April Date - Garage Sale Scavenger Hunt

Woo-hoo!!!  I have been so excited to share this date with you guys because I think it's such a great idea.  I don't know why I've never done it before!

This is April's date for the Dates for a Year Basket!  The past couple of months have been at home dates.  In January, they learned to make fortune cookies in their kitchen, in February, they had an at-home spa night, and last month was an at-home game night.  I'm all about finding fun at home, especially if you're on a tight budget!  But I thought for April, it was time to get them out of the house! Especially now that it's finally Spring and the weather is just begging you to spend some quality time with it!  So, if they're going to be enjoying the weather, I knew I had to plan a weekend date for optimal time in the sunshine.  That narrowed it down to a weekend morning/day, and do you know what happens then?  GARAGE SALES!!  That may not sound exciting to you...until you realize that it's a Garage Sale SCAVENGER HUNT!

I definitely can't take credit for this idea.  The ladies at Dating Divas have it going on.  I found this date there, and used the templates to personalize some cards for Kim and Larry.

Here's what was included in the April envelope:

• Date Card
• Scavenger Hunt List
• Bonus Items List

Here is the date card that was included in the envelope:

When I downloaded the template, it was a blank PDF, so I copied and pasted the image into a Word document.  Then I made it smaller (I made it a landscape page format and shrunk the image to fit on half the page) and added my own items.  I used some of her ideas but came up with my own, too.  Here's what the finished product looked like:

After I printed this card I thought, "This isn't enough!"  So I made a bonus card.  That's why I made these items each worth 5 points each, so that I could make bonus items worth double that!  Bonus items are things that are left for interpretation, probably impossible to find, but a saving grace if you're not good at finding the other stuff.  

The plan for this date is for Kim & Larry to find a list of local yard sales (in a copy of the local paper or even more simply, through a search on Craigslist), grab some breakfast and/or coffee and head out the door.  I like that this is something they can do together but kind of have to sneak around on their own, too.  If they both peruse through yard sales side-by-side, it would be hard to have a winner because they'd find stuff at the same time.  Just like last month, this adds a bit of competitiveness to the date, which makes it fun and exciting.  Actually, I thought that it would be easy for them to use the same "prize" from last month's game night and just recycle.  

This date was basically free for me to put together, if you don't count the paper and time it took to create.  You could definitely make it a little more exciting by including a gift card for them to swing through Starbucks or McDonald's before starting.  You could also include some cash for them to purchase some things while they're looking.  Maybe even add the task for them to search for a perfect "couples trophy" that they could pass back and forth for these competitive dates.  Think about how fun it would be to find something unique...like a glass pineapple or something...that can be the sought after "prize" for bets and games.  It could even become something of a family tradition that's passed down when they have kids.  

Sounds like a fun weekend activity, doesn't it?  This is one of my favorites out of the dates included in the basket (not my favorite...that one is still to come), but yet it was one of the easiest ones to plan.  This is date 10 of 13, we're getting down to the last few now.  Stay tuned...they're worth waiting for!

Bridal Tea Party - Decorations

Hello, friends!

Man, am I excited!  I mentioned in my last post that I'm planning to be a lot more intentional with this blog and start to make it a regular habit.  Part of my struggle has been that I wasn't sure what to blog about.  With the way life has been for me lately, I've had to put a halt to some of my creative habits so I didn't think I had much to blog about.  Sometimes all it takes is some focus.  I found a bunch of stuff to share that I haven't gotten around to for the past year.  So I've just planned out the next 18 posts!  I'm excited about making blogging more of a priority and giving you guys some more ideas.

Onward...

As most of you know, my sister was married last July.  Actually, most of my blog posts this year have been about the wedding gift I put together for Kim & Larry, the CHEAP Dates for a Year basket.  Head over and check out some of those ideas if you haven't yet.  I also shared some games with you that I used for her Bachelorette Party, but I guess in all the chaos, I forgot to tell you about the shower that my mom and I threw for her last June.  I can't believe I completely skipped over it, because we put A LOT of work into it, and were both proud of the outcome.

Mom and I wanted to throw a shower for Kim to kind of pull together a bunch of little groups of people and have one big gathering.  It was a way to get a lot of the people together that love her and share in celebrating.  So, we needed something that would sound fun to a variety of people, something that wouldn't be too expensive, and something that would easily fit in most everyone's schedules.  So, we decided on a Bridal Tea Party.  It's traditional, fun, super girly, and cost-conscious enough to feed a large number of people on a weekend afternoon, which most people have available.

