30 before 40???

 

Original goal	Notes (notes in parenthesis are from 2012)
1.  Go to New York. (planning for my 30th bday)	I still have not been to New York, will have to do it before I turn 50!
2.  See a Broadway show on Broadway.
3.  Go on a hot air balloon ride with Grandma.	(completed January 4th, 2012 with my Grandma Judy and Dad)
4.  Hug a tree.	Oh I have done this plenty of times! 😊
5.  Make and wear my own clothes.	Does it count that I made my cape for the play I was in?
6.  Participate in 30 fundraising/charity events.	I know I’ve completed this but it would take me a long time to list them all!
7.  Rent a convertible.	I’ve driven a convertible a few times, but I have not rented one
8.  Go on a blind date.	I’m married now, so this one will be removed from the list
9.  Catch and filet my own fish.	Still need to do
10.  Read the 30 books to read before 30.	I have only read 6 of the books on this list. ☹
11.  Place a $100 bet on one hand in blackjack.	(can't remember the date, but I completed this at Mystic Lake...AND WON!)
12.  Buy everyone in the bar a drink.	(I can't remember when I did this, but I was at the Firestation in Garfield)
13.  Steal a sign.	I don’t know if I have the courage to do this now.  LOL
14.  Get a second tattoo.	I have four now
15.  Send flowers to a random stranger.	I feel like I did this but didn’t document it.  Guess I’ll have to do it again.
16.  Re-teach myself how to play the piano. 16.  Learn how to play bass guitar	I tried to do this back in 2020, it did not go well.  Now I’m trying to learn bass so this goal is changing. 😊
17.  Master preparing a gourmet 5 course meal. (including homemade cheesecake)	I think about this ALL THE TIME!  I have a meal plan, I just need to do it.  Also, I have mastered cheesecakes.
18.  Stick to a work out plan for 30 days.	I’ve done this a few times over the years.
19.  Lose 20 pounds.	Did this and then gained it back a couple times.
20.  Smoke a cigar	(completed January 3rd, 2012 on my trip to AZ).
21.  Eat at the top 10 restaurants in Minnesota.	This constantly changes and I’ve eaten at some amazing restaurants in Minnesota.  I’m calling this one done.
22.  Become ordained to perform weddings.	I became ordained in July 2021 and have performed three weddings.
23.  Tip a server more than the bill.	I have done this a handful of times over the years.
24.  Go to five states I've never been to.	I lived in Texas and had a layover in North Carolina since 2011…but I have not completed this goal yet
25.  Own a pair of designer heels.	(can't remember the date, but I bought $600 boots)
26.  Bury a time capsule to open in 10 years. (planning to do this on my 30th birthday)	My friends helped me make a time capsule on my 30th birthday.  I will be going through it on my 40th birthday.
27.  Watch AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies.	I have watched 37 of the movies
28.  Have at least $1000 in my "fun money" account.	My “fun money” account is in a constant state of fluctuation.  But I have over $1000 in savings. 😊
29.  Order something from the home shopping network.	How have I not done this yet???
30.  Make 500 paper cranes.	I remember starting this and never completing it.  I guess I get to start over.  Can I do it before my 40th birthday?

I LOVE subscription boxes!!!

Ever since I signed up for Birchbox a few years ago I have been obsessed with monthly subscription boxes.  I don't do Birchbox anymore because they started sending me a lot of things that were very similar to the Posh products that I sell.  I used to post what came in my box and explain each of the products.  People seemed to like that, so I thought I'd start that up again with the current boxes I subscribe to.  If you want to see some of my Birchbox opening posts, you can click HERE, HERE and HERE.

Before I share my most recent "unboxing", here is a rundown of the current boxes I subscribe to:

Glam Bag by ipsy - This is a makeup/beauty box.  I was a little hesitant to start this subscription because of my past experience with Birchbox.  (Don't get me wrong, I really liked some of the stuff Birchbox sent me, I just felt like they weren't listening to my requests and kept sending me things I wouldn't use.)  I started my Glam Bag subscription last month so I've only received one box.  Sorry I didn't take pictures of what I got last month.  I can remember that I got a face mask (that was like a mask that Posh has) that was OK, a lipstick that I really like and mascara that was OK.  I get my next Glam Bag today in the mail and I'm excited for what I'm going to get....yes, I will post an unboxing!

