Amber's 30 X 30

I've created my list of 30 things I want to accomplish before I turn 30. I'm giving myself plenty of time, but I'm sure I will still struggle with completing everything on this list. Time moves so quickly, I'm not sure how to get a handle on it. At least with this, I'll have goals.

Here it goes in no particular order:

1) Have my hair professionally dyed a dark auburn.
2) Go on a 'real' date with Jeff once a month, no family members invited.
3) Blog once a month.
4) Update my wardrobe with at least 5 fun and totally non-essential items.
5) Lose 20 lbs, feel more fit.
6) Take a road trip.
7) Organize the garage and all our tools.
8) Re-vamp the office. It needs an overhaul.
9) "Grow up" our decorating style a little.
10) Paint the hallway and stairwell.
11) Frame the dried flowers from our wedding.
12) Print the disposable camera pictures from our wedding.
13) Make a window treatment for the kitchen window.
14) Complete 5 crafts from the Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Crafts.
15) Find at least 5 go-to recipes from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cook Book."
16) Take better pictures with my Nikon.
17) Write, record, memorialize my grandparents history.
18) Sew something.
19) Decide if I'm going back to school and for what.
20) Stop drinking caffeinated soda.
21) Tithes.
22) Pray more.
23) Go to the temple once a quarter (4 times a year)
24) Read the Book of Mormon again.
25) Get preggo.
26) If preggo, decorate the cutest nursery ever!
27) Read 6 books.
28) Reduce our monthly expenses by 10%
29) Learn how to play my favorite piano song from the Sense and Sensibility movie.
30) Take a trip with just Jeff and I for our 30th birthdays.

Now, the explanations. This is more for my record keeping of course, so in the future when I am wondering "why am I doing all these pointless things?", I can read this and remember. I wish I could do the whole bloggy "after the jump" thing, but as I am technologically impaired, I'm writing this in plain sight for the world to see (or one of the 3 people that may glance at this blog once a year). The writing below is boring, I beg you, turn away now.

1) Have my hair professionally dyed a dark auburn: I've always wished I had curly red hair. Bottled hair dye just doesn't seem to work for reds. I'm going for realistic here.

2) Go on a 'real' date with Jeff once a month, no family members invited: Every movie or dinner I get the question, 'Can so or so family member come?' Now I love family too, but just the two of us would nice every once in while.

3) Blog once a month: Just write more, practice makes perfect.

4) Update my wardrobe with at least 5 fun and totally non-essential items: I tend to only buy things that have purpose and can be used over and over (and are priced under $30). This leads to a very basic and dull wardrobe. I need to spice things up!

5) Lose 20 lbs: I am not ready to say good bye to my looks just because I am getting older, I should try and get them back while I am still young-ish.

6) Take a road trip: Even if we are too poor and the only trip we make is camping in Zions, I'm good.

7) Organize the garage and all our tools: This is more for Jeff (and my sanity).

8) Re-vamp the office. It needs an overhaul: Seriously, it's gross and it is taking me way too long to get it all put together. I've had it decorated in my head for at least a year.

9) "Grow up" our decorating style a little: Things are looking a little one dementional at the Bame house. We need to take our style up a notch and get a little more . . . MORE.

10) Paint the hallway and stairwell: It again, has been a year with paint testing strips on the wall. Decide and conquer!

11) Frame the dried flowers from our wedding.

12) Print the disposable camera pictures from our wedding: I have to be the laziest person in the world, or the cheapest. I can't decide which.

13) Make a window treatment for the kitchen window: As much as I enjoy people driving by on the street seeing what I'm watching on the TV I think I may just cover up the kitchen window.

14) Complete 5 crafts from the Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Crafts: I really should give quilling a try.

15) Find at least 5 go-to recipes from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cook Book": Let's face it, cooking something, anything, will be an improvement. How I made it to 28 without being a good cook, a good homemaker, and childless is beyond me. I need to get at least 5 easy recipes memorized, so I can pull them out in times of need in the future.

16) Take better pictures with my Nikon.

17) Write, record, memorialize my grandparents history: I've been thinking about this for years and just need to do it while I still have the ability to.

18) Sew something.

19) Decide if I'm going back to school and for what: I have been knocking around going back to college ever since I graduated. I can't decide if I want to get my teaching certificate, a masters in public administration, or just get a certificate in something totally different - like a synographer or something.

20) Stop drinking caffeinated soda: I hate being an addict.

21) Tithes.

22) Pray more.

23) Go to the temple once a quarter (4 times a year)

24) Read the Book of Mormon again: venturing into the Old Testament wouldn't be a bad idea either.

25) Get preggo: Sometimes I worry I've already missed my shot at motherhood, other days I don't know how mothers can survive, I just know I've been ready to experience the craziness of motherhood for some time.

26) If preggo, decorate the cutest nursery ever! Let me be honest. I already have the majority of the items to decorate a nursery for either a boy or girl picked out. Color schemes? chosen. Crib? picked out. Yep, I'm 'that' girl, talking, thinking and planning for babies that have yet to be conceived.

27) Read 6 books.

28) Reduce our monthly expenses by 10%: We need to bring down our monthly bills. Our power bill is insane, we are paying for internet on our phones and for our computer. We really just need to get smarter and make our money go further.

29) Learn how to play my favorite piano song from the Sense and Sensibility movie.

30) Take a trip with just Jeff and I for our 30th birthdays: Even if it's just to Mesquite, although I'd love to take Jeff on a cruise, jet to New York, or go see the Grand Canyon. How has this boy not experienced these things yet?