Another reason is tied into a few of our family traditions.  I'll get to those in a second.  Like I mentioned, Mom and I put a lot of planning and detail in this shower, so there is no way that I could do a post that includes it all.  At least not one that most of you would read all the way through.  So, I'm breaking it down.  Today, I'll go over the general plan and share some of the decorations and special touches we included.  Later, I'll share four more posts; one for food, one for games and activities for our guests, one for the favors, and one with some tips for all you Maid of Honors out there.  Don't miss them!

DECORATIONS
We wanted this shower to be feminine but not too frilly.  Classic but not "grandma".  Traditional but personalized.  My parents' gorgeous home was the perfect setting because Mom's decorating style is right in line with what we wanted.  The flow of the floor plan and the neutral, classic decor left a lot of ease in the plans for decorating, so we didn't really have to do much.

The first thing we wanted to do was make sure that we had plenty of seating for when Kim opened gifts (we were expecting between 15-30 guests), places for people to sit and chat while sipping on tea and snacking, and different mingling centers.  It's important when you plan a party to provide opportunities for conversation that are natural and comfortable, even for people who don't know each other.  At something as personal as a bridal shower, all guests have something in common so this is pretty simple.

We wanted to include some flowers, but nothing too formal.  Mom had a great wildflower garden to pick from and I have a stunning hydrangea bush at my apartment, so that's all we used.  Use what you have growing in your yard!  It fits right in with your home and most importantly, it's free!

We saw this idea on the ever-helpful Pinterest!  So easy and different.  We just used some wine glasses mom had, put a cluster of wildflowers underneath, and topped with a tea light.  It was the perfect way to spruce up our plate and silverware table.  Mom and I used plastic white tablecloths, but got a couple yards of fabric to match the feel of the shower that we overlaid on top of the white plastic.  This dressed it up a little and pulled it together.

I didn't arrange the hydrangeas that well, just stuck them in a vase on the table.  But I had so much fun making the wildflower jars that hung in the window!

It was really easy but got a great response at the party.  I saw the idea original here.  I had several baby food jars that were sent to my classroom and never used.  My mom had a ton of old ribbon that she got from my grandma which I cut to fit around each jar.  It was as simple as hot gluing them down with a couple dots of hot glue.  Then I used some twine to tie around the lips of the jars and left a long enough tail to hang them over the curtain rod.  I think it's a more dramatic and whimsical to hang them at varying heights.  After they were hung, I used a pitcher of water to fill each jar about halfway, then added a good mixture of wildflowers to each jar.  I wish I had a better picture of them.  We liked them so much, mom kept them up for weeks!

SENTIMENT STATIONS

I know that's a silly title, but I don't know what else to call them.  One of my favorite things that we included in our decorations for this shower were personal items from Kim's past and/or heritage.  I typed up short descriptions for each of them and got frames at the dollar store to display them.  These explain more about why having a tea party was so perfect and fitting for Kim's Bridal Shower.  These also provided the mingling spots I mentioned above.  Once guests spotted a few of these, they talked with others about them and started searching for each one.  

When Kim first asked me to be her Maid of Honor, we spent one night in the pouring rain sitting in my car in the Arby's parking lot near a bridal store where we had stopped to look at bridesmaid dresses.  I'll probably always remember that.  During that conversation, I was asking her all kinds of questions about what kind of showers she wanted, things she wanted incorporated during this special time, etc.  One thing she mentioned was that she would love to have a party similar to one she had when she was younger.  For her birthday one year, mom threw her a tea party and a lady came with all kinds of dress up clothes.  So it was a dress up/tea party.  It was perfect, and definitely something I knew she had to relive as a grown-up before tying the knot!  To tie the conversation and the idea together on the day of the shower, mom pulled out a bunch of old photos of not only the party but other times we dressed up to display.

Phew!  I was still planning on adding more to this post, but realizing I can split the last bit into a whole post on its own.  I don't want to make this too long!  Stick around...I'll tell you more about this special shower soon!

March Date - Game Night

Talk about last minute!  Life has been up in the air for me lately, but after some soul searching, motivational seminars, and inspiring books, I'm back to blogging.  I'm hoping to make it more of a regular thing...we'll see how it goes.  


