Eight Cousins

My next book on my way to reading all of Louisa May Alcott's classics was "Eight Cousins."  What a delightful story! It is the story of Rose Campbell, a girl who lost her mother when she was a little baby and then after losing her father to death as well, was sent to live with her father's family, which includes seven boy cousins.  She comes as a sickly, very melancholy little girl and over the course of the novel really blossoms.

The main thing I love about the Rose stories (there is a sequel that is next up on the list) is that they  really are only Alcott novels that shows the importance of a father figure.  Rose's Uncle Alec is chosen to be her legal guardian and he is one of my favorite Alcott characters of all time.  He is jovial, so very kind and gentle, and takes very good care of "his little girl."  I won't give away what happens at the end of the book but it is evident how much he cherishes Rose and it is a beautiful relationship that we get to see develop.

I love this book because of it's beautiful themes of good health, the benefit of service, and the importance of a little bit of kindness. It has been a wonderful experience to read all of these books again from the perspective of a Young Women leader.  Although I don't have any daughters right now, I do have girls I love with all my heart and reading these books have given such a great perspective on values girls need that should never grow old-fashioned.  I am excited to read the next book in the Rose series.  I am halfway done with my goal!

Jo's Boys

Today I finished the last of the Little Women series, "Jo's Boys."  It is amazing to me how you can read a book again for probably about the 4th or 5th time and still get so much out of it.  This beautiful story takes place about 10 years after Little Men.  It won't make any sense unless you read Little Men first.  Jo's old Plumfield school has blossomed into a small college which all three living March sisters take an active hand in.  The story continues for almost all the boys in Little Men as well as Jo, Meg, and Amy's children.  There are some really beautiful passages that just warm my heart every time I read them.  There were some lessons in the story that I really needed this time around.  One thing I love about Louisa May Alcott and particularly this book is the way she writes her women characters and there is one particular chapter where the women of the college get together for a sewing group and the advice that is given to these girls means so much more to me now that I have several teenage girls that I am helping along in life.  I would have to say again that Jo and Dan's story is again my favorite.  Dan is the orphan that Jo adopted in her heart and has tried for years to help.  If you can make it through a certain talk that Jo and Dan have towards the end of the book without crying, more power to you.  Again, it has taught me so much about being a future parent and a leader of young women.  I can highly recommend this last book in the March family saga.  Even today when I closed it I was wishing that she would have written more March family books.  My mind was racing through all three books about other stories that might be told by a Louisa May Alcott enthusiast.  Consequently...writing one of them also happens to be on my 101 things in 1001 days list.  :)

#66 Go to the Gourmandise Bakery in Salt Lake City

This may come as a surprise to most of you, but I love bakeries.  Again, shocker...I feel very at home in them.  I love the smells, the atmosphere, the treats, and the entire magical experience.  Today we went down to Bountiful to celebrate my nephews' birthdays and had the chance to slip over to the Gourmandise bakery.  I've heard about this bakery for years and despite getting to the Salt Lake area quite a few times I year, I've never been.  It was definitely a delightful experience.  It is a pretty cafe type bakery, with white lights all along the awning.  There is a place to eat outside but it was sprinkling so no one was out there, just a family of sparrows who had stopped by for an afternoon treat of crumbs.  The inside was bustling, there was a hostess sitting people for lunch (it looked like a pretty good lunch menu) and there were also people just at the counter picking out baked goods from the display case.  Their cakes looked immaculate.  The breads were humongous.  There were rainbow colored fruit pastries and a variety of French delights, including macaroons and palmier.  I decided on a palmier, which is a large twisty crunchy pastry made out of puff pastry dough.  To me the inside tasted like a croissant while the outside tasted like the pie crust edge on a pie.  It was delightful! I enjoyed the entire experience and will have to make stopping at Gourmandise bakery a Salt Lake necessity!

