30 Before 30

Lately I’ve been in a very ambitious mood. Maybe it’s the new job, maybe it’s just a part of getting older, whatever it is my success-driven kick has made me think about a few things that I’ve been wanting to do for a while but can never quite get around to.

So, because I love a good deadline, I’ve given myself to my 30th birthday on May 19, 2014 to fulfill a couple of bucket list items. Here’s my list and a little background on each of the goals:

1. Take a dance class. It has been a very long time since I’ve taken a proper dance class, and truthfully I miss it. I know I probably can’t keep up like I used to, but I’m willing to try. Any takers?
   
2. Write a short story. Yes, I’m a writer, but really I’m a journalist – I tell true stories and cover events that have actually happened. I’ve always wanted to take a stab at fiction and figure a short story is a good first step.
   
3. Show Brandon my hometown. I was lucky enough to visit the area where Brandon was born a few months ago. Now, it’s my turn to show Brandon what the Windy City is all about!
   
4. Volunteer on a holiday. One Thanksgiving when I was in high school, I helped serve dinner to the homeless. Ideally I’d like to make it a tradition to volunteer around the holidays every year.
5. Sew a quilt. I’ve already semi-started this project but never finished it. My first step is going to be signing up for a quilting class – I’ve already got about three different T-shirt quilts I want to make.
   
6. Make a recipe book. My family may not have a ton of recipes that have been passed down but I know we’ve got a few. Add that to some from friends and the Reinert/Thomas families and I think I’m set.
   
7. Visit New York City. So, I’ve never seen NYC, but now that I have friends who live there I really have no excuse. I’ve been wanting to go for a while and I figure there’s no better time than now.
   
8. Read “Gone with the Wind.” I love reading but I can never find the time to read the classics. This is just one of many great novels that I hope to read, I just need to find the time!
   
9. Get a psychic reading. It’s silly I know, but I believe in psychics. I had a reading over the phone not too long ago, but I’d like to take a trip to Cassadaga for a face-to-face reading.
   
10. Find a mentor. I’m hoping this one actually gets crossed off before the end of this year. I think there’s nothing more inspiring and effective than learning from a seasoned professional.
    
11. Go to an outdoor concert. OK, so I’ve been to an outdoor concert before but it has been a very long time. The good thing about living in Florida is that you can catch outdoor events almost all year long.
    
12. Buy something from Tiffany & Co. Can you believe I don’t own a single piece of jewelry from Tiffany? Well it’s about time I buy myself a little something that comes in a pretty blue box.
    
13. Take a yoga class. I enjoy yoga – although I’m not exactly good at it – and really want to go to a class. There is a great yoga place in College Park (or so I’ve heard) that I’d like to try.
    
14. Brew my own beer. Brandon and I have been talking about home brewing for a while. I’m actually surprised we haven’t already tried it out – I’ll invite you over to taste our brew once it’s done!
    
15. Buy a designer piece of clothing. I read that every successful person should have one amazing, expensive outfit because you never know when it may come in handy. I’m ready for mine.
16. Bake a red velvet cake. I haven’t baked a cake in a while but I’d love to make one from scratch and red velvet has a special place in my heart (my fellow Theta Thetas understand).
17. Learn to use my sewing machine. I got a great new sewing machine for Christmas and I’m sad to say it’s still in the box. But it came with a training DVD so I’m ready to learn!
    
18. Go to an NFL game. I’ve been to an MLB, NBA, NCAA (football and basketball) and even an NHL game before but I’ve never been to a pro football game. I’d say it’s about time.
    
19. Lose 10 pounds. I originally only made this 5 pounds, but after getting on the scale at Publix today I changed it to 10. I guess it’s more about getting in shape but I’d like to shed a few too.
20. Donate old clothes to Good Will. I’ve had a couple bags of old clothes in my back room for at least a year and I know my closet could use a good cleaning out, too. Time to give it away.
21. Buy a home. We are tired of renting and have been looking into homes in College Park. If we aren’t in a home of our own by the time I’m 30 … some one please shake some sense into me.
22. Sew an outfit for myself. This goes along with learning to use my sewing machine. I want to go to the craft store, find a pattern I like, pick some fabric and make something for myself.
    
23. Get a massage. I’ve never had a real massage and not only do I want one, I really need one. Maybe I’ll save up and let Brandon in on the love with a couple’s massage! (Maybe.)
24. See the West Coast. I’m really excited about this one because if all goes according to plan I should be able to cross this off in the next couple of months. West Coast here I come!
25. Go vegetarian for a month. I’ll admit, I’m not overly excited about this but I wanted to put something on this list that would really challenge me. I’ll probably pick a short month though. 😉
26. Create a home office. I’m lucky enough to have the opportunity to occasionally work from home, so I need an appropriate work space to ensure I get all my work done while in the house.
27. Organize my old pictures. I have a whole box full of pictures (and don’t even get me started on all of Brandon’s photos) that need to be put into albums or at least organized and labeled.
28. Travel outside the country. This is the one thing on my list that I feel is a little far fetched. I’ve traveled out of the country before but I’d really like to see someplace new with the hubby.
29. Make a wedding wall. I found a great idea online to make a wall with wedding pictures from members of your family. I’ve already started collecting the photos, I just need to put them all up.
30. Have a baby. OK, so I know this is a big aspiration and one that relies on a lot of other factors but ultimately we’d like to have a little Reinert running around before we turn the big 3-0.