Back to the reason for this post....March's date for the Dates for a Year Basket!  While I was planning out this basket, I tried to vary the dates month to month so that they would alternate from elaborate to simple, out of the house and a night in, etc.  Since February's date was pretty extravagant (as dates on a budget go), I needed this month to be more on the simple side.  Last month was super romantic and sexy, so this month I wanted them to have more fun.  I think varying the dates like this keeps that spark and element of surprise.  On a tighter budget, keeping with the idea of doing something more fun, and deciding to add some competitive edge to March (it is March Madness season after all), I decided on an old-fashioned game night!

Here's what was included in the March envelope:

• Date Card
• 3 puzzle books including Crossword, Sudoku, and Word Search
• "Battle of the Sexes" Card Game

Here is the date card that was included in the envelope:

Since I know that my sister already has several board games in her collection, I didn't feel the pressure to include one in this envelope.  In college, I was given the Battle of the Sexes card game and spent many a nights in our residential college lobby battling it out with friends.  It's a fun, easy game...but can get super competitive.  It's fun to play because the girls almost always know the answer to the questions the boys are asked and vice versa.  It's fun to watch the other sex squirm while you think it's such an easy question.  I also had the puzzle books lying around the house.  I had a huge stash collected from road trips and plane delays, so I tossed them in as well. 

Remember, the point of the envelopes is to spark the planning of a date.  The way I look at this whole project was that it was an almost guaranteed way for them to have one date a month their first year of marriage, no excuses.  Everything is planned and ready for them and they can go with it as is.  But if they wanted to add to this, they absolutely could.  They don't even have to use the games included, but they are there if they don't feel like pulling out their games or just want to try something new.  The idea and the pre-planning is the gift.  Remember that!

The cost of this date for me was practically free.  Since I had the games around the house, I didn't have to go purchase anything for this date.  You could use whatever you have.  Be resourceful.  Pull together a deck of cards, some dice, look up games online that can be played with household items.  Actually, it would be really fun to make this a "Minute to Win It" envelope.  There are a TON of great ideas, directions, and supply lists here.  I didn't think of this idea when I was pulling it together (this is another one I pulled together the week after the wedding so I had Maid-of-Honor brain).  

This date can be bumped up to a more elaborate date easily.  You could add a gift card to a local pizza delivery restaurant so that they can have dinner paid for and on its way while they start playing.  You could add a few different board games, a trophy for the winner, and snacks.  

Have fun and be creative planning this date.  I think adding a competitive edge to the relationship is a great thing.  It keeps things interesting, and offers a great opportunity for flirting like they did when they first met.  This could start a monthly tradition, something they keep the bet going for and compete for each month.  This is date 9 of 13!   I can't believe there are only four left to tell you about.  But I'm also super excited because the last four dates...they are something special!  Stick around...April's date will be posted very soon!

February Date - Spa Night

Just in time for Valentine's day, here's another date idea from my Dates for a Year Basket!  For February, I wanted to create a date that would be fun, but also relaxing and romantic.  Something more intimate that gave Kim & Larry the opportunity to just spend time together basking in their still fresh newlywed love.  I know that is totally cheesy, but it is Valentine's month, isn't it?  February is all about recognizing, highlighting, and appreciating the mushy-gushy-ness of love!

So, since I wanted it to be intimate and something very "alone" I knew February had to be an at-home date.  I figured they would already make separate plans for Valentine's and this would just be a bonus date.  I didn't want to do any kind of activity, I wanted the focus to be on them.  So, I thought they needed something that would be relaxing, easy, and stress free.  The first thing that came to mind was a Spa Night!

Here's what was included in the February envelope:

• Date Card
• A package of tea light candles in a relaxing scent
• "Spa-like" music on a CD
• 2 individual packages of facial scrub (I chose Apricot and Pink Grapefruit)
• 2 individual packages of facial masks (I chose Chocolate & Strawberry and maybe Mint & Lemon?  I don't remember!)
• One bottle of Lavender & Chamomile Body Wash/Foaming Bath Oil (You could choose any relaxing scent in any kind of bubble bath)
• One bottle of Neutrogena body oil (or any other body oil)

Here is the date card that was included in the envelope:

On the card, I suggest that they start the evening by lighting the candles, playing the music and filling the tub.  I know Larry probably won't be too into the scrub and mask, but I intended for this to be somewhat of a do-it-yourself spa night.  I pictured Kim doing a mini facial on Larry with the scrub and mask and vice versa.  After a warm bubble bath, they could use the oil to do massages like you would get at the spa.  