Dia & Co. - This is also a brand new subscription for me (started last month).  This is a plus-size clothing box.  I LOVE trying new styles and clothes but I feel like where I live is lacking in this department.  There aren't any great stores for plus size clothes and what you can find is quite boring.  I will explain more about this company in a moment.

Gwynnie Bee - This is not really a monthly subscription, but what I like to call "rent-a-dress".  This service allows you to "check out" a certain number of plus size clothing items, keep them as long as you'd like and then return them when you're done with them.  If you decide to keep them, you get a discount to buy them.  I have had this subscription the longest of all of my current subscriptions.

Loot Crate - I don't currently have a subscription to Loot Crate because it's just not in the budget right now.  However, I HAVE to mention them because it used to be one of my favorite subscription boxes!  I call it Nerd Box...monthly boxes filled with a bunch of nerdy stuff!

So, on to the first subscription box for December.....today I'm showing you Dia & Co.  This subscription service costs $20 a month.  You get five clothing items or accessories in your box every month.  If you decide to keep anything in the box, the $20 is credited to your purchase.  You only have about 3 days from the day you receive the box to send it back.  The clothes cannot "show any wear" and the tags must be on before you return them.  This box is fun if you're looking to spice up your wardrobe, try news things or don't have access to lots of options for plus size clothing where you live.

November was my first month with Dia & Co.  I got a poncho, large scarf, skinny jeans, black fashion shirt and a color-block dress.  Unfortunately I don't have an pictures of these items, I just wanted to give you an idea of what you can get.  I ended up keeping the skinny jeans because they fit me perfectly and were SUPER comfy.  They are Levi's and ended up cost me another $35 (on top of my $20 credit).  Totally worth it IMO.

Let's talk about this month's box.  I want to start out by saying I was super excited when I opened the box and found a note that was specific to me.  Do you see the "hopefully smaller than the last one"?  The scarf I received in my last box was really bulk and since I have a large chest, it was in my face.  LOL  When you've had a chance to try the items on, you log into your account and provide feedback about each item.  I wrote about the bulkiness of the scarf in the review and they actually listened...unlike Birchbox.  (You guys are going to think have some big grudge against Birchbox.....well, I guess I kind of do.  LOL)

So...on to the items that Nyndia mentioned in the letter.  First there was this cute sweater dress from BB Dakota.  I could totally rock this item, but it was a little out of my price range at $90.  Also, I had one very similar that I wore for many years (sometimes too frequently).  When I purged it from my wardrobe I promised I wouldn't wear another gray sweater dress for a while.

The second item was this blue blouse from Junarose.  I'm not a fan of navy blue because it's trying to be black but not quite.  OK, sometimes navy blue is ok, but only as an accent color.  This blouse kind of looked like a nurses scrub top on me. :(  It was fine with the scarf but not something I would spend $50 on.  The scarf on the other hand was super cute and warm and a steal at $30.  However, I just received a very similar scarf, in my favorite color (purple), for Christmas from Grant's mom.  Needless to say, these two items are being returned with the gray sweater dress.

The fourth item I pulled out of the box was a green flowy top from BB Dakota.  I knew right away that this was not going to be something I would like.  I tried it two different ways (button snapped and unsnapped), neither was very flattering.  I thought maybe it would be nice with a navy tank top underneath (one of the few things I own that is navy), but it just looked boring and I was still getting the scrub-top vibe.  I'm all about having some staple pieces in your wardrobe that are solid colors, but this look was way too BLAH for me.  I wore both the navy blouse and this green flowy top with the Levi jeans that were the fifth item in my box.  I was a little disappointed to see another pair of jeans in my box.  I specifically said that I don't like pants and yet they send me pants two months in a row.  Sure, I fell in love with the skinny jeans in the first month's box...but these Levi's were another story.  Talk about mom jeans!  No, I don't have a better picture of them....just know that they were too high-waisted, too big in the butt and thighs and too short....you know the look.

Over all I feel this box wasn't very me and ended up sending all five items back.  I know that my stylist is just starting to get to know my style so I'm REALLY hoping that my next box is better.  If you want to check out Dia & Co yourself, click HERE:

I decided that I'm taking the next month off from Dia & Co (which you can do) to recoup some of the money I spent for Christmas.  I'm not giving up on you Dia...I just think we just need some time apart.  Besides, my Gwynnie Bee is rocking my socks off right now so I'm not in dire need of new clothes.  What do you think?  Should I do a Gwynnie Bee post soon?!?!?  I think I need to figure out a better camera situation before then.

I miss you!

