For my third 101 in 1001 list, I wanted to focus on mainly things that can help me grow into the person I would like to be by the time I am almost 30. Some of the things have rolled over from my previous lists but there are a ton of new goals that I am excited to play around with in the next 1001 days. I am going to document most of the goals on this list like my previous ones so please follow along.

Beauty (10/101):

1. Create a cut crease eyeshadow look.
2. Learn how to contour better. 
3. Create a monochrome look for a night out.
4. Wear a bold lipstick everyday for a week.
5. Wear a bold eyeshadow look every day for a week.
6. Try something different with my hair everyday for a week.
7. Create a brightly colored eyeliner look - love it on Instagram so I should try it. 
8. Paint my nails at least twice a month.
9. Play around with a different hair color.
10. Consider getting another ear piercing. 

Career (5/101):

1. Find and work for a company that aligns more with my values. 
2. Present at a conference about a topic I feel comfortable speaking about as an expert. 
3. Volunteer with older girls (late high school, early college) more regularly in STEM. 
4. Work on posting on LinkedIn once a week. 
5. Work on connecting with my network more often. 

Cooking (10/101):

1. Make a gingerbread house.
2. Learn how to use royal icing on the cookies well. 
3. Learn how to decorate a cake.
4. Make homemade marshmallows.
5. Perfect my homemade pho recipe.
6. Perfect my white bean chili recipe.
7. Make homemade jam with pectin.
8. Make homemade sourdough bread.
9. Make a different shaped pasta - not ravioli or fettuccine. 
10. Make yogurt from scratch.

Friends (5/101):

1. Visit GW,OE, and KH in Washington D.C.
2. Visit KW in Arizona. 
3. Visit KN in Germany.
4. Visit BB in Seattle. 
5. Visit CJ and MN in Chicago again. 

Family (10/101):

1. Spend a day with my dad in the city.
2. Spend a day with my mom doing whatever she wants to do. 
3. Spend a day at the golfing range or gaming with my dad.
4. Get my extended family on my mom's side together once.
5. Get my extended family on my dad's side together once.
6. Spend a day with my grandpa, doing whatever he thinks would be fun.
7. Spend a day at a science museum with my little cousins.
8. Visit my uncle at the UN again - preferably when it is nice out. 
9. Visit my grandmother and aunt in Florida. 
10. Visit my sister in her new condo when everything settles down. 

Homemade (10/101):

1. Make homemade candles for gifts and home use. 
2. Make and bottle my own wine using my wine kit.
3. Paint a set of pictures for my bedroom. 
4. Sew some pillows or blankets for a homemade gift. 
5. Frame a set of pictures for use in the bathroom.
6. Replant my plants again due to great growth. 
7. Reorganize my home every 6 months for optimal storage.
8. Create my own spice mix for chicken.
9. Create my own spice mix for meatloaf or meatballs. 
10. Create my own spice mix for baked goods.

Skills (20/101):

1. Learn to ballroom dance or salsa dance. 
2. Learn to ski or snowboard better.
3. Learn to golf better - use the driver, complete my swing, and hit longer shots. 
4. Learn how to make beauty products at home - mainly deodorant. 
5. Learn how to take better photos. 
6. Learn how to code well in one language and take a certification exam.
7. Take a horseback riding lesson as an adult.
8. Take a essential oils class. 
9. Take a lesson to learn how to ride a motorcycle.
10. Take a trapeze lesson.
11. Fold clothes using the KonMari method.
12. Learn the art of Story Telling.
13. Learn how to tie a tie quickly.
14. Learn how to do simple embroidery.
15.  Alter a piece of clothing to work better for me. 
16. Learn how to change a tire.
17. Reseason my cast iron pans. 
18. Learn how to drive stick.
19. Learn to declutter.
20. Create a good cleaning schedule for my home.

Style (11/101):

1. Wear skirts and dresses more often.
2. Wear heels or nice shoes more often.
3. Write a post about the effect of wearing feminine clothing on my life.
4. Create a 10 piece travel wardrobe for three days of travel. 
5. Complete my color analysis - I think I am Deep Autumn or Deep Winter.
6. Figure out my Kibbe type. 
7. No Non-Essential Buy for 6 months, extend to a year if it go well.  
8. Document my outfits for the blog more effectively. 
9. Purchase more ethically made clothing if purchasing. 
10. Work on use of my non signature jewelry in outfits. 
11. Figure out how to make wearing my AppleWatch more fashionable. 

