#89 - Take a day trip to another state (83/101).

This past weekend, I took a day trip to Charlotte, North Carolina to go to the Carolina Panthers v. Minnesota Vikings football game. We always try to get down to Charlotte to join Clark's parents for a game but weren't sure if we'd be able to make it this season due to a very busy fall. About a week ago, we realized we had Sunday available and the tickets had not been claimed by anyone yet. We looked into options to get there and were lucky to find a great deal using miles. 

We flew out at 7:15am, enjoyed a wonderful day full of brunch with bloody mary's and mimosas, a Panther's victory and delicious dinner, and then headed back to Richmond, landing at 11:30pm. It was such a fun day and I am so glad we were able to make it work. I am grateful to have opportunities like this and am glad we were able to "say yes" and take a crazy day trip like this. Hopefully we will make it back to Charlotte for another game next year as well (and stay longer than a day!) but until then, we will be cheering on the Panthers from afar! 

#7 - Make homemade applesauce (82/101).

Every fall we try to make it to Charlottesville to go apple picking at Carter Mountain Orchard. We made it up this fall and came back with lots of delicious apples and some caramel apple cookies. We ended up eating the apples but were thinking that we should make homemade applesauce at some point this season. This weekend we are hosting an early latke party to celebrate the holiday season. Many people traditionally eat latkes with applesauce so we decided to make some homemade apple sauce. It is even easier than I thought it would be and so delicious. Here is what we made:

1. Core and chop the apples (no peeling required).
2. Toss chopped apples into a pot with about an inch of water. Add cinnamon stick, cinnamon and sugar to taste (I used two cinnamon stickers and some coconut sugar).
3. Cook on the stove over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until soft. 
4. Put into blender (we left out some of the liquid) and blend until desired consistency. *If you have an immersion blender, you can leave everything in the pot and blend with the immersion blender until its the right consistency. 

#72 - Send an anonymous donation (81/101).

There is a teaching in Judaism by the scholar Maimonides about the eight rungs of the giving ladder. I grew up learning the importance of giving tzedakah, or charity, and have learned the importance about the Maimonides giving ladder as well. It says the highest form of giving is giving in order to enable an individual to be self-reliant and that giving anonymously is more important than giving with your name/identity attached to the gift. Here is the full ladder:

1. The lowest: Giving begrudgingly and making the recipient feel disgraced or embarrassed.
2. Giving cheerfully but giving too little.
3. Giving cheerfully and adequately but only after being asked.
4. Giving before being asked.
5. Giving when you do not know who is the individual benefiting, but the recipient knows your identity.
6. Giving when you know who is the individual benefiting, but the recipient does not know your identity.
7. Giving when neither the donor nor the recipient is aware of the other's identity.
8. The Highest: Giving money, a loan, your time or whatever else it takes to enable an individual to be self-reliant.

I completed #72 - Send an anonymous donation, at some point in the last week. I don't want to share many more details because of the nature of the giving ladder. In the spirit of Giving Tuesday and the season of giving, I hope you all give at some point during this season.

#4 - Ask 20 friends to suggest one book, and read them all (80/101).

Below is a list of twenty books I have been recommended to read over the last year or so. They are a diverse bunch - from fiction to nonfiction, historical to business books, autobiographies to religion & spirituality, I really enjoyed reading them all. Here is the list in no particular order:

1. With Roots in Heaven: One Woman's Passionate Journey into the Heart of her Faith
• By Tirzah Firestone
2. I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban 
• By Malala Yousafzai
3. Knowing Your Value: Women, Money and Getting What You're Worth 
• By Mika Brzezinski
4. The Nightingale 
• By Kristin Hannah
5. Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business 
• By Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters
6. Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers
• By Anne Lamott
7. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• By J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany
8. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1963 Berlin Olympics 
• By Daniel James Brown
9. My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel 
• By Ari Shavit
10. The Cheat Code
• By Brian Wong
11. Small Great Things
• By Jodi Picoult 
12. Mission, Meaning, and Money: How the Joint Distribution Committee Became a Fundraising Innovator
• Mark I. Rosen
13. It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War
• By Lynsey Addario 
14. The Art of Possibility
• By Rosamund Zander and Benjamin Zander
15. The Orphan Master's Son
• By Adam Johnson 
16. A Thousand Splendid Suns
• By Khaled Hosseini
17. My Brilliant Friend
• By Elena Ferrante
18. The Handmaid's Tale
• By Margaret Atwood
19. What Happened
• By Hillary Rodham Clinton
20. Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy
• By Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant

#78 - Host a dinner party with no phones allowed (79/101).

