The Challenge: 101 things in 1001 days

The Challenge: Complete 101 predetermined tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: The tasks must be specific and measurable. Ambiguity is not allowed. Tasks must be realistic and require action or attention.

Timeline: I will begin working on these tasks January 1, 2011 and finish at midnight September 27, 2013

My dear friend, Tami (you know I love her or I would have NEVER agreed to do something so challenging AND long term!), found this project. A little background first, Tami and I are list makers. That is one of the things that has stayed constant throughout our 13 year friendship. It all began back when we were single mothers with infants... we met online through a single mom's support group. Tami was living in Michigan and I was living in Tennessee. We would frequently drive to our half way point - Cincinnati - for weekend get aways with the kids. Sadly though we couldn't afford that every weekend! So we spent plenty of days (and nights) chatting online and making lists. A couple of years into our friendship we added another bestie, Cindy -- hi Cindy! Cindy was in Minnesota. FYI Cincinnati is not the halfway point between MI, TN, and MN! We were able to get together in Chicago one year. That was FABULOUS! And when Tami was 8 months pregnant with her 2nd child we kidnapped her for a weekend getaway to a spa in Canada. Cindy isn't quite the list maker that Tami is (I'm not even the list maker that Tami is!!). But we have had many "CleanFests" throughout the years. These girls are my closest friends. Even though we are far, far apart in miles we are close at heart. Sometimes we drift away and don't really talk to each other for a while as one or the other of us goes through a funk but we all know the love there!

OMGosh.. can I get any further off topic?? Okay so Cindy didn't do the 101 list (YET!!) but Tami and I are starting ours today. Since this was Tami's great idea I am borrowing her disclaimer below! this should be fun guys... I am feeling motivated!

work in progress
completed

1. Complete Katrina Kennedy's list of 365 photos to take
2. Find a favorite inspiring quote and work it into an art piece
3. Go to a scrapbook retreat
4. Participate in 26things photo project
5. Scrapbook all “50 moments that matter most” by Lisa Bearnson
6. Do a photo shoot with Em
7. Take a Young Me/Now me photo
8. Take a Young Me/Now me photo of Emily
9. Attend a concert
10. Attend a film festival
11. Attend a local theater performance
12. Go to a Renaissance Fair
13. See a musical or Broadway production
14. Visit a photo exhibition
15. Watch all seasons of 24 (3/8)
16. Have a 80s movie marathon with Emily
17. Have watched an academy award nominated movie from each year (not necessarily the winning movie)
18. Watch a movie at a drive-in
19. Watch all 3 twilight movies the same day of the 4th premiere
20. Watch all of IMDB'S Top 250 Movies
21. Learn photoshop - create 5 projects using skills I have mastered

22. Print my blog from beginning to now and add to my scrapbooks
23. Read Top 10 Banned or Challenged Classic Books, as defined by a prestigious book list
24. Read 10 new books
25. Read all of the Wizard of Oz books
26. Read an autobiography, a memoir, or a biography
27. Read The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
28. Go to a book signing
29. Answer the "50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind"
30. Blog on sparkpeople.com once a week
31. Create & Keep updated a classroom blog
32. Document all books at GoodReads.com
33. Document my experiences with Day Zero
34. Document what I know about my genealogy
35. Make a list of my 50 most favorite quotes
36. Participate in 30daysofthanks in November
37. Participate in NaBloPoMo
38. Participate in Reverb in December
39. Write 25 things I like about myself
40. Write a hand written letter to someone
41. Write a list of things that each person in my life has taught me
42. Write a will
43. Write an inspirational quote on a piece of paper and leave in a library book
44. Write and illustrate a children's book

45. Find 50 Geocaches
46. Go to Disney World
47. Have a progressive dinner at some local restaurants
48. See a hot air balloon festival
49. Spend a whole day (12 hours) in the mountains
50. Take a spontaneous weekend vacation
51. Take a train ride
52. Take Emily to play in the snow in the National Park
53. Take Emily to Romania
54. Visit 10 local restaurants I've never been to
55. Visit a museum while in Europe
56. Visit either the Painted Monasteries or Transylvania with Emily
57. Visit an Ikea store
58. Visit Redwood forest & drive through the tree
59. Visit the Grand Canyon
60. Visit Anne Frank's House in Amsterdam (with Emily)

61. Stop drinking Diet Coke on a daily basis
62. Win a Biggest Loser competition at work
63. Say yes to everything for a day
64. Get highlights of a non-traditional color
65. Have the whole house to myself for an entire day
66. Stay in bed all day
67. Drink water every day
68. Exercise 2x a week for three months
69. Follow the Happiness Project for a year
70. Lose 75lbs
71. Plant a tree
72. Tie a secret to a balloon and let it go
73. Track my food on Spark People for a month

74. Keep & utilize my daily planner
75. Take a cake decorating class with Emily
76. Take a gardening class
77. Send at least 12 birthday cards (on time and by ‘real’ mail)
78. Make & Send Christmas cards
79. Make a family cookbook including all my mom’s recipe cards
80. Organize all my digital photos
81. Organize all my printed photos
82. Host a theme party
83. Make a Super Epic Rainbow Cake or Rainbow Cupcakes
84. Throw a 4th of July party
85. Throw a theme party
86. Clean & organize my house
87. Take a beading class
88. Take a cooking class
89. Buy 50 lottery tickets
90. Buy myself flowers for no reason
91. Donate $10 to charity for any uncompleted items on the list
92. Give Emily $100 for no reason to spend frivolously on whatever she wants
93. Give the kids in my life a money book
94. Pay off a credit card
95. Put $5 in a jar for every item completed
96. Stick to a budget for at least 3 months

Finish a 1000 piece jigsaw
Teach Emily to drive
Collect 101 Postcards
Give 10 people just because presents
Have family night once a month

Disclaimer: Because life is unpredictable and things don't always work out to plan, I am leaving myself the 'wiggle' room to change these 101 things if needed. I will make sure it is fully noted why it's being changed and will only do so if absolutely necessary, NOT because it's just too hard to accomplish. (Let's face it, this will most likely involve items that require funding that I may or may not have) If things need to be changed a comparable item will replace it (If finances deem that I can't make it to redwood forest, the grand canyon, a theme park, five state parks, scrapbook retreat AND Romania, then it's replaced with something more local and affordable like an excursion exploring locally.) I refuse to set myself up to fail at this.