13. Spend an entire day in pajamas.

Not a very glamorous way to end 2009, but I did enjoy a nice, comfy day in pajamas. Bill and Liam even went out shopping without me...twice! Too bad the reason for this was that I was up with the munchkin since 3:45 this morning. Oh well, I enjoyed it anyway! :)

31. See a "Broadway" show.

I went to see the Phantom of the Opera at the DPAC with Barbara, Kellie and Cecilie. It was very interesting, since I had never seen it before, and a fun afternoon out.

69. Win something.

I thought this one might be really hard, but woohoo! I got an email today that I won a four pack of tickets to the Raleigh Winterfest Ice Skating Rink from the News & Observer. They offer a lot of discounts and contests for their members, and I always make sure to enter them all, so I am very excited for some free ice skating this winter - yay!

78. Meet an online friend in real life.

This weekend, Liam and I attended a "mom and baby" holiday party with some of our friends from The Nest. We also were able to meet one of the moms from Winston Salem whose son is Liam's age who was in Raleigh for the weekend. We have chatted online for years, so it was very nice to meet them in person!

36. Go to the movies 5 times (1/5).

Last night, I went to see "New Moon" with a couple of friends. It was a good movie, and definitely fun to have a night out! :)

18. Eat at 10 local restaurants I've never eaten at before (1/10).

Wednesday night, I had dinner with the ladies from playgroup at Biaggi's in Cary. Great Italian food and good company! :)

November 2009 Progress

Completed in November: 1/101
Current Total: 12/101

5. Read 101 books (20/101).
I read 2 books this month, bringing my current total to 20.

9. Take 1001 photos in 1001 days (611/1001).
I took 94 photos this month, bringing my current total to 611.

74. Visit 5 places in the NC region I've never been to before (3/5).

Last weekend, I visited Boone and Blowing Rock in the NC mountains with some of the moms from my playgroup. It was the first time I had visited the mountains here in NC, and it is definitely someplace I'd like to visit again soon!

8. Cooking Challenge - Week 12 (12/12)

I finished the challenge - woohoo! This week, I cooked Rachael Ray's mu shu noodles. This is a really good recipe and fed us all for 2 nights. We weren't sure if Liam would like it, but he gave it the munchkin seal of approval. So, this was the last week of the challenge! Bill and I have both enjoyed having me cook more, so I am going to try to keep it up!

October 2009 Progress

Completed in October: 1/101
Current Total: 11/101

5. Read 101 books (18/101).
I read 2 books this month, bringing my current total to 18.

9. Take 1001 photos in 1001 days (517/1001).
I took 181 photos this month, bringing my current total to 517.

8. Cooking Challenge - Week 11 (11/12)

This week, I cooked twice. Earlier this week, I made the crockpot cheesy chicken I made in week 2. Tonight I cooked chicken quesadillas with a side of black beans. This was the first time I ever made a meal that I totally winged on my own without a recipe. I think they came out pretty good! :)

8. Cooking Challenge - Week 10 (10/12)

This week I cooked our favorite chicken and rice casserole again (looking back, I also cooked this for week 6). It's an easy meal to feed us all for 2 nights. We served it with some mixed vegetables.

74. Visit 5 places in the NC region I've never been to before (2/5).

This weekend, I took a little road trip up to Richmond, VA, with some friends to see the "So You Think You Can Dance" tour at the Richmond Coliseum. We had a great time, and I got to visit another place in the NC region I had never been to before (other than driving through on the highway).

8. Cooking Challenge - Week 9 (9/12)

This week, I made these stuffed meatballs by Rachael Ray. We love this recipe, but we only make the mozzarella ones, not the ones with the cherry tomatoes (they just don't sound as good to me). And we only use beef because I don't eat veal. Yum!

1. Start using our cloth grocery bags

We've been using them for a few months now, pretty much since I started the challenge, but I wanted to wait and post until we had really gotten our routine down (keeping them in the car vs keeping them in the house so that we don't get to the store and realize we've forgotten them). We really love using them. They hold so many more groceries than plastic, the handles are more comfortable, and our grocery store gives us points on our rewards card for using them. Yay!

Bill has joined the party...

Bill has started his own 101 in 1001, check it out.

http://bill101in1001.blogspot.com/

8. Cooking Challenge - Week 8 (8/12)

Tonight I made french toast for Bill and me, and an english muffin pizza for Liam since he doesn't like french toast. I had planned to make these stuffed meatballs that we love, but Liam's sick this week and we just never made it to Whole Foods to get the ground beef, so we went simple instead. I'll do better next week!

September 2009 Progress

Completed in September: 6/101
Current Total: 10/101

5. Read 101 books (16/101).
I read 4 books this month. My favorite this month was Hide by Lisa Gardner, great murder mystery!


9. Take 1001 photos in 1001 days (436/1001).
I took 192 photos this month. I think my favorite picture this month would be one of the sunrise pictures posted below.

73. Fly a kite.
I thought I was going to get to cross this one off at the beach, but our 49 cent kite broke before we ever got it up in the air! I guess you get what you pay for...