Have you ever played phone stack - the game people play at a restaurant where everybody stacks their phones in a pile and the first person to reach for it pays the bill? Phone stack is a game invented to encourage people to disconnect and put down their phones when they are with others. I have been the winner/loser (depending on how you see it) of phone stack before and had to pay for dessert for the table when I touched my phone during the meal. I know that I am guilty of pulling out my phone at the dinner table unconsciously and wanted to try hosting a dinner party with no phones allowed.

Last week, we hosted "Friendsgiving" for eight of our friends in Richmond. When people arrived, we asked everyone to line up their phones in the kitchen and not touch them until they were ready to leave. Everyone was happy to oblige and it made our dinner conversation so pleasant to not have different people reaching into their pockets to check the score of the game, look who had Snapchatted them, etc. Each person brought over a dish - roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, stuffing, wild rice, cranberry chutney, green beans, baked brie, dinner rolls, apple pie and cream cheese pumpkin cookies and we enjoyed the food over some delicious wine.

If you haven't tried hosting a dinner party with no phones allowed or playing phone stack, I would definitely challenge you to try it!

P.S. The photo above was taken before everyone arrived. No phones = no photos of the delicious food.

#58 - Travel to Israel with Clark (78/101).

While I have traveled to Israel before, experiencing it with Clark made it in many ways feel like I was experiencing it again for the first time. Clark and I joined 14 other couples from the Richmond area for a 9-day experience with the organization Honeymoon Israel. Honeymoon Israel brings couples with at least one Jewish partner from the same community on an immersive journey through the country of Israel. Over 70% of couples that travel with Honeymoon Israel are interfaith and the majority are in their late 20s and 30s. Experiencing Israel with Clark let me experience it through his eyes. So what did we do?

Our journey began in Jerusalem (after a long long layover in Boston) - walking through the quiet streets on Shabbat, exploring the Israel Museum, touring the many corners of the old city, hanging out in the Machane Yehuda Market (Shuk), visiting Yad Vashem (Holocaust remembrance) participating in a Challah baking workshop, celebrating Shabbat, eating delicious food (try out the tasting menu at The Eucalyptus, rugelach from Marzipan and breakfast buffet at the Orient Hotel) and more. 

We hiked up Masada, covered ourselves in mud and swam in the 33% sodium-filled dead sea, drove in jeeps along Syria’s border after eating pink lady apples picked from the trees of a nearby kibbutz, learned about Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) in Tzfat/Safed, made za’atar (spice in the oregano family) in an Arab village at a nonprofit where Arab and Jewish women work alongside each other and danced the night away in a field with an Israeli band. 

We ate our way through Tel Aviv and Jaffa (cocktails at Bellboy, 22 salads at The Old Man and the Sea, kombucha at Levinsky 41) celebrated Shabbat on the beach, rode bikes on the promenade, toured Florentine’s graffiti and the Levinsky Market and stayed at incredible hotels (Orient in Jerusalem, Ramot Resort overlooking the Sea of Galilee, & Carlton in Tel Aviv). 

The trip was incredible but the conversations and community that was built throughout the journey took it to the next level. Engaging in conversations with couples that are at a similar life stage and having similar conversations as Clark & me was powerful. While walking through the old city, a place full of rich traditions and history, we would be talking about what types of Jewish rituals we’d like to include in our upcoming wedding or over dinner would be asking another couple what type of religious education they are thinking about for their children, or while sitting outside drinking wine would be talking about what values are important to us in our partnerships. Clark now understands even more so why Israel holds a dear place in my heart - it was so incredible to experience Israel together and we are excited to continue conversations and building community with the many couples we met back home in Richmond. 

Salads from Old Man and the Sea

Rugelach from Marzipan

Kombucha from Levinsky 41

#36 - Complete at least one athletic 30-day challenge (77/101).

I loved doing gymnastics growing up. I could walk on my hands across a floor, flip for fun, etc. I decided to engage in a 30-day handstand challenge to work on my shoulder and core strength and get back (or at least get closer to) my gymnastics days. I am lucky enough that my boyfriend also wanted to take part with me, so together we completed a 30-day handstand challenge. We started at ten seconds and made it to about two minutes of handstands on our thirtieth day. Check out the full challenge to the right.

