UPDATE: "Enough Talking/More Doing" List

It's been a while since I took a look at my list on the left hand side of this blog. I am a strong believer in taking stock of your life every now and then. I figure its time to re-assess and revise this growing list.

• Consume smaller amount of new goods. Before buying something new, look at 2nd hand stores and craigslist, freecycle, eBay, etc. UPDATE: I would say I am doing OK in this department. Although my favorite local consignment shop is closing (boooooooo!) I have been successful in buying furniture for our new house on Craigslist. I have a forthcoming post on all of my previously owned items. I love other's people's castoffs!
• Create a 'workshop' in the house. UPDATE: I've not yet created my dream workshop but I am getting closer. I finally organized all of my craft stuff in the guest room so everything has its place. This has made me way too happy. I need a hobby. Hmm, maybe I'll craft something.
• Eat more organic/natural foods and less processed foods. UPDATE: I tried to avoid processed foods for a week and was mildly successful. The organic vegetables are harder in the winter since we don't have much locally. The farmer's markets will be starting in a couple of months so I am looking forward to that. Last Spring/Summer we did a meat CSA and that worked out well. The CSA also sells meat at our local farmer's market so I think this year we'll just buy our meat there (for some reason its cheaper this way.)
• Find a way to work in tropical location for the month of January. UPDATE: We are still daydreaming about this one. We probably only have another 2 years to make this a reality since Beatrice will be in kindergarten in 2013. I have updated this goal to read 'work in a remote location for the month of January.' I am thinking that maybe just another state would be cool. Just immerse ourselves in that place for a month and see what happens. Austin, San Diego, Portland, wine country... who knows.
• Go back to St. John. UPDATE: We went when Beatrice was 1 1/2 and we will go back when she's 3 1/2 in September so I think we're on track with this goal.
• Go on one girls weekend a year. UPDATE: My college girlfriends make this one happen every year. I look forward to that weekend more and more! We are all longing for a day when all of our kids are old enough so that we can leave them while we get on a plane to a warm location.
• Grow a successful garden. UPDATE: This goal may not prove as fruitful this year (pun intended.) We are in a new house so we'll have to see if a garden takes. Our neighbors have a nice garden but I know they use all sorts of deer piss and chili powders to keep the animals away... I don't know if I'm that die-hard. If we can't grow a garden here, I'll request a plot at our community garden next spring. Speaking of which, our town community garden is thriving! They are expanding this year and putting in a butterfly garden. There are also talks of getting a town CSA started. I am so proud of my little town and these motivated people.
• Lose the last baby lbs. UPDATE: I've done this for both babies. However, I need to (again) get back on track to lose a few more pounds to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. I discuss this ad nauseum on this blog so I'll just leave it at that.
• Run a 5K every year. UPDATE: I ran my first 5K in 2009. I took 2010 off since I was pregnant with Theo. I am running one with my sister in a couple of weeks. I wonder if I can update this goal to include completing a biathlon... I think I need to improve my bike riding skills first. One small step towards this goal is to ride my bike to the gym when the weather gets consistently nicer. I've already mapped out my route so as to avoid my neighborhood menace, Heartbreak Hill. Do you love that I've changed my route rather than tackling that beast of a hill again.
• Take a photo composition class. UPDATE: I never did complete this one but I gotta say I'm OK with that. I'm not all about the photos anymore. I think now that I have the two kids, there just isn't as much time for picture taking. I am more about the videos now that I can shoot with my iPhone.
• Try something new every month. UPDATE: This one has been met with mixed results. Perhaps if I don't put a time limit (once a month) I'll be more successful. I did succeed a couple of times this past year.
• Wear more sunscreen this summer. UPDATE: This one is a success. Its a foregone conclusion since I am sunscreening the kids non-stop. But here's my issue. I am so pale this year due to not really being in the sun a lot last summer since we had a newborn and I wasn't feeling the swimsuit and oh ya, it was 100 degrees everyday. I know tanning beds are now forbidden but how do I get out in the sun for the beginning of the summer looking like this? Have you ever spray tanned? Do you use that self tanner stuff? Help a (ghostly) sister out.

