It’s that birthday time of year again. Da da da DA…..I’m turning 39 years old this week.
I’ll pause so that you can sing to me in your head. (My favorite song is the Beatles’ “You Say it’s Your Birthday.”
Last year for my birthday I wrote about 38 things I had learned in my 38 years. This year I decided to create my own little mini-bucket list for my 39th year. Because now that I’m older, I’m more mature and productive and all that jazz.
Here are the things I want to accomplish in the next 365 days.
1- Make my very own puff pastry from scratch. Why? Because Pinterest tells me I can. Plus, I’m too cheap to spend $4.79 at the store.
2- Drop 2 dress sizes.
3- Go somewhere with my husband for 72 consecutive hours, leaving the children in the care of responsible adults. (If you’d like to apply for that position drop me a note in the comments.)
4- Go camping someplace we’ve never been, despite the anxiety I feel out in nature due to watching The River Wild one too many times. Curse you Kevin Bacon.
5- Visit the COSI museum in Columbus, Ohio.
6- Read a real biography about Abraham Lincoln, since I fell in love with the fake biography: Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. (Seriously it’s a good book people.)
7- Swim in Lake Michigan. Or, more realistically, wade in Lake Michigan.
8- Create the perfect green enchilada sauce.
9- Sew something. With an actual sewing machine.
10- Learn to take pictures in low light on my camera. Or at least improve enough to be able to distinguish people from pets in my photos.
11- Do something crafty for each major holiday. (I think I can, I think I can….)
12- Make five new friends.
13- Become somewhat knowledgeable about ancient Egypt. I’m broadening my mind here people.
14- Teach my youngest child to read, without freaking out OR causing her to require therapy later in life.
15- Read ten more books about urban farming, because the twenty five books I’ve already read aren’t enough.
16- Take my kids rollerskating.
17- Buy silicone muffin pans. Because I have silicone baking needs, people.
18- Learn to make homemade flour tortillas that are actually round in shape, as opposed to the trapezoid ones I make now.
19- Watch every episode of The Big Bang Theory, preferably with my spouse.
20- Visit the Museum of Industry and Science in Chicago.
21- Photograph my husband teaching the youngest child to ride a bike.
22- Order something at a restaurant that I’ve never eaten before because I can be brave occasionally.
23- Learn to make a new type of jam. (Ideas, suggestions, or recipes would be appreciated.)
24- Cross at least twenty-five books off my “to-read” shelf over on goodreads. Since I’ve marked 363 books that I want to read, I’ll have a lot to choose from.
25- Memorize a poem.
26- Get 15 more people to follow my blog.
27- Read Artemis Fowl to my kids.
28- Try out four new zucchini recipes, because zucchinis are everywhere in Indiana during the months of June through September.
29- Throw somebody I’m related to an awesome birthday party. (I’m notoriously horrible at that kind of stuff.)
30- Try a new kind of cheese. Because cheese is awesome and I deserve it.
31- Get a clothesline for the backyard. I might do more laundry if I had a clothesline….
32- Teach my oldest children to clean the bathrooms. And then sit on the couch and shout “I HAVE ARRIVED!” when they finally master cleaning the toilets.
33- Do a random act of service for someone every week without being asked. And I’m not going to feel guilty if it’s small rather than large.
34- Splurge on one nice piece of clothing for my wardrobe without flinching at the price tag.
35- Plant raspberry canes in my backyard, so I can pretend to be Laura Ingalls Wilder even more.
36- Go on more dates with my husband.
37- Be more deliberate in what I am doing and multitask less.
38- Sincerely compliment more people.
39- Finally, I’m going to sweat the small stuff less. And most of it is small stuff.
Why don’t you leave a comment telling me something you want to do in the next year? A comment will make a lovely birthday present (and won’t cost you a nickel.)
Go camping with at least my oldest two!
I want to send you my zucchini recipes. You’re welcome, and happy birthday.
Yay!
Can your husband teach my youngest to ride a bike too? That is one thing that makes me so very frustrated! Carter is almost seven! Me running behind a bike in the heat makes me want to punch something!
I think silicone muffin pans are seriously over rated. Just sayin’. And Happy Birthday tomorrow!
Thank you pretty lady. And I will take your silicone views under advisement.
Start a blog…I have been saying this for years!!!
Do it!
Happy birthday! I want to eat healthy all year. Because I want my kids to know how to eat and be healthy.
Good luck! I still struggle using food as a reward for myself. In my head I know it’s not good for me, but old habits die hard.