#74-Make Homemade Citrus Cleaner

I LOVE the smell of oranges.  I love the smell orange peel.  As a kid, when I would peel my oranges I would twist the pieces of peel around my finger and bend them in half drawing out the oils and then I would just smell the heavenly scent that it left behind on my hands.  When I saw this idea for a homemade citrus cleaner I knew that was something I needed to try.  It is very simple.  Basically, peel an orange, place all the peels in a large mason jar.  Fill the jar with vinegar (either regular or cleaning) put somewhere a little cooler and wait.   The longer that you wait the better.  I waited about 3 1/2 weeks.  After the smell is orange instead of vinegar, take out all the peels.  When I do it again, I will probably make more than one jar because to wait over three weeks for a half a jar of cleaner was a bit of a let down but the cleaner itself is wonderful and has no harsh chemicals!  I added about 15 drops of orange essential oil.   The smell might be a bit over-powering but is delightfully citrusy.  I would say that it would probably be fine to dilute it a bit with distilled water.  All in all this was a very fun experiment!

Little Men

Little Men takes place pretty soon after Little Women and is the story of Jo and Fritz’s adventures running their school for boys at Plumfield.  Some fun new characters are introduced in the boys who are at the school.  Some of them are orphans, some are not but they all call Jo and Fritz “Mother” and “Father” Bhaer.  It is a wonderful book and just like all of Louisa May Alcott’s books, it does me a lot of good to read it.  Jo is at the center of it and is still as “Jo” as ever.  She is the center of all of these young boy’s worlds.  It is fun to get to know Fritz better through this book and their two young sons Rob and Teddy are adorable.  Meg’s twins Demi and Daisy are out at Plumfield and are both featured heavily in the book.  Laurie is probably the other “Little Women” character who is featured the most, along with his little fairy princess of a daughter Bess.  This book can at times get a little more boring than Little Women, and is at times a little too preachy but is filled with some wonderful moments.  In particular the story of Dan and the mother/son relationship that develops between him and Jo is one of the most beautiful stories of redemption and the power of love I’ve ever read.  It is one of my favorite relationships throughout the entire “Little Women” series.  There are some wonderfully funny moments too, like Jo’s play of Cinderella she gets together for Thanksgiving or Tommy Bang’s antics.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Little Women! 

Little Women-a book report

One of my 101 things is to read the eight class books of Louisa May Alcott’s that she is most known for.  Tonight, I finished the one that is the most famous, “Little Women.”  I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve read this wonderful story and it still does me so much good every time I read it.  I have quite the history with this story as well, as I was named after Beth.   She has been a good little literary heroine to look up to and emulate and I am grateful for this sweet character’s influence in my life.  There have been times in my life when I have felt more like Jo than Beth, and especially this time when I read about her loneliness waiting for love.  For some reason, I feel like my love story will be similar to Jo and Friedrich’s and I just have to smile when they get together at the end. 

I have heard a lot of people say, “Oh, I’ve seen the movie.” Well, if you love the movie, (I loved all three movies!) let me tell you…the book is SO much better!  Did you know that Laurie did not propose to Jo until after she had returned from New York? Did you know that there is so much more to Jo and Friedrich’s, Meg and John’s and Amy and Laurie’s love stories? Did you know there is a whole other chapter after Jo says the words “Not empty now?”  Read the book and you will find the gems of the story of the jelly that would not jell, and the disastrous dinner Jo tries to put on.  This book is such a wonderful friend and I feel like a better person every time I read it.  I don’t know how I could feel otherwise with beautiful passages like this one, where Jo and Marmee are talking “If I don't seem to need help, it is because I have a better friend, even than Father, to comfort and sustain me. My child, the troubles and temptations of your life are beginning and may be many, but you can overcome and outlive them all if you learn to feel the strength and tenderness of your Heavenly Father as you do that of your earthly one. The more you love and trust Him, and the less you will depend on human power and wisdom. His love and care never tire or change, can never be taken from you, but may become the source of lifelong peace, happiness, and strength. Believe this heartily, and go to God with all your little cares, and hopes, and sins, and sorrows, as freely and confidently as you come to your mother.”

