Giving Back

101. Donate at least ten dollars to twelve different charities in twelve months.

I know the holidays are near when I hear the ringing bells of the Salvation Army volunteers.  I almost always donate a few dollars here and there to a few organizations during the holidays, but I rarely donate throughout the year.  That needed to change.

When I added this item to my list, my goal was to donate a total of $100.  I actually donated $220.  I chose twelve different organizations and contributed various amounts to each one on a monthly basis.  I did my best to choose a variety of charities that I either cared strongly about or organizations that I wanted to help support.

The organizations that I donated to are listed below.

St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital
Wounded Warrior Project
March of Dimes
American Red Cross
Alzheimer's Association
Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary
Soldier's Angels
The ALS Association
The Pat McAfee Foundation
Kidney Cancer Association
Folds of Honor
Ronald McDonald House Charities

I am going to do my best to continue donating on a monthly basis.  Every donation has the power to make a difference.

Items completed: 30

Meet Sabrina

61. Own a pet.

I am a dog person.  I have always said that I would never get a cat.  Recently, however, that changed.  For the past year, I have been toying with the idea of getting a cat.  When one of my co-workers mentioned that her son had three kittens to give away, I seized the opportunity.

I was able to take Sabrina home on Sunday, December 14.  I was very nervous when I carried her inside my apartment in my cat carrier.  I grew up with dogs.  My family has never had a cat before, so I had no idea what to expect.   When I let Sabrina out of the carrier, she instantly went underneath my recliner.  I immediately panicked and tried to get her out.   It didn't occur to me that this is normal cat behavior until I discussed it with a friend of mine.

Once I was finally able to coax her out from under the chair, it was time to play.  She is particularly fond of this little turtle.

 Soon after playing, Sabrina curled up in her red bed and was out like a light.  Did I mention that this kitten is already spoiled?  She has four toys, two beds, a scratching post, and a cat carrier to keep her busy.  What does she enjoy playing with the most?  My bed skirt.  She hasn't torn it to shreds yet.  I have a feeling that may soon change.

I have had Sabrina for 24 hours now.  We have definitely bonded.  She is sitting on my lap as I type this.  Earlier, she enjoyed walking across the keyboard.

Isn't this little face adorable?  

Okay, I'm done with the kitten pictures now.  I think I am officially a cat person.

Items completed: 29

The Big Apple

17. Go on a family trip to NYC.

My family hasn't taken a trip together in years.  Something always comes up that prevents at least one of us to stay home.  This year, however, we were all able to visit New York City for four days.  We were joined by my aunt, uncle, and cousin and we all had a blast.

When we arrived to the city Thursday night we visited Times Square and Rockefeller Center.  We always do our best to visit the tree at Rockefeller Center every night.  It's a beautiful tree.

After walking around for a bit, we took a carriage ride through Central Park.  The best part about the ride is the blanket they give you to keep warm.  The cold weather was a bit different than the "cold" Tucson winter I typically experience.

We spent our Friday morning inside Macy's.  I had no idea stores could be so big.  There were nine stories full of merchandise in that store.  Nine!  

Later that afternoon, I was finally able to do something that I've wanted to do for awhile: go to the top of the Empire State Building!  My brother and I made it to the 86th floor and enjoyed seeing the amazing views. 

 My Saturday morning was spent touring the 9/11 Memorial Museum.  If you are ever in Manhattan you definitely have to check it out.  It is very moving to see the artifacts and to re-live that day.

You can't go to NYC and not see a show.  On Saturday night, we saw "Beautiful", which is the story of Carole King.  It was a wonderful show!  I really enjoyed it.

Getting all dressed up for the theater.

My brother and I flew home at 6:30am on Sunday.  I really enjoyed my family trip and hope that we will be able to have another great family trip sometime in the future.

Items completed: 28

It's That Time of Year

15. Send Christmas cards to friends and relatives.

I finally reached the age where it's necessary to send my own Christmas cards.  I found cute designs on Erin Condren's website last year but I couldn't order them in time for Christmas.  This year, however, I was able to get them before December 1st.

