101 in 1001 Days - Update

I wanted to update you all on my progress with 101 in 1001 Days. I have accomplished a few things within the last couple of months, so I thought I would update it while I am thinking about it. My end date is the middle of February of 2013. I can't wait to see how far we have gone in life and how much of these I actually accomplish. This will be an exciting next few years. 

If you want to join in, you can create your list at http://www.dayzeroproject.com. I hope you enjoy my list and get inspired to create your own!

My Project:

1. Go horseback riding.

2. Get a job.

3. Go to a concert.

4. Go camping.

5. Dance in the rain.

6. Visit Egypt.

7. Buy a car.

8. Try 5 new foods.--Main dishes. 

9. Visit Italy. 

      -Rome

      -Florence

      -Siena

      -Pisa

      -Milan

      -Verona

      -Venice

10. Visit Germany.

       (Planning a trip now)

11. Visit France.

       (Planning a trip now)

12. Try 5 new vegetables.

13. Visit an aquarium.

       Will do once Mr. Man is back! He's never been to one! :O 

14. Go biking.

15. Use only reusable grocery bags.

         -working on that.

16. Crochet a scarf.

17. Eat at 5 new restaurants. 

        -Gandhi's (Indian Restaurant)

       -Teri-aki's (Sushi Bar)

18. Finish a scrapbook.

19. Buy new couches.

       -Purchased on Monday, June 28, 2010

20. Graduate from college. 

21. Donate to a charity.

        -East Anglia Hospice

22. Learn how to make sushi.

23. Visit 5 castles.

        -Dover

        -Tattershall

        -Oxford

        -Leeds

        - Framlingham

24. Try 10 new wines. 

        -White wine  from Siena.

        -White wine from Siena.

        -White wine from Milan.

        -Red wine from Venice.

        - 3 from a friend (JL)

        - 1 from a friend (BM)

25. Visit Ireland.

        -Dublin

26. Paint a painting.

27. Host a BBQ.

      -Fourth of July

28. Stretch everyday for a month.

29. Start a family.

        - April 5, 2011

30. Learn to Crochet.

31. Redecorate a room.

       -Started on our living room. (CHECK!)

       -Started on baby's room. (CHECK!)

32. Learn how to eat with chopsticks.

       -Teri-aki's.

33. See a musical in London.

34. Go scuba diving.

35. Swim in a large body of water.

        -Lido, Venice, Italy.

36. Find 100 things that make me happy.

37. Make 5 New Friends.

        -AW

        -SY

        -AF

        -SG

        -SM

38. Clean out my closet and donate the things I don't use.

39. Run a 5K with others.

40. Go to church every Sunday for 3 months straight.

41. Have 2 sets of family photos done within 2 separate years.

42. Go on a last minute mini vacation.

        -Wales.

43. Read 5 books (not including my school books).

        -What to Expect When you are Expecting

        - Week by Week Guide

        -Hypnobirthing

        -Breastfeeding book (forgot the name)

        -Rick Steve's Germany

        - Rick Steve's France

       - Eat, Love, Pray (Something like that)

44. Go on a fossil hunt.

45. Attend 10 museums.      

46. Pass the teaching certificate test.

      - 1 down 3 to go. 

47. Climb to the top of something high.

        -I did a lot of this in Italy. I will name the places once I gather their names.

48. Make all A's and B's in school.

        -So far all A's!

49. Build a sand castle with Mr. Man.

50. Visit Snowdonia.

         -October 2010.

51. Print out pictures of vacations and put them in memory books.

52. Touch an animal that I am scared of.

53. Get a second Miniature Schnauzer.

54. Find 50 things that inspire me to be a better person.

        -Obseity

        -Teen Moms

55. Support a cause.

        -We actually support many every year. We do Christmas Operations. I write to military members from other branches that are deployed. Etc.

56. Collect refrigerator magnets or postcards from major places. 

       -Italy-(Siena, Rome,  Pisa)

       -Wales

       -Dublin, Ireland

57. Drink protein shakes regularly for a month.

58. Send care packages to troops from other military services.

59. Write a story about how I see and want my future and open it later in life.

        -Will do this before baby is born.

