30 in 30

About two weeks ago I left my 20s and hopped on the 30 train.  I had a horrible year when I was 29 (issues with work, friends, marriage, money, etc,) so I am ready to make 30 my year!  I have compiled a list of things I would like to accomplish while I reign in the Dirty Thirty.  Some are cliche, some may make you think, “Whats the point,” and others you may find so cool, you’ll want to add them to your list.  They are more resolution like than fun, but I’m hoping knocking out this list will make life more simple.  So here goes…wish me luck!

1. Travel somewhere I have never been.  Working six days a week and living in wonky weather can put a damper on traveling plans.  My work schedule is due to change where I’ll work only three days a week, so I will have more time to get out and about. 
2. Make a pie from scratch.  I have made pies before, but I always buy the crust and a can of filling.  I remember being five years old running down to the neighbor’s apple tree to get apples for my Grandma.  I loved that special bonding time with her, and even tho she is no longer with us, I think it would be great to recreate the memory.
3. Run a half marathon.  I’ve been saying I have been wanting to do this for years!  I’ve done several 5Ks, and even a 7 mile race on a few occasions.  One of the Weight Watchers boardies who also resides in good ol’ Iowa who is willing to tackle this with me.  It will be nice to have a buddy to hold me accountable. 
4. Pay off three credit cards.  Living off plastic during college and paying for a lot of wedding stuff with it, has really hurt me down the road.  I am taking control of my spending and getting rid of debt that has been weighing on my shoulders for a long time.
5. Save and maintain at least $1500 in my savings.  It may not sound like a lot, but its a start.  I’ve been very lucky when I’ve come across situations that I may need financial assistance with, but I worry that some day my luck my run out.
6. Try a new recipe a week.  Mr. Whoa and I have pretty opposite work schedules, so its hard to cook for one another.  The main saving grace is the crockpot, but we make generally the same stuff every week.  I’d love to mix it up a little, and have a happy hubby with a full tummy.
7. Skate in a roller derby bout.  I started roller derby this fall and I just love it.  Work has been getting in the way of practice, but with my new work schedule starting next month, I will be able to fully participate. 
8. Finish the downstairs bedroom.  The idiots that lived in the house before us liked to take shortcuts.  The downstairs bedroom doesn’t have much in it besides this God-awful wallpaper.  Well I tried to peel some off to paint and woohoo!  They put the wallpaper right on the drywall.  So now once I get this paper off, we will need to texturize the wall.  So its more work then I thought.
9. Lose 20 pounds.  This is something that should have been done a long ass time ago.
10. Host a holiday party.  Now that we live in a house and have a (GASP) kitchen table, I think it would be great to host Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. 
11. Not buy anything for an entire week.  Its rare that a day goes by that I don’t buy something, so I want to challege myself not to spend anything for a week.  Normally its stuff I don’t need (sodas from the vending machine at work, a new shirt, pizza, nail polish, etc).  This will help me not go over my gas and actually eat the food I have at home.  I am so used to going out to eat almost every day, its hard to break that habit. 
12. Start therapy.  I have a lot of issues that I am batteling and I’m trying to accept the fact I can no longer do this alone.  My insurance fully covers visits, so I would be dumb not to take advantage of that. 
13. Eat at The Melting Pot.  As cheesy (no pun intended) as this sounds, since I’ve emailed with the Weight Watchers girls, I’ve always wanted to try this.  The closest one is around four hours away, but I am dying to try this!  What can be better than melted cheese and chocolate?
14. Hire a cleaning service.  I’ll probably have to do this on the DL, since Mr. Whoa doesn’t like paying for stuff that we can do ourselves.  I would just like the experience of it.  I am tired of taking time away from relaxing and doing other things to clean. 
15. Read six books.  I know, I know, this doesn’t sound like much.  I think the last book I read was one of the Twilight books, so you can see how long its been. 
16. Finish my tattoo.  I have a side piece that I started about two years ago.  Its a tribute to my dad, who has been gone about 20 years.  He was in the Navy and was as Irish as they come, so I have a mixture of symbols on my side.  The idea is like a sleeve since I could never have one at my old job, its just on my side.  I’d like for my artist to shade it in and complete it, just haven’t taken the time to get it done. 
17. Take a spa day.  I’ve had manis, pedis, massages, but never all on the same day.  I’d love to go into a salon and get a make-over and have the works done.  They say when you look better, you feel better!
18. Pay it forward.  Its never happened to me, but I love the idea of buying someone else’s lunch or coffee.  The world has no many negative things going on, its hard to get people to smile anymore.  Free food would always makes me happy. 
19. Take a cooking class.  I am aiming to be more domesticated this year.  I mean anyone can open jars and throw some shit together, but I want to make stuff with good flavor and from scratch.  I want to be educated on what spices go good in certain dishes, since now I always add cheese and garlic to make things tastier. 
20. Burn 10,000 calories in a month.  In my previous blog, this is something I would strive for, but I never obtained this goal.  This is less than 350 calories a day, so with roller derby and half marathon training, its something I should totally be able to do.
21. Participate in the home delivered meal program.  The agency I used to work for has the HDM program (better known as Meals on Wheels) and I used to love to fill in.  Its so fun seeing their faces when you bring them a meal, especially in a lot of cases you are the only person they see that day.  Sad, but true. 
22. Take care of me, medically.  I have been blessed with top-notch insurace that I don’t have to pay for, so I need to take advantage of it.  I touched on therapy before, but I also need to go in for regular check ups, get my tummy issues figured out, and hit up the dermatologist to get my acne under control. 
23. Have a make-up lesson.  I have never had a real make-up lesson, and it would ne nice to know how to properly apply it, and not look like a 15 year old who did it quick in the bathroom at school.  I usually wear foundation, bronzer, and mascara, but it would be fun to know how to do eyeshadow and play around with blushes. 
24. Get prettied before I go out of the house, at least twice a week.  Once my work schedule changes, I will only work 3 days a week.  I have a bad habit of going out in yoga pants, my hair like a birds nest, and no make-up.  Not that I am out to impress anyone, but I feel that when you’re up and ready, you’re more productive. 
25. Detox my closet.  I’ve been out of the office world for almost and year and still have all of my clothes!  I did give some to my sister, but I still have aboout three closets full of clothes.  I need to take the time to go through and sell/give away what I no longer use. 
26. Be Mrs. Hallmark.  I NEED to get better about sending cards.  I sent Grandma’s birthday card like two months late this year.  In a world where your mailbox is bombarded with bills, its so nice to get something in the snail mail that isn’t asking for money.  Its a fun and cheap way to put a smile on someone’s face. 
27. Get my 401K rolling.  Since changing jobs, I still haven’t started my 401K.  No lectures please, I know its stupid.  I still have my IPERS which I need to roll over.  This is just me being lazy.  Now I’m putting it in writing.
28. Plant a garden.  I am so excited to have a yard and a place to do this!  My dad had a huge garden growing up, and it will be a huge money saver to have fresh produce right outside our back door.  Hopefully my black thumb wont prevent this. 
29. Go horseback riding.  I grew up around horses as my dad raised them, so doing this would bring back some great memories I had with my dad.
30. Don‘t sweat the small stuff.  As cliche as it sounds, life really is too fucking short.  I am hoping therapy and getting my life on track will help with this.  The dumbest things get to me, and I don’t understand why.  I’ve wasted too much of my life being miserable, its time to be happy.