So I was reminded by Karen’s post that I haven’t updated my 101 in 1001 in a while. Honestly, it’s because working 2 jobs and being in grad school is VERY time consuming, so I haven’t had a whole lot of time to work on it. I’m also a little sad, because there are several things on my list that I don’t think I’ll be able to do by September. I console myself with the fact that I made this in college with no idea of where I would be in two years, so I had no way of knowing that I would only see my parents for a weekend here or there every four months or so (so how can I possibly #8 “go to concerts with Daddy?”) or that once I left Wake I would lose a lot of my ties to the school (I need the library to #25 “make the Parables DVDs,” but I have to have a current student with me to do that, and most of the people I know have graduated).

All things to keep in mind when I make my new 101 in September (yes, even if I don’t finish this one, I still intend to make a new one, and you may see me revamp some of the current items for the next time). Just because I don’t get finished by the deadline doesn’t mean that a lot of these things aren’t still important to me. And honestly, many of these goals were stretch goals to begin with (see me rationalizing?).

Anyways, back the (very) few that I have completed now!

#34 (Get a pet)- I have two of the most adorable little kittens ever sitting on my bed snuggling with each other. This one is done

(Photo take 5 minutes ago.)

#62 (Switch all lightbulbs to CFLs)- I actually did this when I moved into my new apartment in July
#66 (No more plastic grocery bags - only canvas) - I started doing this last year and actually made a habit of it around New Year’s. Every once and a while I forget to bring my bags in, but not usually.
#91 (Organize recipes) - My recipes are very much more organized now, though I can tell this will be an ongoing effort for me . . .
#95 (Attend 5 year high school reunion) - I wanted to go to my 5 year high school reunion, but I couldn’t go back to FL because of school and work. This made me sad, cause I haven’t even spoken with a lot of my high school friends in YEARS. So . . . I guess I’ll try for the 10 year?

So now I’m more than halfway finished - woo hoo!!! I’ll be honest, I’ve done a lot more than I thought I would! Here’s hoping that I can achieve the rest!

While I was perusing the blogosphere, I saw a link at Petroville for a site I’ve never heard of - Baking and Books.

Now, if you know me, you know that baking and books are two of my all time favorite things - I LOVE them both! So to combine the two in a blog just makes me all warm and fuzzy on the inside. This site is FULL of recipes that look absolutely amazing (as in, I think I’m gonna need to go grocery shopping for ingredients tomorrow). And right now Ari has a really neat fundraiser going on. If you buy a raffle ticket for $5 you will be entered into a drawing for some awesome cookbooks. Four first place winners get FOUR cookbooks each, and SIXTY others will each get one cookbook. I mean, your odds are pretty darn good here!!! Go check it out!

Baking and Books » Foodies Unite! A Baking and Books Fundraiser

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot Chocolate!!

2. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White lights on the house, and we have 2 trees - one with white lights and all white, gold, silver (etc) ornaments, and then a tree in the living room with white lights and colored lights (this actually looks quite amazing - give you the color, but still has a lighter feel to it) with the colored fun ornaments.

3. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, but when we were younger we went with my dad and shot some out of a tree (mistletoe naturally grows VERY high up in trees, so you shoot it down)

4. When do you put your decorations up?
Usually within the first week or two after Thanksgiving, but this year we’ve been WAY later than that :-(. Next year I will decorate my own place for Christmas, and I’ll probably do it as soon as I get back from Thanksgiving!

5. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
We always had fried chicken and chopped pork for Christmas Eve when I was growing up . . . yeah, we’re from the south . . . south Georgia to be precise

6. Favorite holiday memory as a child:
Christmas is my favorite time of year, and always has been. Each year has special Christmas memories, and to come up with a favorite one is probably impossible . . . I’m a little nutty about Christmas!

7. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
When I was 7 (I think) I heard someone talking about it in school, and, being curious, I asked Mama. I don’t think I was quite ready to give it up, but I had a younger brother, so I got to help with him. When she told me, I kept crying - not because I wouldn’t get Santa presents, but because I was so shocked that they had all been from my parents in the past. I kept saying thank you, over and over again.

8. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
This is the first year that we’re not having Secret Santa on Christmas Eve with my father’s extended family (we’re switching generations, and all my other cousins have their own families now, so it’s time for my parents’ generation to be the grandparents . . . my dad’s the youngest). So in the past we got to open one present because it was from Secret Santa. Now I guess we won’t do that. When Bo and I were kids we got to open one from our parents as well.

9. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
Like I said before, one white beautiful tree, and one colored fun tree.

10. Snow! Love it or dread it?
I’m OK with snow momentarily, but I really am a southern girl at heart - I much prefer watching it through the window while I sit by a fire and drink hot chocolate.

11. Can you ice skate?
I don’t think so. I’ve only tried once or twice, cause we don’t have a lot of ice down here.

12. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Retrospectively, my little brother (his birthday is the 19th - I can’t believe he’ll be 20 next week!) . . . in the moment, hmm. I remember loving Cabbage Patch Dolls, a FANTASTIC Barbie Dream House, and some great techy presents, like a Palm Pilot.

13. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
The whole experience is amazing to me. I love spending time with my family, sharing fun activities together, and having the chance to give gifts to others.

14. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
We don’t have anything that we make EVERY year . . . chocolate cake is always welcome though ;-). Sometimes we throw a good cheesecake in there too!

15. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Advent wreath, Christmas cards, baking, CHRISTMAS MUSIC, Christmas movies . . . and I think we’re gonna get to go to church at our home church for Christmas Eve this year! We’ve always been out of town, so we haven’t been able to do that!

16. What tops your tree?
Angels on every tree!

17. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving?
Surprises are a lot of fun to get, but I definitely prefer giving - I’m a big giver in general, so Christmas is just a super special time to do that! The process of finding a gift for someone that I know they will enjoy is such a treat for me.

18. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
“O Holy Night” and the entirety of The Nutcracker . . . and this year I’ve been really into listening to the Classical Christmas station on XM Radio

19. Candy Canes! Yuck or yum?
Yummy yummy!

20. What Christmas gift do you hope to find under the tree this season?
I REALLY want a Kitchen Aid mixer . . . I keep coming up with recipes that I want to try and can’t because I don’t have a mixer, haha! Yes, I’m a housewife/Martha Stewart hybrid stuck in a 22 year old’s body . . . I’m strange.

Hat tip: Windows To My Soul

Don’t forget to stop by Another Chance Ranch to check out this week’s Blogging Chicks Carnival! Everyone is sharing their favorite recipes for the holidays!