The only problem I ran into was figuring out who to send them to.  I ordered twenty cards and thought that would be plenty.  I was wrong.  I will definitely order more than twenty cards next year.

You know you're a Starbucks addict when your holiday cards match the Starbucks holiday cup...

Items completed: 27

Movie Marathon

33. Spend an entire day relaxing and watching chick flicks.

This was one of the easier items to cross off of my list.  I got to relax in sweatpants and comfy socks and spend 12 hours watching great movies with an awesome friend.  What's not to love about that?

The list of movies:

1. The Fault in Our Stars
2. When Harry Met Sally…
3. Sabrina
4. You've Got Mail
5. That Awkward Moment
6. The Holiday

My favorite one: When Harry Met Sally.  This has been one of my favorite movies for years.

All in all I had a fantastic lazy Saturday. Thanks for joining me, Rachel!  You're the reason I got to cross this particular item off of my list. :)

Items completed: 26

Reunion!

50. Reconnect with an old friend.

I met Joe during my sophomore year of college.  He taught me how to do the Soulja Boy dance, made sure I went out and had a good time, and gave me a few nicknames that I'm not a fan of (ha!).  He was one of my closest guy friends in college.  

 

He even went to an ice skating date dash with me.  It was his first time ice skating.  I'm pretty sure he had more fun than anyone else there!  :) 

Tequila Sunrise 2009.  Enough said.

After college, we drifted apart. We would occasionally text or message each other on Facebook, but we soon lost contact.  

 I tried (and failed) to get the water feature in the background of the picture.

Recently, we were able to reconnect and hang out in Phoenix.  It had been at least four years since we were able to spend some quality time together.  We had a great time reminiscing and talking about the good ol' days of college. 

   Joe was better at getting the water feature in the background.

By the end of the evening, we vowed to keep in contact with one another.  Thanks in large part to the variety of social media options it is working!  I am so grateful to have this amazing guy in my life and I will definitely do my part to make sure we stay in touch.  He is definitely a wonderful friend and an even better person. 

Items completed: 25

Front Row!

30. Sit in the front row of a show or concert.

My friend Rachel invited me to a Thompson Square concert at Desert Diamond Casino.  Here's a quick run-down of our night:

1. Neither one of us had to pay for the tickets.  Score!
2. We were easily able to find a parking spot close to the venue.
3. We quickly made our way through the entrance, bought drinks, and were able to snag a front row spot along the stage.  I know my list says "sit" in the front row, but I think standing counts. 
4. Both singers shook our hands as they performed on stage.
5. We enjoyed over an hour and a half of great country music.
6. We exited the parking lot without ever having to slow down.  When does that happen?!

No zoom required.

All in all it was a fantastic concert!  Thank you, Rachel!


Items completed: 24

Brother and Sister Bonding Time

I have always been close with my younger brother Steven.  We are seventeen months apart to the day; all my childhood memories include this kid.  We both attended Northern Arizona University and lived in the same residence hall (on the same floor, I might add) for the two and a half years we attended the university together.

After graduating college, we both moved to different cities.  Since we don't get to see each other too often outside of holidays, I try to take advantage of any opportunity to spend quality time with my brother.  When my friend Bill offered me two tickets to the Sunday Night Football opener in Denver, I knew that I had to take Steven with me.  He has become quite the Denver Broncos fan.

There's one thing about Steven that you should know: he turned 25 in May and had never flown on a plane before.  Once I decided to take him to Denver with me, I surprised him with the trip on his birthday and told him that I would cover the cost of his first flight.  He was pretty stoked.

When September finally rolled around, Steven wasn't even nervous as we boarded the plane.  We arrived in Denver and immediately began to explore downtown Denver.  Staying in the heart of downtown was amazing.  We were walking distance from several great shops and restaurants.

