things to do before 2008 is over

1. buy paper shredder (postponed)
2. shred paper (postponed)
3. put the house back in order after the week of Christmas (checked off)
4. have coffee with friends (checked off)
5. have supper with other friends (checked off)
6. organize some sort of New Year's Eve thing. (looks like we will be attending, actually)
7. straighten book shelves (in progress)

Things are starting to get done!!

This is a good end to a good year! I hope that everyone else is wrapping up 2008 as nicely!
~with love

Favorite gift from xmas:

I didn't ask for this, and honestly I didn't know I wanted it and she probably didn't consider this as part of my Christmas present. I mentioned to mom how my beaters have taken a leave of absence from my kitchen. She nonchalantly offered up my grandmother's old stand mixer! OMG! This is the most perfect gift ever!

These are the actual beaters that mixed up my family's birthday cakes for their birthdays. Cookies for their afterschool treats. Mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving and divinity at the holidays. Peering into this mixers bowls have been many children and from this mixer many have been taught the divine secrets of the kitchen. -Although my brother will point out that sometimes the secrets are more like the charred secrets of our family, but whatever. While we sure do have a propensity to burn things, when they turn out right - food from grandma's (and my mom's) is always the best :D

May these beaters meet many new adventures in my kitchen!

a few more things that need to be done before thirty

Continuing the list:

16. learn how to hula hoop
this skill has always fascinated and eluded me. I'm sure that if I don't learn it by 30 I surely never will.

17. own a pair of roller skates (and use them!)
i learned how to roller skate last year - it was so much fun!

18. train myself to use cloth bags -all the time

19. play games with the boys--- not mind games, better make that play board or card games

20. work on my scrapbooks --- my 3 year old doesn't even have one yet! Ack!

21. play a drinking game

22. chalk up the steps out front & take pictures before it rains.

23. listen to music. make a 'play list'

24. buy a paper shredder and go to work on my papers!


I will add the last few later.... I'm still recovering from a chocolate and sugar bender, so I'll save the last few for some more sane moments.

things to buy with Christmas cash

I love that I get cash from my loved ones for Christmas! My only problem is that I get really stressed about the infinite possibilities of how to spend it :D

So this list is of the spending possibilities...

1. a couple new lenses for my camera
I bought my camera - Nikon D40- for Christmas last year. I love it, but it can get expensive with all the accessories.

2. a new chair for the living room
I've been wanting new living room furniture since for..... well longer than many people have been alive, but there is always an excuse for not getting them. This year I think the excuse is that the 3 y.o. can still be messy.

3. weight set and fitness stuff
This year has been the year for fitness. I discovered that I love exercising & lifting. I know that makes me sort of uncool, but its fun! Really, try it!

4. cute clothes :)

5. kitchen gadgets
I love cooking!

6. shelves and boxes and files to organize my life (haha... I'm so not organized by nature)

7. An etsy shopping spree

8. I could save it... but that's not fun.

I'll ponder the possibilities for a while and let you know what happens.

Candy & Cookies to make - done

1. No-Bake Cookies



2. Divinity - couldn't find the beaters for my mixer

3. Peanut Butter Balls
I couldn't keep small hands away from these:


4. Chex Holiday Mix



5. chocolate dipped stuff



6. Sugar Cookies - lost my favorite recipe :(
7. Ginger Snaps - lost my momentum

twenty-nine things

Here's the idea. I'm turning 30 in May. For many people the big "0" birthdays are either scary or monumental, it marks the passage of a whole decade of living. In many ways I've always considered myself somewhat ageless because I'm never the same place my peers are at. I'm on the 'Amy' time line. :)

I'll also blog the other lists in my life, just for some extra spice and documentation. :)

Anyway, while I'm not scared and I'm not really into huge celebrations... I don't want time to slip through my fingers. Look back in a few years and say, hey, I should have done that in my twenties. So this on going list is going to help me celebrate the passage of time.

29 Things to do before I turn 30:

1. get accepted into a nursing program
I'm currently working on prerequisites and am very excited that I've found my niche in life. Now I just have to wait on getting accepted. Letters go out in March.

2. make art for my walls
I've always intended on having decorated walls but that inevitably gets put off

3. read a brilliant book
I've read many brilliant books, but its thrilling to find a new one! Any suggestions?

4. paint with the boys
I used to paint all the time with my oldest, but when the younger one was a baby we put the paints away, its time to be daring and break them out again.

5. open a shop on etsy and sell some art
Another thing that I've always intended on just never gotten around to it. I have several paintings now that would make nice prints, just need to do the footwork.

6. do something independently
I tend to be a dependent sort of person... so I need to learn this.

7. go camping with the boys

8. have a perfect evening with friends
We hang out with our friends all the time, but it never gets old :)

9. eat sushi!
Not sure if I'll like it - but I want to try it.

10. learn a new skill.
I'm into learning things so this shouldn't be hard... just have to find something that I don't yet know how to do.

11. take a trip to a different state.
Iowa, Missouri, New York? Where could it be? intriguing

12. make a new friend
I love making new friends so why not?

13. celebrate our 12th anniversary!
That's coming up in March - so that shouldn't be hard.

14. clean up the upstairs.
We have 2 storage rooms right now, and I want to clear them out and make a 'den'.

15. Be at a birth
I want to be a midwife when I grow up :) So this is the first step, attend a birth.

----
At this point I took a break from typing and lost my list. Dang, it was good, too. I'll have to try to remember what else was on the list. Meanwhile. I'll update the blog with pictures as I complete the list.

Thanks for joining me on this journey :)