On this day two years ago I wrote my blog entry about Black Friday.  Facebook reminded me of this and it made me miss this blog so much!  I decided that it's time for an update and more blogging.  I may not post regularly, but truly this blog has to be for me.  If others want to read it, that is fine, but I'm going to write it for me.  So, that means I will write when I'm inspired, not because I have to.  I will write about anything that I feel passionate about at the time.  I am still redesigning my life...if I wasn't constantly trying to improve myself life wouldn't be very much fun.  So, without further adieu, here's an update on my life:

Location: I've moved into Alexandria, I live in a tiny little apartment only 7 blocks from work with someone special.....

Relationship: My boyfriend and I live together.  Yep, you heard right...I'm not single anymore.  We have been dating for almost a year and I couldn't be happier.  I'm sure I will write about him more in a later post.

Job: I work at Alexandria Area Arts Association as the box office manager.  I LOVE my job even though I only work part time.  (I'm currently looking for another part time job.)  Yes, I'm still selling Perfectly Posh.  I am currently ranked at Pink +3 with 45 wonderful women on my team.

Health:  I found out about 6 months ago that I have Meniere's Disease so I've been trying to change my diet to have less sodium.  I've also been trying to stay away from caffeine.

Life: In general, my life is amazing.  I do struggle from time to time just like everyone, but for the most part I'm happy and excited for the future.

This blog: I'm looking forward to sharing some tips on how to live in a small space with two people.  I'm also excited about sharing some LoSo (low sodium) recipes as I work to find some that are tasty and easy to make.  More than anything, I'm looking forward to sharing my adventures as I continue to redesign my life.

Welcome new readers and welcome back past readers!

(P.S.  I think the first order of business is changing the design of this blog.)

The Poshortunity that Couldn't be Ignored!

Some of my readers are probably wondering what Perfectly Posh is and why I'm so obsessed with it.  Close friends of mine completely understand and are probably sick of me talking about it.  The short and sweet:  Perfectly Posh is a natural-based pampering product line.  We don't use parabens, paraffins, sulfates, soy, or gluten.  We are also cruelty-free and made, packaged, and distributed in the USA!  So, why the obsession....because I'm a Independent Consultant for Perfectly Posh and I have a team of 13 other women with the same obsession! :)  This wasn't my intention from the get-go, but you know how some things just happen?  Well here's my Posh story up to this point.

A few years ago my sister found a new, small spa company that she was interested in.  (Side note: I call her the Direct Sales Queen.  She will find all the new, fun direct sales companies and sign up for them just to see what they're all about.)  When she first told me about it, my first thought was "Really, another DS company?  How many are you going to have a hand in?  I don't really need any lotion or body stuff".  I didn't buy anything from her right away but she gave me a few thing as a gift for my birthday.  I liked the product, but it wasn't really love at first site.  Then she told me about the BFF face wash.  I figured, what did I have to loose?  I had tried everything else under the sun for the acne I had been suffering from since I was twelve.  I decided to give it a shot.  I broke out really bad from it during the first week, but then my face started clearing up...and fast!  I started getting compliments on my complexion without even saying I had been doing something different.  (For me this was like hearing that you're beautiful for the first time or having the boy you have a crush on take notice in you.)

FYI the photo on the left is from a long time ago, but it was the only photo I could find the my face wasn't caked with makeup!  The one on the right is right after I washed my face, a little grainy (because I took it with my phone), but you can still see the difference.

I used the BFF and Night & Day moisturizer for about a year when my sis told me she was going inactive with Perfectly Posh.  It wasn't that she didn't love the products, she just wasn't actively selling it and she didn't need to buy anymore to stay active (BTW, you only have to buy $300 every 6 months).  I was devastated!  How was I going to buy my face wash!  I didn't want to go back to dealing with black heads and zits! :(  My sis came to the rescue and told me to sign up for myself.  Why not!  I could easily spend $300 every 6 months on these products.  I could give them as gifts, tell a few friends about the face wash.  No problem!

About a week after I got my kit I decided to have some friends over for a Destressification Party before the holidays.  I had intentions of letting them use some of my product from the kit, but it wasn't a sales pitch.  The girls came over, we had some wine, did some meditation, and they got to soak their feet.  I used some other products I had and some Posh products.  They fell in love.  Two of them decided they wanted to sell Posh.  I was still new to being a consultant, so I told them they could sign up under me, but we would have to learn together.  And we have!  Without those two I wouldn't have this amazing team, Posh Panache, and I wouldn't have thought that I could seriously make this a job.  It is now my full time job and I LOVE IT!  It's been less than 4 months since I started selling Posh to myself and since then I have been promoted three times, have earned awards (worth $1000s), and am going to be recognized at our annual meeting, Unconventional.  The BFF changed my skin, but Perfectly Posh has changed my life!

