30 Before 30 | About Progress

Below is my 30 Before 30 Bucket List. Here’s the post where I originally explain it. I’ve been pretty flexible with it, switching goals or full-on replacing them. But for the most part, I’ve stuck with my original list! Completed lists are at the bottom.

1) Read 30 Books: 1) Fault in Our Stars; 2) One more Thing; 3) Finding Audrey; 4) Girl on a Train; 5) What Alice Forgot; 6) Why is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me; 7) My Story; 8) This is a Story of a Marriage; 9) Gone Girl; 10) Stories On My Way Home; 11) Yes, Please; 12) The Highly Sensitive Child; 13) Brooklyn (book-on-tape); 14) Boston Girl (book-on-tape); 15) Goldfinch (book-on-tape); 16) Winnie the Pooh (with my kids in the car, another book-on-tape); 17) Peter Pan (another car one, with my kids–I’m getting desperate!); 18) Still Alice; 19) Why Not Me; 20) The Book Thief; 21) Big Magic; 22) Committed; 23) August Summer; 24) The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy; 25) I need to remind myself, but I know I read two I can’t recall; Currently reading: Faith Crisis. (I started so many books that I have yet to finish, including the Tidying one (ugh, not the biggest fan–sorry!), Elizabeth Gilbert’s latest novel (had to stop), and some parenting books, among others).

2) Finish Three Online Classes: I’ve signed up for four classes: photography, illustrator, and beginning/intermediate sewing…. That’s it. I’m thinking this is going to turn into a 2016 goal. (Finished one sewing class!)

3) Make a Dress: This should coincide with the sewing class I bought. #Weekend Goals.

4) Try Five New Ice Cream Shops: 1) Smitten, in Lafayette–it was incredible; Failing miserably with this one…

5) Make a Photo Album: Soooooo many pictures on our computer; none properly documented for our family. My goal is to do one year at a time, starting with 2015. (HAVE NOT STARTED!)

6) Discover Our State! Family Trip to a New Place (for us!) in CA: Thinking Big Sur… (We had plans to do that, but forgot Brad is running a half that weekend.)

7) Learn How to Watercolor (Bought some supplies–that’s the first step, right?!)

–completed goals–

8) 30 Dates with Brad: 1) Phantom of the Opera; 2) Parent night at the preschool; 3) Barnes and Noble; 4) Mexican food and back to the future; 5) Sushi; 6) running date and Whole Foods pastries; 7) Rocket Summer concert; 8) Dinner at Twigs; 9) Star Wars; 10) Family date (anniversary) to California Pizza Kitchen and Barnes and Noble; 11) Netflix at home; 12) Netflix at home with ice cream; 13) Local musical review; 14) Temple for sealings; 15) Burma Superstar; 16) Dinner at Mona’s; 17) Costco Family dinner (also getting desperate); 18) Saw Independence Day; 19) At-home Netflix and dessert date; 20) Dinner in Orinda and ben and jerry’s; 21) Group date to temple and dinner; 22) Family date to Even Stevens; 23) Drive around town date; 24) Concert (Sherwood); 25) Temple and ice cream; 26) Movie; 27) Movie; 28) Anniversary Lunch; 29) Visit to Grandma; 30) La La Land!!!!!!! (I extended this to the end of the year.)

9) Go to the LDS Temple 10 Times: 1-Labor Day; 2-December 8th; 3-January 7th; 4-March 15th; 5-April 22nd; 6-May 26th; 7-Sometime in July….; 8) August 27th; (Local temple is closed now…) 9) September (can’t remember the exact date); 10) October (can’t remember either…)

10) Go to 10 New Restaurants: 1) Slider Bar; 2) El Molina; 3) Oyami Sushi; 4) Twigs; 5) Denica’s; 6) Black Bear Diner; 7) Burma Superstar; 8) Sparky’s Giant Burgers; 9) Piccolo Napoli ; 10) Sweet Lake Biscuits and Limeade; 11) Even Stevens

11) Ten Family Hikes: 1) Rock City; 2) Redwoods at Santa Cruz; 3) Castle Rock; 4) Brad took RG on one in Mt. Diablo; 5) We went on a local one, but I can’t remember where… 6) Lands End; 7) Rock City (I’m still counting it, even if it’s our second time); 8) Briones; 9) Boulder Lake; 10) Goose Creek; 11) Secesh;

12) Do Ten New Activities with Kids: 1) trampoline place; 2) Museum of Curiosity in UT; 3) Exploratorium in SF; 4) Discovery Kingdom with family; 5) Saw Christmas Lights in Alameda; 6) Monterey Bay Aquarium; 7) Alcatraz!; 8) Tumbling gym (led to gymnastics lessons); 9) Berkeley Slides and Rose Gardens; 10) Bay Area Discovery Museum!; 11) First time to Disneyland!

