Look Back: Birthday List
CONFESSION TIME, What are the best keto pills! Â
In 2014, I made this birthday bucket list for my year.  When the following February rolled around, I did, in fact, come online to write updates on how I followed through. However, my blogging was at a standstill, so I never put the post live. Better late than never!  It's actually fun to look back on this now, and reminded me that I should probably make a new list for a new year!  In fact, a lot of these items are things I can continue to work on -- great refresher.
So, folks, here's my birthday bucket list belated update. My 2017 comments in purple below:
1. Travel someplace new - Columbus!  San Diego! Lake George!  Check.Â
Even when our flights got all messed up on the way home, I was so lucky to be with this tarmac dancer:
I also visited Lake George for the first time over the summer.  Soaked in the views and the sun!
Other new places I've been since include: Maine (Portland, Camden), Colorado (Telluride, Denver), California (L.A.--twice!, San Diego, Santa Barbara), Texas (Austin), and Hawaii (Kauai and Maui). Â Definitely want to keep traveling to new places in the next few years!Â
2. Dress up! - I most certainly did get better about wearing the clothes I have.  Check!Â
[read on for more!]
Oh gosh I LOVE the outfit above. Â I've done so much work over the past few years on my wardrobe, and I do a better job of wearing the things I like (instead of 'saving' them in my closet), but I could definitely keep doing it, and not reserving dresses and skirts for special occasions only.Â
4. See NYC from the Top of the Rock or Empire State Building - CHECK! I climbed to the Top of the Rock!  A recap post is way overdue, actually... I'll get there, since I've now done it twice three times.
6. Learn Spanish - I was really good about playing on DuoLingo for the first half of the year, but tapered off about halfway through. Gotta pick this goal up again. Â
OH HERE's SOMETHING I'm REALLY DOING! Â I started taking Spanish classes this fall. Â My friend and I have our fifth session tomorrow night. So far, so good! I'm better at reading/writing than speaking it (I go really slowly as I think through things) but I'll keep working at it!Â
7. Become an ed-tech pro - There will always be more to learn, but I've mastered quite a bit and am continuously reading more and more. Â Still in that state, but sort of took this in a totally different direction.Â
8. Listen to music - I forgot all about this one until a month or two before my birthday. I had to consciously get in the habit again, because in the times when I would have used to listen to music, I've become addicted to podcasts instead.  But I made a new mix for spring and am loving it!  Sometimes. I am still addicted to podcasts, but I now listen to music while I work sometimes. I like having little dance parties (to myself) at my desk.Â
True! Since I got married last year (WHATT more on that later I promise haha) I've been trying to save more, BUT I have been spluring on my new favorite (safe/non-toxic) skincare and makeup line.
11. Donate a giant bag of clothing - CHECK, doubly.  Make that a zillion times over.  Especially since moving last month, I spent a looot of time over the summer really purging and donating.Â
Interesting timing to see this. I've done another paint nite since, but I'd really like to paint something of my own creation. In my new apartment, there's a wall where I'd love to have a painting of my favorite road in Hawaii, but haven't found one I love. Maybe will make my own!Â
13. Save $XÂ - Sort of. Almost reached my goal. I did save a lot, but then spent a decent amount by moving. But I'll bring it up again. Did!Â
14. Use my birthday gift* during the week - Did this all throughout the spring, and then took summer off and haven't gotten back into it. Time to buckle up again and improve my posture!  Oh man. This. I still need to work on sooo badly.Â
16. Touch California - San Diego! Check!  Although I'd like to go back and see more of CA, as I didn't really get to explore SD or any other part of CA. I'll have to roll this over onto my remaining travel bucket list.  OH hey younger me, we DID go back! Saw a few other cities and spent time in LA with good friends (including this Little Chef!).Â
17. Scrapbook my trips - Yes! I scrapbooked one old trip and did a Shutterfly album for two others.  Oh this is a good one. I've been good about getting photo books, and I still have an empty scrapbook waiting to be filled.Â
19. Learn about wine - Took a wine class with my friend Alyssa (and she and I also did a wine tour) and had way too much fun. Now, I just need to really learn what all the fancy descriptive words mean... Eh. Or I can just enjoy drinking it. Â
20. Practice listening - Check.  And I've learned a lot more about this recently -- mindful listening.Â
21. Volunteer - Embarrassed to say that I didn't get to do this. I simply forgot and didn't make the effort.  I will certainly roll this over to my next year's plans. I now tutor virtually once a week, and visit the school where my student attends twice a year.
