101 in 1001 My Second Set of Un-New Year Resolutions

This is my second 101 in 1001 bucket list.  As a list person I love the idea of checking things off, compared to creating one or two resolutions that may or may not happen.

My last 101 in 10001 list was made three years ago (posted here) and was a fun way to reach many goals and push myself to check items off my shorter term bucket list. Although I didn't reach all of my goals, I finished over a third of them which is more than I would have done without this list. The goals that I still want to complete from the last list are peppered in here, but most items are new.  

With us being in lockdown because of COVID-19 right now I focused my list on smaller goals I can achieve right now (and celebrating the little things) as well as bigger plans post pandemic. As with last time, I will continue to check off items as I complete them to keep me accountable and to let me see how far I've come.  I hope this helps to inspire some other people as well

 

1. Read 50 Books✔ ✔(Grown-ups Marian Keyes, ✔Handmaids Tale Graphic Novel, ✔You Love Me, Green Witchcraft✔, If You Tell✔, Jaws Peter Benchley✔, Nothing to See Here Kevin White✔), Heartless✔, The 90's Chuck Klosterman✔,  The Break by Marian Keyes✔, Freaks, Geeks, & Asperger's Syndrome✔, State of the Union✔, A Heart that Works✔, A Good Girls Guide to Murder✔, Heartstoppers 1✔, Heartstoppers 2✔, Heartstoppers 3✔, Heartstoppers 4✔ Where the Crawdad Sings✔, The Hangman✔, Such a Fun Age ✔, Just Like You ✔, Rachel Again✔,  Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.✔, The Friendship Cure✔, For You and You Only✔, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely fine.✔, Fair Play✔, Summer Sisters✔ 
2. Donate blood
3. Visit Ireland
4. Drink at the Guinness Brewery
5. Take a clay sculpting class with Jack
6. Write a book of essays based on this blog✔,
7. Pitch the first 10 years of my blog as a book of essays to publishers✔
8. Get my blog book published
9. Successfully complete the license plate game on a road trip (got 48 states on July 2018 road trip)
10. Run an 8KM race
11. Run a 10KM race
12. Complete the Conqueror Virtual Challenge Appalachian Trails✔
13. Complete the Conqueror Virtual Challenge Pacific Coast Trail✔
14. Complete the Conqueror Virtual Challenge Hadrians Wall (in two weeks)
15. Complete the Conqueror Virtual Challenge Mount Everest (in a week)
16. Buy and hang a display for my Virtual Challenge medals✔
17. Learn how to better use photo shop
18. Hike to a frozen waterfall in the winter
19. Grow my business by 20 percent 
20. Attend an overseas family wedding
21. Read the entire Harry Potter series with Molly  
22. Be able to complete a 3 minute plank
23. Learn to do a Kart Wheel
24. Be able to do a headstand (I was able to do these thanks to a regular Hatha Yoga Class in my 20's but have lost it over the years)
25. Take a nature survivalist class
26. Get professional family photos done at least once a year✔✔✔
27. Take an archery class✔
28. Pay off the remainder of our mortgage ✔
29. Send a message in a bottle (with the kids)
30. Attend a blogger conference
31. Visit 3 new MLB stadiums for games (with Chris)
32. Get an updated professional biography photo each year
33. Run a 5KM colour run
34. 10 pieces of mail for a friend in one month to show them I'm thinking of them (one per year)
35. Get an article or short story published in a prominent magazine
36. Enter a fiction writing contest
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
37. Participate in philanthropy that is Molly and Jack's selection✔ (UKRAINE walk with Molly)
38. Complete 31 days to Building a Better Blog (not necessarily in 31 consecutive days)
39. Finish a childhood photo album for both Molly and Jack
40. Have my Multiple Momstrosity blog reach a million hits
41. Post 100 articles with my new site The Canadianna
42. Take a photo of the same view in all four seasons
43. Visit Central America with the kids✔ Costa Rica April 2023
44. Get more photos of the kids with their grandparents 
45. Get more photos of Chris and I with our parents
46. Celebrate a friend with a really expensive bottle of sparkling wine
47. Visit the Redwood forest
48. Redo the basement bathroom✔
49. Visit The Thousand Islands
50. Go ice fishing
51. Run a trail race
52. Treat my family to a themed dinner and a movie ✔ (Young Guns)
53. Go on a family vacation with my cousin and her girlfriend✔
54. Stay overnight at the ice hotel in Quebec
55. Write 150 blog entries about my life with the kids
56. Practice Hatha Yoga for 30 minutes a week (for a consecutive month)
57. Practice Hatha Yoga for 45 minutes a week (for a consecutive month)
58. Practice Hatha Yoga for 60 minutes a week (for a consecutive month)
59. Practice Hatha Yoga for 75 minutes a week (for a consecutive month)
60. Take the kids on vacation to New York City✔
61. Go on an overnight trip just me and Molly
62. Go on an overnight trip just me and Jack
63. Re-paint the upstairs bedrooms✔
64. Fix trim on main floor painting
65. Fix trim on upstairs hallway painting✔
    
