Sweet readers, thank you for joining me for my winter bucket list: update 01.21.2021. Not a whole lotta progress to report. But there’s still a whole lotta winter left!!
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Now let’s get to it…here’s my subdivided bucket list and progress in each category.
Update 01.21.2021: Winter Bucket List
Hasn’t felt like winter around here. We have had 70*F/21*C afternoons. Grateful my winter bucket list didn’t include all kinds of snow related activities!!
BODY
- Desert walks and runs – not going to specify how many I do or how far I go. Just need to get back at it. Haven’t started running yet but was walking in the desert…until women’s panties zip-tied to a half dozen signs started appearing out by where I like to walk. So, plan B. Walking in the living room!! Using Leslie Sansone’s Walk At Home videos. This one is a 3 mile walk. Also, my daughter Brennyn invited me to participate in StepBet with her, and Lauren is doing it with us, too. You can learn more about StepBet here. ✔️
- Implement schedule for using gym equipment – we bought the stuff, now to use it. And we have begun. It has been hard to get a schedule in place with PC’s back issues. But those are better now after his epidural. So here we go!! Not ready to give this a check mark, though. ⏳
- Massage and facial – at least one of each. I’m looking at you, Woodhouse Day Spa. We had a fabulous deep tissue massage several weeks ago. The masseuse had the strongest hands I have ever felt. We were happily sore for days. Now to get a facial. ⏳
HEART
- Slow dance on New Year’s Eve – you probably remember that PC is not a dancer. Oh, he can but he won’t dance. Going to force this issue, though!! If not on New Year’s Eve, then shortly afterward. This did not happen. Apparently, I wasn’t forceful enough!! On NYE, I kind of wiggled around in front of PC but he didn’t bite. For now I am going to give this a big red X but if we do accidentally dance between now and 03.21.2021, you’ll be the first to know. ❌
- Holiday light scavenger hunt – might be a good Christmas Eve activity. We didn’t do this formally either. In driving around the little bit we did over the holidays, I noticed the lights we passed but didn’t check them off my scavenger hunt list. Just didn’t feel much like celebrating this past holiday season so this ship has sailed. ❌
- Game night with charcuterie board – PC loves Upwords and I love Pictionary, maybe the kids can even come. We’ve had several game nights. And enjoyed a charcuterie board for dinner just last Sunday evening. But we haven’t done both together. Stay tuned. ⏳
MIND
- Craft with Lucia – maybe rock painting or bird feed pinecones. Well, I hadn’t been able to see her until this week and now I am helping with the girls in the morning. Hopeful that I can just have them for a few hours on a weekend so we can do something fun. ⏳
- Work on mosaic – this makes my list season after season. Someday I am going to finish this thing. Not yet. ⏳
- Finish Winter Wonderland paintings – want to finish my second painting and my sister and I are looking at participating in another of Jennifer Chamberlin’s mixed media classes. Finished one Winter Wonderland painting and did this Laundry Day collage with my sister. So.Much.Fun. ✔️
SPIRIT
- Return to church– as soon as we feel it is safe, and in the meantime, begin watching online again. Have listened to our online church service once recently. Joined my sister’s Sunday School class on Zoom last week. Need to make this a habit. ⏳
- Read a self-help book – suggestions? Just ordered The Home Edit Life: The No-Guilt Guide to Owning What You Want and Organizing Everything by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin. Several gals I follow have mentioned it. And I checked it out of the library to listen to on Overdrive. But have decided it is probably the kind of book I need to hold in my hands to read. ⏳
- Pay it forward – hope to do this in a couple of different ways. Kindercare, where the girls attend ‘school’ had a blanket drive and we contributed. I donated a large box of new and gently loved books to our Little Free Library. And we helped a family that was struggling when we received our stimulus check. Hope to try out some of these great ideas for random acts of kindness, here. ✔️
STOMACH
- Hot chocolate bar or spiced cider – I love my Mexican hot chocolate recipe!! Have you tried it? Check it out here. Would like to make it and try my hand at some spiced cider, too. We haven’t made the hot chocolate yet this year. But we did make Danielle’s spiced cider. It was delicious!! Going to mark this as pending, though, because I want to make hot chocolate, too. ⏳
- Tamale run and tasting – a local AM radio station conducted a poll to find the 10 best places in El Paso for tamales. I want to determine our favorite. ✔️ Oh, my gosh, this was so much FUN. We bought 3 kinds: green chile chicken, red pork and cheese tamales from 4 different restaurants. While all of them were delicious, the tamales from Sabroso were so flavorful, meaty and affordable!! They get the blue ribbon, the estrella oro. ⭐
- Try 3 new recipes – thinking at least one cocktail, one main course and one dessert. Made these white Christmas margaritas. They were really tasty. And just this week, tried a new recipe for pulled pork chili. Yesterday in fact. It was such a hit with the hubs. Hosting a recipe swap and blog hop – Favorite Treats for Your Sweets – on 02.16.2021. Would love to have you join us. Will give myself a check mark here next month. ⏳
STYLE
- Matching holiday PJs – have wanted to do this with the whole fam for a few years but it hasn’t happened. And it didn’t happen again this year!! We do have matching birthday suits, wink, wink!! 😉 ❌
- Two GYPO winter outfit posts – so many great pieces in the Get Your Pretty On winter capsule wardrobe. Have shared a couple of looks in a couple blog posts, here and here. Hope to do another winter outfit post with my friend Carrie as we revive her Ageless Style series. ✔️
- Styling winter dresses – it’s been so long since I’ve had on a dress!! If nothing else, I want to style some from my fashion haus for the blog. Will make this happen before my next update. At least at home in front of my skinny mirror!! ⏳
So, there you have it…my ‘progress’. Not a lot of green, is there? But I need to remember, it’s not the destination. It’s the journey!!
