Traditions

I think over the course of this list, we have started to develop some birthday and holiday traditions.  Food is often a component!  other things to consider: activity or reading books we have or check out from the library, art/craft, toys.  places to go.

Birthday
had the idea to put streamers on the door and balloons in the room, but this kind of freaked Josh out for his 3rd, birthday.
Sign above entrance to kitchen
For the kids, 20 questions video interview (Josh's 4th birthday video)

Rosh Hashana

• round challah from Deerfield's bakery, ordered 1-2 days ahead
• Apricot Chicken
• Honey Carrots (Boil in sprite, drain, drizzle with honey while hot)
• apple kugel
• sliced apples
• honey
• (Chocolate) Honey Cake 
• wine 
• apple juice

kids coloring pages
books
other toys/activities: shofar (plastic, Jared's real one)
cards to send to family/call to wish a happy new year
China

Yom Kippur - break the fast with dairy/breads

Sukkot
at the Chicago Botanic Gardens

Fall: pumpkin/apple picking.  Corn maze.  Goebberts or Didier farms

Channukah

• party
• dreidel game
• books
• potato pancakes

Winter: Hot Chocolate on the stove

Thanksgiving -

• Veggie Tray using the blue dish from Mexico.  TS spinach and herb dip in the center.
• BLT dip, 1/2 recipe
• Brie en croute on blue plate.

• Turkey, 
• Gravy, 
• Green Bean Casserole
• Stuffing
• Noodle Kugel
• Sweet Potatoes
• Mashed Potatoes
• Cranberry Sauce
• rolls, Brown & Serve
• Salad

• Pecan Pie, Apple Pie, Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate and Caramel Sauce

New Years - this has changed as our children get older and the need to be home with them has changed.

Tu B'Shevat - we are starting to create traditions for this.

Valentine's - the kids usually celebrate this in school so we don't have anything

Purim - still in the process

Passover (menu)
Weekly Menu: Brisket, Matzah Lasagna (which I Only make during Passover), various Chicken and Salmon.  MATZAH CRACK!

Sabbath - next list

July 4th (Memorial Day, Labor Day)  4th of July Fireworks on Payton's Hill and parades have become fun traditions

Halloween - again mostly through school, but we do enjoy getting dressed up for my sister in law's mom's adult party and trick or treating around our little neighborhood with friends.

15 recipes

These two are in my repertoire:

1. Chicken Pasta with Broccoli and Carrots
2. Turkey Meatloaf

These I created:

1. Tacos: can use ground beef or Turkey.  Brown.  Add 2 tbsp seasoning.  serve with tortillas, shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, shredded lettuce.
2. Guacamole: McCormick seasoning packet.  two ripe avocados, mix in food processor, as Jared likes it mousse like.
3. Chicken Salad: leftover cooked chicken, mayonnaise, celery and/or onion, craisins, salt, pepper, dill weed.  Mix together.
4. Spaghetti with Meat Sauce.  Can use ground beef or turkey.  brown, drain fat, add jar of veggie pasta sauce.  Meanwhile cook spaghetti.  Serve sauce over pasta, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
5. Mac & Cheese Primavera: Velveeta, cooked chicken, frozen veggies, garlic salt, pepper, pasta.  Cook pasta, add frozen veggies last couple of minutes. Drain.  on low heat, add cubed Velveeta, seasonings and chicken.  Stir until cheese has melted and chicken is heated through
6. Casserole: Meat, pasta or rice, cream of something soup, frozen veggies, seasonings, some milk or water sometimes cheese on top. Bake 375 for 45-55 minutes
7. Meatloaf: 1.5 lbs ground turkey or beef.  Breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, seasonings, diced carrots. Bake 375 for 50 minutes.
8. Salad: 1-2 heads romaine lettuce, cut up and put through the salad spinner.  pick from these veggies, but try to get a variety of colors: tomatoes, red pepper, carrots, orange pepper, yellow pepper (you already have green from the lettuce).  Sometimes I  use bagged lettuce with purple lettuce in it, or cabbage.  If you are trying to use up other veggies like onion or celery that can go in too.  Croutons, shredded parmesan cheese (in the specialty cheese section).  Good Seasonings Italian Dressing, in the carafe but the store brand; about half the bottle.  Craisins. put all ingredients in the bowl and mix.  Sometimes I'll add chicken or bacon bits, sunflower seeds.