This date cost around $15-$20.  It was one of the more expensive dates for sure, but I figured Valentine's month was a good one to splurge on.  I already had the Zen Meditation music CD that, to be honest, wasn't played very often in my CD player.  Everything else I purchased at Wal-Mart.  The Freeman packets of scrub & masks were about a dollar a piece.  They had all different types and fragrances.  You could instead replace them with travel or full-size products if you were willing to spend a little more money.  The oil and bubble bath can also be purchased at different places, in smaller sizes or better quality.  However, I was pulling this date together the week of their honeymoon, so was running short on time and cash.  :o)  

This date could be cheaper by suggesting they use what they have or by buying travel-size containers and including something you already have on-hand.  You can easily make this more lavish and pricey in a lot of ways!  You can make it an individual date basket by including a bottle of wine or champagne and glasses; robes and slippers (maybe even personalized); add body scrub, foot scrub, body paint, lotion, a book or video on massage techniques, etc; possibly include a gift card to a local spa.  I'm sure there are many more things you can add to make this night even more extravagant and special.  But remember, I'm offering you ideas for CHEAP dates!

I tried to make this romantic, special, and something they felt was indulgent.  Being Kim's sister, I didn't want to get too sensual with this...I'm sure they can do that on their own!  But I hope they enjoy this night and it brings them back to the lovey-dovey feelings from when they first met.  This is date 8 of 13!    March is right around the corner, so stay tuned!

The *Personalized* Red Plate Tradition

If you have been following my Dates for a Year ideas, then you might recall mention of a Red Plate as one of the items suggested for October's "bake a cake" date.  Some of you may have heard of the Red Plate Tradition, and even have it integrated in your family.  This is something I heard about a while back, and you can actually buy an "official" Red Plate to begin the tradition.

Basically, the idea is that the red plate gets to be used by a member of your family on their special day. So, when it is your birthday, you got a good grade, you got a promotion at work, you win a soccer game, etc, you get to feel special by using the red plate!  It's a way to recognize and celebrate special days in your family and a simple, extra way to highlight big events!

I think this is a great gift for a wedding or new baby.  Both are big milestones and a great time to start new traditions.  Since I was my sister's maid of honor and was attending several different showers, I knew I needed a few smaller gifts to bring.  I know I didn't have to, but felt like I should bring a little something to each shower.  I had this in the back of my mind as an idea and thought it would be something cheap and easy to be one of my "little" gifts.  Well, when I saw the price of the "official" Red Plate, I got discouraged.  With a regular price of $39.99, there was no way I could afford that in addition to a nice (larger) wedding gift (which ended up being the Dates for a Year Basket).  However, I still had my heart set on giving a Red Plate and initiating a tradition for Kim & Larry.

So...time to improvise!  Surprisingly, it was VERY cheap and easy to come up with my own version of the Red Plate, and I think, actually better!  I started by heading out in search of a red dinner plate.  It was more difficult than I thought to find a single, plain, red plate.  I finally found one in the discount aisle at Tuesday Morning for a cheap price!  The second thing you need is a glass paint marker that will write on glass, ceramic, etc. and stay permanently.  I used this Pebeo Vitrea 160 marker, that I got from Michael's.  You can get them in almost any color!

Instead of writing on the front, where I was worried the marker might chip or come off, I chose to add some personalization on the back.  This was my first time using a glass marker, and I wasn't sure as far as health and sterilization if it would be okay for a surface where food would be eaten from.  I am a pretty simple person, so I didn't do a whole lot of detail.  Actually, all I did was write "Knox" (their married last name) and Est. 2011 (the year they got married).

I also printed this poem on some card stock and enclosed it with the plate.  Kim LOVED it!  This was so much cheaper than the actual read plate and added a personal touch of personalization.  You could customize it for any couple or family.  Maybe even create a special red plate for each member of the family!  

I hope someone else can use this idea.  Anytime you can save money AND personalize a gift, I think it's the better option!  

January Date - Making Fortune Cookies

Last night I was looking for a photo on my computer and ran across the album that holds all of the upcoming dates for the Spring.  I am PUMPED that we have reached the halfway point.  From here on out, I think the dates are fun, creative, and different.  I'm excited to share them with you!


So, in continuing with the Dates for a Year Basket, here is January! 

January was a month that, like December, I could have gone a lot of different directions with...something "wintery", New Year's related, I even thought about planning some kind of exercising/active date to kick off resolutions.  But, I wasn't sure if that would be something they were focused on and didn't want to be too "themey" with the season.  These are intended to be dates that they can revamp, modify, and recycle throughout their marriage.  Then, I thought about a "dream" date.  