Travel (15/101): 

1. Visit Paris or Amsterdam. 
2. Go back to Italy again. 
3. Visit the Tate in London again.
4. Visit an eastern European country like Romania or Croatia. 
5. Visit an Asian country other than China. 
6. Visit my maternal grandmother's tomb stone.
7. Attend a bowl game, college or maybe even professional.
8. Attend a designer fashion show - doesn't not matter how famous.
9. Visit Mount Rushmore.
10. Visit 2 more national parks. 
11. Visit someplace in Africa.
12. Visit the UP in Michigan/Wisconsin/Minnesota. 
13. Go to all the museums in Milwaukee. 
14. Go to all of the main art museums in NYC. 
15. Go to 3 new breweries in Milwaukee. 

So in January 2019, I decided, along with taking up meditation, that I would volunteer my time at local organizations on a much more regular interval starting with Discovery World, the science museum in town. I handed in my application, had my interview, passed the background check, and started working there very quickly. And over the past year, I can honestly say that taking that jump into regular volunteering has changed my life for the better in so many ways that I would like to share.

At first, I started with afternoon shifts at the museum working with the kids on small design projects. As I felt more comfortable in the environment, I volunteered to help with workshops, Girl Scout sleepovers, and other small tasks. I started to venture out into similarly related volunteer opportunities like judging the Milwaukee Public Schools Science Fair and volunteering my time for a Girls in STEM Day found in a STEM Forward newsletter. I checked Eventbrite, one of my standard places for looking for things to do around Milwaukee and found several great organizations to work like Newaukee, Seek the Good by Good City Brewing, and Live Milwaukee. Working with these organizations exposed me to different places to volunteer and meeting leaders of organizations that led to more volunteering opportunities. This lead me to teaching a workshop of my own design to a group of students on the Science of Face Masks, something I've always wanted to do. It became part of my weekly planning routine to actively search out places where I could help others or service the Milwaukee community.

By the middle of the year, I was trying to drag anyone who would listen to me to volunteer or putting up posts on social media on what I was doing to try to inspire others to come serve out community with me. Because for me, these volunteer opportunities were showing me a completely different view of the city I had lived in for over a year. With each different activity, I learned more about Milwaukee and the people that live here. I learned more about the environment and what we could do to keep it safe. I learned about how we handle the homeless and less fortunate in the area. I learned that around me was the thriving community full of people that want to better the area but do not always have the resources to do it.

When driving to see my grandpa in Brooklyn after Thanksgiving this year- I was struck by a quote painted on a mural in Shirley Chisolm State Park - "Service is the rent that you pay for room on this earth." Service to your community does not always equal donating money to organizations and never seeing where it goes. Service to me is giving something valuable for the greater good of people. My time is valuable as I get paid to work every weekday and yet I am always willing to not go out on a Friday night, wake up early, and go help better the community for a few hours. Choosing to spend your time like you spend your money is a choice and donating even 1% of your time per year is easy thing to do. Over the course of this year, I volunteered around 1.5% of my total time and that completely changed my outlook on this city and its inhabitants.

By the end of December and some help from my Google Calendar, I came up with my Service Stats:
89 hours to Discovery World helping young people fall in love with STEM like I have
10 hours to Urban Ecology Center Root Program ridding MKE of invasive species (Seek the Good)
8 hours to helping out people interested in attending Milwaukee Maker Faire
7 hours to GEMS Day 2019 helping where needed and learning how to run a STEM day
6 hours to judge MPS Science Fairs and interact with a ton of fun children interested in science
4 Hours to Black Arts Fest in MKE helping kids draw and learn about their heritage
4 hours to The Gathering to help prepare a meal and feed the less fortunate (Live Milwaukee)
3 hours given to Milwaukee River Keeper cleaning up an area of Milwaukee (Newaukee)
3 hours given to The Big Clean MKE cleaning up an area of Milwaukee (Seek the Good)
3 hours Power Gurls teaching my first STEM workshop - The Science of Face Masks
2 hours Joe's Run, Walk, or Roll  helping walkers finish the course (Seek the Good)
2 hours River Revitalization Foundation planting native plants in the forest (Seek the Good)
1 very happy and fufilled Taylor Lacey

My meditation teacher always invites us to challenge ourselves instead of telling us what to do to solve our problems. So I invite anyone who reads this essay to seek out something in your community that needs help and give some of your time to it. It could be volunteering at the library, cleaning up trash in a local park, or working with kids on homework. Whatever you decide, know that even an hour of your time has changed something for the better.

