Magnolia

Earlier this month we went to Mark's company Christmas party. It was held at Magnolia restaurant in Lafayette. The food was delicious and the service was great! Another new restaurant that I am sure we will be visiting again!

#20 Eat at 10 new restaurants (8/10 complete)

Radda

I received a gift card for Radda Trattoria, an Italian restaurant in Boulder. I had never been there but had heard good things about their food. I got a delicious gluten-free pasta dish with alfredo sauce, mushrooms and onions, the best part about it was that the noodles weren't mushy (which frequently happens with gluten-free pasta) and they tasted great! I will definitely be going back to try more of their GF food!

#20 Eat at 10 new restaurants (7/10 complete)

It feels so good to get organized!

Last weekend I got the motivation to organize ALL of our files, going back to 2005. It took a few (long) hours, but it was totally worth it in the end! It feels SO good to get organized and I am definitely keeping it this way!

#99 Organize files at home Check!

Found a new lunch spot...

where I can actually eat a SANDWICH!

Jimmy & Drew's in Boulder off of 28th has gluten-free bread! Lately I have been down about not being able to easily find lunch around town (that is not a salad), I was so happy when I found out that Jimmy & Drew's serves sandwiches on gluten-free bread :-D

#20 Eat at 10 new restaurants (6/10 complete)

#86 Catch a fish and take it off the hook myself

On Sunday Mark took me fly fishing for the first time. I have to say I was a bit sceptical at first but after catching the first couple fish I thought to myself,  "wow, I could really get into this!" I have a hard time grabbing the fish but I am proud to say that I caught 7 fish and took all 7 hooks out myself!

I didn't want my camera to get wet so I unfortunately don't have a picture, but since I enjoyed this so much I am SURE I will be going again and I will make sure to snap a few shots. Here's a pic of Mark that his dad took the day before.

#86 Catch a fish and take it off the hook myself  Check!

#21 Take my parents out to dinner

This last Saturday on a whim I decided to call my parents and see if they would like to join me for breakfast. We went to Two Dog Diner in Prospect, a favorite of mine and a first for my parents, it was very yummy! I am on a strict new diet of no dairy or gluten and have been branching out with my food choices. I wouldn't normally order eggs from a restaurant (I like to cook them myself because they have to be almost over-cooked to be to my liking) but I have come to LOVE the omelettes at Two Dog Diner!

#21-Take my parents out to dinner breakfast Check!

Jack's Corner Cafe

New restaurant in town called Jack's Corner Cafe, we tried it for the first time on Friday. Good food, good price and nice atmosphere...I'm sure we will be back!

Yummy tortelleni and italian sausage!

#20 Eat at 10 new restaurants (5/10 complete)

Yellowstone National Park is....

BEAUTIFUL!!!!

I am so glad Mark and I took the time to go through Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks on our way to our friends' wedding in Idaho. The weather wasn't great when we were in Teton NP, rainy, gloomy and overcast, but we were so happy it ended up clearing up by the evening. Yellowstone was more beautiful than I remembered it to be! I loved having picnics with my hubby, walking around the geysers, finding 2 elk before the crowds got to them, and just being in nature for 3 days was so much fun and relaxing. Here are a few pics from our adventure:

#10-Take a road trip through Yellowstone National Park Check!

It's been a while.....

Sorry it has been sooo long since my last post, things have just been a whirl-wind lately. Anyways....

About a month ago Mark and I went camping up off of the Peak-to-Peak Highway just outside of Ward. I finally had a chance (and the courage) to shoot the AR-15, which was ironically a wedding gift from a friend (pretty cool gift if you ask me!). I had SO much fun, this is my new favorite gun to shoot, it hardly kicks but definitely packs a punch, and I'd have to say I look pretty cool shooting it too ;-)

#90-Shoot the AR-15 Check!

7West - Longmont

I went to dinner with a friend last night at 7West in Longmont. They just got a rooftop patio (sa-weet!!) so we thought we'd check it out. The patio was AWESOME, the food was tasty, however the service was definetly sub-par, but I would definitely go again!

#20 - Eat at 10 new restaurants (4/10 complete)

Wow, lots of things off my list this past week!

Last night Mark and I finally had a chance to go through the rest of our wedding pictures for our wedding album! All I can say is I am ECSTATIC to FINALLY have this done! At least it didn't take us longer than a year, right....

#13-Order our wedding album Check!

Old friends are great...

Because no matter how much time passes since you last saw them, you can always pick up right where you left off! I went to lunch with an old friend, Sarena, yesterday. We went to the Pumphouse in Longmont, partly to celebrate her college graduation and partly just to catch up! All I can say is; good food and good company!

#29-Treat a friend to lunch Check!

Bike MS (aka MS150)

This last weekend I volunteered for the MS150, it was so much fun! Granted I had to get up at 3am on Saturday but it was totally worth it being able to see so many people support such a great cause. It really hits close to me since my dad has MS.

I have wanted to volunteer for a few years now but I never think of signing up to volunteer until it's time for the ride. I am so glad I signed up in plenty of time and was able to be a part (a very small part) of getting the ride ready! I will be doing this again next year!