I've done a lot of blog posts this week! :)

74. Visit 5 places in the NC region I've never been to before (1/5)

In case you missed any of the many blog posts about it, we visited Myrtle Beach, SC, last week, somewhere I had never been before! :)

49. Go to the aquarium.

While we were in Myrtle Beach, we visited Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, and had a great time. Liam had thrown off his sleep schedule that day and ended up having a meltdown at the aquarium, but was able to pull himself back together in time to enjoy the fish.



Liam and Daddy with sharks swimming over their heads


Liam got to pet a horseshoe crab, which he thought was fabulous, and later on he also touched a sting ray. He is fearless and fascinated with all of these creatures!

14. Try 5 new foods (1/5)

While we were in Myrtle Beach, I finally tried shrimp and grits. This is a southern dish that for whatever reason I never had growing up, and when we moved to NC and I first heard of it, it just did not sound appetizing. I was imagining regular buttered breakfast grits with shrimp in them, but that's not how it was at all. There was sausage and gravy in the grits, and the shrimp were spicy and grilled, and it was very yummy! I will definitely try it again.

3. Bring Liam to the beach for the first time, and 23. Take a vacation with Liam

This week we spent 5 days at Myrtle Beach on our first family vacation, knocking out two goals with one stone - bringing Liam to the beach for the first time, and taking a vacation with Liam. He loooooved the beach and had no fear at all of the ocean.




He loved the waves, he was laughing and kicking his feet whenever Bill lifted him up during a big one




Looking at sea shells. He loved to pick one out, and then run down and throw it into the surf. You can see lots more pictures from our trip on my main blog, and on Snapfish.

8. Cooking Challenge - Week 7 (7/12)

Tonight I made soft tacos for our dinner. Nothing fancy since we are on vacation, and I don't have any pictures, but they were yummy and Liam ate 2 full sized soft tacos! :)

40. Watch the sun rise.

We are down in Myrtle Beach for the week, and I couldn't pass up the chance to watch the sun rise over the ocean outside our room. It was beautiful!

8. Cooking Challenge Week 6 (6/12)

This week I baked a chicken and rice casserole. I forgot to take a picture, but we love this recipe, we have it once a month or so. These days, I am a huge fan of anything that feeds us all for more than one night! :)

50. Have at least 10 real date nights, no babies allowed. (1/10)

On Wednesday night, Liam's Nana came over to babysit, and Bill and I went out for the evening. We had dinner at Mellow Mushroom in the American Tobacco district in Durham and then went to see Cirque Dreams (see the blog post below) at the DPAC. It was a really nice evening, and we really enjoyed the chance to spend an evening out!

32. See a show by Cirque de Soleil

On Wednesday, Bill and I saw Cirque Dreams at the DPAC in Durham. It was a good show, and we enjoyed our evening out. I'd love to see a Cirque show in Las Vegas sometime too!

More Coupon Fun

Harris Teeter had triple coupons again this week, and I was more organized this time. I got the groceries above for about $12, and saved over $36 with coupons. I got 3 boxes of Barilla pasta, the package of Reese's cups, and a bag of Mahatma rice for free. Most of the rest of the food was less than $.50 a piece, and then I spent a few dollars stocking up one some hair cream and deoderant. Score! :) You can only use 20 coupons at the time, so I may go back and get a few more things before the promotion ends!

8. Cooking Challenge - Week 5 (5/12)

This week, I made a crockpot Mexican chicken, based on this recipe. I used regular salsa (I hate sweet on meat), mild since we were sharing with the munchkin, though medium would have tasted much better! :) I added sour cream and some shredded cheddar cheese to the crockpot about a half hour before it was finished and served it on rice over a tortilla. If I make it again, I will add some frozen corn too. It was good, we will definitely do this again, and Liam gives it a big thumbs up too!

42. Get a Massage

I cashed in a waaaay overdue gift card from Christmas and got a massage today at Massage Envy. It was wonderful! :)

8. Cooking Challenge - Week 4 (4/12)

This week I cooked a pot roast in the crockpot. We've made this recipe before, but it came out especially yummy this time - we splurged on a roast from Whole Foods (the cheapest one they had, it was not much more than the ones at the regular store, and I'm super picky about the meat Liam eats, especially beef), and I think it made a real difference.


Liam approved! He cleaned his plate and even had seconds of carrots and potatoes. (check the bottom left of the photo for the lurker waiting for him to drop something LOL, she cracks me up)

1 Beef Roast
1 package dried brown gravy mix
1 package dried Italian Salad Dressing Mix
1 package dried Ranch Dressing Mix
1/2 cup beef broth

1. Place beef roast in crockpot
2. Mix the dried mixes together in a bowl and sprinkle over roast.
3. Pour the broth around the roast
4. Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

I also added some potatoes and carrots to the crockpot so that I would have a one pot meal. It's a really easy recipe, and comes out so flavorful!

8. Cooking Challenge - Week 3 (3/12)

This week, I cooked meatloaf cups. I basically just used the recipe on the back of the McCormick seasoning packet, and added parmesan cheese. But we like to cook our meatloaf in muffin pans. It makes great single serving sizes, and it cooks faster too.