    
    
    
    
    
66. Renovate our kitchen
67. Redo the sink/vanity & toilet for upstairs bathroom✔
68. Hike at Sleeping Giant Park
69. Hike Tunnel Mountain Banff
70. Hike Johnston Canyon Banff
71. Hike Badlands Trail Dinosaur Provincial Park
72. Hike Stawamus Chief (Squamish) BC
73. Hike Helmcken Falls Rim Trail (Wells Grey Provincial Park) BC
74. Hike the Flowerpot Island Loop✔
75. Hike Warsaw Caves Ontario
76. Visit Newfoundland
77. Hike Torque Mountain Ireland
78. Hike Muckross Abbey Loop Ireland
79. Hike The Divis Ridge Trail Ireland
80. Clear sky full moon canoe paddle The Humber River
81. Visit the Grand Canyon
82. Hike in New Mexico
83. Raise $1000 for a charity with the kids
84. Take the entire family snow shoeing
85. Take a story writing class with Molly
86. Help Jack create his first Stop Motion Short
87. Visit an Alpaca Farm for an overnight✔ 
88. Go to Niagara on the Lake with Chris for a post pandemic 15th Anniversary Celebration
    
    
    
    
    
    
89. Take Molly for High Tea✔
90. Host a dinner party with the kids helping me cook✔✔
91. Try traditional Anishnawbe Food✔
92. Buy a New BBQ✔
93. Learn to expertly BBQ two new recipes
94. Enjoy a winterlit night hike with the family✔
95. Hike Elks Falls Provincial Park BC
96. Submit article pitches to 10 new publications✔✔✔✔
97. Learn to drive stick shift
98. Teach Ted to lay down on command✔ - Thank you for your help with this one Alysha
99. Try a game of golf
100. Create a gratitude jar
101. Take the kids to the top of the CN Tower

My first 101 days of 101 in 1001 - When Resolutions Meet Bucket Lists

I'm a list person.  You should see my day planner, it has hundreds.  There are few things that feel better to me than when I get to cross an item off my to-do list.  Here's the thing - in the everyday, my to-do lists are filled with work and chores and not a lot of big ticket life goal moments, and I wanted to find a way to change that, even if that change was me chipping away at some things a little bit, day by day or month by month.

In December I read an article that really spoke to me about creating a list of 101 things I wanted to accomplish in 1001 days instead of  a more traditional resolution list (check it out in full here).  Yesterday I reached 101 days into this mash up of a bucket list and resolution list and I'm pretty happy with this progress.