60. Say No to people who ask me for favors when I am already busy.

        -Now that I am pregnant, I have no choice.

61. Go to the eye doctor every year.

62. Celebrate my birthday in style.

63. Have movie night once every 3 months.

        -Doing this.

64. Get lost somewhere and find my way back.

65. Get fit! (The way I see it.)

66. Sell/Pay off our house.

67. Do not complain for a week.

68. Do not eat ice cream for a full summer.

      -Doing this now.

69. Submit 5 photos to a digital photograph school.

70. Start Master's Program.

71. Renew our wedding vows in a Catholic Church.

72. Open a TSP or IRA.

73. Keep $10,000 in savings.

        -So far, so good.

74. Start a separate savings for our children.

       -Done now that there is a baby on the way!

75. Lay out at night with Mr. Man and look at the stars.

76. Crochet a pair of booties.

77. Attempt to learn how to play a PS3 war game. 

       -Accomplished on  June 9, 2010. I'm HORRIBLE at this.

78. Only buy necessities for a month- 3 times.

79. Stay on Mr. Man's butt to finish school.

80. Take a fitness progression picture every couple of months.

81. Make 5 baby blankets.

82. Attempt to Ski or Snowboard.

83. Go hiking again.

         -Snowdon.

84. Try 3 new fruits.

85. Learn how to use the weed wacker.

86. Drive somewhere using only a map.

87. Take professional bodybuilding pictures.

88. Give 10% of income to church for 5 months.

89. Recycle a Christmas tree.

90. Go canoeing, kayaking, or paddling.

91. Use no butter for a week.

92. Make homemade cards for an event or holiday.

        -Christmas 2010

        -Announcement/Thank You Cards

93. Cook 26 dishes in a row from A-Z.

94. Do not eat Chinese Food for 6 months straight.

95. Volunteer at a local school or nursery.

96. Commit to a date night every 3 to 5 months.

97. Do morning cardio outside during the summer months.

98. Let 5 people know how much I appreciate them.

99. Go to Disney World, Disney Land, or Euro Disney.

100. Learn a new dancing style.

101. Donate a dollar for every thing on this list that I do not accomplish to any organization of my choice.

Recipe: Red Beans & Rice

You've been asking... and I am delivering! 

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted over
• 3 tablespoons grease
• 1/4 cup chopped tasso, or chopped ham
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of cayenne
• 1/2 pound smoked sausage
• 1 pound smoked ham hocks
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 10 cups chicken stock, or water
• 4 cups cooked white rice
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions, garnish
• garlic powder, onion powder to taste
• Tony Cachere's Seasoning to taste

Directions:

Place the beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the tasso and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers to the grease in the pot. Season with the salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage and ham hocks, and cook, stirring, to brown the sausage and ham hocks, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and stock or water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and starting to thicken, about 2 hours. (Should the beans become too thick and dry, add more water, about 1/4 cup at a time.)

Remove from the heat and with the back of a heavy spoon, mash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue to cook until the beans are tender and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves.

Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

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Wordless Wednesday: Breastfeeding is Natural.

Sometimes... School Sucks!

It's one of those days. One where I get so frustrated with school and feel like the teacher and assignments are unfair.

Let me explain. Most of you know I am a full time student with University of Phoenix. In the new program that I was accepted into, they have Learning Team Assignments. Our teachers put us in learning team groups and we must complete assignments throughout the course. I have always not been a fan of these assignments because 1.) I am a control freak. 2.) I can't stand to wait to submit an assignment last minute. 3.) I always feel like I put forth much more effort than anyone else in my team.

Let me refresh your memory. I am an Elementary Education major. I love children, and I do believe education matters.