I signed up to volunteer at the science fair months in advance but had no idea what would await me. There were kids from 1st grade to high school with a love for science and enthusiasm to match! It was hard to judge as there were many great projects but anything that added a little art made me smile the most. If there is a science fair in your area, check it out because you will not regret it!


I started volunteering in science museums when I lived in Charlotte and I cannot stop working at them! Discovery World is a place where kids and adults come to learn about science in all forms. I've volunteered with the Girl Scouts, making candles, working a gala, and many more valuable experiences. I may have not always know how to do something in the beginning but by the end, I felt proficient and had a great time learning with the children.

The Urban Ecology Center has a really big place in my heart because I have learned so much working with them on weekends. Once a month, they work in the areas surrounding their facilities to ensure that invasive species do not kill off all of the native ones. I've pulled out countless weeds and learned how to plant new things as well. It's worth a try for a couple hours of hard work with some really neat people!

My friends make fun of me for a lot of my new age healthy habits. I will say that that sometimes they seem a bit weird but I can honestly say that the 10 in this post have really positively benefited me in my daily life and I will keep talking about them until people try them as well! It's important to take care of our bodies and mental health so here are some things I do that make my day!

1. Tongue Scrapping

I got a tongue scrapper at Lee from America's suggestion and it is a game changer! It keeps your mouth super clean and your breath fresh for a long time. I have a stainless steel one so that it can be disinfected easily. I usually scrap in the morning and before bed.

2. A Glass of Water in the Morning

I am the worst about hydration so drinking water in the way to work rather than coffee has been super helpful in hitting my water goals daily. Most days, I will have a sparking water or a large glass with lemon and challenge myself to finish it before I get to work.

3. At Least 1 Piece of Fruit a Day

I eat an apple or orange a day at work and this has really reduced my vending machine usage. It is healthier than a candy bar and I like knowing that I can save the calories for something I really want later in the day.



4. Sitting on a Bouncy Ball at My Desk

I have had this ball for 4 years now and I love it. It forces me to sit up straighter which is very good for my posture. I also use the ball the stretch during the day and it makes sitting for work a lot more comfortable.

5. Getting Up Every Hour at Work

When I wear my Apple Watch, it reminds me to stand once an hour. This has been really good for clearing my brain and checking on small tasks that need to be done around the plant. My goal is to stand every hour without prompting but for now, this is a great medium to keep moving during the day.

6. Listening to a Podcast While Commuting

My dad has always been a big believer in podcasts and now I am converted as well! I listen to Youtube Videos or podcasts on the way to work every day. It sets the tone for learning and gives me some topics to talk about throughout the day. My current obsession is How Stuff Works or the Freaknomics podcasts.

7. Working Out or Moving for 30 Minutes

In the summer, this is easier to achieve due to my love of being outside. During the winter, I purchased a small stepper to walk while watching TV and I love it! Moving makes me feel happy so getting this in everyday when possible is crucial.


8. Drink A Glass of Kombucha Every Day

I tend to avoid dairy and yogurt so kombucha gives me my daily dose of probiotics. I love the brand above pictured and buy the bigger bottle when possible to help the environment.

9. Exfoliate Regularly

I love a good mask as my skin can be acne prone when not taken care of properly. I tend to use acid based masks or rice powder cleaners to ensure my skin is smooth and acne-free.

10. Use Lavender Oil To Help Fall Asleep.

My coworker got me a diffuser for my birthday and I love it! I use a calming oil mixed with the water before bed and it helps me sleep very deeply. I highly recommend to anyone who can be a light sleeper or who likes a little white noise to sleep.

• 9 graham crackers
•  7 ounces of butter really softened but not melted
•  1/4 cup sugar
• a pinch of the following: salt, cinnamon, vanilla powder, and ginger. 

• 2 packages of instant vanilla pudding
• 3.5 cups cold whole milk 
• Zest of around 4-5 lemons
• 1/2 cup of lemon juice 
• 2 8 oz. packages of Extra Creamy Cool Whip