A look back

So a year ago, I made a list of 29 things that I wanted to accomplish BEFORE I turned 30.... Needless to say I didn't get a chance to do many of them....YIKES!!! Lets take a look....

1.  Make one new recipe each month.  (January's recipe was last nights dinner-Rosemary porkchops with caramelized onions and garlic. SOOO good and super easy to make!!) SO I didn't keep up with this BUT I did make quite a few new things (just not sure if it was 12)including fresh HOMEMADE bread from scratch so it wasn't a total failure!!! I mean seriously homemade bread?!?! I'm counting this as a win!!!
2. Read 5 new books. Ok, I have a new baby....enough said.  I may have read a page out of a new book and by a page, I literally mean ONE page! lol
3. Participate in at least 2 walks for charity.  (I've always done this in the past and plan to continue to support causes that are important to me) NOPE, I am actually a bit disappointed in this.  The year just went by so fast that I missed all of my usual charity events.
4. Plan at least 1 date day/night each month for Mr. M & I.  (Even if it just means movie night at home!) I'm marking this as a total WIN.  We found time to go to dinner, a couple of movies and even 2 family vacations during the year!! ☺ YAY for quality time!
5. Try 2 new restaurants during the next Philly Restaurant Week event.  Didn't make it to restaurant week, BUT we did try a few new places just not during restaurant week. So a bit of a stretch but still a win!
6. Get 10 new followers on this blog.  (help me out folks!!) Wasn't even close!!! :(
7. Make, try, or buy  at least 5 ideas/recipes/items from my Pinterest boards. Think I made it to about 4...not bad at all!! ☺
8. Have a professional family portrait taken. YES and it was beautiful!!!! Total Win!
9. Take at least 3 more graduate courses.  (With being sick and pregnant, I had to drop my Fall courses..it's now time to play catch up!) I had class last night...enough said!
10. Have a real girls night out or in!  (complete with drinks and snacks lol) Nope and this is DEFINITELY going back on the list!
11. Blog at least 2 times each week. uuummmmm......EPIC FAIL!!!
12. Organize all of the clothes in my basement/laundry area. Did manage to get that done and yet the laundry area is a total disaster yet again!! lol
13. Plan a summer day trip.  (Wildwood, Ocean City, Baltimore, New York or DC) Went to Ocean City, It was a rainy, cold, disaster!! BUT I did get a frozen banana which was pretty delightful!!
14. Create and stick to a household/family budget.  (We need to get back to using the cash/envelope system) Not really, but we are trying again this year!! We did OKAY but we really need to get better!
15. Re-join/start weight loss program.  (Weight Watchers, My Fitness Pal, or just a conscious effort to do better food and health wise) No and this is a constant battle for me!! :(
16. Complete C25K. Not even close!!
17. Have a girls only day with my mom, sister, and niece. My niece had to work but I did get to spend the day with my mom and sister. Lunch and a play!
18. Plan an awesome 1st birthday party for my little girl.  It was the world's most perfect party!!! Perhaps I'm a bit biased but it was really really really nice!
19. Save up for and plan my 30th birthday vacation! We actually decided against a vacation and actually planned a small get together/happy hour for my family and closest friends.  Its tomorrow and I'm super excited!
20. Have a family dinner.  (on a day other than a holiday) The holidays won and we got together as usual on thanksgiving, Christmas eve and Christmas day!
21. Keep my bedroom clean.  (basically making an effort to clean/straighten it up at least once a month...lol) Ha! That was a joke when I even THOUGHT this was possible!! lol
22. Get together with friends at least 1 time each month. I never realized just how busy we all were.  We did get together a few times but it wasn't nearly as often as we would have liked!
23. Wear my hair out/curly more often.  (perhaps its time to invest in some cute clips and headbands) I sorta did this....sorta'.
24. Hit up a few flea markets/yard/garage sales. I think I went ONCE! I blame Mr. M for this one!
25. Buy myself flowers. NO, but I will and very soon!! I DESERVE this!
26. Treat myself each month.  (it doesn't have to be major..coffee, a new shirt, nail polish, etc.) I may have a been a bit of an OVER-achiever on this one!! I KNOW I bought way more than 12 things this year!!!
27. Go to at least one show/play/concert/game. I saw a show with my mom & sister so I killed two birds with that one stone!
28. Make a peach cobbler and serve with homemade ice cream/finally put my ice cream maker to use!! I DID make the cobbler BUT forgot to make the ice cream....oops!
29. Remember to live, love, and laugh. Sometimes, it was a bit hard to laugh, but I never stopped living OR loving and do not intend to stop!!!

So I didn't do as bad as I thought but I definitely didn't do as well as I had hoped!!!
Perhaps this year I can try again!!!!
Gotta love second chances!!

30!!!!

So here I am on the eve of my (*GASP) 30th birthday and I'm just a bit shocked at how fast the last year has passed.  Its been a year of ups and a few DOWNS but I've survived!! I decided to come back to my blog which has been neglected for quite some time now and re-visit the post that I made almost exactly one year ago.  I was excited to live it up during the last year of my 20's and honestly I did.  I may not have gone out and done many of the exciting things that people think of when they talk about "living it up" but that's okay.  I think I've settled into my life as a wife and a mother.  I've gotten to a place where I realize its okay to just BE.  I still have A LOT of work to do in and around the pages of my life's story and its taking me much longer than I anticipated but I'll get there and I'll be a better, wiser, and happier person because of it.  Here's to closing a chapter of my life and opening a new one.  Here's to a new year and a great life.  30 will be as awesome and as amazing as I make it.  Hopefully you will all stick around a bit to see it unfold.

Happy Early Birthday to me!