Doing this thirty day challenge reminded me how much I used to love doing gymnastics and was also a great reminder of remembering to keep silly traditions and time for fun in my busy life. I'm excited to see what my next 30-day challenge will be.

#8 - Learn how to pickle (76/101).

After returning from vacation, I looked at my banana pepper plant and there were about ten banana peppers ready to pick! I knew that I wouldn't be able to eat them all this week so I decided to pickle them. I found an easy pickled peppers recipe to follow and cut the banana peppers off of my plant. I gathered the ingredients:

• Mason jar
• Sugar
• White vinegar
• Kosher salt
• Banana peppers (ended up with 2 cups)

I sterilized the jar, cut up the banana peppers, made the liquid mixture, poured the mixture over the banana peppers and sealed the jar.

I am supposed to wait at least 24 hours before opening the banana peppers but will probably wait about a week. I'm so excited to try them! I'm planning on making dill pickles soon as well.

#24 - Buy a bicycle (75/101).

While walking past the bike valet at the River Rocks Festival a few weeks ago in Richmond, I remember thinking I wish I had a bike to ride to Brown's Island for the festival and around town in general. Richmond is a great town to bike ride in and my boyfriend rides his bike a bunch so I thought it would be fun to have a bike to cruise around town.

Fast forward a few weeks later and woo - I got a bike! I am skirting the rules on this one a bit because I just got a bike as an early birthday present instead of buying one but I am so excited.

We went to Agee's Bicycle shop in Carytown this past week to peruse bikes. I knew that I wanted something easy and comfortable and was excited to find this cruiser. The day after we got the bike we went on a 10 mile ride around Richmond, to Byrd Park, Forest Hill Park, Belle Isle and Brown's Island. I am looking forward to many more biking adventures!

#84 - Visit three museums (74/101).

Visiting museums allows one to get a view into artifacts or objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. I try to go to museums when I visit new places to gain a better understanding of the local landscape through the lens of art. Here are a few highlights of three museums I have visited over the last little bit:

• VMFA (Richmond, Virginia): I enjoy visiting the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. Every Friday throughout the summer they have a "Friday cheers" happy hour where they serve drinks and let folks wander the museum. I have visited a few times and will visit again in the future to see the temporary exhibits. 

• The Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art (Bermuda): While in Bermuda, we explored the farmers market which was inside the botanical gardens. It started raining so we snuck inside the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art. They were having a children's program that day and many little kids were walking around doing different types of art projects throughout the exhibits. The museum was small but it was nice to see how much Bermuda prided itself on its local artists. 

• Galleria dell'Accademia (Florence, Italy): While in Florence, we visited the Acccademia - the home of Michelangelo's sculpture David. The last time we went to Florence we did not buy tickets beforehand and the lines were crazy so we weren't able to go visit. This time, we had reserved tickets beforehand so went right on in. The museum has many pieces of art but the main attraction is Michelangelo's David. It is incredible to see all the details in this ancient intricate sculpture. I would recommend going if you are in Florence, but definitely get tickets beforehand!

#43 - Hike between all towns in Cinque Terre (73/101).

While in Italy on family vacation, we spent a night in Cinque Terre, 5 small village towns on Italy's seaside. The towns are connected by train, hiking, and most by ferry - but we aimed to hike between all the towns. We started in Monterosso, the most northern town, and first walked to Vernazza. After about an hour and a half of a steep uphill, beautiful landscapes and a downhill trek, we arrived in Vernazza, which was bustling with tourists. We grabbed some cool drinks and continued on to Corniglia. Corniglia cannot be reached by ferry so it felt less busy than the other towns. We ate lunch overlooking the sea and then continued on to Manarola. The third segment was quite a good workout (especially after lunch) and it was gorgeous views as we walked through vineyards overlooking the water. The next morning we completed the final walk and it was quite a steep climb as the "easy" path is no longer open to walk on. We rewarded ourselves with gelato, good food, and wine after our many miles of hiking. We also rode the ferry between Manarola and Monterosso which felt wonderful to be one the water after a long day of walking. Cinque Terre is gorgeous - I would definitely suggest visiting and walking between the towns as much as you are able, you won't regret it! Here are a few photos from our time in Cinque Terre:

#47 - Take a trip with my sister (72/101).

