Update: 30 byThirty

Last month I introduced my 30 by Thirty list, - thirty goals to accomplish before age thirty. With less than two years to complete the list, I have my work cut out for me. I need to accomplish at least one goal a month. Well, technically, it's 1.4 goals per month, but you get the idea. Here is an update on my progress. (Full list at end of post)

Like a lot of areas in my life, the decision to embark on a 30 by thirty was quite spontaneous - a whim some would say. I started jotting down goals late one evening, ran out of ideas somewhere around number 23 and went to bed. I completed the list in the following day and within 24 hours, I had shared my list online with you guys. The point of this story, albeit a weak one, is to explain the somewhat random nature of my list and to justify (if only to myself) the decision to redefine goal number 7 (which previously involved purchasing cowboy boots).

Lets face it, I have no business wearing cowboy boots. I certainly have no functional need for them, living comfortably in the suburbs. And although I adore the trendy look of cowboy boots paired with vintage skirts, it seems to be a style most reserved for those still sporting a fake IDs to get into college bars. Am I right? Maybe in other parts of the country boots and skirts are chic and ageless style, but here? It's pretty much a style exclusively for high schoolers. I want to enter my thirties looking confident and radiant. Not looking like a woman trying too hard to desperately cling to her youth.

Anyways, that's my explanation for why goal number 7 has been redefined.

Other than that, my list remains as-is, randomness and all. Now that I've had some time to process the challenge, I'm beginning to realize I might have been a little overzealous. (There's a reason number 11 has laid idle for so long!) However, I enjoy a challenge and appreciate the motivation this list has sparked.

So where do I currently stand?

• Well, let's see. I completed my first goal, number four, by guest posting on one of my favorite blogs, One Dog Woof. Here's the link to that post. (I'll repost it on my own blog next week).

• I started working on number 27 with this version of the Bible. We began this as a couple a few years ago, but never completed it. This time I intend to finish it in a timely manner. The One Year Bible has the entire Biblical text segmented out into 365 readings. Each day offers a short segment from both the Old and New Testaments, as well as a Psalm and a Proverb. The next day continues sequentially in each of the four areas. I started at the beginning, (the one labeled Jan 1) and am working through it at my own pace.  

• We did go out on a date (a rare event for us) to celebrate our anniversary last week. I did put on a skirt for the occasion, but am not counting it towards number 23 because it was nothing special. Or perhaps, I'm not counting it towards #23 to ensure myself that I go on at least four more dates in the next year and a half, because like I said, they are rare events for us :) Either way, it was fun night out with the hubby.

• I haven't parked in the garage for over a month because of a piece of furniture I hope to "save" from the dumpster. This piece needs more than just a paint job - it needs to be completely repurposed - like with a saw. And I've been stalling. 

Enjoy your weekend everyone!
~Mischele


30 by Thirty
1. Buy a big flirty straw beach hat
2. Sew a dress for myself - and be proud enough to wear it out of the house 
3. Attempt a furniture refinish - trash to treasure style!
4. Submit something for publication. 

Notice the careful word selection focusing on the submission, not the publication :)

5. Host another murder mystery party for our friends.
6. Visit a winery with The Hubs.
7. Complete at least 5 pins from my Pinterest boards.
8. Reach 50 blog followers.
9. Likewise, find 50 blogs to support and follow.
GFC for Blogger blogs, Linky or Reader for the others.
10. Learn to sew a button hole.
11. Sew a Jean Quilt. 
I started one awhile ago - most of the pieces are already cut - but the project's lay idle for over a year now.
12. Build a sandbox for my kiddo.
13. Find a Thai recipe that I can actually cook, and the family will actually eat.
14. Edit family highlight videos for 2011, 2012, and 2013. 
15. Learn to use Photoshop Elements.
16. Attend an auction.
We've been watching a lot of A&E's "Storage Wars" recently. I think an auction looks like fun, even if we're just spectators.
17. Attend a rodeo.
I've spent my whole life in Kansas and Missouri, but I've never been to the rodeo.
18. Buy a handmade craft on Etsy.
19. Finish the Laundry Room Update. This is another project that has been lying dormant for over a year.
20. Attend a ballet, other than The Nutcracker. There is an amazing new Performing Arts building in town. We saw The Nutcracker last year and now I'd like to return and see another.
21. Learn which relationships are worth cultivating/maintaining.
22. Learn to accept that some friendships were meant to fade with time.
23. Build a wardrobe of at least 4 awesome date night outfits.  
24. Learn to cook one awesome meal for a date night at home.
25. Gather telephone numbers from all my immediate neighbors.
26. Memorize the phone numbers of at least 3 local friends. 
In case of emergency, it's nice to know a few numbers without having to rely on your cell phone. 
27. Read the Bible cover to cover.
I've always avoided the book of Revelations, and I'm sure I've missed parts of the Old Testament too.
28. Complete one clothes refashion (or resize a shrunken garment).
29. Define a chore schedule that works for our home. The chores currently do get done, but I think I'd benefit from a written routine.
30. Successfully potty train our toddler.