Yeah, I know that it's highly unlikely that I'm going to complete every item on this list in less than three years, but I'm going to give it a shot, and for added motivation I thought I'd share what I have managed to complete, to help motivate me to push harder, and what I am planning on tackling next with my next check in being 250 days into my 1001. Some of what I achieved was big, other stuff was smaller tasks, moments, or to-dos that I routinely put off, some is a work in progress that I won't report on until it's complete.

Here's What I've Managed to Cross Off My List So Far - 9 Items

Take the kids to Disney✔ Completed March 2018

This will forever be one of my all time favourite moments, when Molly had to show Cinderella how they both had magic and matching shoes because sparkled high-tops are very royal

Indulge in a scalp massage✔ On February 2, 2018 I had this and it worked wonders on my laptop neck!

Have a pay per view article go viral (and earn me the freelance white whale of $1000)✔ on January 31st, 2018 I broke this record and have received over 2 million hits for this article  

Paint a painting✔ See my blog entry on this here

Run a 12.5 minute mile✔ Completed on February 20, 2018 during mile 3 of a 5 mile run

Walk along the ocean at Myrtle Beach✔ Completed on March 26, 2018

A view from the Myrtle Beach Board Walk on a Blustery Day

Finish Jack's baby book ✔ Completed February 24, 2018

No take out or fast food for a month ✔ Completed on February 28, 2018 and you can read about it here

Take Chris to try Korean BBQ✔ Completed on February 24, 2018

How do you stay motivated to complete your goals?  Stay tuned to find out how I do over the next 149 days this August!

To get access to the newest posts from Multiple Momstrosity and more on Facebook click here and follow today

Follow Multiple Momstrosity on Twitter @Sarabethbug

Fast Car - Our Fast Food & Take-Out Free Month

One of my bucket list 101 in 1001 goals is to go a month without fast food, delivery or take out.  While I know we're better than a lot of families, I know how easy it can be to order Swiss Chalet or pick up pizza after a long day of work and extra-curriculars.  I also know that my coffee habit can get expensive, so I also counted buying coffee out as a part of the umbrella of fast food, that is unless I had a business coffee meeting (which only happened once this month and I had a black tea with Agave from David's Tea).

I picked February because it's the shortest month of the year, but I feel a need to add in here that Chris suggested that we also practice a dry month (meaning no alcohol) from February 5th to March 9th, with three pre-scheduled "cheat" days for events we booked before taking this leap into healthy living overload - so we really doubled down on our challenges here.

For the most part it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  And I'm happy to report that we didn't cheat once.  Here are the highlights (and low lights) of another challenge completed, a month with no fast food.

A picture from the coffee truck I chased all last summer

Day 1: After a particular rough school drop off I wanted to treat myself to a jumbo vat of Tim Hortons Coffee, but I crossed the street so I wouldn't be tempted to head in for a medium double double.  I later over compensated by mainlining coffee at my parents house, but it wasn't take out, so I guess we're good?

Day 2: I purposely ignored a text from a friend who asked if I wanted her to bring me a coffee, so I wouldn't actually have to say no to coffee...just the same a pedicure without my standard double double felt a little wrong.

Day 4: After a long and fun ski trip there's nothing I'd like more than to order some pizza tonight and watch movies.  Instead I hit the grocery store before we even got home to make sure our cupboards were at least somewhat stocked.  We also bought a big jar of hot chocolate mix so the kids won't have to miss out on hot cocoa from Tim Hortons after their skating lessons, and indulged them in purchasing the Timmies brand hot chocolate.

Day 7: After a late work meeting I was asked out for drinks and food, and I politely declined to head home - although it was very tempting.  I was ravenous by the time I hit Dundas West Station at 745PM and McDonald's was right there.  I kept it together and made myself some pasta at home, even though I didn't get to eat it until 830PM....I should get some sort of brownie points for this one. Mmmm...brownies.

Day 10: Today we avoided fast food after going to a hockey game with the kids and after a night out for double date drinks - one of our dry month "cheat days".  This is usually one of the most tempting times to "treat ourselves" to something unhealthy - our partners in crime suggested poutine and we declined.  Instead we went home and made sandwiches (that's not a euphemism)..Sure they weren't the healthiest sandwiches, but it wasn't poutine, a burger, or junk from 7-11.