Happy early birthday! That’s a real good list. Here’s a few of mine…
Can something…organize and print photos…write handwritten thank-you notes to people like a responsible, considerate grown-up—
Speaking of which, tell me your opinion: I wrote like two-thirds of my wedding thank-you notes three years ago and mailed them, started on the second batch and never finished or mailed them. It haunts me constantly. I have always meant to send them out insanely, crazy-person after-the-fact, but I have not done this, partly because the wording of thank-you cards gets even more difficult when you have to start each one by acknowledging in very few words that you are crazy and a terrible person, but in a funny way that leaves the focus on ‘thank you you’re awesome’ rather than ‘look at me I’m the worst.’ (Also the reason I didn’t finish in the first place was because I wanted to make them meaningful letters about how much I loved the person beyond just their gift, and that was my huge mistake.) I have not accepted the possibility of letting this go, because that would make me even more terrible and ungrateful, and people were SO GENEROUS when we got married. There’s still like, 100 unwritten thank-you notes, or at least 50. (We had maybe 400 people at our reception and it was all our parents fault.)
If you got a thank-you card from someone to whom you gave a lovely wedding gift three years ago….what would your reaction be?
I would send them out if you still feel angst about it. Plus, if I got a thank you card three years later I’d be all “Wow, isn’t that nice.” Not “Wow, isn’t that crazy.”
You can bring yourself and hubby to my house to watch all the episodes of The Big Bang Theory! We have them all! That would be loads of fun. As for the silicone, I thought you were going somewhere else with that. I bought silicone baking stuff a few years back and I didn’t like it at all. I don’t recommend it. I do, however, highly recommend stonewear. And amazingly enough, I did buy myself a piece of clothing without balking at the price tag….although it took me two days to decide to not balk and actually buy it! It’s a pretty creme colored blouse that will go with all my colorful skirts!
I hope you had a wonderful birthday! One thing I need to do this year is be more diligent about keeping up with the laundry. It’s got a PhD right now, that would be “piled higher and deeper.” *heavy sigh*
Hugs,
Christy
We were celebrating one of the many May birthdays in our family today, and Allison & I thought of you. Happy birthday to you (and Cindy’s daughter, Kate. Remember when we found out she was born on your birthday? I think we were down in my room, and you said something about it being a great day for a birthday.) If you were here, Steve would make you your own birthday cake with four layers. The one today didn’t look pretty, but it sure tasted good! Come back to Utah sometime, and I’ll convince him to make it for you. We’d mail it, but then it really wouldn’t look pretty. And maybe it wouldn’t taste pretty either. In any case, Hippo Birdie two Ewe
I remember! And hopefully I can get back to Utah sometime in the next year.
Despite the fact that the first two work against each other (there is sooooooo much butter in puff pastry) that is an awesome list! Happy birthday. I love to read you blog, no matter the subject.
I am full of contradictions like that. That’s what makes me so unique. And crazy.
I want Christmas to be done before November 25. If I can help it ALL cards, gifts, decor, plans in place so I can enjoy my growing family and the season of… Joy! I would also like to put more pictures up, my house looks more like the open houses for new developments with less color and more toys. Happy birthday Ami!
Happy Birthday to Ami!!! Love your list – you may want to try fig jam, had it here, LOVED it!! We have 2 orange rope clotheslines and they save the day many a time.
LB
Hi, I usually just lurk, but I am delurking to help with number 30! Because yes, cheese is awesome. My favorite cheese is Sartori’s Bellavitano “Gold”. They sell wedges of it at my Publix, so you might not think it’s that great, but I adore it. It’s sort of in the Parmesan family in that it’s a hard cheese, but the flavor! The texture when it warms up a bit! Ok, I’ll stop, but I’m wishing I had a wedge right now. Also, number 5. I’ve been in Florida for the last 10 years, but I’m from Columbus and I’m glad COSI is on your list. The old version (like 15 years ago) was one of my favorite places as a kid, and the remodel made a good thing even better.
And happy early birthday!
I’m so excited that I even had a lurker! I’m going to seriously take your cheese suggestion under consideration because it sounds LOVELY.
I love your list. I laughed out loud on #32. I nodded on #33. I thought that #34 sounded like a good one to emulate. (At this point you’re getting tired of scrolling back to your post to check which ones I’m referencing, aren’t you? Sorry. I’m difficult this way, so I’ll forge ahead.) I think you’re already very good at #38.
Happy birthday, Ami! You say it’s your birthday…. we’re gonna have a good time…
Thanks! (especially for the small nod to the Beatles.) Some people (like yourself) are easy to compliment, I want to be able to really look at others and find something sincere to notice. Hence and therefore, it’s on the list.
Enjoy your blog regularly though I comment infrequently. This year I want to minimize, as in declutter, and learn to live with less stuff. This accompanies my pipe dream of escaping the boonies to move back to the burbs, where I can get crab rangoons when a craving hits! Happy birthday. I especially hope you get those 15 more followers. More people should be enjoying your blog!
Awww, you’re so nice. And I LOVE crab rangoon, so very, very much.
I volunteer to watch the kids! Wish I were closer.
Maybe we’ll just pack them in boxes and send them to you?
FedEx works! Seriously, though, if I ever have a chance to come out I’d love to stay with the kids and let you & Peter go play.
I would love to increase my blog following, too. I always resolve to go on more dates with my hubby, but it never seems to happen!
Love your list & Happy Birthday!
Thank you!
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