101 Things To Do In 1001 Days - a trend and a project

Well, there seems to be something brewing. More and more I see sites linking to Day Zero or some form of this concept. DH and I have decided to tackle the following list. I've picked a start date of November 1, 2008 because that's easy and I didn't know when I'd get done writing the list. It took a while! So that makes our end date to be Saturday, July 30, 2011.

A lot of it is big projects - things I can't do on my own, some are to do with the kids, some are travel. I'll post the list and report back on it, just like I do with our homeschooling curriculum list. This could get quite lengthy as I plan to explain some of the items as a reminder to me why. Last updated March 31, 2009.

101 Things To Do In 1001 days

1. Start and finish bedroom loft. – Although not 100% complete, it is to a point where we can be in it and love it. We’ll work on the bits and pieces that are left – some electrical, flooring, a permanent railing. (01/29/09)

2. Raise rabbits for meat.

3. Start a worm composting box.

4. Maintain a regular home school schedule – we are starting this by starting a routine for the household. This is going well, most days. The children are loving it. (01/29/09)

5. Start the kitchen renovation. – (03/2009 Starting to think this process through. May use income tax return for this.)

6. Rebuild front deck.

7. Re-shingle front portion of the roof.

8. Place $10/month into savings account for first three months. NOV DEC JAN

9. Place $20/month into savings account for months 4-6. FEB MAR APR

10. Place $30/month into savings account for months 7-9. MAY JUN JUL

11. Place $40/month into savings account for months 10-12. AUG SEP OCT

12. Place $50/month into savings account for months 13-15. NOV DEC JAN

13. Maintain placing $50/month into savings account.

14. Walk three times a week. – I'm working on this; up to two times a week. (Dec) It got cold again. We're not working on this anymore, right now. (01/29/09) (03/2009) Spring is coming and we are getting out more.

15. Read an adult book a week. – 02/2009 - I'm not getting through a whole book each week, but I am reading a little each day. (03/2009) I’ve been reading more and have even started a reading list for the spring.

16. Read to the kids daily for half an hour. We are starting with one book each evening for bed. (Dec. 08) This has kinda fallen by the wayside again. (01/29/09)

17. Modify the suburban. J needs a vehicle to work like a truck. We have this and it's paid for. We'll make it work.

18. Work on riding lawn mowers to get at least one working for spring 2009.

19. Work on getting utility trailer licensed.

20. Insulate the windows in the sanctuary. Keep the cold out and the heat in, in the winter and vise versa in the summer. We are going to make curtains - roman blinds type things from heavy blankets. DONE

21. Grow and maintain a herb garden.

22. Write snail mail letters weekly. (03/209 – Working on this, sending bday and ann cards monthly)

23. Learn, use and teach more sign language to the children. – part of our Letter of the Week curriculum is to learn to sign the alphabet. (01/29/09)

24. Turn computer off by 4 PM 3 nights a week. – I'm not yet turning it off but I am walking away and not coming back from 4 until sometime after 7 PM. (Dec. 08) I’m working on this by just staying away more over all and especially during bedtime. (01/29/09)

25. Organize toy storage.

26. Learn to crochet. (02/2009)

27. Start sewing - a project a month.

28. Become more actively involved in local politics. (Needs defining. What do we want to do?)

29. Visit seniors' home twice a month.

30. Have guests from church or the community over for a meal once a month. – This is going well. We had company a few times this month! (01/29/09) (03/2009 – this continues to go well. We have people over quite regularly.)

31. Blog about our homeschooling weekly (or more). – This is getting more regular too, as I report with pictures what we do each week. (01/29/09) (03/2009 – this too is going well.)

32. Drink half my weight in ounces of non-diuretic liquid daily. (2/2009) I am drinking less coffee and have upped my water, not quite up to half.

33. Have "coffee" with a friend twice a month. (Dec 08) (02/2009)

34. Give monthly to the food bank. (Dec08)

35. Put in a main floor bathroom.

36. Put a shower curtain up around the tub.

37. Get the wood furnace in working order by winter 2009. (03/2009 – we have had an inspection done. Just a few things that need to be done before it can be approved.)

38. Schedule yearly dental check ups for the family. (02/2009 appointments scheduled for the children)

39. Schedule yearly optometrist check ups for the family.

40. Read or listen to the Bible daily. – I added this to my morning routine. (01/29/09) (03/2009 – this is not going well.)