13) Take a “Mom Day”: I did it!

14) 10 New Athlete Feats/Adventures/Something New: 1) Barre3 online workouts; 2) Family runs; 3) Rock City as family; 4) New gym and new strength training; 5) Planned a 5K; 6) Podium finish for half marathon; 7) Ballet Class (that led to injuries, so…); 8) Home strength training using a collection of instagrammer’s workouts (this is not terribly new, but it is a feat!); 9) Group strength-training class with a personal trainer (they are killer! Signed up for weekly, now); 10) Barre class with a friend; 11) CLIMBED Mt. Diablo!; 12) Consistent at-home strength training workouts, like Beach Body.

15) Visit Stinson Beach/Other Beach: We did a beach at Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz, but no swimming.

16) Eat at a Nice Restaurant with Brad: My parents let us use a gift card they had to a restaurant while we visited in UT. Might count that… Also went to a nice italian place in Orinda.

17) Bike Ride: I cycled up Mt. Diablo with a friend.

18) Make/bake 30 New Things: What I’ve made so far… 1) peach pie; 2) Tartine’s brownies; 3) breakfast casserole; 4) Reese’s cheesecake; 5) roast; 6) red enchiladas; 7) balsamic grilled chicken; 8) peanut butter caramel cookie bars; 9)dark chocolate granola bites; 10) pumpkin cookies; 11) granola–recipe with ginger; 12) classic cheesecake; 12) apple caramel pie; 13) breadsticks; 15) peanut butter s’more cake; 16) apple cheesecake bars; 17) dark chocolate ganache Oreo pie; 18) Chocolate peanut butter cake; 19) Yellow cake with chocolate frosting; 20) Granola bars (yes, with chocolate); 21) Dulce de Leche Chocolate Cake; 22) Ben and Jerry’s Tonight Dough Cake; 23) Indian Butter Chicken; 24) Soda-marinated chicken (this is actually really, really good); 25) Strawberry Cake; 26) Mexican Quinoa Bowls; 27) Roasted Veggie Grain Bowls; 28) Butterscotch Cake; 29) French Bread Rolls, shaped into hamburger buns; 30) Ultimate S’More Cake

19) Go on a Zip Line OR Go to Amusement Park: We went to Discovery Kingdom over Christmas.

20) Stay at Grand America: This one won’t happen, but I am going to count the one that Brad and I stayed in on our overnighter–the Lafayette Hotel. It was by far the nicest hotel we’ve stayed in.

21) Adult Museum Trip with Brad or Whole Family: I went by myself with three friends. We went to the Oscar de la Renta exhibit at the De Young Museum, in Golden Gate Park. It was such a heavenly day.

22) Family Day in SF: We just completed this one with my visiting family. Went to the Farmers Market at the Ferry Building, followed by a hike at Land’s End (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!); and Nick’s Tacos before we went home. It was SUCH a good day.

23) Start a Blog: !!!!!!!

24) Go to Alcatraz: Check! Did this with my family visiting, which made it even funner.

25) Run a New Race: Ran the Walnut Creek Half!

26) Go On an Overnighter with Brad: We made it a staycation and went to a local hotel. Our first overnighter in 8 years of marriage!

27) Go to a Concert with Brad: We went to Rocket Summer and I seriously had a spiritual experience. LOVED IT! First concert I’ve ever been to that I wasn’t ready for it to be over, because I’m a wuss when it comes to standing for long period of time; Also went to Sherwood which was so, so good!!!!

28) Eat Sushi with Brad: Check! Made that part of our Overnighter.

29) Re-read the Book of Mormon

30) Berkeley Slides with Kids: Check! (We’ve done it twice, actually.)

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