Your Turn
You’ve read my winter bucket list update 01.21.2021. Now you share yours!! Link up your blog post here.
Or let me know how you are coming along in a comment below.
Off to shower and head over the mountain to help with my babies. It is raining – RAINING – on the desert this morning. A glorious thing! Except it makes me a wee bit nervous to drive when the roads are slick. They are so seldom wet here.
Have yourselves a fabulous day.
Hugs and kisses,
You have such fun ideas. The tamale run sounds great! I’m confused about the underwear in the desert. Is that a news story because it sounds suspect to me!
Awww, what a sweet compliment, Dara. The tamale run was great fun. But it could easily be a taco run, hamburger run!! Might have to remember that myself.
You know, the police were not even interested when I called them about the panties. They just had the roads crew go out and cut them off the signs. Ridiculous.
I used to love Leslie Sansone videos. I haven’t done one in ages, but they’re great! The Home Edit book is gorgeous! Some of the ideas seem too perfect but the pictures are beautiful and the ideas are helpful.
I think I discovered the Home Edit book on your blog!! Thank you. Will enjoy looking at it and getting inspired to declutter.
We are enjoying Leslie Sansone walking workouts on days when we are too tired to do much else! They are just perfect.
I love self help/care books and also nutritional/clean eating books and I always make those the books I listen to on audio (while I’m driving the kids around all day, but I only listen to them when I don’t have the kids in the car, so after a drop off) and then the books I read are my fun fiction books! 🙂 I love the game night and charcuterie board combo… I just ordered a fun dessert charcuterie board from a bakery near us and I can’t wait, it is for V-Day!!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
I’m slowly making my way through our list; when I check in yesterday I was pleasantly surprised with our progress. We’re having more snow flurries today so I am actually having the opposite problem getting outside as you but have also dragged out my Leslie Sansone Dvds!
Hi Joanne, those Leslie Sansone walking workouts are really good. We work up a slight sweat and feel like we have done something more than just stroll around the neighborhood. Send me your snow flurries. I am so jealous!!
Oh Tamales…man, I want to learn to make those. I grew up eating those out of can and just loved them. Now that I’m an adult, I get them at restaurants and they can be hit or miss. I’ll try to join along for the Favorite Treats recipe swap.
They are a Christmas tradition in El Paso. Whole families work together to make them. I would like to learn to make them, too, but it is a lot of work.
Hope you will join us for the Favorite Treats recipe swap!!
Sorry you didn’t get to dance. My hubby wouldn’t dance either.
Grace & Peace, Iris
http://www.IrisOriginalsRamblings.com
Ha, Iris! Why are guys so stubborn about dancing? Going to keep this activity in mind for Valentine’s Day!!
I love seeing your bucket lists and how you are doing with them! Getting into a routine with weight lifting can be so hard! Good luck with that! And I am jealous of your massage. Sounds lovely!
Oh, our massage was delicious, Laura, even if afterward we felt a bit like we had been beaten. Looking about booking another one for this coming weekend.
Great job Leslie. I love your winter painting….I think it would be fun to try different places and vote for best….That is really weird about the underwear…pretty sure I wouldn’t walk there either.
Thank you, Kirstin. And thanks for finding me on Duolingo. Yup, had to change where I walk. Just hoping the panties do return.
I love seeing these posts Leslie. Don’t you think you look back and realize that you did get more accomplished than you thought? Even if it’s not to the degree you wanted.
I think working out on our own is SO hard. I used to be better at it but I’ve found I do so much better if there is a class to go to. What happened to my determination, LOL?