22. Declutter - YES. Moving really helped me do this, and although I've still got a bit I could probably  definitely get rid of, I made HUGE progress in this front. I've gotten much better at parting ways with things that no longer have a place in my home, or my life.  That's still true, and more. Moving again helped even further, and reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (affiliate link) was also shockingly helpful. A lot of the book is a little nuts, but the overall mindset shift really was life-changing.  I'll write about it soon, because it's definitely worth giving a try.Â
23. Take weekends off - Gotten better. It's still a struggle (as a teacher, there's always weekend work), but I've been better about leaving things ready on Friday so I can better enjoy the weekends. Â A job shift helped this, but I still somehow overload myself and work far too late, and also fill my nights and weekends with tons of extra self-inflicted work. I have fiercely protected some weekends (like this past weekend, in fact) when nothing was planned, to make sure I just rest.Â
24. Attend a concert - Yes, I saw Augustana last spring.   And I think I've seen a few others since: Pinegrove, Oh Wonder, Hans Zimmer... missing some.Â
25. Sleep - I have my bedtime alarm all set and most of the time, I listen to it. My sleep schedule varies, but I've been much better about it this year than in the past.  Still so much better at this. I arguably get too much sleep some nights. Love sleep.Â
Overall, I'd call that success! The only thing I did not accomplish at all is volunteering, which I am rolling over to 2015. The rest I either did 100% or got a good start on.  Having this list, plus participating in 100 Happy Days, made for a fun, productive, and happy year.Â
And looking back even further (3 years into the future), I'd still call this a success. I've continued working toward some of these goals, accomplished a few further, and have continued on a track that my 2014-self would have been proud of.Â
Cheers to bucket list completion !!Â
In 2014, I made this birthday bucket list for my year.  When the following February rolled around, I did, in fact, come online to write updates on how I followed through. However, my blogging was at a standstill, so I never put the post live. Better late than never!  It's actually fun to look back on this now, and reminded me that I should probably make a new list for a new year!  In fact, a lot of these items are things I can continue to work on -- great refresher.
So, folks, here's my birthday bucket list belated update. My 2017 comments in purple below:
Task List for my birth-year (in no particular order):Â
1. Travel someplace new - Columbus!  San Diego! Lake George!  Check.Â
Flew to Columbus, Ohio for the first time to celebrate the upcoming union of these two cuties:Â
My favorite place? The Book Loft!Â
Even when our flights got all messed up on the way home, I was so lucky to be with this tarmac dancer:
Other new places I've been since include: Maine (Portland, Camden), Colorado (Telluride, Denver), California (L.A.--twice!, San Diego, Santa Barbara), Texas (Austin), and Hawaii (Kauai and Maui). Â Definitely want to keep traveling to new places in the next few years!Â
2. Dress up! - I most certainly did get better about wearing the clothes I have.  Check!Â
[read on for more!]
Oh gosh I LOVE the outfit above. Â I've done so much work over the past few years on my wardrobe, and I do a better job of wearing the things I like (instead of 'saving' them in my closet), but I could definitely keep doing it, and not reserving dresses and skirts for special occasions only.Â
3. Stay in touch - Partially accomplished. I did make a better effort at intentionally keeping in touch, but still have plenty of room for improvement. Always room for improvement!  Hey friends -- you're going to get some 'just wanted to chat' calls this year!
4. See NYC from the Top of the Rock or Empire State Building - CHECK! I climbed to the Top of the Rock!  A recap post is way overdue, actually... I'll get there, since I've now done it twice three times.
5. See a Broadway Show - CHECK! Â Saw Les Miserables
, If/Then, Once, and Aladdin! + Dear Evan Hansen
, If/Then, Once, and Aladdin! + Dear Evan Hansen6. Learn Spanish - I was really good about playing on DuoLingo for the first half of the year, but tapered off about halfway through. Gotta pick this goal up again. Â
OH HERE's SOMETHING I'm REALLY DOING! Â I started taking Spanish classes this fall. Â My friend and I have our fifth session tomorrow night. So far, so good! I'm better at reading/writing than speaking it (I go really slowly as I think through things) but I'll keep working at it!Â
7. Become an ed-tech pro - There will always be more to learn, but I've mastered quite a bit and am continuously reading more and more. Â Still in that state, but sort of took this in a totally different direction.Â
8. Listen to music - I forgot all about this one until a month or two before my birthday. I had to consciously get in the habit again, because in the times when I would have used to listen to music, I've become addicted to podcasts instead.  But I made a new mix for spring and am loving it!  Sometimes. I am still addicted to podcasts, but I now listen to music while I work sometimes. I like having little dance parties (to myself) at my desk.Â
 Â
9. Treat myself to something nice - I fell in love with a necklace and treated myself with an old gift card, and also finally got myself a new wallet that makes me SO happy every time I take it out. Â
9. Treat myself to something nice - I fell in love with a necklace and treated myself with an old gift card, and also finally got myself a new wallet that makes me SO happy every time I take it out. Â
True! Since I got married last year (WHATT more on that later I promise haha) I've been trying to save more, BUT I have been spluring on my new favorite (safe/non-toxic) skincare and makeup line.
