Wednesday, February 20, 2013

30 by 30: The Final Tally


Well, the time has come. I turned 30 yesterday and here's the fall out from my 30-by-30 list:
  1. In Process! Bake a cheesecake in my spring-form pan, not from a box mix. - I have the perfect recipe, and made a cheesecake bar that was delicious to try a less intimidating cheesecake situation before I went all in.
  2. In Process! Create a Beef Stew recipe that Hubby will eat. - I have the recipe and the ingredients and it's on the menu for this week!
  3. DONE! Scour the Internet for a Chicken with Black Bean Sauce recipe reminiscent of the dish at PF Changs. (Hubby's request)
  4. DONE! Perfect Snickerdoodles (since they have eluded me thus far!) - Abandoned for delicious Snickerdoodle Blondies and Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.
  5. DONE! Bake bread made with yeast.
  6. Attempt one Julia Child recipe. - I borrowed a cookbook from the library and went to the Smithsonian to see her kitchen exhibit, does that count for anything?
  7. DONE! Bake a Martha Stewart cupcake successfully. - Counting this as done since I made two cupcakes only slightly adapted from Momma Martha.
  8. DONE! Reorganize/redesign pantry storage situation (okay, so this will mostly be Hubby, but I can help!) - working with what I have, but moving things around seems to be helping...we'll see if we go for a more long-term solution or not...right now life is good in the pantry...I bought a label maker and as you have probably guessed, I labeled all the things. LOVE.
  9. DONE! Discover a delicious beef brisket recipe...smoker or no smoker I need to figure out how to get some tasty brisket into my belly! - This was delicious and most definitely something that has happened more than once!
  10. DONE! Get a decent understanding of the book of Revelation. - Last spring I participated in a Beth Moore study on Revelation through our women's ministry at church and it was amazing!
  11. In Process! Scripture Memory - complete at least one year of the Living Proof Ministries (Beth Moore's) Scripture Memory Challenge. - I did really well at the beginning of the 2011...I did memorize several verses or have go-to verses that have stuck over the past few years. I think this shall always be (and should always be) a work in progress!
  12. DONE and In Process! See Beth Moore live, or attend another women's conference. - I attended a women's conference in the fall, am planning on attending one in March, AND have plans to go see Beth live with my college gals in the fall!
  13. DONE! Reacquaint ourselves with a young couples' ministry. - We gave the new group at church a shot, but it didn't work out for us...we are blessed to be surrounded by lots of other young couples who walk with us daily and really, that's what we want/need.
  14. In Process! Read through the Bible chronologically...still working on this one, not as quickly as I would have liked. I always seem to pause when I do a more intensive Bible study with my women's group...
  15. Watch the Godfather Movies.
  16. Eh? Do one of the Oscar days at the movie theater where you watch all the best picture nominations in one day/weekend. - Due to the fact that I finally let myself own the fact that I don't really like movie theaters, this isn't happening. I'd just rather wait and watch movies in our home theater with Hubby and Kitty.
  17. DONE! Read more...a lot more. Granted this isn't measurable, so let's say (realistically) 15 books. - My totals are: 2011 27 books, 2012 24 books...I even guest blogged for a friend over at Hooked to Books for a while...AND joined a book club which is having it's one year anniversary next month!
  18. DONE! Get a library card to assist in accomplishing #17.
  19. DONE! Be better about having Date Nights and actually taking advantage of babysitting offers. - We're definitely less shy than we used to be about asking for help which is a win =)
  20. Eh? Become a KCBS Certified BBQ Judge, just like Hubby. - we've found classes this spring that would be convenient should we have a place to stick our 3 year old...we'll see if that materializes.
  21. Complete wedding scrapbook.
  22. Dine at one of the Top Chef contestants' restaurants...or more ;-) - I have a friend that wants to do this with me, maybe we'll hit it for her 30th later this year!
  23. Attempt a Top Chef contestant recipe.
  24. In Process! Attain a reasonable/healthy weight and maintain so I can go through my closet and actually get rid of some clothes that are never going to happen again. - I've done really well, lost over 15 pounds since making this list and really only have 5 more to go. Really excited and our BFF is getting married in the spring so I totally have motivation to knock out those last 5 lbs after all the birthday food has subsided ;-)
  25. Figure out a plan for the master bath (our master suite is structurally confusing and slowly we're working on it.)
  26. DONE! Take a vacation... preferably one that does not require me to cook or clean house although a rental situation requiring such things would be an acceptable second vacation ;-) - in 2012 we hit both Disneyworld AND a kid-free anniversary vacation to Lake Louise in Banff National Park which was heavenly.
  27. DONE! WVU Girls Weekend =) Maybe two of them ;-) Or three 0=) - We've gotten together several times and have a date on the books to celebrate our collective 30ths this summer!
  28. In Process! Swimming lessons, namely for LJ, but it couldn't hurt me either to become more comfortable in the water. - she turns 3 in exactly one week, so she'll be of age and ready to go! (Yes, I'm 30, she'll be 3, and guess what...Hubby turns 33 this year...2013, ha!)
  29. In Process! Go to the eye doctor, probably should happen since it's been since my 2002 Lasik surgery. - We've undergone several insurance changes in the past few years, BUT I finally got some eye doctor recommendations and this spring should finally get myself there! I did pass my eye exam to renew my driver's license which I had to do this month, so...sort of a win?
  30. In Process! Figure out what I want to be when I'm not a stay-at-home-mom anymore =P - Are you really ever done with this one?
The Final Tally
14 - DONE!
8 - In Process
2 - Eh? (Abandoned)
6 - Incomplete

So, who wants to come over, make some Beef Stew, watch The Godfather movies, then eat some Cheesecake (preferably a recipe from Julia Child or a Top Chef contestant)?

All in all I'm more satisfied with this list than I originally thought I would be when I set out to update it for my birthday. Not too shabby, not too shabby at all! Maybe I'll finish these WHILE I'm 30 =)

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Happy 30th to ME!


For my birthday, go do something nice for someone. Pay for the folks behind you in the drive thru. Pick up some litter. Make a kid giggle instead of scream in the Target check-out line. Or my personal favorite, take stickers and a $5 Starbucks card to the market...find a mom with an unruly toddler, give the toddler some stickers and the mom the giftcard. Smile and tell her "My friend Rachael wants you to treat yourself today, you're worth it!"

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 
~1 John 4:11 
(How perfect is it that this is my "verse of the day" today =)

Report back to me by leaving a comment here on the blog. Let's see how many we can get today, okay?

And thanks for all the birthday wishes, I may not have finished my 30-by-30 list (more on that later) but I had a good time trying and took some fun diversions along the way!