Day 13: Not being able to grab myself a jumbo coffee during my "long" day of work seems particularly tortuous today.  I don't know why.  This tea just isn't cutting it and I'm too lazy to make myself coffee for one.

Day 14: I just realized that the coffee truck that I was stalking at the fresh market on the Lakeshore all last summer has opened up a pop up shop directly on the route to pick up and drop off the kids at school...I'm crossing my fingers that it's still open come March.

Day 15: The regular delivery offers that come to my email inbox are starting to taunt me, especially since tonight is salmon and salad night in an attempt to be healthier.  It's like they know and have set up an email campaign to win me back.  Actually I'm certain this is how their email subscription works Curses to them and their delicious coupons!

Day 18: Jack asked if we could order in sushi tonight. This is the first time one of the children has complained or noticed our new healthier eating regimen.  I guess this means they're doing better than we are.  So, we've compromised and will take him the first weekend in March when Molly's at a friend's birthday party.

Day 22: I am absolutely exhausted and would love a cup of coffee from Tim Hortons, unfortunately I'm also too lazy to make myself coffee,  So I'll just take a nap instead.

Fresh Tulips, not Fast Food for the win

Day 24: Tonight we went to a restaurant (totally within the rules) for Korean BBQ.  Eating out really felt like a treat and afterwards we went to a fruit market and loaded up on berries, cucumbers, and some fresh tulips.  Pretty happy with our choices right now.

Day 27: Chris is down 4lbs since we started this journey and although the scale has barely budged for me, my pants are feeling a lot looser, and this isn't about weight necessarily, it's about being healthy.

Day 28: Today is the last day.  I am happy to be done, but have learned a lot.  Coffee and convenience are clearly the biggest triggers for me compared to an actual want or dependency on fast food.  I have also realized how lazy I am when it comes to making my own coffee unless I have someone to share it with, and since Chris isn't a coffee drinker, it just hasn't happened.  I'm hoping some of this will stick and help us be more mindful of our choices and to treat myself to some home brew more often.  All the same I'm heading to Little Havana's Coffee pop up immediately following school drop off tomorrow morning and indulging in their Cafe Bon Bon before the pop up shop closes.  Only nine more days until a crisp Sauv Blanc!


To check out my progress on my 101 in 1001 goals (or get inspiration for a list of your own) click here

To get access to the newest posts from Multiple Momstrosity and more on Facebook click here and follow today

Follow Multiple Momstrosity on Twitter @Sarabethbug

Painting the Roses Red

This year, in the spirit of both New Year's Resolutions and bucket lists, I started a 101 in 1001 list.  Details on my bucket list/resolutions can be found here.  One of the items I wanted to check off my list was to paint a painting, so to get my list rolling before January is gone the husband and I booked a date night at a sip and paint event place.  We decided to support local and visit Pinot's Palette in the Junction, and walked over Saturday night after dinner.

One of the ideas of this list is to help expand my horizons, do things I've always wanted to do, and in many cases push myself outside of my regular comfort zone.  I think it's important to show the minions that something can be fun and worth trying, even if you aren't that good at it.  My grandmother Alice was a painter, I am not.

Apparently the last Friday in January is typically when most people abandon their New Year's Resolutions...and it's called fail Friday, so it seemed like the perfect day to take on a challenge from my list!  After watching some Bob Ross painting on Netflix, we decided painting a winter cabin would be the perfect selection.  We put on our aprons, grabbed some beer, and followed our instructor's lead.  It was challenging and fun, and I'm glad we did it.

In our festive aprons we're ready to get started!

As we finished our paintings I realized that the last time I painted anything other than a wall in my house I was in grade nine art class.  So, It's been nearly 25 years since I picked up a brush! 