There are some new things I'd like to add to my list. And I'll probably delete some of the above things as they are no longer relevant. I am fighting the urge to add things that I already do just so I can cross them off the list as a success. Being the list maker that I am, I've been known to write something down after I've completed it just to feel the pleasure of crossing it off my list. I am sick.

• Go to more live performances (music, theater, speakers, etc.) Cory always teases me that I am the world's most active listener. I am that person in the audience that is nodding their head the entire talk, laughing out loud, and shaking my money maker.
• Read more. I enjoy reading but Theo definitely put a damper on this goal. By the time night rolls around, I open my book and read 2 pages before I fall asleep. Now that he's doing a better job sleeping through the night, hopefully I"ll have more energy. And I love to watch bad TV and zone out at night so that's the other culprit. Maybe I'll start reading on the bike at the gym again. I went to the library earlier this week and got my hands on this gem. It's up there with Unsweetined. Speaking of Unsweetined, Cory was on Facebook the other day and was looking at photos of a girl we went to high school with who lives on the West Coast. She had pics of a BBQ or something and she was totally hanging out with Stephanie Tanner. They are BFFs. Too funny.
• Get outdoors. Our new house abuts the town forest. We have 2 hiking trails that meet up in our back yard. We didn't explore them last year since we had a newborn and were still moving in. I want to get out and get into nature more this year. We also have plans to go camping one weekend this summer. I want my kids to appreciate nature. I am OK with nature. Just not the bugs but I'm working on that.
• Grow my hair the longest its ever been. I always get to about mid-length then hack it off. The short hair thing is cute but its limiting because you always need to dry and straighten it and wash it every day. I can't do that anymore so longer hair is the way to go. I would totally get extensions if they were affordable. I am thinking that by this time next year it should be about there.
• Write more Letter to the Editor. Do you read or write these? It's the first thing I read in a newspaper or a magazine. A couple of times I've found letters from people I know. Its been a nerdy dream of mine to get a Letter to the Editor published. I guess I'll actually need to write one first.
• Host at least 4 theme parties a year. It goes without saying that I love me a theme. And I love entertaining. Some themes I have in mind: Booze and Brownies Swap, Kentucky Derby Party, Porch-Drunk Party, South of the Border Christmas Eve, Sip N See (someone needs to have a baby so I can do this one... any takers?)
• Start thinking about the next stage in my career. I can't say that I love my job. Well that's not entirely true. I love the flexibility of my job but it's neither challenging nor engaging. Basically I've been doing the same thing for many years now so it's become quite a mundane routine. I am OK with this while my kids are young. But I think I'll be ready for a challenge in about 4 years or so. I need to start thinking about what I want to do. Do I want to stay in my current field? Will my new path require more schooling or more professional development? I don't have unrealistic romantic notions about working. Work is work but I would like something where I engage with people and feel a sense of pride about what I do every day. In my dream world, I would buy the consignment shop that is going out of business (see above) and run it with my sister. Or work here. But I know that retail is not for me. The hours would be too demanding and the risk would give me an ulcer. I need to find something more fulfilling. I think the first step will be to take the career development workshops that my work offers. Then I'll make a list. Ha.
• Continue to work on my mental well-being. I have a stack of books on my nightstand about improving yourself and your relationships. Cory makes fun of me because when I read them, I underline and mutter aloud "I get that, that's so true." What can I say, I am an active audience member.
• Re-design this blog. Ugh, I am so sick of the look. I need to get on this one really soon.

I will update my Non-Facebook 25ish Things list next.

I hope you all have a stupendous weekend. And a big shout out to my husband who has gone mad with NCAA Basketball. What a shame this only comes but once a year.