TGIF! and #58 Put up E's sticker tree

Hooray, it's Friday again.  :)

I'm trying to be more conscious about my goals on my 101 in 1001 days list.  I figure I really should start making an effort to cross things off, otherwise I'll get to May 2014 and not have much done.  I am so one of those annoying people who love lists and 5-year-plans.

A couple weeks ago, I did one: #58 Put up E's sticker tree.

I've had the tree wall decal from Nouvelle Images since before she was born and finally put it up.  It took so long partially because the decal needed re-arranging (and I wanted the tree to be round on top versus slanted like their example, which required a pair of scissors and tape) and partially because whenever I thought about putting it up, Emma was taking a nap (#counterproductive).  Anyway, I'm really happy with the way it looks.

Next, I want to put up Psalm 139:14 right next to it.  It's my husband's favorite Psalm.  :)

Weekly Writing Progress: I had a chance to host a writing session with my writers group.  (We decided that we needed dedicated weekly writing sessions in addition to our monthly meeting...a great idea!)  It was interesting, balancing Emma with sitting down to write a little on the ol' laptop.  I do plan on critiquing my new Ch.1 the next time we meet in March.  Progress!

TGIF!! or #11 Get back to pre-pregnancy weight

source

Today, we have reason to celebrate!!!

I checked off #11 on my list of 101 in 1001 days: Get back to pre-pregnancy weight.

I have lost all of my pregnancy weight!  YEAH!  Booyah!  So excited!

It actually happened a couple of weeks ago, but I wanted to make sure it was really not a trick of the scale..or simply because my stomach happened to be at its hollowest..or because I'd just emptied my bladder.  :P

It's all credited to the spectacular benefits of breastfeeding.

Weekly writing progress: I rewrote the beginning of my sequel and got it critiqued.  Now working on making those edits.  Looking forward to submitting a pitch proposal for the NaNoWriMo Book Doctor contest.

#27 Make 3 new things from a cookbook

I'm crossing off the first item on my 101 in 1001 list:

27. Make 3 new things from a cookbook

If you ask my husband, he'll tell you that I am a notorious recipe follower. I am not good at improvising cooked dishes. And because of this, we have tons of cookbooks...most of them sit there doing nothing for the majority of the year. I only pull one out when I'm "in the mood" to make something different and new...which is seldom. hahaha. call it lazy. :)

Anyway, I bought the Deep Covered Baker when it was first available through Pampered Chef because PC boasted of its ease of use and fast dinners. But I really didn't make that many dishes in it...until PC came out with a really great recipe book.

Here are the 3 dinners we tried:

Rosemary Chicken Stew

Shrimp and Sausage Paella (our favorite so far!)

Sweet and Sour Shrimp

I look forward to making more Deep Covered Baker meals...and maybe this will inspire me to venture over to another cookbook for new ideas.  :)

101 goals for the next 1001 days

source

Have you heard of the Day Zero Project? Where you plan to do 101 things/goals in 1001 days? It's a pretty cool concept...along the lines of "where do you plan to be in five years?"...except it's much more concrete and spans half that time.

I first started the project in March of 2008 and then my list expired and I never began another list. So, in honor of my actual birthday day, I thought it would be smart to start another list. I'm a big fan of making lists. Here is just a snippet of what I've planned (all writing- or reading-related, of course):

Finish editing the Daisies book
Finish writing Odessa
Write a mystery with 13 chapters
Write 5 poems for my husband (0/5)
Write a children’s book and illustrate it
Find an agent
Get published the traditional way
Read at least 2 books a month for a year (0/24)
Read 5 books from the Newbery Award and Honor List (0/5)
Read 5 classics or popular old fiction (0/5)

And here is the full list here.
I found that I didn't have trouble making 101 goals because I used categories: Learning, Health & Fitness, Travel, Food, Entertainment, Writing/Editing, Reading, Spiritual Matters, House, Organization, Finances, Marriage & Family, For Others, and Miscellaneous. It's surprising how many tasks you can find for yourself. I'll remember to blog about my finished tasks as I complete them. :)

It does seem like a lot, though, so there are several suggestions on the website, if you're having trouble. I also know another blogger who kept 10-20 slots open for her to add to as the years passed.

The point is to make goals, even if you don't think you'll accomplish them. It's like from an athlete's point of view: It's having that bar raised and poised for you to reach it.

I hope you enjoy the journey.