I am so glad I was able to read this book again.  Now, on to “Little Men” !

#41 Walk the Greenbelt in Boise

It was a beautiful day today as my dad, my brother-in-law and I drove down the road towards the park in Boise.   I was born here in Boise and we lived here until I was 8. We past the old train station where we used to go meet the 3:00 am Amtrak train that would be bringing my aunt and my cousins for a week of fun. We drove down the hill where I would ride on the back of my mom’s bicycle for Monday night bike rides. We passed Elmer’s Pancake House where I loved to go eat because there was a wishing well right inside the door.  So much history here, but no place holds more memories for me than the Greenbelt, a lovely walkway along the wide beautiful Boise River that flows gently beside Ann Morrison and Julia Davis Park.  As a kid I used to imagine what Ann Morrison and Julia Davis looked like, figuring they must have been grand ladies because their parks are something to behold.  The playgrounds, the fresh green grass, the Rose garden, the zoo of my childhood, the art museum with the big beautiful stained glass rotunda—it was all so beautiful. Along the Greenbelt you could see the big friendly river and watch the people in paddle-boats and inner tubes gently floating along.  There were little hidden places of thick grass and twisted tree roots that I was certain housed shy but friendly leprechauns.  The smell was even magical, and as I came across the bridge today and smelled that fragrance of summer and twilight, it was just like I was seven years old again.  

It was fun to see the river and people enjoying the last of summer by floating on inner tubes or just simply going waiting.  As I walked down the path, I saw a large tree that had leaves almost shaped like leprechaun hats.  Perhaps a new millinery shop for the little people?  There were some patches of clover along the way and yes…I did keep my eye out for those elusive four leaf luck charms. I walked to where we went as children and I thought about my mom and how it’s her birthday tomorrow.  I thought about how most of the magic of this place was because she brought us here and genuinely played with us.  It was a park that she went to as a child and now was passing it on to us.  How lovely to have a park and a rose garden and an art museum and a river as part of your heritage, as if they were cherished heirlooms.  One day I hope that I will bring my child here and show him or her the ducks that gather by the river and tell them that those ducks are perhaps the great grandchildren of the ducks that I used to feed with leftover Wonder Bread. I hope that I will be able to show them the bike trails we rode and the place where the Funspot used to be, where I would ride the Ferris wheel with my dad and feel safe.  More than anything, that’s what I felt today as I walked along the Greenbelt…safety, peace.  It was a beautiful day to remember beautiful memories in this city I first called home. 

The Lesson of Legacy Lake

                                                 

Heber Valley Camp—for a year I had been hearing about what a magical place it was.  When the stake Young Women leaders told us that would be the place for the upcoming stake camp, I was delighted I was going to get to see the beautiful camp grounds and feel the special spirit that was there.  When I was told it was a “mountain temple” and heard stories of people receiving direction and answers to questions and problems I was even more excited.  If there is one thing I need in my life right now, it’s answers! I prayed for a long time before Girl’s Camp, hoping that I would get there and receive precise, detailed instructions on what God had planned for me next.  An important revelation did come, but not entirely in the way I was expecting it. 

It was Wednesday morning and there had been some off and on rain since we’d arrived there.  It was our morning to go to Legacy Lake and I was excited! I had heard that the lake was beautiful and it would be a treat to have some fun on the water and see the girls enjoy themselves.  There was a hike to get to the lake.  I was accustomed to hiking being a part of Girl’s Camp since I was 12 years old.  Off we went and it was great fun at first.  I enjoyed looking at the different trees and birds and experiencing all the nature around me.  It was fun to hike with my friends and my Young Women girls.  The trail soon became a bit tougher, a lot of uphill and then downhill and back up again and I began to get tired and look forward to seeing the end of the trail. Just as we started walking down the main road that led to the lake, it started to rain…and then it started to hail.  I could imagine us in two days pulling back into the church with a busload of sniffly and fevered girls to hand back to their parents.  By the time we got to the lake, it was pouring and even though some ladies braver than I went out onto the lake in downpour, when the thunder and lightning came, they pulled everybody off.  We decided that since we brought a few girls down in cars who couldn’t physically do the hike, we would take all of our ward girls back up to the camp in cars in order to get them quickly out of the rain.  Needless to say, it was a whole lot shorter to drive back on the road to camp, then it was to hike. 