This past week I took a trip with my sister (and dad) to Nevada and Arizona. Last year when my sister graduated from UGA, I gifted her a sisters trip to somewhere of her choice. When I realized I had some free time between my old and new jobs, I asked her if she had a few days to go on a trip with me and she happily agreed. After we decided on the trip, my dad called and asked if he could join. Of course we wanted him to so he joined in on the fun. Here is a break down of our short and wonderful trip:

Day 1

• Flew into Las Vegas
• Drove to Page, Arizona, driving through Nevada, Utah and Arizona on the route
• Toured Antelope Canyon, a Navajo owned and operated slot canyon that yields incredible photography 
• Ate awesome burgers at Slackers
• Drove and stayed in a hotel close to the Grand Canyon South Rim

Day 2

• Packed our day packs and drove in to the Grand Canyon National Park
• Hiked 9+ miles on the Bright Angel Trail
• Enjoyed a carb loaded dinner at We Cook Pizza and Pasta 

Day 3

• Walked part of the Rim Trail to enjoy gorgeous views of the canyon 
• Drove to and visited the Hoover Dam (so huge!)
• Strolled along the Las Vegas Strip, enjoying mojitos and fountain shows
• Ate dinner at Jaleo, a delicious tapas restaurant inside the Cosmopolitan 

We had a great trip and I loved spending time with my sister and dad. I look forward to continuing to explore new places with my family! 

#42 - Visit the Grand Canyon (71/101).

With two weeks between my old and new job (#funemployement), I have been making the most of it by moving cities, spending time with friends/family and going on a short trip out west with my dad and sister. We visited the Grand Canyon this past week and it was incredible. One day, we hiked the Bright Angel Trail down to Indian Garden. It was about a 9.2 mile hike round trip down into the canyon and it was beautiful and very hot. Thankfully a decent amount of the path was shaded by the canyon walls so we were able to seek refuge in the shade as we walked. The trail is very well maintained with stops every 1.5 miles that include toilets, water and rest houses. While we were exhausted afterwards, we were so glad to have had the opportunity to hike in the Grand Canyon. It is such an incredible sight and to be able to explore the different elevations and viewpoints as we hiked was awesome. The following day we walked along the South Rim and could see many other trails down into the canyon. I wish we had more time to hike on some more trails but we will have to return to explore more trails at a later time. Enjoy a few more pictures of our time in the Grand Canyon below.

If you decide to hike the Bright Angel Trail or other trails down into the Canyon, here are a few tips:

• H2O + Trail Fuel: Having enough water and food (mix of sweet, salty and substantial foods) is essential. While there are places to fill up your water on the trail, you will want to make sure to bring a couple of liters of water with you. I suggest having a cold drink waiting in the cooler for you when you get back as well (I usually have a blue gatorade)! 
• Appropriate Gear: Many times the trail can be chilly in the morning but rise to high temperatures throughout the day. Layers are key and make sure to bring sunscreen and a hat to protect yourself against all the rays. Good shoes/hiking boots are important, especially if you are hiking a decent amount of way into the canyon. I would also recommend hiking poles as coming back up is a lot more work than descending down into the canyon.
• Down is Optional, Up is Mandatory: We saw signs with this saying posted a few times on the trail and it is so true. The beginning of the hike is deceiving as you basically hike downhill until you turn around. Before going to far, make sure to ask yourself and those with you if they are ok to keep on going and keep in mind that going back up is much more difficult than descending down into the canyon. For most hikers, it takes 1.5-2 times as long to go back up than to go down and there is also a substantial elevation change. Make sure to take adequate breaks and stay hydrated on the return to the top! 

#40 - Run a 5k (70/101).

This morning we ran the Movin' and Shakin' 5K benefitting the Parkinson's & Movement Disorders Center. Our friend's father has Parkinson's so we ran in honor of him and I also ran in memory of my step-grandfather who passed away in November and battled Parkinson's for many years. It was a fun morning and we both ended up medaling - I got fifth place for females and Clark got second place overall. The route passed the area where I did gymnastics for many years growing up, it will be fun continuing to re-explore my hometown now that I am back in Richmond. 

#23 - Sell something on a site like Craigslist (69/101).

I am moving from Atlanta, Georgia to Richmond, Virginia to be closer to my family and boyfriend and start a new job. I have interpreted number twenty three on my list as use a site like Craigslist to sell anything so I used Craigslist and Zillow for the first time to find a new tenant for my apartment. Since I was breaking my lease early, my landlord let me out of the lease with the stipulation that I find someone to start a new lease when I vacate the apartment.