Lets fast forward to last week. I am in a class where I have to make lesson plans. I have no problem with this whatsoever. Afterall, teaching is what I want to. My problems comes when my other 3 teammates do not even acknowledge our assignment until 2 days before it is due when I have been working on it since 5 days prior. We recently had to complete an objectives assignment as a team. I worked my butt off because my team had not replied to our discussion on how we would complete it. I assumed that since it was the first week in class, and most other classes were a bit different that they had not realized that there was an assignment. I accepted this and did my best to complete the assignment. They, later on, submitted some information and the assignment was turned in.

Now lets fast forward to today. This week is no different. This time we have to complete a whole lesson plan on cooperative learning. It is so easy, so I took the time to read and research before I put in my two cents. Actually discussions are required for this class. Needless to say, my teammates never "discussed" anything. The assignment is due tomorrow, and I am the only one who has worked on the assignment (once again). I ended up just completing the whole assignment by myself to have for just in case. My teammates think it is ok to submit the final assignment for grading 2 hours before it is due. I think differently. I am always one step ahead of the game, always a day or more early on completing my assignments. Here we are, the assignment is due tomorrow, and I am the only one who has done a thing. On top of all this, we received our grade for our last assignment. Lets just say it did not go well. But... and I emphasize this.... all of my contributions were correct, which was over half of the assignment. Everyone else's was a totally screw up. The assignment got submitted while I was in bed, since I am 6 to 8 hours ahead of everyone. Not a happy camper considering I have all A's, and I have to pass this class with a 3.0 or higher. Yep, you guessed... I notified my teacher once again. I say once again because in the first week I notified her to let her know I had not heard from my teammates. She is aware of my problems. Yet, I receive the same grade as them.

This is where I would love to protest Learning Team assignments because I set a high standard for myself, but it's obvious that others do not. I feel disrespected and unappreciated.

Now, who cares about all that... Lets think about our majors. We are all in it for the same thing. Elementary Education. For those of you that haven't thought of all this while reading through my post..... these are the teachers of our future, the teachers of our children - the next generation. Lord, please save my daughter!

Seriously, makes me consider homeschooling, although Mr. Man won't  have it. I guess that will depend on where we are located and the type of schools that are available because I want my daughter to be offered more than I ever was.

Now, these "students" (might I mention are all in their 30s and 40s) need to get their ducks in a row before I karate chop someone.

Jus' sayin'....

Newborn Pictures

I finally got the Thank You and Announcement cards done and sent off. I believe that people have received them already, but if they haven't it would be soon. So now I am free to show everyone the pictures. I uploaded them to Facebook today, and I can not believe how much she has grown and changed. She still is so tiny, yet so big. All at the same time. She's so sweet, and the most precious little girl that God could ever give us!

She was 10 days old in these pictures. Isn't she so precious?!

Yesterday

So yesterday was my birthday. Not much of anything exciting, but it was in fact my birthday. Baby A and I lazied around the house because it rained all day. I did catch up on clothes and all the cleaning, which made me happy. Then I finished my school work for the week so I could have a worry free weekend. No school work until Monday, so on Monday I think I may take Baby A out somewhere fun. I'm not sure where, though. One day I want to go to the beach. That is until I realize I have no clothes I feel comfortable wearing to the beach. Then another day I want to take her swimming since she loves water. Well the only swimwear this Momma has is bikinis... and I'm not sporting that. Well today, it hit me!

Baby A and Mr. Buttons love one another so much. Mr. Buttons is always right on top of Baby A, and Baby A allows laughs and giggles at him. Then today while we were taking out the trash, I noticed Baby A checking out the birds. She loved them. She laughed at them, she stared them down. She definitely was zoned in to them. At that moment I realized what I wanted to do with her! TAKE HER TO THE ZOO! Not sure how I didn't think of that on my own since I love the zoo myself. So I 'think' sometime next week on a pretty day and a day that she is not acting all tired I will take her to the zoo. They have a little petting zoo too, which is good because she really has to be close to the animals to really get excited over them. Hopefully, it works out. I know she's only 3.5 months, but I am hoping it will interest her enough to make us both happy and giggly for the day! And now.... I can't wait to go!! That is.. if we go.