The Grand Hyatt Hotel

Rock Bottom Brewery

The best night of the trip was definitely Sunday night.  We joined Bill at Sports Authority Field and watched the Broncos take on my beloved Colts.  My brother definitely left the game happier than I did, but we both enjoyed it. 

 

18th row! 

 It was nice spending a few days catching up with my younger brother.  We definitely had a great time in Denver.  

This trip wouldn't have been possible without Bill's generosity.  Thank you so much, Bill! :)  We had a blast!  

Items completed: 23

Photo Collages

I love picture frames.  I don't know what it is, but if a picture frame is on clearance at Target I almost always buy it.  It's a problem.

I finally put some of them to good use in my apartment.  I created two photo collages: one for my living room and one for my bedroom. 

The photo collage in my living room contains several photos of my family and closest friends.  Several photos depict items that I've crossed off of my list this year! 

The collage in my bedroom is a throwback to the good ol' college days.  I like looking back on the great memories I created at NAU with my sorority sisters.  We definitely had some amazing times.  <> 

Items completed: 22

My Swimming Adventures

23. Swim laps at least four days a week for two months.

 

If reincarnation is real I was definitely a fish in a previous life.  I absolutely love the feeling of gliding effortlessly through the water.  There is nothing better in my opinion. 

I have not swam regularly since I took a lap swim class in college.  That was in 2007.  Unfortunately, when you haven't been in the water for awhile, there is no such thing as gliding effortlessly through the water.  Your body remembers how to swim but your muscles are not strong enough to actually do it for a long period of time.  I was not looking forward to my arms feeling like lead and struggling to breathe after swimming a 50.

Regardless, I typically woke up around 5am and swam various workouts that I created throughout the month of June.  I slowly increased the difficulty of my workouts and noticed that after the first two weeks I could complete one without feeling completely exhausted.  The workout below is one of the most difficult ones that I completed individually.  My goal was to swim two miles a day (3300 yards) and average eight miles a week.  I was able to do this for most of the summer.

In July, I joined the FAST Masters group.  Since I am a competitive person, swimming with other people took my workouts to another level.  I felt myself trying harder during practice and I could tell that my endurance was improving.  Waking up at 4:30 in the morning wasn't always easy, but it was definitely worth it.  

I can now consistently swim a 50 (without a dive) in :32 and a 100 in 1:06.  Although these times are not fantastic,  I am proud of the progress I've made.  My goal is to swim a 50 without a dive in under 30 seconds, so I will definitely continue swimming.  

Thank you to my friends Jennifer and Justin for swimming with me throughout the summer!  

Items completed: 21

Starbucks Withdrawls and Monogrammed Stuff

63. Go 30 days without getting a drink from Starbucks.

I am a Starbucks addict.  When you walk into a coffee shop and people start automatically making your drink (regardless of what day of the week it is) you know you have a problem.  If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you have seen your fair share of my Starbucks cups.  They tend to look something like this:

I am addicted to one drink in particular: the salted caramel mocha.  It's definitely more of a winter break, which is why I decided to complete this item during the summer.  However, that was easier said than done.  I had gotten into a routine where I stopped by Starbucks almost daily to enjoy my cup of coffee.  Stopping suddenly certainly didn't sound that appealing to me. 

However, once I got past the first week, it got easier.  Yes, I would stare longingly at any Starbucks stores I passed, but I stayed strong and kept on driving.  After 31 days I happily returned to Starbucks and was reunited with my favorite drink.

Do I plan to go to Starbucks on a daily basis again?  No.  I will do my best to save it for special occasions.  However, when winter returns and the Starbucks stores get their salt in stock all bets are off.

46. Buy something that is monogrammed.

This was an easy item to cross off my list.  I got bored one day and decided to search for monogrammed items on Google.  I found my way to Pottery Barn's website and decided to get monogrammed hand towels.  I promise they weren't too expensive.  

I know that it looks a bit wrinkled in my photo, but once I get my steamer working (another item I will soon be able to cross off my list!) I will fix that.  :)

 
Items completed: 20

My Month in Photos

My month in June depicted in photographs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Items completed: 18