#93- Volunteer at the MS150 Check!

Not the trip we planned for...

This last weekend Mark and I had planned to go to Lake Powell for a canoe trip. When we arrived on Saturday at Lake Powell, we got the canoe in the water and started heading out to Moqui Canyon, on Lake Powell. Shortly after we started paddling out, a large houseboat drove by and caused HUGE wakes. We felt as though we were not safe enough in the canoe to continue on our way, so we turned around, headed back to the dock and loaded the car back up to try to find another way we could still make this trip work. So we started driving north, searching for a canyon we could put the canoe in. Strikeout after strikeout, we exhausted all but the last option of trying to get out on Powell with the canoe. We headed to our last option, Hite Marina. We finally make it to Hite and we couldn't have been happier. There was water and a descent campsite, we couldn't ask for anything more. So we unloaded the car, got the tent set up, and we ready to cook dinner. It seemed like the minute we got the tent set up the winds just started HOWLING, I look over and the tent is lying flat from the wind. At this point it was about 7pm and we knew there was no way we could camp here, so we packed everything back in the car and decided it would be best to start heading back to Moab (a 3.5 hour drive). On the way we drive through Blanding, Utah, we find a place to eat, get our food and all of the suddon Mark isn't feeling well. At this point we had decided that it makes the most sense to get a hotel and finish the drive back to Moab on Sunday. So we head to the Super 8 in Blanding, check in and get to our room. Whew, FINALLY, we have a place to sleep! Not more than 5 minutes after we get into our room, Mark is sick. I just couldn't believe it, after the long day we had already, poor Mark had to deal with being sick, Sunday couldn't come fast enough!



After Saturday things got much easier for us, we headed back to Moab, had lunch and then found a great campsite along the Colorado River, we set up camp, made dinner, and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. Monday morning we headed back into Moab and had breakfast, then decided to visit Arches National Park. Beautiful, just beautiful!! We then headed back to Moab, checked into our hotel, took a nap and then decided to drive to a lake we heard about from some locals (Lake Oowah) which about 45 minutes outside of Moab, we heard there is some good fishing there. We fished for a few hours, but we didn't have any luck catching any fish. Mark got a few bites but we didn't catch anything. We spent the night at the hotel, woke up the next morning and ate breakfast, walked the town for a little bit and then headed back home to Colorado. We were sad the trip was coming to an end but we were so glad to be heading home!





Overall the trip was fantastic, it definitely had it's challenges, but we survived and it only made us stronger!!

#12-Take a trip with Mark Check!

Visit Washington D.C.

This past weekend Mark and I, along with my parents, headed out to Maryland for a few days. We were headed out East for my cousin (and best friend)'s wedding reception. Since they live so close to D.C. we really wanted to try to make a visit to our nation's capital. I am so glad we were able to visit D.C., it was absolutely breathtaking! Here are a few pics from our trip:



Capital Building and Washington Monument


Lincoln Memorial


The White House


And...of course.....


I just LOVE this pic of Mark, so I had to throw it in ;-)


#7-Visit Washington D.C. Check!

Date Night....and 3 items off my list!

Last week was Mark's birthday and as soon as I heard J.B. Smoove, from Curb Your Enthusiam, was coming to Comedy Works I knew I had to take Mark to see him.

I got home from work early and told him to get ready, we are heading out! We headed down to Denver and decided to try a mexican restaurant near Comedy Works called Lime, it was really yummy! Mark had a chicken burrito and I had shrimp fajitas, oh and I can't forget to mention how DELICIOUS the chips and queso were! Here is a (crappy) pic of Mark snacking on chips and salsa:



Then we headed over to Comdey Works and our bellies got a workout! The line up was great and we walked out of there with HUGE smiles on our faces! We need to go to the comedy clubs more often, we had an absolutely fantastic time!



I am so proud of myself I kept the whole thing as a suprise for him and he LOVED it! It's not too often that I can keep a secret like that, Mark tends to be able to get everything out of me and then the suprise is ruined!

#20-Try 10 new restaurants 3/10 Check!
#79-Go to a comedy show Check!
#81-Take Mark on a suprise date Check!

#20-Try 10 New Restaurants

Last week I went to Mod Market for the 1st time. It's a new restaurant on 29th Street. The "Pom" pizza is to-die-for!

1 new restaurant down, 9 to go!

Locks of Love

Yesterday, I had over 14 inches of my hair cut off to donate to Locks of Love. I was extremely nervous, mostly unsure of how my new 'do' will look, I even broke down crying in the shower yesterday morning. But, I just kept telling myself "It's only hair" and "It will grow back" and "I've been wanting to do this for a long time, it's time for a change". Now that it is gone and I have a new hair 'do', I LOVE it! It's so much lighter, not as hot on my back, it's not get caught around everything and anything anymore, so freeing and a nice change!!

Most of all, I am so happy I could support such a great cause :-)

#92-Donate my hair to Locks of Love Check!

