Star Wars Premiere

24. Attend the midnight premiere of a movie.

I am a morning person.  It's easy for me to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to go swimming, but staying up until midnight is pretty difficult. 

Luckily, most movies now premiere earlier in the evening.  I purchased tickets for the 8pm showing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and was in bed before midnight. I was pretty excited about that.  I had a wonderful time at the movie with my boyfriend, even if we were in the second row.  We're not quite nerdy enough to get there more than an hour before the movie.

Items completed: 47

Buying A Real Tree

29. Buy a real Christmas tree.

It's been many years since I have had a real Christmas tree in my home (or my parents' home).  This year, I got to enjoy the fresh pine smell for three weeks.  Honestly, I think my cat enjoyed the tree more than I did.  She loved to hide among the presents and got a kick out of the ornaments. 

Items completed: 46

Adventures in Sonoita

87. Visit a vineyard.

Is there a better way to spend an afternoon than tasting various kinds of wine?  I am not an expert on wine, so I enjoyed spending an afternoon tasting all types of wine in Sonoita.

 Hops and Vines in Sonoita, AZ

 

 Hops and Vines in Sonoita, AZ.

What I learned: 

• Mulled wine is amazing.  
• There are so many wineries to visit in Sonoita.  We went to three but there were several that we did not get to experience.
• It is possible to get a bit tipsy on small samples of wine.
• Arizona makes some pretty spectacular wines.

Total items completed: 45

A Cook in the Making

75. Learn 10 new recipes.

As I've said before, I've always wanted to learn how to cook.  With a LOT of help from my boyfriend, I learned to make the following items from scratch:

1. Blueberry muffins



2. Blackberry pie bars


(Thanks for the recipe, Jackie!)

3. Strawberry peach pie

(Thanks for the recipe, Jackie!)

4. Angel food cake


(Okay, I didn't make this one for my birthday, but I don't have a picture of the one I did help make.)

5. Chicken pesto pizza



6. Stuffed manicotti

Sadly, I don't have a picture of this one. :(  

7. Breakfast burritos

The best breakfast burritos are the ones that your boyfriend makes for you before a long swim invitational. :)

8. Scrambled eggs


I know that this one sounds a bit silly, but I learned an entirely different technique for this that involves butter. 

9. Apple pie


I made this (crust included) on my own.  The lattice may not have looked perfect, but the pie was delicious.

10. Chocolate chip buttermilk pancakes



Items completed: 44

Time Offline

94. Spend 48 consecutive hours offline.

It is difficult to escape social media in today's society.  I have moments where it is difficult to resist the urge to check my phone.  There is always something to check: texts, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and fantasy football scores. (There will be a post about fantasy football once the season ends.)

Recently, my family took a four-day cruise to California and Mexico.  By the time we left the coast, I lost cell reception and was only able to use my phone's camera for two full days.  

In a way, escaping this form of technology was freeing.  I didn't have to check Facebook updates, check work emails, and debate about what photos to post on Instagram.  Instead, I was able to spend quality time with my family.  I was also able to fit in some quality reading time. 

Will I go offline again?  Probably, but I doubt that I will be able to stay away from my phone for another 48 consecutive hours.  Thankfully, my vacation forced me to do it this time, and for that, I am grateful.

Items completed: 43

Donations

99. Donate clothes to Goodwill every 6 months for two years.

When it comes to clothes, I buy two things in abundance: cardigans and tank tops.  Therefore, I feel the need to go through my closet a few times a year in order to get rid of clothes that I no longer wear.

I was able to go through my closet on a regular basis over the past two years and donate several clothing items.  This is something that I will continue to do.

Items completed: 42

Chicken Pesto Pizza Deliciousness

71. Make pizza from scratch.

I've always wanted to learn how to cook, but I never did anything about it. Recently, this changed.  I've learned how to cook a variety of things, including chicken pesto pizza.

With a lot of help of my amazing boyfriend, I made dough and pesto from scratch.

We grilled some chicken, added it to the pizza, and ended up with a very tasty final product.  I promise we did not burn it.  

I will definitely be making this pizza again soon.  :)

Items completed: 41