't give the best results, and but I'm working on it.

Create and maintain a "staples" closet/wardrobe
I still need a few "key" pieces, such as a great, high-quality blazer and/or suit, but I've weeded out the stuff that no longer works for me, and that's half the battle, right?

Pay off student loans 
I'm happy to report that one loan has been PAID. Woot! However I did a huge consolidation for a bunch of other ones, and that's going to take quite some time to pay off. Baby steps. 

Try 101 different bars and restaurants 77/101
To see the list of places I've been to so far, click here! I'd also like to review these places on Yelp, but I haven't been quite that ambitious as of yet. Maybe I should add that as another goal?

Get my apartment and possessions 100% organized
I'm about halfway done with this one. I need to go through some closets, and all the crap I have stored in the basement that no longer serves any purpose other than taking up space. 

Organize all of my music files, delete/update as necessary
I've uploaded all of these onto my laptop, and then left them there. I need to sort, delete old songs I'm tired of and broken links, edit song titles, etc. 

See 3 Broadway shows (musicals or plays) 
2/3- Paramour 5/3/16, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical 1/21/17

Clean out my closets and purge
I did this in my main clothing closet; I need to continue with the hall and linen closets. Halfway there! 

Update resume

Another work in progress. I've done several drafts and enlisted the help of some friends though, so hopefully this one will be completed soon! 

Completely use up or otherwise get rid of all excess makeup
I've accrued quite a bit of makeup while I've been trying to find out what works, but I still want to use it up or toss it. 

Get to my goal weight
Should be easier now that I own a scale! 

Blog about progress bi-annually (ha...oops!)

Try a new recipe (at least) once a month for a year 3/12
Got the Budget Bytes cookbook for Christmas, have yet to make anything. And I'm not even going to mention how many recipes I've pinned. I really need to get on this! 

Have you ever done a 101 in 1001 challenge?