That evening we were told that our ward would get another chance to go to the lake, but were reminded that the rule of Heber Valley camp was that if you are going to go to the lake, you have to hike to the lake unless you are physically unable.  I was thinking in my mind: “We’ve done that, we’ve already walked to the lake.”  We were obedient to that rule and surely there was an exception this time because of the weather.  They could not expect us to hike that 45 minute hike again when we had only been able to get on the water for about five minutes the first time we were there.  We planned to take everyone down in cars this time because we figured that would be just fine to do that.  We ate breakfast that morning and group of us was standing outside ready to get in the cars.  There was a group of girls from the other wards that had just left to hike back down to the lake.  It was then that we were told again that this was the rule of the camp, and that we couldn’t take everybody down in cars.  We had to walk if we were able and so we had to get going.  I started off with the group of girls who were with me.  There were some avid hikers among us who were really excited about another hike, but there were some other girls who definitely less enthusiastic.  I tried to be the “cheerleader” leader, telling the girls that they could do this and how fun it would be but inside my heart just sank and the prospect of making that long hike again and I was thinking “You have GOT to be kidding me” What possible sense did this make? Why in the world did such a rule exist? Couldn’t there be an exception this time? I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, trying to enjoy the beauty of the hike again and think about fun we’d have on the lake.  When we got to the lake I was pretty tired and my feet hurt but oh the lake was beautiful! The light shimmered on it like beautiful diamonds and the weather was perfect.  It was fun to watch the girls out on their paddle boats and canoes.  It was refreshing in many ways and I admit, was worth the hike to get there. 

When we started to go back, I had heard that there was a simpler way to walk back which wasn’t as steep but then I found out we weren’t going that way, we were going back the way we came.  I took a deep breath and steeled myself for the way back, knowing that this time, the last stretch would be all uphill.   As I walked I eventually became the last one, walking with the two leaders who were supposed to bring up the rear.  I was tired, I was hurting, I was hot and I was very embarrassed to be last one that the other leaders had to stay behind for.  Because of that, I probably took the uphill last stretch a little faster than I should have.  By the time I got to the top of the hill and the end of the hike, I was in some trouble.  I could feel my face was very flushed and I felt pretty weak.  My stake friends got me inside for some shade and some cold water.  Sitting inside I was more exhausted than I had been in a long time.  After I felt a little better I geared up for the walk back to my ward’s campsite…which was of course uphill. 

As I walked back up the hill I started to feel some fears of the past.  It seemed like my whole life I was always last when it came to sports, and the kids would tease me because of it.  I remember literally praying at times that I would just come in second to the last.  I didn’t care about being first, but I absolutely dreaded being last.  When I walked into the camp, one of my fellow leader buddies started applauding me and the girls quickly followed suit.   It was such a special moment for me and helped heal that hurt inside of me that came from years of being teased.

I went to my cabin to lie down, still exhausted emotionally and physically.  I still didn’t understand what the point of doing the hike again was. In the midst of my thoughts and a little grumbling, there came one clear impression: “You are stronger than you think you are.” I didn’t understand until later just how important that lesson is in my life.  For years I have been trying to figure out my future because it has not been the one I planned on.  It never even occurred to me that at this point in my life I wouldn’t be a wife and a mother.  I am in between jobs and trying to figure out what is next for me in life.   I get scared.  I doubt. I feel as emotionally and mentally weak as I was physically feeling in that moment.   I am so blessed in that right now, the Lord chose to reveal something to me about myself: I am stronger than I think I am and I can do hard things. 

