30 Before 30 - Month 3

August was a fun, busy month for my 30 Before 30 project!! I had SUCH a good time crossing things off my list, and experiencing all the fun those things had to offer. :-)

The month started with a HUGE weekend - something every day!! That Friday started with a trip to Mall of America to get my eyebrows threaded. A week or so before I had done some very scientific research (read: polled my Facebook friends and did some web browsing) to find out if I wanted to thread or wax, and where I wanted to go.

The overwhelming opinion of my wise and well-informed Facebook friends was that threading was the way to go - less damaging in the long run to the sensitive skin around your eyes. A place at Mall of America was recommended. It's close, and inexpensive, and comes recommended - how could I go wrong?

After a bit of a wait at the salon, it was my turn. I was surprisingly nervous, because people warned me that it hurt quite a bit. However, it wasn't as bad as I thought! It was like tweezing on steroids. Uncomfortable for sure, but fleeting. In the spirit of the project, and letting myself splurge I decided to get my lip done too (okay, that's a bit embarrassing...but the little baby hairs there were really getting to me!). Overall I was pleased with the results. (See before and after shots to see for yourself). I had to do a bit of clean up with some stray hairs, but it wasn't bad, especially given the price. I think that this is something I can maintain with tweezing, and maybe just get them threading occasionally. I don't know why, but I always feel better about myself when my eyebrows look good. :-) I'm not really a girly girl (understatement), but I guess this is where a bit of that side comes out.

The next day (Saturday), Jackie, Sarah, and I participated in the Dirty Girl mud run at Welch Village. It was SO much fun. The race was a little tougher than I expected - not the obstacles or the distance, but the hills. UFFFDA.

Throughout the 5K route, we climbed through mud pits, scaled walls and cargo nets, stepped through tires, and got really, really dirty. It was nice, because the race was a woman's race, which made for a very supportive and fun environment. Strangers cheered and encouraged each other, apologized for missteps, and aided each other down scary obstacles (the wall and the cargo net).

The three of us had a GREAT time. This is one item on my 30 Before 30 list that has been something I've really wanted to do for a long time. It lived up to (and perhaps even exceeded expectations). I would definitely do a race like this again!

The next day (Sunday) was a TWO ITEM kind of day! In the morning, I decided to mix things up from the previous months, and try my hand at making breakfast. I've really been getting into some recipe blogs lately, and found the recipe on one of the new blogs I started following (http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/). The recipe was for Strawberry Chocolate Banana Baked Oatmeal. Uhhh...yum!

The recipe was easy - oats, some sugar, cinnamon, etc., along with strawberries, bananas, and chocolate chips. Yum! The consistency was a bit different than I was expecting. I thought that it would be a bit firmer - like a soft cookie or granola bar, but it was more like thick oatmeal. Either way, it was super delicious.

I made that, along with a side of bacon (my first time making bacon) and some strawberries. We got to enjoy the meal as a family (which is a treat these days because of schedule coordination). It was really wonderful, all the way around. :-)

The breakfast fueled me up for the event of the afternoon - water skiing! The weekend before we had gone to Jeromy's family's cabin, with hopes of going water skiing. Unfortunately, because of issues with the boat it was not in the water, and thus not able to be used for water skiing. So upon our return, I somewhat frantically looked for another alternative. Luckily, it didn't take too long of a search. Thanks to my well-connected Pastor Mom, I discovered that the Minister of Music at our church (Gary) is a boat owner, avid water skiier, and enthusiastic teacher! AWESOME.

Lucky for us, the weather was PERFECT. So out we headed onto Lake Riley in Eden Prairie (with my parents, for moral support). Our afternoon started with a skiing lesson on land, which I thought was kind of funny (at first). But when I gave it a chance I realized the land lesson really helped me get the feel of what it's supposed to feel like. Gary had me do it the right way a couple times (using your core strength to get you up) and then the wrong way a couple times (using your arms and upper body to pull you up). After running through that, we were ready to get into the water.


After a little bit of awkwardness on my part (getting the skis on, and then in the right position is harder than it might seem), I was ready to go. The land lesson paid off because I got up on the skis on the very first try!!! This was much improved from the first and only other time I've gone water skiing, when I spent all afternoon trying to get up on the skis with no long. This time it felt AWESOME. I was so proud of myself, and I'm sure I was grinning from ear to ear.

With a bit more practice I was riding over the wakes, and skiing one handed! I had so much fun.

Oh! I forgot! I also watched Good Will Hunting. Like I said, it was a big weekend! The movie was great...and not just because it stars my biggest celebrity crush (Matt Damon). Clearly, it deserved all the acclaim it's received...well written, good acting, interesting story. A good choice for my list. :-)


The final item crossed off the list this month was a trip to the Blue Door Pub. Blue Door Pub is a well known and popular burger joint in St. Paul. The restaurant is famous for their specialty juicy lucys. Jeromy and I decided to bring our friend Deb to join in the fun. Deb had taken family pictures for us a few weeks before, and lives in the area.

We started the meal with "Latin Kisses" - cream-cheese filled jalapenos, wrapped in bacon - delish! Next - the burgers! I had a Hawaiian style burger - filled with mozzarella cheese and Canadian bacon, and topped with pineapple and a sweet chili sauce. Add in a side of fries, and you've got one delicious, list worthy meal!

I had SUCH a fun month, and have been having such a good time with my 30 Before 30 challenge. I've done so many things I've wanted to do for a long time. I've gotten some good practice at letting go, and learning how to enjoy myself a bit. I've got a ways to go on the list, but I look forward to every bit of it!