Makeup Makeover

70. Have my makeup professionally done.

I received $100 in gift certificates to Sephora for my birthday and Christmas this year.  I took advantage of this and decided to have my makeup done by a beauty expert at Sephora before I purchased anything.

I usually don't wear too much makeup on a daily basis.  I have never mastered the art of applying eyeliner and I couldn't tell you how to use a brow pencil.  The woman who did my makeup gave me a smoky eye, penciled in my brows, and applied other things to my face that I can't even remember or recognize.

My makeup looked great, but there's no way that I would feel comfortable wearing that much makeup on a daily basis.  I enjoyed getting it done though.  It was a fun experience.

 Please don't judge my Snapchat photo.  It's the only one that turned out well.

With the money I had to spend, I purchased new foundation, concealer, primer, and mascara.  Since I signed up for Sephora's Beauty Insider, I received free lip pencils.  Score!

It was nice ringing in the new year with new makeup.  

Items completed: 32

365 Days Down...

My New Year's Resolution last year was to complete 30 items from my list within the first 365 days.  I accomplished 31.  I am very proud of that.

I think I need to complete another 25 to 30 items off of my list this year in order to stay on track.  This year, however, will be a little more difficult for me.  I crossed off some of the smaller items off this year, which means that the larger and more expensive items still have to be completed.

I also bailed on a couple of my financial items last year.  That can't happen again because I can't complete several items without saving money and budgeting a bit.  I might need to start watching Suze Orman to help with the whole budgeting thing.  It's not one of my strengths.

As always, if you are willing to help me complete an item, please let me know.  Thank you to my wonderful friends and family who helped me in 2014.  You guys rock!

31 items down. 71 to go.

Here's to a fantastic 2015.  Thanks for reading.  :)

Thoughtful Family Gifts

18. Buy something thoughtful for each of my immediate family members (not necessarily a birthday or Christmas gift).

Mom: Framed photographs

I saw the idea of re-creating childhood photos on Facebook in March and knew that it was the perfect Mother's Day gift for my mom.  Luckily, my younger brother was willing to help me out with this.  It took about a month for me to gather the correct clothing and accessories that we would need.  Once we had everything we needed, we distracted my mom and my dad, brother, and I spent the better part of two hours re-creating a few photos in the home I grew up in.  

When my mom opened the framed photos on Mother's Day, she was speechless.  She had never heard of the idea before and absolutely loved what we had done.

Steven: First flight 

My brother made it 24 years without flying on an airplane.  For his 25th birthday, I surprised him with his first plane ticket.  We took a trip to Denver in September, which is described in an earlier blog post.  I think his first flight will be something that he remembers for a long time.

Dad: Antiques

My dad is always the most difficult person for me to shop for.  He hates spending money on himself and doesn't particularly enjoy others buying him expensive things.  I usually get him a gift card to Home Depot or Best Buy, but I wanted to do something different this year for his Christmas gift.  

My dad has a small collection of antique tricycles that he displays on a shelf in my parents' home.  I found a small tricycle that I thought would be a nice addition to his collection on eBay.  

I wound up buying one that blended right in with the ones he already owned, which worked out perfectly.

The second item I found for my dad was an advertisement for a 1927 Studebaker.  My dad has a 1927 Studebaker in his garage, so I was very excited when I found this.  Thank goodness for eBay.  

Although the advertisement is for a slightly different model than the car my dad owns, he was still surprised and excited to receive the advertisement.


Note: Learning how to take better pictures is still an item I need to cross off of my list.  I didn't notice how crooked most of the pictures were.  Oops!

Items completed: 31

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