Before:


After:

Off to a good start!

#80-Start a blog about this adventure

I can already check an item off my list!!! 1 down 100 to go!

My Day Zero Project-Let the countdown begin!

The Challenge:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined.

Why 1001 Days?:
Many people have created lists in the past-frequently simple challenges such as New Year's resolutions or a "Bucket List". The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips, outdoor activitites, etc.

For more info visit Day Zero Project

My Day Zero:

Start date of March 15, 2010
Finish date of December 11, 2012

My List:

The Big Stuff
1. Save $5,000 Complete January 2011
2. Buy a new mattress
3. Get out of credit card debt
4. Buy a new house
5. Obtain the CPM (Certified Property Manager) designation
6. Make a contribution to my Roth IRA

Traveling
7. Visit Washington D.C. Completed 5/29/10!
8. Take a spontaneous trip
9. Travel to Australia/New Zealand
10. Take a trip with my brother
11. Take a road trip through Yellowstone National Park Completed July 2010!
12. Take a trip with Mark Completed June 2010!

Preserving Memories
13. Order our wedding album Completed 6/27/10!
14. Make a wedding album for my parents
15. Make a wedding album for Mark's parents
16. Make a scrapbook of our wedding
17. Make a scrapbook of our honeymoon
18. Get family pictures taken with my family

Eat, Drink & Be Merry
19. Make ice cream from scratch Completed 3/28/11
20. Eat at 10 new restaurants (10/10) Completed March 2011
21. Take my parents out to dinner Completed 10/2/10!
22. Take my grandparents out to dinner
23. Make homemade pasta & sauce
24. Try a food I never have before
25. Eat vegetarian for 1 month
26. Don't eat sweets for 1 month Completed 3/22/11

27. Don't eat out for 1 month
28. Take my grandma to the Melting Pot
29. Treat a friend to lunch or dinner Completed 6/27/10!
30. Have my parents over for dinner Completed Fall 2010
31. Have Mark's parents over for dinner
32. Roast a chicken or turkey Completed Fall 2010

33. Go to dinner with my grandpa and Carlene
34. Make breakfast on a work day
35. Make 10 different types of cupcakes from scratch (1/10)
36. Try sushi again
37. Make a mud pie from scratch

Health, Beauty & Fitness
38. Take a day (or half day) at the spa
39. Try yoga again
40. Go to a farmers market
41. Complete Jillian Michael's 30 day shred
42. Drink only water for 1 month Completed 3/22/11
43. Reach my goal weight of 140
44. Go 1 week without wearing makeup
45. Try Krav Maga
46. Take a kickboxing class
47. Take the dogs on a walk 5 times a week for 1 month
48. Find out my blood type

Being Creative
49. Enter a photography contest
50. Make a mosaic
51. Paint 4 accent walls in our house (0/4)
52. Complete the "26 Things" photo project
53. Go to "Crackpots" and paint a piece of pottery
54. Take a photo of a place in all four seasons
55. Make a "cork" table with the corks I have collected
56. Purchase and learn Lightroom 2
57. Take a photography class

Just for Fun!!
58. Make a new friend
59. Go snowshoeing
60. Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef
61. Take a cooking class
62. Take a trip to Ikea
63. Ride in a hot air balloon
64. Have a picnic
65. Hike Mt. Sanitas
66. Go to Garden of the Gods & Pikes Peak
67. Summit Longs Peak
68. Send flowers to someone for no particular reason
69. Get a Vizsla puppy
70. Build and plant a garden
71. Go to a MMA fight
72. Go on a 3 day horse-pack trip
73. Surprise Mark with something special (I already know what this is but I know he is going to read this so...)
74. Go camping every weekend for a month
75. Fix up the boat with Mark and go fishing
76. Go to a hockey game
77. Take my dad to the Erie go-cart track
78. Take my grandma to RMNP to take pictures, teach her about her camera
79. Go to a comedy show Completed 5/26/10!
80. Start a blog about this adventure Completed 3/15/10!
81. Take Mark on a surprise date Completed 5/26/10!
82. Go to Boondocks
83. Go to an amusement park
84. Rent a cabin in Estes Park for a weekend
85. Go backpacking
86. Catch a fish and take it off the hook myself Completed 10/3/10!
87. Visit the zoo
88. Inspire someone else to start a Day Zero Project
89. Go indoor skydiving Completed 4/19/11!
90. Shoot the AR-15 Completed 7/2/10!

Being Charitable
91. Donate my blood
92. Donate my hair to Locks of Love Completed 3/25/10!
93. Volunteer at the MS 150 Completed 6/25-6/26/10!
94. "Adopt-A-Family" for Christmas, on my own Completed December 2010
95. Volunteer somewhere, not through Rotary

Changing my Ways
96. Go 1 week without cussing
97. Clean our bedroom and keep it clean
98. Bring my credit score up 125 points (Base 651)
99. Organize files at home Completed 11/13/10!
100. Finish cleaning my old room at my parent's house
101. Stop picking the bumps on my arms, for good this time!