30 BEFORE 30

A while back a friend had shared someone else’s blog post about their 30 before 30 list. I had never heard of that before so naturally I got on Google and Pinterest and looked at a TON of people’s 30 before 30 lists. Then, being the lister that I am, I made my own! I made it over a year ago right after my 27^th birthday, so a lot of things are already done or at least in the planning phase, if only in my head. Some of the items I put on the list were things I already planned on doing soon anyways, but with less than 2 years left until I’m 30 I figured I had to or there was no way I could get it finished. There are also 1 or 2 things on the list that I’m not sure I’ll be able to get done but I’m sure going to try my best!

I just celebrated my 28^th birthday in February so I have really been looking at my list for the last few days and trying to figure out how I’m going to fit so many awesome experiences into 2 years. Also, since I have two small kids, ages 15 months (today, happy birthday B!) and 3, I thought I should include things that can involve them as well...but they’re still all things I want to do for myself.

These aren’t, by any means the only fun things I want to do with my life but I figured I had to be fairly realistic and who knows, maybe I’ll make a 40 before 40 list after I turn 30. 

So, without further ado, here is my 30 before 30 list:

1.       Take a nice trip, just my husband and I (the plan is Hawaii but that’s not set in stone)

2.       Take a shooting class (and possibly get my concealed weapons license)

3.       Compete in (and finish) an obstacle course fun run

4.       Visit Pendleton Underground Tours (I’m from Pendleton, Oregon and have never done this so I figured it was something I should do once in my life)

5.       Get a tattoo (also something I already had  planned to do)

6.       Go to Las Vegas(current trip is planned for this September for our anniversary)

7.       See a Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas

8.       Trip up to Canada with both boys (husband’s 92 year old grandma lives up there)

9.       Donate blood.

10.   Take a photography class (my husband got me a very nice camera for our anniversary 2 years ago and I’m still floundering every time I use it so I want to get better)

11.   Visit a dueling piano bar.

12.   Touch an Aston Martin (long shot...I wanted to say drive one but maybe I'll save that for 40)

13.   Attend a Bottles and a Brush painting class (I’ve been invited to many of these but haven’t been able to attend yet)

14.   Learn how to REALLY do my makeup (contouring, etc.)

15.   Find the PERFECT little black dress.

16.   Really learn calligraphy (my husband got me a calligraphy pen set a while back and I haven’t really used it yet…whoops)

17.   Make my own fresh pasta

18.   Bake a GOOD molten chocolate cake (anyone seen the movie Chef? If so, self explanatory. If not, see it!)

19.   Complete a 30 day fitness challenge (squats, planks, something)

20.   Learn Italian (just some beginner stuff but that’s where my mom’s side of the family is from so I’ve always wanted to know a little bit)

21.   Teach BOTH of my children a valuable life skill (alphabet, reading, writing their name, etc.)

22.   Have XXX cash in on hand (my husband decided he didn’t want me to broadcast the amount but it has been specified)

23.   Start a blog (by 30) and keep at it for 3 months (start blog ü  keep at it…we will see)

24.   Sell something I made (I’m not the most crafty person in the world and certainly got that passed down in my DNA but I try and I’ve been sewing recently (decently well I might add) so this might be less of a long shot than I initially thought)

25.   Spend an ENTIRE weekend unplugged (no phone, TV/movies, internet…maybe I’ll rent a carrier pigeon for the weekend, just in case J)

26.   Send a message in a bottle (perhaps on our trip to Hawaii?)

27.   Go to the top of the Space Needle (since we live in Washington and go to the general Seattle area once a year or so I’ve got 1 or 2 chances for this)

28.   Create (and actually fill) a year long “awesome jar” (don’t know what it is? Look it up. Looks pretty fun!)

29.   Make sure our house is finally fully decorated (I don’t mean cluttered but at least get some stuff on the walls in the rooms that have nothing. I mean, for crying out loud I have stuff to put on the walls in most rooms and still haven’t done it yet!)

30.   Make, and bury a time capsule (perhaps ON my 30^th birthday to be dug up on my 50^th? I’ll just have to figure out a place that we are guaranteed to be able to get to in 20 years so we don’t move away from our house and can’t get it.)

BONUS!!!

31.   Take my boys to Disneyland for/on my 31^st birthday (they will both be good ages at that point and even if the oldest is in Kindergarten I won’t feel bad taking him out of school for 1 or 2 days because, well it’s kindergarten and I don’t think 1 day will hurt him badly enough)

So there you have it! All of these are possibly doable but it will be challenging. You never want to make something in your life completely easy that way you can be challenged AND have fun at the same time!

Time to get started!