30 Days of Lists - Days 8-15

For the 30 Days of Lists, I've completed days 8-15. Here's what the pages look like:

Day 8: Out My Front Door.

The labels say:

=> Lots of birds.

=> The dogs playing.

=> Colorful leaves.

=> A place to learn, play, and explore.

=> At times, I see small airplanes flying overhead.

=> Hundreds of trees.

=> Giant ragweed.

=> Star, constellations, and planets at night.

=> A see hummingbirds and butterflies at the feeder and garden.

Day 9: Today You Can Find Me

The labels say:

=> Thinking about the holidays...

=> What does Halloween look like as we celebrate it on our own?

=> How can I honor the memory of  Dad at Thanksgiving?

=> What traditions are the most important ones to keep?

=> When should I present the legacy gifts to everyone - before or after Christmas?

=> What type of service projects will we be involved with this year?

Day 10: I am at my best when...

The labels say:

=> I'm surrounded with views of nature.
=> I'm not hungry or thirsty.
=> I get enough sleep.
=> The dogs and cats are near me.
=> I can share my skills and knowledge.
=> Things are quiet and peaceful.
=> I'm working on my own, and not for someone else.

Day 11: Favorite Scents and Smells

The labels say:
=> Lavender
=> Vanilla
=> Sandalwood
=> Patchouli
=> Peonies
=> Roses
=> Tangerines
=> Lilacs
=> Scents that remind me of...
...my dad - C.O. Bigelow Barber: Elixir Blue
...my mom - Maja by Myrurgia
...My grandpa - Old Spice
...My grandma - Roses

Day 12: Fictional Places I'd Like to Live

The labels say:
=> Shangri-La
=> Atlantis
=> Roxaboxen
=> Pooh Corner
=> WIlly Wonka's Chocolate Factory
=> Noisy Village
=> The North Pole
=> The Emerald City

Day 13: Dinner Party Invitees

The labels say:
=> My entire family - those living and those no longer with us.
=> Henry David Thoreau
=> Harriet Tubman
=> Clara Barton
=> Eleanor Roosevelt
=> Ghandi
=> Mother Theresa
=> Jesus
=> Buddha
=> George Washington
=> Abraham Lincoln
=> Barack Obama
=> C.S. Lewis
=> Astrid Lindgren
=> Maya Angelou
=> Princess Diana
=> Lucille Ball
=> Laura Ingalls Wilder
=> Amelia Earhart
=> Charlie Chaplin
=> Mozart
=> Sting
=> Bono
=> Audrey Hepburn
=> Meryl Streep
=> Katharine Hepburn

Day 14: I Know I am Getting Older When

The labels say:
=> My hair is mostly gray in the front.
=> Words I intend to say come out as something else.
=> I've known people for decades not just years.
=> I can get so tired...and every once in a while going to bed at 8 p.m. and sleeping until 5 a.m. is necessary to function.
=> I look at something and can't remember the word for it.
=> Older family members are dying - leaving me as the "next in line."
=> I believe the music I listened to as a teen and in college was more complex and better written than what is being produced now.
=> I hear myself say, "When I was your age...."
=> I can remember NOT having:
...a microwave
...color t.v.
...air conditioning in the house or car
....power windows on the car
....a cell phone
....a personal computer or laptop

(As a side note, this has been my least favorite list to do. A couple of the labels are things that I have been thinking about recently that have been bothering me - like the trouble with finding the right words for things as well as thinking a word and I say a completely different word. It's moderately troubling given that my dad died of Alzheimer's Disease in January and my uncle just passed away from Alzheimer's Disease about a week ago.)

Day 15: I Know I am Young at Heart When...

The labels say:
=> I went on the seesaw with Sophia and Olivia.
=> I enjoy seeing my childhood toys.
=> I made a miniature snowman on Leap Day.
=> I love seeing fireflies in the backyard.
=> I am easily entertained by the pets.
=> I play in the snow and make forts with them. (The "them" I am referring to means Sophia and Olivia.)

