My friend Rachel just started writing a new blog with such an inspiring theme, I have to share. The opening quote on her home page will give you the basic idea…

“When you’re in a rut, you can definitely see where you’ve been and have a pretty good idea of where you’re going, but it’s hard to see anything else. So, I’m taking the 101 things in 1001 days challenge to expand my life!” ~Rachel Heinrich

The original idea for this blog started with a website called The Day Zero Project. I have been working on my list of 101 things I’d like to accomplish or try within the next 1001 days. I think Rachel is right, this will be a ‘life expanding’ experience. What a great idea to get myself to do things I wouldn’t necessarily ever try otherwise, and to challenge myself to accomplish goals I’ve been putting off for one reason or another.

Here’s my list so far, I’ll be adding to it throughout this week and I plan on starting the countdown on Monday.

1) Start ‘Day Zero Project’ Completed 9-27-2010

2) Leave an inspirational note in a book for someone to find Completed 10-4-2010

3) Watch 26 movies I’ve never seen starting with each letter of the alphabet

4) Lose XX lbs.

5) Send a secret to ‘Post Secret.’

6) Influence someone to make a ‘day zero’ list. completed 10-19-2010

7) Write a novel (finish novel in progress)

8) Get novel published

9) Buy Rosetta Stone Italian

10) Learn Italian

11) Expand my vocabulary by 100 words

12) Start an Etsy business

13) clean the attic completed 10-4-2010

14) clean the basement

15) Try 10 new restaurants completed 6-24-2011

16) Complete 5 sewing/yarn projects completed 12-23-2010

17) Sleep in our hammock overnight

18) Learn how to throw a piece of pottery

19) Learn the art of canning

20) Re-stain our deck

21) Cook one recipe from each cookbook I own

22) Have prints made of one of my paintings

23) Participate in a grape harvest –Completed 9-18-2010

24) Participate in a grape stomp

25) Hang my pictures

26) Quote wall begun – created 2-3-2011

27) Reupholster love seat

28) Use our weight machine twice a week-20 minute sessions minimum

29) Do aerobic activity 4 times a week-30 minute sessions ”

30) Learn to play chess (well)

31) Visit the Hollywood sign in California completed 6-30-2011

32) Go on a quest for the ultimate fish taco in LA completed 7-3-2011

33) Visit Venice Beach completed 7-2-2011

34) Visit Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach completed 6-30-2011

35) plant an apple tree in my front yard

36) Plant an herb garden again completed 4-17-2011

37) Plant more perennials

38) Take vitamins every day

39) Start kitchen journals for both of my girls

40) Photograph a landscape from the same location, capturing all 4 seasons

41) Have a bonfire on the beach

42) Only drink wine on Friday and Saturday evenings started this March 2011…

43) See a drive-in movie

44) Take Grace camping

45) pay for the person behind me at Caribou completed 6-27-2011

46) Learn how to mix 10 different cocktails from memory

47) Buy a new bike completed 7-2011

48) Bike the Cannon Valley Trail

49) Take a train somewhere completed 6-29-2011

50) Do a 3 day juice fast

51)  Pin hole camera project

52) Make homemade ice cream completed 1-26-2011

53) 8+ glasses of water a day

54) Finish the 3 quilts I started

55) Use all of my yarn before buying more

56) Go to a shooting range

57) See a monster truck rally

58) Host an outdoor dinner party/bonfire in the autumn

59) go to a Twins game at the new stadium

60) See a play

61) see an opera

62) re-organize my kitchen completed 11-23-2010

63) cook an ethnic meal from each continent

64) rw book

65) Set up my loom

66) weave something

67) spin my own yarn

68) Build a fort completed 10-3-2010

69) do a craft/recipe with Gracie once a week

70) buy a lottery ticket Completed 9-27-2010

71) Make dandelion wine

72) Visit 5 places in MN I’ve never visited before

73) run in the rain

74) Answer ’50 Questions that will free your mind.’ Completed 9-28-2010

75) ballusters on deck

76) Gazebo on deck

77) install dishwasher completed 10-16-2010

78) deck furniture completed summer 2010

79) Visit WA Placzeks

80) Visit Seattle WA

81) Watch live music completed 10-8-2010

82) A to Z Pizza picnic in Stockholm WI

83) Eat chestnuts roasted over an open fire completed 11-23-2010

84) Do 10 new illustrations I’m happy with completed 2-3-2011

85) Host the “lunch table reunion” with people from our hs lunch table

86) hunt for morel mushrooms completed spring 2011

87) play frisbee golf on Sorin’s Bluff

88) host a winter picnic

89) celebrate my 40th birthday completed 6-6-2011

90) Celebrate my 15th wedding anniversary to my soulmate completed 10-23-2010

91) learn at least 5 constellations completed 1-25-2011

92) Stay in a castle for a weekend

93) Go through old magazines. File the articles I want, throw the rest (excluding “Victoria.”) completed 3-16-2011

94) Go on a boat excursion completed 6-12-2011

95) Spend a whole day in my pjs, watching old movies.

96) Play Paintball

97) Make 2 dozen chocolate chip cookies and bring them to the firemen at the fire station.

98) attend a Japanese tea ceremony

99) Make a braided rag rug

100) Donate $10 to a charity for each of the items on the list I don’t complete

101) Celebrate the completion of all the items on my list!

What would be on your list?

~Melissa