We served it with couscous that we mixed with a package of spinach for some veggie. This was actually a leftover from last night though, so I didn't cook it, but Liam loved it and ate tons of fresh spinach - yay!

August 2009 Progress

Completed in August: 1/101
Current Total: 4/101

5. Read 101 books (12/101).
I read 6 more books this month. Still on my summer reading binge! :) My favorite by far this month were these 2 by Tami Hoag (they are sequels):


9. Take 1001 photos in 1001 days (244/1001).
I took 121 photos this month. I think my favorite picture this month is this one of Liam in the ball pit at My Gym:

8. Cooking Challenge - Week 2 (2/12)

Tuesday night I made crockpot cheesy chicken with corn and rice. Last night I did a baked ziti for book club which also fed Bill and Liam, and will feed us again tonight! We really like both of these recipes.

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken:
4-6 chicken breast halves
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup

Cut chicken into chunks and place in crockpot. Separately combine the 3 cans of soup and pour over. Cook for 4-6 hours on low.

I added some frozen corn about 20 minutes before it was finished (have also used broccoli in the past) and served over rice.

8. Cook dinner at least once a week for 3 months (1/12).

Cooking challenge - Week 1

Earlier this week, I cooked pancakes for dinner, but Bill says that doesn't really count as a meal :). Anyway, tonight I cooked a chicken stir fry. It was not that good, and Liam hated it, but I don't think it was my fault - it was a new recipe, and the sauce was just not very flavorful. Anyway, it still counts for the challenge!

58. Become a better coupon shopper, especially grocery shopping.

I am crossing this one off the list, but I am challenging myself to keep this up! I was inspired by a few girls on one of the message boards I visit, so I subscribed to the Sunday paper and started a coupon binder:


I've got everything organized, and we've already saved quite a bit using the coupons I've saved. Today I got my first taste of "triple coupons" at Harris Teeter. They run this special every so often and will triple any manufacturer coupon up to $.99. I hear amazing tales of how much people save and all the things they get for free.

Well, I am only 2 weeks into coupon saving, so I only found 6 items I wanted to buy, but I got them for $4.50 and saved $15.29 with my coupons! I got a container of Band-Aids, shaving cream, Crest toothpaste, a toothbrush, Skippy peanut butter and a box of Uncrustables (which will be great on-the-go lunches for Liam) for $4.50. Not bad, right?


Triples coupons run through next week, so I'm going to go back again on Monday after the Sunday paper comes! :) I'll post an update if I get any more good loot. Now, if only I had remembered to bring in my reusable grocery bag to use...

July 2009 Progress

Completed in July: 3/101
Current Total: 3/101

1. Start using our cloth grocery bags.
It'll be at least another month, probably 2, before I can call this one completed, but I've gotten much better already about remembering to bring the bags. And I forgot how much I like them! They hold so much, I only need 5 or 6 to hold a whole load of groceries, and the handles are so much more comfortable when you're carrying heavy stuff. Hopefully soon plastic bags will be a thing of the past for us!

5. Read 101 books (6/101).
I read 6 books this month. It won't always be so high, but I read more in the summer when there's not much on tv. I was planning to post my favorite book each month, but I didn't read anything great this month. This one was probably the best:


9. Take 1001 photos in 1001 days (123/1001).
Apparently this challenge is going to be way too easy - I didn't realize how many pictures I take! This is my favorite picture I took this month:

98. Watch 5 movies that won the Academy Award for "Best Picture" (1/5).

Tonight we watched Slumdog Millionaire (rented it from the library - love free movies!), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2008. It was pretty good, but awfully depressing!

67. Purge and donate our old clothes.

We were overdue for a big clothing purge. Bill and I went through our dressers and our whole closet, cleaning stuff out, and I purged a bunch of Liam's old clothes too. I had taken a few bags over to one of those clothing donation bins in the Walmart parking lot a few months ago, and we still came up with about 6 bags today!

We had gotten a flyer in the mail a few weeks ago from the Vietnam Veterans of America saying that they would be on our street on July 21st to pick up any donations, and that they especially needed clothes. Super easy, they pick it up off your front porch, whether you're home or not. And they left us a tax deductible receipt for our donation!

28. Swim in a lake

This afternoon, we brought Liam to Sandling Beach at Falls Lake in Raleigh. We had a great time, and all of us enjoyed swimming in the lake. It's so close by, we hope to go back soon. I didn't get a picture of myself in the lake, but this one is close enough! :)

80. Eat dinner at the Mellow Mushroom

On the board with my first item checked off! Chrissy and Paul are in town visiting, and we were supposed to be at the Aerosmith concert last night, but it was canceled last minute, so we decided to go out for dinner and drinks instead. Bill and I had been wanting to eat at the Mellow Mushroom forever, and it was a really nice night for sitting outside enjoying pizza and beer. Mmmm, can't wait to go back! :)

101 Challenges in 1001 Days

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Start Date: July 1, 2009

End Date: March 28, 2012