Happy New Year & 30 Things Before 30!

                                                                                     Photo from weheartit.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! I hope you all had a great time bringing in 2011, however you celebrated it! What did you all get up to? I had a brilliant weekend in Liverpool and Manchester with my very dear friend Mikey, who I don't get to see all that often. We had a few (*ahem*) drinks, we partied at The Warehouse Project with Annie Mac and Mark Ronson, (well, not literally with them, but you know what I mean!), we watched films, ate rubbish and wrote colourful lists about what we want to achieve in the next year and beyond.

I decided I wasnt going to write my usual New Year Resolutions, but this year, as its getting so close (only 18 months!!!!!) I was going to write a 30 Things Before 30 List. I started a bucket list a year or so ago, but when the list is so huge, and its such a massive timescale, then its so easy to become complacent, and not actively work towards any of the goals. My 30th Birthday will be on July 23rd 2012, and so I thought it would be a cool idea to have a more specific list of what I want to achieve or do by then. My bucket list that I started previously had lots of huge exciting things to check off, such as travel plans, or plans for my own home and family, but my 30 Things Before 30 list had to be much more realistic and simple goals, seeing as I only have 18 months to achieve these, and as I might *hopefully* be starting a Post Grad Diploma in August, I wouldn't really have the time or the finances for anything wild or extravagent!



Anyway, here's what I have come up with so far!!

1. Cycle round Millport.  (a small island not too far from where I live in Scotland)
2. See Wicked.
3. Leave my current job. Hopefully to study, but if not, to a job that depresses me less.
4. Visit a casino. I dont particularly want to gamble, just want to say i've been there!
5. Go to a football game with the boy.
6. Have a massage
7. Stay in a yurt. The boy and I are looking into going HERE! how pretty.... and while we are in the Lake District we plan to do number 8 also.....
8. Eat in a Michelin starred restaurant.
9. Go Whale watching.
10. Learn to use the DSLR I share with my dad. (Technically its his, but he never, ever uses it so I can have it when I want)
11.Make 1 item of clothing.
12. Learn to say "hello" in 50 different languages... Mikey and I thought this would be a cute one to do!
13. Create an art wall.
14. Move out of my parents home. I know im WAY to old to be living at home, but at the moment I just couldnt afford to move :( They are only here like half the time anyway.
15. Learn to make soft pretzels or pretzel bread! The things I miss most about living in America are pretzels and Forever 21!
16. Reach 50 blog posts. So after this one, another 38 to go. Thats not even 1 a week, totally do-able!
17. Reach my goal weight ... but thats a secret!
18. Print photographs - I have empty photo albums from the Bahamas and the Disney Cruise line waiting to be filled!
19. Run a 10k. My hardest goal for sure!!
20. Have lots of picnics with my boy.
21. Make 1 green change every month.
22. Start a healthy recipe collection (and cook them!)
23. Go on a road trip without deciding on a destination.
24. Go to Disney. California would be my favourite option but with current finances, Paris will be more likely!
25. Grow my own peppers.
26. Make a cheese fondue. omnomnomnom, I think this one excites me most ha!
27. Write at least 1 handwritten, snail mail letter per month.
28. Learn embroidery.
29. Learn to crochet.
30. ???

Still need a number 30 as you can see, but i'm pretty chuffed with my list so far. Whaddya think?

Do you have a 30 Before 30 list? What exciting goals do you have for 2011?

Jilly xo