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
In some ways, Jodie, we miss going to the gym because it is easy to nix the exercise when you are home and just not feeling it. But we tend to at least do something here at home. Even if it is just going for a walk or doing a workout video. Our gym had some wonderful hydro-massage beds and we miss those!!
Lots of interesting ideas in your bucket list! I need to check out the Mexican hot chocolate recipe. The underwear tied to the signboard is super weird and scary.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Hey, Lovely!! Isn’t that underwear creepy? Really freaked me out. Had to change where I walk because I am afraid to walk there now. Oh, please try the Mexican hot chocolate recipe. So. Good!
I love your sense of fun and adventure, Leslie.
Congratulations on your accomplishments!
Thank you, what a sweet compliment. I sure do like to have fun and hope my grandbabies will remember me as being fun. PC says I am silly and that works, too!!
I am ready for spring weather, never really enjoy winter after the holidays. Hope you get to do some of the things on your list soon. Take care, friend.
Hey, sweets!! If we could have one more snow, I would happily go into spring! Hope you guys are staying well.
I was just talking to my friend the other day and we said that we missed playing boardgames so much. And we will not be able to do so for month’s. And I also am in need of a facial so badly!! Enjoy your weekend!
Thank you, Nancy. I hope with this paycheck I can get a facial. Had one in February before the virus outbreak and haven’t had one since. We meant to play board games this weekend, but had a bunch of crazy stuff come up so it didn’t happen. Maybe next weekend.
I think you did pretty good!! That panty thing is really creepy. Like is it just some rando buying them and hanging them up, or what??? Also, I love that you tried all the places for tamales! I have never had a tamale before…
Aren’t those panties freaky, Danielle? They really scared the women in my neighborhood. They’ve been cut down and I pray they don’t turn up again.
You are so right–it is the journey–and it looks like you’ve had some fun along the way. I am definitely checking out the link for random acts of kindness ideas. As you know, I have a goal to commit 60 before my 60th birthday. It’s fairly easy to do the “usuals,” but I’d like to mix it up a bit. Good luck with the rest of your bucket list. Enjoy the journey!
So enjoying following you for your 60 before 60. Cheering you on from here!!
I had not seen or heard of those videos before, but that looks like my kind of exercise!
I shall need to google what a tamale is, I don’t think we have them over here. But I’m guessing they are popular if you have several restaurants to choose from.
It’s a shame that all the restrictions have stopped you from ticking everything off your list, but I know you’ll do everything that you can!
Deb, the Leslie Sansone videos are fun and quick and a good way to feel like you are getting some kind of exercise while life is so upside down. Tamales are kind of like pockets of meat or cheese surrounded by a corn or masa wrap. They are really good. And we enjoyed sampling the different versions from several restaurants.
Ewww…those women’s panties out in the desert are creepy! And I would have to do a LOT of coaxing to get my hubby to dance. He will dance at weddings if he has had a few drinks, but that’s about it. Why are men so self-conscious about dancing?
Those panties really scared me. They have been cut down now by our streets department. Just hope they don’t return.
It’s a shame you weren’t feeling festive and didn’t cross all the things off your Christmas wishlist but it’s nice you did get to see some lights 🙂 we had a lot of storms in December so many lights displays were turned off, and with my son having surgery the week before Christmas we didn’t get to see the lights like I had planned, but we did drive around a little on Christmas eve to enjoy a few local ones which was nice! 🙂
Hope that you are having a wonderful weekend 🙂 We went to the rainforest again yesterday, the kids had the best time!
Mica, how fun to go to the rainforest. I lived in Panama in Central America for 6 years on the edge of a rainforest. It was quite the experience.
I reckon you’re doing okay with your list. I giggled at the thought of you trying to tempt PC into a slow dance and love the title of that home edit book. You still have plenty of time left to get more ticks on the board..
Thank you, Joanne. I do have 2 more months to tick things off my list. Not worried yet! Going to try to get PC to slow dance yet.
I kind of just skipped over the Winter bucket list. I have a lot of medical things happening this season and I just couldn’t come up with much. I am already thinking about Spring though. The weather will get better so hopefully I can add more outdoor things.
-Lauren
I missed posting about a Winter Bucket List but this update was so fun to read (except for the underwear in the desert — weird). I just finished a Leslie Sansone workout right before I sat down to read this so… 🙂
I love your laundry collage. That’s so fun!
I love your idea of tamale tasting! What a fun evening! I need to discuss with my hubby to try and do something similar here. It would make take out more interesting! We love having charcuterie board for dinner, too! It’s fun especially in the summer when it’s too hot to cook. I’ve done fondue in the crockpot to accompany a board in at times as well. It’s so good!
Oooo, Laura, great idea to add fondue to a charcuterie supper. Going to have to try that. Thanks!!