My winter cabin 

Here are Chris & My paintings side by side

While I don't think I'm going to give up my spot at my laptop writing any time soon and host my own art show, painting was fun, rewarding, and relaxing.  Molly has decided that she wants us to hang both eerily similar paintings on the wall above her bed.  So at least we have one fan. 

Stay tuned for some regular updates of some of my more noteworthy list items as I cross them off the list. 

To get access to the newest posts from Multiple Momstrosity and more on Facebook click here and follow today

Follow Multiple Momstrosity on Twitter @Sarabethbug

99 Red Balloons (plus 2) 101 in 1001 - A Year Without A New Year Resolution

I am a list person, and I had a very specific New Year's Resolution, or more of a goal, in mind for 2018. I've been setting monthly distance running goals for two months now and have successfully completed both, including running over 64 miles in the month of December.  I wanted to set a goal for running for 2018, to run 800 miles total for the year, which I'm still going to do, but I want it to be a part of something even bigger and a lot more fun.

Today I read  an article about creating a 101 in 1001 list instead of a traditional New Year's resolution list.  Basically it's a combination of 101 goals and bucket list items to be completed in 1001 days (so around two and three quarter years).  Since I'm about to celebrate a major milestone in 2018 (the big 40) I thought it would be very timely and more fun than a resolution list.

I am well aware that it's very unlikely that I get to knock every item off of this list, but it will be fun getting there.  I will add check marks when I complete something and enter the date that I complete it, and write some entries on some of them as well.  Here we go! This list is in no particular order.  I hope I inspire others towards not just meeting goals, but sharing things and pursuing some dreams!

Cheers to the things I'll complete before September 28, 2020!

1. Run 800 miles in a single year
   (Progress: ran 75.44 miles in January 2018, ran 75.76 miles in February 2018, Ran 58.01 miles in March 2018, ran 59.94 miles in April 2018, ran 60.93 miles in May, ran 45.91 miles in June)
2. Write a children's story about and for Molly & Jack
3. Take the kids to Disney✔ Completed March 2018
4. Donate blood
5. Successfully complete the license plate game on a road trip (got 48 states on July 2018 road trip)
6. Indulge in a scalp massage✔ On February 2, 2018 I had this and it worked wonders on my laptop neck!
7. Run 1000 miles in a single year
8. Have a pay per view article go viral (and earn me the freelance white whale of $1000)✔ on January 31st, 2018 I broke this record and have received over 2 million hits for this article
9. Run an 8KM race
10. Run a 10KM race
11. Have a big 40th birthday bash✔
12. Learn how to better use photo shop
13. Grow my business by 20 percent in one year
14. Go hiking in the Catskill Mountains✔ Completed on July 12, 2018
15. Read the entire Harry Potter series with Molly and Jack (read book one with Molly and half of book 2)
16. Be able to complete a 3 minute plank
17. Learn to do a Kart Wheel
18. Be able to do a headstand (I was able to do these thanks to a regular Hatha Yoga Class in my 20's but have lost it over the years)
19. Go horseback riding with Molly and Jack✔ Completed August 10, 2018
20. Take a nature survivalist class
    
    
    

    

    
    