I read about this idea online somewhere and it sounded cute in theory, but when I started to put the envelope together, I decided not to use it.  For this date I would have provided home planning magazines, a baby name book, travel brochures, and other things that we often dream about accomplishing or doing someday but may not be a reality in the present.  During the date, Kim & Larry would plan for a someday house, pick out potential baby names, find fun things to do in vacation spots they want to visit.  Sounds fun, right?  Well...I had a hard time finding a cheap baby name book and was running out of days to find a travel agency to go gather brochures from places other than Nashville.  Plus, the more I thought about it, the more I leaned against it.  (I can sometimes analyze things too much)  I thought there might be a chance that they get frustrated being too far from a dream, or have other plans than what I would include.  Plus, it's kind of like the old-school version of Pinterest.  :o)  So I just opted to find something different.  BUT...it would be a fun date!

After that idea kind of flopped, I started thinking of other things I could do.  Then I thought about the kits that you can buy at bookstores that include supplies and a book to teach you something.  Do you know what I'm talking about?  There are books for stone massages, origami, sushi making, palm reading, magic tricks, aromatherapy, etc, etc, etc.  So, I headed to Barnes & Noble in search of some inspiration and a fun kit to center this date around.  There were a ton of options, but with some of the other dates I had already planned, I kind of struggled to find something completely different that wouldn't blend in and be similar to another date.  I really want the whole basket of dates to be a variety.  Then, I saw a small red box  with a big picture of a fortune cookie.  Perfect!  

Here's what was included in the January envelope:

• Date Card
• Make Your Own Fortune Cookies kit

Here is the date card that was included in the envelope:

This date was one of the easiest ones to plan.  All I needed was the inspiration, and some creative thinking for the card.  Of course, if you want to use this date in your basket, you can purchase the kit here (at the time I'm posting this it is on sale for $4.99 & eligible for free shipping!)  If you didn't want to get the kit, you can Google "how to make fortune cookies" and there are a ton of YouTube videos, blogs, and entire websites dedicated to making these predicting treats.  However, the kit is awesome.  It comes with a book containing a lot of different recipes and party ideas, white gloves for folding your cookies, printed fortunes, origami paper, and a wheel of fortunes.  A lot for such a low price!  Of course, if you didn't like the fortune cookie idea, you could look at other kits and see if there's one you like better.  There are definitely a lot to choose from!  This particular kit wouldn't fit into the standard envelope, so I took out the supplies and tossed the box.  So keep that in mind when planning.  

I put on the card that it would be a good night to order Chinese food for dinner.  If you wanted to turn this date into an entire basket, you could include a gift card for dinner and even get the ingredients to make the cookies.  

So, pretty simple, but I think this is going to be a great date for Kim & Larry.  I've never tried making fortune cookies before, but it seems like a fun and unique thing to learn.  This is date number 7 of 13.  Get pumped up for February's date.  You KNOW I went all out for Valentine's month.  <3

Life Box: Resolution Card

A few short days ago, I posted a tutorial to make a fun project to start for the new year called the Life Box.  I have been extremely overwhelmed and humbled by the fast and steady number of views that sprouted from that simple post.  I'm thrilled to see so many people are intrigued because I'm on day two of my box, and am still so excited about it!  I can already see how some days it will be challenging.  I've had a bit of a cold this weekend, so my days have been kind of boring and "uneventful".  But it's amazing what a little box and commitment of one line on an index card will point out in an uneventful day.

For me, Jan. 1 said "Traditional New Years dinner with the fam!"...something so simple and repetitive to me.  After thinking about it though, it's important to get that down.  Who knows what New Years Day will hold for me next year, let alone 5 years down the road?  It may look completely different, and it may be the same.  Actually, I think the repetitiveness of tradition is something that would be beautiful to see on a card year after year.  Jan. 2 seemed like it would be tough.  My day consisted of sleeping in, staying in my PJs until 2:00, watching TV, cleaning the fridge, grocery shopping...all boring stuff.  However, when I HAD to think of something to put on my card, reflecting on my day made me appreciate it more and draw more importance and meaning than "just another day".  Today, my card said, "Trashed the junk food, stocked up on healthy!"  Something so simple as cleaning out the refrigerator and pantry, tossing all the leftover Christmas goodies and then refilling the space with healthy options IS a big deal.  It could be the start of something incredible.  It definitely is a step towards my commitment to one of my resolutions.  Which brings me to today's post...the Resolution Card.

When I made my Life Box, I added a card that I hadn't seen in others' tutorials before.  A simple card with the year stamped at the top and left blank.