Spring has Sprung

Like most people, I get antsy during the Spring and have to rearrange my apartment and do some major cleaning.  I don't even care if Mother Nature thinks we should have 10 more inches of snow before Easter (I really hope that's not her plan), I've already been busy Spring cleaning.  I picked up a wonderful trick from The Fly Lady using a timer to clean one area for 15 minutes, then move to another area for 15 minutes.  After the first 45 minutes, take a 15 minute break.  This may seem silly, but it's the only way I can stay focused.  It also makes me realize how much can be accomplished in 45 minutes.

First it was time to throw back the curtains and open the shades.  I have to keep them closed in the winter because the windows in this old building let in the cold air.  :(  I feel like a vampire all winter, it's so amazing being able to let some natural light into the dark rooms.  After I took a moment to survey all the dust everywhere (that seems to only be visible in natural light) I decided to skip that step and go through the closet and pack up the winter clothes and hang up my summer dresses.

I was so happy with my reorganized closet that I decided to rearrange my bedroom and bathroom.  The downside to this decision means that I have to dust thoroughly and vacuum.  It took me about an hour and 15 minutes using the Fly Lady method to clean the bathroom, bedroom, and hallway.  I moved some furniture around and found that one of my shelves made the PERFECT display for my Posh products!

The great thing about having a clean apartment is that I can have people over! :)  I invited girls only to my place for Sunday Funday yesterday.  It was girls only because we did some foot pampering and tried out some other Posh stuff.

I missed going with my Minneapolis/St. Paul friends to Lush for bottomless mimosas and breakfast SO I made it happen here.  I made a mimosa bar for my friends to mix their own.  I had pink champagne, regular champagne, and NA spumante.  To mix I had orange juice, grapefruit juice, and peach mango.  I got a bunch of garnishes too, lemons, limes, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, and starfruit.  (I had never eaten starfruit before, my review: I didn't like it much.  It tasted like watered-down apples and the aftertaste reminded me of dirt.  Anyone out there who has eaten them before can maybe tell me if this is normal of if they were just too ripe or unripe.)

It's not Sunday Funday without food, so I had all the ingredients for build-your-own kabobs.  My mom gave me some marinades from Tastefully Simple, I marinated the chicken in the Chipotle Beer Marinade Mix and the shrimp in Jamacian Jerk Beer Marinade Mix.  Let me tell you, they were both amazingly mouthwatering.  (I'm going to use left-over chipotle chicken for tacos or quesdillas.)

Of course, it's Monday now so it's dreary and cloudy.  It's supposed to rain (and then turn into snow) until 8am tomorrow morning.  Such is life in Minnesota.  I can't wait to get that grill going again!  I'm hoping to have Sunday Funday every Sunday! :)

Is it 2014 already?

So, I took a longer break than I thought.  It's OK though because some REALLY exciting things have been happening in my life lately.  I have SO many redesigns to share with you...physical, mental, and lifestyle.  Before we go any further though, I thought it would be best to redesign my cover.  It's the been the same since I started, so it was time.  Here it is:

Second, I think I need to re-introduce myself.  Do you remember some of the Perfectly Posh products I ranted a raved about in previous blogs?  Well, I took the plunge and decided to start my own Posh business (more on that in the future).  I am still in Garfield living the bachlor(ette) life.  I'm still VERY involved in my non-profit group, ASK (more on that later too).  And I'm still a farmer's daughter (scheduled to help with Fall harvest again).  Oh, and I have purple hair now!

I'm looking forward to this summer and sharing some fun grilling recipes, continuing to redesign my life and sharing it with you all.  I recently attending a seminar that encouraged me to tell my story and talk about what I'm passionate about.  The first thing that came to mind was this blog and how much I miss writing it.  So, I'm starting again...not starting over, not beginning new....just continuing.  :)

Welcome back readers and thanks for welcoming me back into your life.

Time Out!

I have so many things I want to write about, but I can't right now...why, because a lot of them have to do with Christmas gifts I'm giving this season.  I can't very well post about gifts and risk the folks receiving them seeing the post. :)

So, I have decided that I'm taking a break from blogging until 2014.  I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and I will see you in 2014.