101 in 1001

I am a BIG list maker, and the best part about making lists:  crossing things off when you complete them.

Love it.

So, on a bigger scale,  I recently read about a project where you make a list of specific goals to be completed in a specific amount of time.  These can be any goals that you want to set for yourself, but they must be specific with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined.  This idea, as well as the person's list that I was reading, was VERY, VERY inspiring!  I thought it was time to make my own 101 in 1001 and see where it leads me!

I had planned to have this post ready by Jan 1, but it was quite a bit harder to come up with 101 things than I thought it would be!!!

Do I think I'll accomplish all of these goals?  No.  Probably not.  But, is it something worth striving for?  Absolutely.  I wholeheartedly believe in setting goals for yourself, working towards them, but not being disappointed if you don't complete them all in the time you give yourself.  There's always another 101!!!  But, with that said, I'm still going to work hard to achieve these goals and I thought it might inspire you, just like it has inspired me!!

These goals are in no particular order or in any sort of category.  I simply wrote in the order they came to me.  I will show an update of this list, every so often, showing what I have accomplished and what I am in the process of working on.

Here's to Day 1 of 1001!

Sarah's 101 goals in 1001 days:

1.  Go Make-up Free for an entire week

2.  Let the kids have dessert BEFORE dinner

3.  Teach Ava and Luke how, why, and when to dial 9-1-1

4.  Get a massage once a month for 3 months in a row

5.  Floss every day for one month straight

6.  Give my husband one compliment every day for a week

7.  Offer to watch someone else's kids

8.  Arrange a "gift-wrapping" station in the basement

9.  Learn how to can fruit and veggies

10.  Give up candy for one week (Ugggh!)

11.  Be up and dressed before the kids get up for two weeks in a row

12.  Pray with my husband every day

13.  Pray with my kids every day

14.  Lose the baby weight in 9 months

15.  Make a Will

16.  Live on our one week's Grocery budget for an entire month

17.  Organize all my 'bookmarks' on the computer

18.  Finish Ava and Luke's Baby books

19.  Start on Anna's Baby Book

20.  Finish Anna's Birth Story

21.  Buy a new Vacuum Cleaner

22.  Take down wallpaper on the stairway and landing walls

23.  Get a Bike

24.  Teach Lukie how to go potty on his own

25.  Get to bed by 10pm every night for a month

26.  Go on a Date Night with my husband once a month

27.  Re-organize all the cupboards and drawers in the kitchen

28.  Paint the landing and the stairway walls once wallpaper is down

29.  Get a new, amazing digital camera

30.  Organize pictures in my drawers and actually put them in albums

31.  Purge all clothes in my closest that I haven't worn in a year

32.  Take a mini-vacay, just the hubby and me!

32.  Go camping

33.  Send someone flowers

34.  Sell our house  (our other house)

35.  Get a Vita-Mix

36.  Do the "cash-only" system for groceries for a month

37.  Buy a new wardrobe if I meet my "baby weight" loss goal  (I'm not telling you what it is, though!)

38.  Volunteer at Ava/Luke School

39.  Take wallpaper down in the living room

40.  Paint the living room

41.  Paint the TV room

42.  Take my vitamins everyday for 30 days straight

43.  Stop drinking Pop for 2 weeks straight

44.  Take each of my kids out on a "date", alone, at least once a month (errands not allowed!)

45.  Find at least 10 minutes everyday for alone/quiet time with God

46.  No Hairspray for an entire week (wearing a hat doesn't count)

47.  Organize kids' toys in bins and label with pictures and words

48.  Learn all there is to know about Dahlias and start to build a business selling the flowers and tubers

49.  Educate myself to the nth degree on Vaccines and make a decision

50.  Read a book---A REAL book. (Us Weekly doesn't count)

51.  "Camp out" with the kids by the Christmas tree

52.  Sleep in a tent in the yard with the kids

53.  Be completely debt-free (except for our house)

54.  Plant an herb garden

55.  Prune Apple Trees

56.  Give a monetary donation to someone-anonymously

57.  Make a Cheesecake

58.  Create a fire escape plan and practice it with the kids

59.  Teach Ava and Luke about strangers

60.  Build stairs on our deck

61.  Build a flat, cemented area for the kids to play, ride their bikes, play ball, etc

62.  Double, even triple the amount of veggies we plant in the garden

63.  New curtains for every bedroom

64.  Go to a coffee shop and enjoy the afternoon---solo

65.  Cook and host a Holiday Meal at home

66.  Have a party!!  (just because!)

67.  Host a cookie swap

68.  Set up multiple play dates for my kiddos

69.  Use re-usable shopping bags when grocery shopping

70.  Keep our eating out budget at or below $100/month

71.  Buy a Christmas gift for a needy child

72.  Pay for the person behind me in a Drive-thru

73.  Get back to selling on Ebay

74.  Let the kiddos take a small portion of their Birthday money to buy an item that THEY pick out

75.  Start the tradition of letting the kids pick out their favorite cereal for their Birthday morning breakfast

76.  Have a Girl's Weekend with my SISTERS!

77.  Take a trip to Disneyland

78.  Plan a surprise Birthday party

79.  Fast for 24 hours

80.  Save up to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a really, really great pair of shoes (or an amazing handbag!)

81.  Let my hubby take a Saturday all to himself

82.  Let myself take a Saturday all to myself

83.  Pray before dinner every night---whether in public, or not

84.  Teach Anna sign language

85.  Have a family devotional time at least once a week

86.  Start on the addition to our house

87.  Take a class---(photography would be my first choice, hence the need for #29!)

88.   Write a letter to each of my kids, to be opened on their 16th birthday

89.  Read my Bible at least twice a week (if not MORE!)

90.  Take 10 Internet Breaks (an entire day)

91.  Have a family dinner by candlelight

92.  Re-do kids' chore charts and stick to them

93.  Kiss my husband when he comes home from work*everyday*whether I feel like it, or not

94.  Do 10 "real" push-ups in a row

95.  Spend an entire day playing on the beach with my family

96.  Get over my insecurity of been videotaped, and start a video diary to my children

97.  Go to a concert (NKOTB, again?!)

98.  Take the kids to a play/live theatre

99.  Come up with a better laundry organizing system

100.  Expand my vocabulary--Learn 50 new words and their definitions

101.  Donate $5 for every goal I don't meet