I didn't get to all 15 but 10 is a good start.  I'll finish this next time around.  

Inspire

Sara says she was inspired to create a list of her own, though her list is 30 things to do before she's 30 in a year and a half.  I think this is completed...inspiration is not exactly a copy, and her list is admirable.

Buy a coloring book and color every page

I did buy the coloring book and started to color a little bit.  I even bought my own markers.  Jared told me he thought it was silly or something like that I wouldn't share the book or my markers with the kids.  I guess it's true, since the only reason I was doing it was for the list.  Though I think that partially made me not work on it.   I think I thought it would be child-like, easy, simple minded to have that to work on.   It's like anything else on the list that takes time, I didn't plan for it.  Didn't build it in to the regular schedule.  I'm not sure if I'll keep it on the next list, since I don't know if the reason behind it was good enough.

New Moms

I've met quite a few new moms since starting this quest.  Many of them are stay at home moms, Jennifer M is one.  Kimberley S. is another.  others are work from home moms.  At the beginning of the year I would have said Holly C. who is a realtor, but since the summer of 2011, I haven't seen much of her.  As I write this I hope that Laura K. will be one.  The actual task says to meet these woman, but I really want to have woman who are my friends who are WAHM or SAHM.  I think it's kind of funny to list friends, but I think it is one way of achieving this task.

I am going to publish this at the end of the quest to see what friendships I can develop over the rest of the 1001 days.  Like this author, I want woman I can do specific tasks with: get manicures, get lunch, play dates, dinner with couples, ask for parenting, relationship, or work life balance; new customers;

SAHM
Prajina
Kim S.
Jennifer M.
Donna.
Laura(Kirk and Nick's mom)
Christina C.
Katie E.
Michele F.
Jennifer K.
Kerry (soccer)
Christy S.
Anne

WAHM
Robin R
Laura K
Holly C
Sherry G

Part time Working Moms
Ann W.
Kim F.
Shandrika (soccer)
Jenna S.
Ann L.



Update 9/2012:  I'm discovering that stay at home moms are easier to come by.  Probably because of the meetup group I am in.  Also, because that is what I am.  Relationships with WAHM are harder to develop...is it because they are busier, or because I have trouble identifying with them.  Or I am not exposed to them as much?  Maybe I will try harder to meet some.  How?

Update 2: 10/2013: It's interesting that the list of people I started with is not the list of people that I see now.  Certainly SAHMs are more common in my regular routine mainly because of people that I have met through Josh's activities.  There are several moms new to our neighborhood too.  And now that Caitlyn is in activities, I am meeting new moms this way too.  I have to think about this one more for the next list.  I think I will create a category for moms, one for which I enjoy doing certain activities with, as noted above.  Also, since I have a remember the milk item for calling friends, I think I will add these moms to my list and invite them to do the things we like to do together.

Write A Letter To Myself On Day 1 To Be Opened On Day 1001

I wrote this letter and read it today...life was busy and though I was looking forward to opening it on the 28th, I didn't have a chance.  I wasn't really sure what to write, though I won't share the complete details of what I did write.  I think because I didn't know what to expect and since I was at such a crossroads at the time I started.  I was even remarking to Jared a day or so ago, how I can't believe it's been almost three years since I left Lincoln.  I am happy with the things I did accomplish, but I am disappointed I didn't accomplish more.  Some were too big of goals, some I didn't make SMART, the measurable, or specific enough.

Next time I write this letter, I think I'll prioritize my goals more.  I also realized I forgot to work on this project at times, and went months without completing or working on goals.  I find that is certainly an aspect of my Mary Kay life too.

I did like how I spoke directly to myself at the end, encouraging.

Vitamins

I take a multi-vitamin every weekday.  It has become a habit of my morning routine with my allergy pill and coffee.  It's part of the routine too since Josh needs one.  Weekends are usually only 1 of the two days but 5-6 out of 7 days sounds like a habit to me.

Frank Lloyd Wright Tour

I bought a Google Deal and a Groupon in order to accomplish this.  I wasn't able to use the Google Deal before it expired. (Though I was surprised and pleased my request for a refund was granted)  It won't be done before the end of the project, but it is scheduled to be completed in October, as a part of our Dates challenge.