10. Fill the one-sentence journal* for the full year - CHECK!  It was so cool to flip the book back around and begin the second row, now getting to look back at my sentences from this time last year.
And still going strong! January will begin the last year--wild. The book's almost full!Â
And still going strong! January will begin the last year--wild. The book's almost full!Â
11. Donate a giant bag of clothing - CHECK, doubly.  Make that a zillion times over.  Especially since moving last month, I spent a looot of time over the summer really purging and donating.Â
12. Paint - Check! My friend Becky and I had a great time at Paint Nite.
Interesting timing to see this. I've done another paint nite since, but I'd really like to paint something of my own creation. In my new apartment, there's a wall where I'd love to have a painting of my favorite road in Hawaii, but haven't found one I love. Maybe will make my own!Â
13. Save $XÂ - Sort of. Almost reached my goal. I did save a lot, but then spent a decent amount by moving. But I'll bring it up again. Did!Â
14. Use my birthday gift* during the week - Did this all throughout the spring, and then took summer off and haven't gotten back into it. Time to buckle up again and improve my posture!  Oh man. This. I still need to work on sooo badly.Â
15. Read Les Miserables - CHECK! My greatest accomplishment of the summer.  YAAS! Now it (okay, two copies) sit proudly on my bookshelves.Â
 - CHECK! My greatest accomplishment of the summer.  YAAS! Now it (okay, two copies) sit proudly on my bookshelves. 16. Touch California - San Diego! Check!  Although I'd like to go back and see more of CA, as I didn't really get to explore SD or any other part of CA. I'll have to roll this over onto my remaining travel bucket list.  OH hey younger me, we DID go back! Saw a few other cities and spent time in LA with good friends (including this Little Chef!).Â
17. Scrapbook my trips - Yes! I scrapbooked one old trip and did a Shutterfly album for two others.  Oh this is a good one. I've been good about getting photo books, and I still have an empty scrapbook waiting to be filled.Â
18. Participate in a race - Yes, several!  I did the Climb to the Top for MS (above), ran the Neon Dash, the Yankee Stadium Damon Runyon, and even ran my first 10k ever!   ... and haven't done races since, but that's okay. I've fallen less in love with running, but if fall weather finally arrives, maybe I'll pick it up again.  Still proud of my prior accomplishments!Â
19. Learn about wine - Took a wine class with my friend Alyssa (and she and I also did a wine tour) and had way too much fun. Now, I just need to really learn what all the fancy descriptive words mean... Eh. Or I can just enjoy drinking it. Â
20. Practice listening - Check.  And I've learned a lot more about this recently -- mindful listening.Â
21. Volunteer - Embarrassed to say that I didn't get to do this. I simply forgot and didn't make the effort.  I will certainly roll this over to my next year's plans. I now tutor virtually once a week, and visit the school where my student attends twice a year.
22. Declutter - YES. Moving really helped me do this, and although I've still got a bit I could probably  definitely get rid of, I made HUGE progress in this front. I've gotten much better at parting ways with things that no longer have a place in my home, or my life.  That's still true, and more. Moving again helped even further, and reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (affiliate link) was also shockingly helpful. A lot of the book is a little nuts, but the overall mindset shift really was life-changing.  I'll write about it soon, because it's definitely worth giving a try.Â
23. Take weekends off - Gotten better. It's still a struggle (as a teacher, there's always weekend work), but I've been better about leaving things ready on Friday so I can better enjoy the weekends. Â A job shift helped this, but I still somehow overload myself and work far too late, and also fill my nights and weekends with tons of extra self-inflicted work. I have fiercely protected some weekends (like this past weekend, in fact) when nothing was planned, to make sure I just rest.Â
24. Attend a concert - Yes, I saw Augustana last spring.   And I think I've seen a few others since: Pinegrove, Oh Wonder, Hans Zimmer... missing some.Â
25. Sleep - I have my bedtime alarm all set and most of the time, I listen to it. My sleep schedule varies, but I've been much better about it this year than in the past.  Still so much better at this. I arguably get too much sleep some nights. Love sleep.Â
Overall, I'd call that success! The only thing I did not accomplish at all is volunteering, which I am rolling over to 2015. The rest I either did 100% or got a good start on.  Having this list, plus participating in 100 Happy Days, made for a fun, productive, and happy year.Â
And looking back even further (3 years into the future), I'd still call this a success. I've continued working toward some of these goals, accomplished a few further, and have continued on a track that my 2014-self would have been proud of.Â
Cheers to bucket list completion !!Â