This was the answer that I was looking for.  It was the revelation that I needed and I am so grateful for wise camp host missionaries who kept to that wonderful rule because the lesson of Legacy Lake for me was this: God asks his people to do things, hard things, that may make absolutely no sense, and he’s been doing it since the beginning of time.  He is not a grand master of chess, moving his children around on some cosmic board, he is a grand master of people and he knows exactly what experiences his children need to become like him. Sometimes we grumble, sometimes we are inwardly saying “You have GOT to be kidding me” but we keep putting one foot in front of the other and we obey.  And in the process of obedience, God reveals something about ourselves to us.  Sometimes I forget that while I do have a veil of forgetfulness, God does not and he knows exactly who I have been my entire existence and what I am capable of with his direction and help.  I am so grateful for the process of growing and changing.  I am so grateful for the Atonement and the help I receive on a daily basis.  It’s okay to be last.  It’s okay when you just don’t get it.  The Lord takes us where we’re at and I am so grateful for his loving compassion. 

So yep, Heber Valley didn’t disappoint.  It was beautiful.  I had a wonderful time bonding with my stellar girls and fellow leader buddies.  We had a wonderful testimony meeting, lots of fun playing games, and when the week ended I was sad to go.  But probably my favorite memory will always be that blessed trail I hiked three times back and forth to Legacy Lake, where the sun sparkled on the water like diamonds. 

101 things in 1001 days

I first heard about this idea a month ago and have been excitedly writing my list of 101 things I want to accomplish in 1001 days.  I hope this will inspire people to make their own list, or maybe just decide they want to focus on one goal.  There are things in here that I have always wanted to do, goals that will push me a bit, things that scare me pretty badly and just some good old fashioned my-kind-of-fun! As I was making this list, I remembered back to when I was in a gift store at the Oregon coast and there was a big container of pretty stones and little bags you could fill up with the stones. I watched as one little boy was filling up the bag and asking his grandma "Should I get this one?" over each one he picked up. His grandma explained that he should get the ones that will make him happy because this was his special bag of stones and he would be the one to bring them out and admire their color and shape and feel. Nobody else could choose them for him. That's kind of how I feel about this list. Some of the items may seem silly to other people but they are my special adventures that will make me very happy. I plan on reporting on each of them on this blog so I hope you'll tune in from time to time to take a look and share this journey with me. Drumroll...here's my list!

1) Read the Standard Works (Old and New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price) I found a reading schedule online to help you read them in a year. I am excited, I've never read the Old Testament all the way through before!

2) Make a white dress with a blue satin sash (A Sound of Music thing)

3) Enter the WOW Women on Writing story contest (An online contest, I've won once before and it's a great contest!)

4) Submit something to the Ensign for publication (Something I've thought about for a long time)

5) Make homemade valentines, a May Day basket, and a super cool jack o'lantern (holiday fun we need never grow out of)

6) Pay off my credit card

7) Go to the Brigham City, Ogden, Bountiful, Salt Lake, Oquirrh Mountain, and Draper temples (Haven't done sessions in any of them)

8) Send a care package to someone for no reason. (Love putting together care packages!)

9) Write a book for Kindle and submit it to Amazon. (Discovered the process a month ago, excited to give it a try)

10) Learn to say five phrases in French and Italian. (Such beautiful languages)

11) Keep a kitchen journal for a year (A wonderful idea I heard about, to write down favorite recipes, tips, housekeeping ideas, etc.)

12) Read Louisa May Alcott's 8 classic books (Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys, Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom, An Old Fashioned Girl, Jack and Jill, and Under the Lilacs)

13) Make a dandelion chain (I've always wanted to try that!)

14) Feed the ducks (A favorite childhood pastime I haven't done in awhile)

15) Make homemade croissants (Something I've wanted to try ever since it came out in the Martha Stewart magazine)

16) Read each conference Ensign cover to cover (Doesn't get any better than council from the prophets and church leaders)

17) Throw a "favorite things" party.  (Again, kind of a Sound of Music thing but I just think these are so fun!)