Anniversary Trip with Jared and renew our Vows

We have a trip booked, but because of babysitters, we can't go until December.  This won't be completed during the timeframe of this project, but until we go, there isn't much else we can do in the mean time.  I hope to be able to (surprise Jared and) renew our vows.  As we get closer, I'll contact the resort to arrange this.  I saw they do offer this on their website.  We'll see if it really costs as much as they list.

Sell (Baby Clothes, Purses, Jewelry) On EBay, Craigslist

I did look in to this.  I attended a free class at the library to learn how to effectively list items.  I did take away to research the amount similar items sold for when creating a listing price.  But the shear volume of items I had and the time to take pictures, upload them, create the listing and package items.  Plus re-listing when they didn't sell wasn't worth it for me.  I did get rid of clothes for Cailtyn newborn to 12 months and Josh newborn to 2 years to two different friends who had babies in the same months as my kids, but 1 or 4 years later.  Also, just this weekend, I found a place that will valet tag my items for resales, so maybe next Spring I will look in to that.  For now, this is done.

Organized and Usable Office

I think I need to better define this one.  I did clean it up and can find a lot more stuff than several months ago.  Usable, yes.  Jared and I can both sit in here independently and work.  I still think it has a lot to go to look like my dream office.

Purge every room of the house (get rid of average 100 items per room)

I don't know if I got rid of 100 items per room, perhaps on average I did.  I did go through a purge a la this 40 bags in 40 days inspiration.  I took it to do 40 areas of the house.  I did go through quite a lot.  The office was the most difficult, but I threw away a lot of stuff.  I didn't keep track of how much, and some areas could be better than they are, but moving forward is moving forward.

New Carpeting

Well, this won't get done.  We did have it priced out.  About $6000 for the whole house with Empire.  This included the first floor to get a darker wood-like product.  Instead we had the carpets cleaned for less than $500.  We will probably get new carpets once Caitlyn is potty-trained.  But then we may get a dog.  Who knows.  We'll probably get new carpets just before we move out of this house.

Passports

Passport applications are in the mail.  I can't believe it took me almost 3 years to do this, but the reminder from our travel agent regarding our upcoming anniversary trip, kind of kicked me in the butt to do this.  However, I only got them for me and Jared.  $110 was too much money to get one for Josh or Caitlyn, to be usable for only 5 years and they don't have any trips planned.

Tea

I invited my mom and sister to tea at the Drake Palm Court for mother's day.  I was able to make a reservation on Open Table (love open table!)  We valet parked, and though we arrived a few minutes past our reservation, we were seated right away.  our server was very attentive and informative...we had never been to the Palm Court or tea before. It was a special treat for my mom. she even said everything was much nicer than she expected. the extra goodies and express services from Mario Tricoci were a fun surprise. She loved that she got a red rose. The cream puffs plated as swans were so cute, she even got two extra to bring home to my dad to show off! Valet parking made it easy to drive in to the city. A bit expensive for tea, $38 but a special treat to be sure.

Sara in California

Well, Sara and Brett moved back to Chicago, so I won't be able to complete this one...who owns a house for only a year?!

Handwritten note

I've been better at writing an handwritten note to people once per month.  At first, it was hard to think of someone to write to, but as with many things, the more you do it, the easier it gets!

Blood Donation #2 & #3

I completed this item!  January 31st and March 28th. I did go through lifesource this time as I could schedule my appointments online.  After the second one, I was already scheduled to donate again.  But they never asked me to donate after my third time.  Maybe they knew my goal was 3 times, I don't know.  Since the donation center was in the same complex as where we hold my book club, I went before book club.  I even tried to get some moms to go with me, but no takers.  Either way, I did something good.

Massage

Since we joined a new gym that has a mini-spa, and I had this item on my list, I decided to take advantage of their special Massage day.  Unfortunately, the masseuse talked the whole time so it wasn't as relaxing as I had hoped.  But I did buy a bunch more minutes to get more massages in the future.

Massage #1

I finally redeemed the gift certificate I received from my in-laws from my birthday for a massage.  I felt bad, I think I was supposed to leave a gratuity for her.  I guess I learned a lesson.  It was very relaxing though.