I haven't written a blog post in what seems like forever (over 8 months!) and I finally got some inspiration to start writing again after all this time. To start out with something familiar, here is what I have accomplished on my 101 in 1001 since I last checked in! I cannot believe that this list will be expiring later in 2019 (!).
A Real Picnic in the Park
Every Thursday, East Town Association puts on Jazz in the Park. A jazz band plays from 6 - 9 pm and you can come with blankets and food - no alcohol! - to listen to the band play. I go pretty much every Thursday. As the summer has progressed, the meals I bring to the park have also gotten more advanced. I usually bring some kind of salad, some dessert, and something healthy to snack on while jamming to the jazz. My friends come with lots of snacks, laughs, and sometimes cards to make a Thursday night super relaxing yet fun.
Donate Blood Again
There was blood drive at my job on August 20th and I scheduled a slot to give blood that day! I was super excited and surprisingly, I did not pass out or have any issues at all. The only downside for me is that exercising was a little rough the week after but that side effect eventually went away!
Finally wear a fringe dress I've had forever!
I've had this dress for years - the bottom has long fringe while the top is a low cut wrap style top. I've always wanted to wear it for a special evening or a night out. I finally wore it out during Labor Day celebrations in Chicago this past year and again during a night out in Las Vegas the next month! It was super comfortable and I cannot wait to wear it for a salsa dancing class or for a special night out in Milwaukee.
Create a new tradition with my little sister.
I am home about once a year and while I am there, it seems like everyone wants to do something. My sister and I are both super busy during the holidays and she lives about 45 minutes north of my parents which makes seeing her while home a little difficult. This year, my sister and I made a new tradition of having dinner together without our parents. It was really nice to have time to connect, discuss life philosophy, and see what she has been up to lately. We also had our yearly Ladies Brunch with our mother in the city where my sister lives which was also a super special couple of hours for me.
Learn to make real Christmas cookies, with the cookie cutters
This year, my mom made some ugly sweater cookies for us to decorate on Christmas Day. We had a little bit of a competition going while making our sweaters to see which sweater would come out the best. I went with a Christmas tree style sweater and highlighted with snowflake polka dots. My whole family had a lot of fun decorating and making a mess with all of the sprinkles and colored icing. In the end, we did not pick a winner as they were all awesome and the cookies tasted as good as they looked!
Get a facial.
Last thing on the list that I accomplished recently was a facial! I purchased a Groupon for a Teen Acne Facial at The Knick Spa as I have somewhat acne prone skin. All of the products she used were organic and did not irritate my skin at all. The next day, my skin was glowing and so soft. It was super fun to be pampered and my skin still feels amazing four days later!