18) Make homemade apricot scrub (I actually found a recipe!)

19) Learn how to iron efficiently (As far as homemaking skills go, ironing is definitely my "Waterloo"

20) Take a trip other than La Grande/Smithfield (If I am living in La Grande)

21) Throw a surprise party (Something else I've always wanted to do)

22) Take a rose petal dream bath with my own northern lights (Again, a recipe I found that said it was like taking a bath in a secret garden. Who could resist that??)

23) Create a superb resume (With my sister's help!)

24) Learn a new magic trick (Something to add to my classic disappearing quarter trick!)

25) Do the "carrot a day" challenge for 3 months (I have some serious female issues and that is supposed to help!)

26) Write my first "Lavender Linens" story (A story I am continually making up in my head about the Inn I run with my husband and six children)

27) Go through my belongings and de-clutter (Already taken two car loads to DI)

28) Become certified in first-aid. (Something I definitely need to do)

29) Cook a turkey (Never done it before, excited to try!)

30) Make a jam recipe that doesn't call for pectin (I tried once before and the result was more like gummy bears than jam)

31) Be able to play a new hymn on the piano (I can only play "Sweet Hour of Prayer" in an emergency

32) Buy a nice sheet set (I love nice sheets!)

33) Write a fairy tale (If anyone has read the introduction of "The Ordinary Princess," that's the kind of experience I'd like to have)

34) Visit a museum I've never been to before (My dream is to go to the Smithsonian!)

35) Get a roll at the Pie Dump (A strange name for a restaurant but I've been told the rolls are heaven on earth.)

36) Get a Bear Lake raspberry shake (Lived here for a great many years and still have yet to have one!)

37) Make the food for it and then go on a picnic (Been wanting to try out my beautiful picnic basket)

38) Make a roast beef with all the trimmings (Always wanted to try that!)

39) Make my own snow globe (A winter craft I've always wanted to try)

40) Grow my hair at least two inches (I've always had a thing for long hair! I'd love mine to be longer!

41) Walk the Greenbelt in Boise (A place I loved as a kid and I was absolutely certain was inhabited by leprechauns)

42)  Color through a coloring book (Another favorite pastime I don't think any of us need to leave behind)

43) Learn my credit score and how to improve it (And mostly not be afraid of it)

44)  Learn napkin folding and do it at a holiday dinner (found a tutorial for little Easter baskets online)

45) Host a Christmas party (Bring out my vintage Crosby, Como, and Cole records!)

46) Decorate a cake (Believe it or not, I never have!)

47) Make homemade vanilla extract (Super excited for this one!)

48) Do a "gold rush" activity for my nephews (A really fun adventure I found on Pinterest!)

49) Make DIY bouncy balls (Um...best science magic trick EVER!)

50) See a dermatologist about some skin issues (Never too late!)

51) Memorize Moroni's discourse on faith, hope and charity and spend a month studying charity and love.

52) Start a blog (check!) and write at least ten new entries. (Lots of writing ideas that need to be written!)

53) Invent a new fruit salad (I love fruit salad!)

54) Read a biography about Rosemary Kennedy (JFK's oldest sister and the inspiration for the Special Olympics)

55) Go through all my video cassettes and thin out (Yeah, as my family will tell you, I've got quite the collection)

56) Go to at least five mid-singles activities (Need to get out more!)

57) Get the butterfly habitat (Let's you raise your own caterpillars to butterflies and then set them free.)

58) Write 10 handwritten letters to people (Cause who doesn't love to get mail!)

59) Learn all the crochet stitches and crochet an apple blossom  scarf (I just love that image, an apple blossom scarf!)

60) Create a new pasta dish (Never be the pasta gourmet that my brother is, but hopefully I can create something pretty yummy!)

61) Make shrinky-dinks with Jenni (A favorite activity my sister and I used to do together

62) Make kettlecorn (My family loves it!)