21. Get professional family photos that I love
22. Take an archery class
23. Swim at the bottom of a waterfall
24. Make a balloon payment on our mortgage
25. Send a message in a bottle (with the kids)
26. Paint a painting✔ See my blog entry on this here
27. Attend a blogger conference
28. Create a strategic business plan
29. Read Anne of Green Gables with Molly✔
30. Visit 5 new MLB stadiums for games (with Chris)✔ PNC Park July 2018
31. Get a professional biography photo I love
32. Run a 5KM colour run
33. Go to the outdoor movies in the summer for a picnic✔ August 13, 2018 - Before Sunrise in Christie Pitts Park
34. 10 pieces of mail for a friend in one month to show them I'm thinking of them (one per year)
35. Go on a special family vacation to celebrate my 40th
36. Get an article or short story published in a prominent magazine
37. Frame and hang my Alice in Wonderland prints
38. Write a fictional short story
39. Write a fictional novella
40. Grow my business by 25 percent in a year
41. Clean out the spare room closet✔
42. Use my office as an office to better divide freelance life and home life
43. Indulge in a professional cleaner for our house (just once)
44. Get published in a prominent newspaper (article or short story)
45. Participate in philanthropy that is Molly and Jack's selection
46. Complete 31 days to Building a Better Blog (not necessarily in 31 consecutive days)
47. See But I'm A Cheerleader on Broadway
48. Go on a date to see classical music in the Casa Loma Garden✔
49. Run a 12.5 minute mile✔ Completed on February 20, 2018 during mile 3 of a 5 mile run
50. Walk along the ocean in Myrtle Beach✔ Completed on March 26, 2018
51. Annual girls spa weekend to reconnect with friends✔
52. Finish Jack's baby book ✔ Completed February 24, 2018
53. Create a 3-7 year old photo album for both Molly and Jack
54. Get a croquet set and play croquet with the kids✔  Given to me by my parents on August 10th, 2018, played with M& J on August 14, 2018
55. Save up $1000 in coins and spend it on something indulgent for me
56. Run a 12 minute mile✔
57. Invest in a good camera✔
58. Learn to grow my brand/business using Instagram✔
59. Have my blog reach a million hits
60. Go on a winery tour/tasting with friends
61. Buy the perfect little black dress
62. Go Geocaching with the kids
63. Save up $1000 in coins and spend it on something indulgent for the family
64. Take a photo of the same view in all four seasons
65. Teach the kids how to tie their shoelaces
66. Celebrate our 15th Wedding Anniversary with something special
67. Visit Central America with the kids
68. Teach the kids how to fish (take them fishing) - Molly has been taught by Chris
69. Get eyelash extensions for a special event✔
70. Get more photos of the kids with their grandparents (Trip to Disney March 2018 some)
71. Run a 11.5 minute mile
    
    
    

    

    
    

72. Get more photos of Chris and I with our parents
73. Learn how to curl my hair with my straightening iron✔ achieved September 14, 2018
74. Go to a class to learn something new with the kids
75. Celebrate a friend with a really expensive bottle of sparkling wine
76. Run a 11 minute mile
77. See Vampire Weekend in concert  June 5, 2019✔
78. Join and play in an co-ed fun sports league
79. Treat the family to a special meal of cornish game hens
80. Find the perfect meal of beef wellington
81. No take out or fast food for a month ✔ Completed on February 28, 2018
82. Go on an annual date day with each kid one on one
83. Read Lemony Snicket Series to/with the kids (Book 1 - February 3, 2018, Book 2 - February 23, 2018 Book 3 - March 24, 2018, Book 4 May 10, 2018), 
84. Go out west to visit Chris's grandmother
85. Visit Redwood forest
86. Save $1000 in coins and spend it all on charity
87. Redo the basement bathroom
88. Visit The Thousand Islands
89. Go snowshoeing ✔ Completed January 19, 2019 
90. Go ice fishing
91. Take Chris to try Korean BBQ✔ Completed on February 24, 2018
92. Hike the Elora Gorge Trail✔ Hiked May 26, 2018
93. Donate and reduce 2 garbage bags of clutter each month for a year ✔  (done more in a big chunk thanks to Marie Kondo
94. Run a trail race
95. Treat my family to a themed dinner and a movie (at least one per year)
96. Get myself professionally measured for a bra
97. Go on a family vacation with my cousin and her girlfriend
98. Run a 10 minute mile
99. Stay overnight at the ice hotel in Quebec
100. Write 200 blog entries about my life with the kids
101. Teach the kids to ride their bikes

Anything you'd add?  Did I inspire you to write a list?  Let me know, I'd love to hear it.