30 Days of Lists - Days 2-7

This month I am participating in the 30 Days of Lists. This semi-annual event involves people throughout the world who create little booklets with 30 lists. The variety of layouts and answers for each of the prompts is inspiring and intriguing.

I already posted the cover of the booklet and the first day's prompt (I am Lister Because...) here. So, below I'm including the lists I did for days 2-7.

Day 2: Goals for this month.

For the Goals for this month list, I wrote:
=> Go to Lake Itasca and show Sophia and Olivia where the Mississippi River starts.
=> Find some Amish cookbooks at the library and make some of the recipes.
=> Do the goals I set for 100 Days to a Better Me.
=> Remove and burn all giant ragweed.
=> Split wood from trees that need to come down.
=> Begin working on Christmas gifts.
=> Go through Dad's homilies and put in order. Get them printed.
=> Start creating memory boxes that will be given after Thanksgiving.
=> Get all sold out items renewed in my shop.

Day 3: My friends/family would describe me as...

For the My friends/family would describe me as... list, I wrote:

=> A dedicated mom.

=> Teacher.
=> Caring.
=> Compassionate.
=> Creative.
=> Encourager.
=> Introverted.
=> Devoted to my parents.
=> Comforter.

Day 4: When I Need a Time Out

For the When I Need a Time Out list, I wrote:
=> I watch the birds.
=> I need some time alone.
=> I look outside at the trees and sky.
=> I take a bath.
=> I read.

Day 5: Reasons to Start Preparing for the Holidays

For the Reasons to Start Preparing for the Holidays list, I wrote:

=> to make some new ornaments.
=> to create meaningful gifts.
=> the legacy/memory gifts about Dad are going to take time to create.
=> to spread out doing fun things over a longer period of time.
=> I'll be more relaxed if I can do some things ahead of the holidays.

The quotes I integrated into the list:

=> No one has ever become poor by giving. (Anne Frank)
=> Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege. (John D. Rockefeller, Jr.)
=> Scatter joy. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Day 6: Reasons to Quit Drinking Pop

For the Reasons to Quit Drinking Pop list, I wrote:

=> Water is better for my body.
=> It will save money.
=> My body needs water. It doesn't need pop.
=> The money saved can be spent on other more important items and paying down debt.
=> My teeth will stay healthier longer.

Day 7: Midnight Snacks

For the Midnight Snacks list, I wrote:

If I am actually up at that hour and am hungry...
=> cookies or bars
=> hot chocolate with marshmallows
=> snack mix with almonds, peanuts, raisins, and m&ms.

A healthier snack would be...
=> carrot slices
=> celery sticks filled with peanut butter
=> some homemade applesauce
=> a piece of fruit
=> popcorn

I am a Lister Because... - 30 Days of Lists - Day 1

One of the projects I'm doing for the next thirty days is 30 Days of Lists. 

I'll be doing this challenge as well as some of the prompts from the Autumn Blog Challenge as a way to create some legacy gifts for Sophia and Olivia. 

Both the girls have been interested in what I write and create in the Take a Stitch Tuesday journal I'm keeping this year, so I began writing specifically for them back in June through the Summer Blog Challenge. 

The 30 Days of Lists is a more visual, quicker way to write my thoughts. The entries I'll be doing for the Autumn Blog Challenge will have more pictures that will tie into what I write (just like I did for the Summer Blog Challenge) - in contrast to the 30 Days of Lists which will not have photographs on the pages the book itself.

The first prompt is "I am a Lister Because..." and here's what my pages look like:

If my reading isn't legible, this is what I wrote:

=> It keeps me focused and moving forward.

=> I can use lots of different colors of markers.

=> If I go to a grocery store without one, I'll end up leaving with things I don't need.

=> Lists help me remember everything I need to do.

=> I like to see things crossed off a list.

=> With parenting, caregiving, taking care of pets, homeschooling, and running a home, I need to keep everything running smoothly. 

=> I can look back on lists I've kept and remember a particular time of my life.

=> It gives me a sense of accomplishment.