41. Cut TV time for children to two hours of their programming a day. I try to leave the TV off. I want them to have no more than two hours but would certainly rather less. However, the TV is J's thing to do to relax, so if the children are still awake in the evening when it is on I'm not going to fight the battle to keep them away from their dad while he's watching TV and interacting with them at that time. Getting closer, most days. For a while there, after R was born they were watching a lot, but we're cutting back again. Now, they are watching more wholesome programs - DVDs from our collection - and TV. (Dec. 08) I’m working on this too; they still watch too much, but we are more selective of what they watch. (01/29/09) (03/2009 – this is not going really well either.)

42. Actively move away from plastics to glass or stainless steel. With all the scare of stuff in plastics, this feels safer to me. I haven't done a tonne of research but I want to get away from them anyway and also get away from using the microwave. So that's kinda a two in one here.

43. Start making my own yogurt. This means I need to get a yogurt maker or go WAY out on a limb and try it without! Scary thought. I found a great recipe for doing this in my crock pot. I have yet to try it. (01/29/09)

44. Start growing our own tobacco. I know, I know, smoking is terrible but without all the pesticides and sprays it should be healthier. Plus it's homeschooling for the kids!

45. Find a small whole Bible to carry with me like I do my cell phone. I read a blog somewhere that this woman was challenged or challenged herself to do with her Bible as she does for her cellphone. So if she forgot her Bible she'd go home for it because that's what she would do if she'd left her cellphone. Or if she turns her cell on first thing in the morning, to read her Bible then too. Our society has become so dependent on technology and we need to get away from that a little and get back into God's Word and be dependent on that instead! I never saved the blog and I don't know how she did, but I'm going to give it a shot.

46. Write M's birth story.

47. Write baby #6 birth story.

48. Learn to quilt. This will be a winter project.

49. At least once, go away overnight without the kids, just for us.

50. Make each 29th of the month special as a reminder of our wedding anniversary.

51. Clear out brush and trees.

52. Build a sandbox.

53. Fix clothesline. Spring 2009.

54. Do belly dancing workout video at least twice a week.

55. Learn to dance.

56. Go on a picnic a couple times during the summers.

57. Take day trips six times a year to museums or local historical sites.

58. Go sledding a couple times each winter.

59. Paint the snow with food coloring.

60. Build a snowman.

61. Weekly coffee or date with DH.

62. Institute and stick to the "something in = something out" rule to keep down the clutter.

63. Visit Camrose and New Norway a couple times.

64. Change kitchen towels to waffle type towels. Flylady has good ones!

65. Organize and figure out good storage for craft supplies.

66. Organize homeschool books and supplies better.

67. Set up our homeschool area. This will have to be done after the lofts are done. – Homeschool area has just recently been moved to the stage. This is working. Just have to get it more organized now. (01/29/09) (03/2009 – this got more organized.)

68. Re-write master/monthly grocery list.

69. Organize shed to make it usable as a workshop.

70. Learn to use power tools to make things for our home such as decorations. (02/2009 – we bought me my own drill, and I’ve used it.)

71. Learn basic electrical.

72. Journal daily.

73. Review The Hidden Art of Homemaking six times a year to add to our home.

74. Create a woodworking area.

75. Become more actively involved in provincial politics. (Needs defining. What do we want to do?)

76. Become more actively involved in federal politics. (Needs defining. What do we want to do?)

77. Start a woodworking project.

78. Make the guest room an actual guest room that is warm and welcoming.

79. Decorate the main room / sanctuary.

80. Completely deal with current work issue. – This current work issue (current at the time of writing the list) has been dealt with COMPLETELY!!! (01/29/09)

81. Clean out front porch area. Put things where they belong. Get rid of what we don't want or need. (02/2009 -We did a good chunk of this project this month, but there is still a long way to go.) (03/2009 – done, until we start kitchen project.)

82. Re-decorate / Get a new entertainment center.

83. Get new glass or fix the glass table some other way.

84. Jump in puddles with the children.

85. Play in the rain.

86. Build or obtain shelving for the basement. (03/2009)

87. Put a door on the basement bathroom and enclose it even if it is temporary. This will make it more comfortable for everyone - guests and residents!!

88. Re-build the back entrance to make it safer and harder to break into.

89. Copy all audio / mp3 files to disc to get them off the computer.

90. Build a fence.

91. Buy supplies for solar and wind power. Move towards getting those things installed.

92. Take fire course S-300.

93. Take fire course S-500.

94. Take fire course S-600.

95. Take fire course S-700.

96. Take fire course S-800.

97. Take fire course S-200.

98. Take fire course S-400.

99. Take fire course S-1000.

100. Eat supper at the table, as a family at least three times a week.

101. Support Stollery Children's Hospital.