I decided to include this card to record my resolutions/goals for the upcoming year.  It's a good reminder so that I don't just forget about them after a month, and can kind of check in on my progress throughout the year.

I've heard before that until you share your goals with someone else, they're not real to you.  Sure, you have dreams of succeeding in this or that, but until you tell someone else you're going to do it, it's not something you really plan for.  If someone else knows about it, most people will do everything they can to achieve it to avoid embarrassment or disappointment of letting themselves (and/or others) down with failure.  Now I'm really putting myself out there telling you all of that!  I decided to share my resolutions for a few reasons.  One, for self documentation.  It's forever on my blog and shared with the world wide web, so I know where to find it if something should happen to my card.  Two, for the exact reason I just told you...to make them REAL to me, and something I'll try to achieve to prove to all of you that I can!  And finally, to share parts of me so that maybe some of you know that I've got the same goals as you this year.  Possibly to give you some ideas for your own!

So, here they are:  (If you don't care to know...you can skip the rest of this post and come back next time!)

I went with an even 10 resolutions this year.  Some big ones mixed in with some small.  Some that are repeats from years before, some new.  I wanted a good number so that I have several things to try to achieve this year and so that I don't feel like a complete failure when I don't do them all.  Surely, I can at least get a couple of these crossed off!

• Be a "yes" girl - I mean this in a very specific way.  I've always been a yes girl in the sense that I will agree to do anything for anyone any time.  But I'm not a yes girl when it comes to doing things for me.  I have a lot of excuses, things that come up, ways to back out.  Honestly, I think I have a bit of commitment fear for some reason, and that's something I want to work on this year.  So when I say be a yes girl, I want to go all in when I say yes to something.  I want to say yes to more.  
• Get healthy & stay active - Isn't this everyone's resolution...every year?  But if you're going to have a repetitive resolution, this would be the one.  For me, it's time to get back to being in shape and feeling good about myself.  This is the first time I'm doing it without a size or number in mind.  I just want to be healthy, active, and feel good about myself.
• Start an etsy shop - I've had several people suggest this, and asked why I don't have one already. I always had an excuse, no real reason.  It's time to commit, going back to my first resolution.  It's something so simple that I think would bring me a lot of joy...and give me a great reason to craft more!
• Read at least one book a month - for fun! - I read for community group, and right now I have to read for work.  I love to read for fun and need to make it a habit.  I have a pile of about 20 books waiting on me, I just need to get started!
• Visit a new state - One of the major things on my life list is to visit every one of the 50 states.  For me, it doesn't count unless I spend more than 24 hours in that state.  So far, my list consists of: Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.  That's 13...why not add to my number this year?  
• Be intentional with strengthening friendships - old and new - I'll be honest.  I'm horrible about keeping in touch with people.  Life gets busy, and phone conversations and e-mails seem to get squeezed out of my schedule.  This year, I want to aim to be better about making those things priorities.  My friends are too great and awesome to lose touch with...old friends from high school and college as well as my newer ones.
• Replace my wardrobe! - Maybe it's not realistic to do it completely, but I definitely need an update.  After college I taught elementary school, so style was not at the top of my list.  But now that I'm in adult world, I need to catch up and try to at least look the part.  :o)
• Smile at strangers - So simple, but something that will be a challenge for me.  I'm outgoing and bubbly once I get to know you, but I am incredibly shy with strangers.  Eye contact and a smile is a struggle, but you never know what can stem from that.  If anything, I hope this new goal/habit will help me get over being so shy around new people.  
• Save for/purchase a DSLR camera - I've wanted one for a long while, but never made it important enough to budget for.  My parents got me a photography class for Christmas (there's no way I can afford one before then), and it's a passion I want to pursue.  Who knows where it will lead, but I definitely want to learn more about the craft of photography and see what I can do with it.  I wrote save for SLASH purchase because the ability to purchase one sort of depends on my job situation and if that's something I'll be able to afford before the year is over.  
• Strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman - This is another one that is a repeat for me.  I am constantly trying to be a Godly woman, but in my human-ness fall short daily.  There is no such thing as earthly perfection, but I hope to keep this verse in my heart as I walk with Him this year.  

So, there you have it, friends!  This may have been something I posted just for me, but that's okay!  I hope to be able to tell you that I accomplished at least a couple of these this time next year when I'm giving my new list for 2013!  And if you want to donate to my camera fund or have a place for me to stay in a state I haven't been, let me know!  ;o)

Promise to post again soon with another date and more craft ideas!