So, those are my goals. I’ll keep everyone posted with my progress and I know I’ve given myself a lot of time to get all this done but I’m looking forward to the adventures they will bring!

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Book Report: “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult

I actually changed my book report at the last minute because I happened to catch “My Sister’s Keeper” on TV this weekend. I’ve read the book – and loved it – but heard the movie wasn’t worth my time because the ending was so different. Well, it turns out I should have listened because the movie was definitely disappointing.

One of my favorite things about the book was an unexpected and almost ironic twist that completely changes the outcome of the story. I won’t spoil it for anyone in case you haven’t read the novel yet, so I’ll just say that the book is about a girl with cancer and her younger sister who was basically bred to be a donor.

The novel is a really great read and if you’re set on seeing the movie (or have seen it already) I highly recommend the book … you’ll be glad you did!

Paint Me Paisley

One of my favorite hangouts around town is All Fired Up in Winter Park, a paint-your-own-pottery place with a BYOB policy. So I was extremely excited when the Orlando XΩ Alumnae Association decided to hold our monthly get-together there.

Lina and I went together, it was her first time getting “fired up.” After browsing through the store Lina decided to make herself a new mug. She found a cute paisley stencil and put together a fun palette of greens, purples and pinks.

I didn’t want to make something that would never get used so I settled on a new coaster for my drink at work. I planned on putting my first name on the coaster but fell in love with Lina’s paisley stencil and changed up my final design.

You couldn’t really tell before it was put in the kiln, but Lina painted the background of her mug pink. They say that the colors turn out a lot darker after they are fired – and they weren’t lying.

I was really happy with how my coaster turned out. I could have probably used a couple of extra coats on the dark purple as well as on the pink edges, but I still think it looks great!

Off course my new office accessory makes a perfect place to set my XΩ tumbler. Now all I need is a little matching plate to put my plant “Jeffrey” on.

Anyone up for a painting party? I call dibs on the paisley stencil!

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Blog Report: Learn Something Every Day (learnsomethingeveryday.co.uk)

For some reason I’m loving little nuggets of random trivia right now. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find the blog Learn Something Every Day. If you’re like me and you can’t get enough of useless facts – this is the site for you!

Did you know that the lifespan of a tastebud is 10 days? Or that elephants walk on their tippy toes? How about that cows that are given names produce more milk? Yeah, neither did I – and these are just a few of the random facts I learned after browsing the blog for a few minutes.

The British-based blog has fun little cartoons that illustrate interesting tid bits of knowledge. There is a little bit of sad news to go along with this blog report though. This month the site celebrates two things: its second birthday and its retirement. So be sure to stop by before August 31 to read through all the fun, random facts!

Doxiepalooza a.k.a. Our Trip to Coral Springs

Thank goodness for awesome friends. Brandon and I have been so busy for the past couple of months that we haven’t been spending much time relaxing and really enjoying the summer.

So, we were more than happy to take up an offer to visit Alli’s sister and her family in Coral Springs for a long weekend full of swimming, sun and a whole lot of dachshunds!

Ben, Alli, Bella, Brandon, Millie and I packed up the car and made our way down to South Florida. Millie got comfortable in her favorite car-ride spot.

We were greeted at the Smith house with a warm welcome from our hosts: Stavid … or Dacey, I’m not sure if they’ve decided on an official couple name.

A total of four dachshunds were running around the house the entire weekend. Bella, Guinness, Millie and Finnegan had a great time and became fast friends!

After we arrived, we unloaded our bags and left the dogs with the kids while we went to Mai-Kai for happy hour. Brandon got the Barrel o’ Rum while I had a Mai-Tai.

On our way out of the restaurant Ben and I posed for a BenAnna picture before the boys got all excited about seeing Joe Thiesman – apparently he is a Hall of Fame football player.

The next day was dedicated to spending some time poolside and playing cornhole. Bella was the only dog brave enough to jump right into the pool!

For dinner we had a delicious boil with shrimp, scallops, sausage, corn and potatoes. It was very yummy and was complemented well by my Honey Moon.

After a long day and night of swimming and drinking, we ended the night at Tiki Springs. The next morning David went outside to assess the damage.

Two days of playing, swimming and chasing lizards was enough for Millie, who was definitely ready to head home. She was a very good girl the entire weekend and made a few new four-legged friends.

The dogs were so exhausted from their fun, doxie-filled adventure that they were passed out the entire ride home. (They were even holding hands!)

I’m really glad we got the chance to get away for the weekend, the trip was a blast! Brandon, Millie and I all really enjoyed ourselves and we are very grateful to Stacey and David for having us – hopefully it is just the first of many trips down to the Smith house!

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Book Report: “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot

I heard a lot of really great things about this book, so I decided to offer it up as a recommendation for my book club. Another member had also heard good things so we all gave it a whirl.

The book is about HeLa cells which a. have lived for about 60 years and contributed to the development of numerous scientific discoveries and b. were taken from Henrietta Lacks in the early ’50s without her knowledge.

Throughout the novel, the author, Rebecca Skloot, searches for Henrietta’s surviving family members and describes how the cells progressed from a woman’s personal battle with cervical cancer to major breakthroughs like the polio vaccine, in vitro fertilization and cloning.

If it sounds really science-y and a little bit boring … well, yeah it is. I had a hard time getting through some of the more medically concentrated chapters but the history of it all is pretty interesting.

See below for a video about the book!