63) Get the personal doctor appointment I need to have done (I'm okay, just need to have it done)

64) Move into my own place when the time is right (The end goal, but will be when the time is right)

65) Have the mole on my neck removed (Not looking forward to it, but will be glad to have it done)

66) Go to the Gourmandise bakery in S.L.C. (I've heard their lemonhead cookies are to die for)

67) Make a gingerbread house (Haven't done that in years)

68) Go to the aquarium in Sandy (Wanted to do that since it opened!)

69) Make a homemade doll or stuffed animal (In case you didn't already know, I'm about ten years old at heart)

70) Make homemade pastries (bear claws, danish, can't wait to give it a try)

71) Tour the underground place in La Grande (This whole little area that just opened up, I'm so excited to see it!)

72) Make an apple pie decorated with fall leaves (the leaves are made out of pie crust)

73) Make embroidered dish towels and pillow cases (I've always dreamed of having a beautiful linen closet and I want to start it off!)

74) Make homemade citrus cleaner (Made of vinegar and orange peels, excited to try it!)

75) Read discourses of President Hinckley (He is the voice of positivity in my head)

76) Make apple cider (want to try it the old-fashioned way, squeezing out the juice with cheesecloth)

77) Make homemade rosewater (Uh,,,because who doesn't want to smell like a rose!)

78) Do the apple cider vinegar & glycerin hair treatments on my hair for a month (Supposed to work wonders)

79) Recycle an altoid tin into something fun (There are so many fun ideas out there!)

80) Get a diamond candle (A fun candle that has a ring inside and the chance to win a real diamond ring)

81) Find my signature roll recipe (Tried lots but none that really wowed me.)

82) Make homemade vanilla perfume (Because who doesn't want to smell like vanilla and baking!)

83) Create a new story character (It was said that P.L. Travers created a character for her own amusement, a flying magical nanny.  I want to do the same!)

84) Learn to check the oil on the car and fill it myself (Yep, Dad's still doing it.  Want to learn more about cars and started with that.)

85) Have a Secret Garden dinner party (An absolutely beautiful idea I saw on Pinterest)

86) Make a notebook of all of Bro. Satterfield's selected quotes (A religion teacher at BYUI who changed my life)

87) Make someone breakfast in bed (Breakfasts are my favorite meal to cook!)

88) Write a "Little Women" missing story (An idea that's been in my head for awhile, simple "fill in the gaps" stories from the Little Women world)

89) Have a kitchen herb garden (An idea that came in a book I got.  I am probably showing my domestic dorkness but I can't tell you how excited I am at the prospect of growing mint and lemon verbena in a teacup garden in the kitchen!)

90) Create my own exercise regiment and follow it everyday for at least a month (I'm thinking "Footloose" will definitely be a part of it!)

91) Make a magic letter box (An idea I saw in a book, a place to keep letter-writing materials.)

92) Have a "Sisters, scones and sugar scrubs" party (All six Blake sisters, and  mom, some scones of the Utah and/or England variety and my friend's recipe for homemade sugar scrubs)

93) Make homemade scented laundry detergent and linen spray (If I'm going to run an inn called Lavender Linens, someday, I'd better learn how to make lavender-scented linen spray!)

94) Make a quilt (Shouldn't be too hard, considering who my mom is!)

95) Read "Peace and Plenty" (A book on finding financial serenity)

96) Read all of Elder Bednar's learning series books (Such a great series from a master teacher!)

97) Have a random act of kindness day (Always wanted to try that)

98) Build a doll house (Maybe even one with electric lights??)

99) Make homemade candy bars and wrappers (Channeling my inner Willy Wonka!)

100) Take a class in something (Always learning something!)

101) Make homemade bubbles, play dough, and watercolors (Some essential need to know things!)

Alternates/extra credit (If for some reason I am simply unable to do one of the above things or I may just do all of these too!)

1) Go down a waterslide or go on a ride that scares me
2) Watch all of Audrey Hepburn's movies
3) Have a homemade root beer and pizza night
4) Organize all my pictures
5) Make homemade butter mints
6) Learn to juggle