I have found and bought things on sites like Craigslist and eBay before but I had never been on the "sellers" side. I was surprised by the amount of people who reached out initially but did not follow, whether not answering what time they were available to view the apartment or not showing up at a set time. I did successfully find someone to take over my apartment and am glad there are sites like Craigslist and Zillow set up to help make these things happen!

#67 - Leave a 100% tip for great service (68/101).

I spent the last few days in Milan, Italy. I have traveled through Europe a decent amount so feel mostly comfortable navigating in countries where I do not speak the language. I sat down at a neighborhood cafe in a residential area to get some work done and quickly realized no one spoke English (totally ok). We eventually got around to ordering green tea, using a bit of charades and non-verbal communication. The waiter came back and checked on me every little bit, bringing a fresh tea bag and cookies over time. At one point I went to the restroom and accidentally pulled the alarm instead of flushing the toilet, they quickly helped me fix the situation and somehow didn't make me feel too embarrassed. I eventually ordered some lunch and ended up sitting at the cafe for a few hours. When I received the bill, the waitress winked at me and I saw that she had taken off a couple items I ordered and did not charge me for the cookies or fresh tea bag. I decided to leave a 100% tip because they were so patient with me as we struggled to communicate using mostly non-verbal communication, kind to not charge me for the additional items and offered great service. At least I was able to wish them "grazie" (thank you in Italian) before leaving. When exploring unfamiliar cities, I enjoy finding kind strangers who remind me to always treat those I don't know with the utmost respect and kindness.

#21 - Unplug completely for 24 hours (no internet, iPhone, television, etc.) (67/101).

In Judaism, every Saturday is Shabbat, a day of rest. A day to disconnect and unplug from distractions and weekday concerns in order to connect to higher pursuits, including faith, family and more. I have never observed Shabbat religiously but over the years have had various Shabbat practices such as lighting candles on Friday night to welcome Shabbat, having Friday night dinner to connect with family and friends and more. I spent this past weekend at Lake Lure and decided to unplug (no internet, phone, tv, screens, etc.) for 24 hours, specifically choosing to tie it to Shabbat.

We live in a world of immediate gratification and instant connection, which can sometimes be a bit exhausting, due to our devices. I have the type of personality where I move quickly, work hard and hardly take time to relax. I wanted to take a day to disconnect from all the weekday concerns in my life and focus on those around me and myself. From Friday night until late Saturday night, I unplugged completely and it was glorious. We spent the day hiking, hanging at a brewery, cooking delicious food, playing board games and more. I did not observe Shabbat in the traditional way that religious Jews do, but I consciously unplugged, creating my own version of sacred space and a day of rest.

Although I was the only one in the group unplugging completely, others used their technology much less than normal. In the moments where I would usually pick up my phone, I instead let my mind wander, asked questions and watched what was going on around me. I had a few moments where I thought to myself, "Oo I need to remember to ___" and instead of pulling out my phone to write it down or text the person, I either wrote it down or tried to store it in my memory to remember for the next day. In a world where anyone I would like to connect with is a few clicks away, it was a weird feeling to consciously choose to not use technology in the moment, even if it was just for 24 hours.

I don't think I will religiously observe Shabbat anytime soon but I enjoyed unplugging for a day. I might even try to make it a ritual to unplug a couple times a year as a way to clear my brain, relax and connect with those around me.

#2 - Attend a candle making workshop (66/101).

I am a huge fan of candles and crafts. When my colleague Melissa suggested we go to Candlefish at Ponce City Market to attend a candle making workshop, I quickly agreed and so did a few of my other colleagues. I was pleased to find out that Candlefish was started by the creators of Rewined candles, candles created in old wine bottles with scents that mimic wines as I have been buying Rewined candles for the last few years. Candlefish and Rewined started in Charleston and Candlefish now has a storefront in Atlanta as well. They have a fragrance library of over 100 candle fragrances, hold candle and other craft workshop and sell candles and other fun gifts.

At the candle workshop, we each chose a fragrance to create our candles with after smelling about 20 scents. I chose No. 039, which consists of plum, red berries and musk. We measured out the scented oil, mixed it with hot wax and poured it into a candle holder after securing the wick. We learned a bit more about Candlefish's story, why their candles are numbered, not named (so you have less preconceived notions about what scents you like and dislike), talked about candle best practices and learned that a candlemaker is called a chandler. It was such a fun afternoon and I enjoyed seeing how everyone's candles came out. We left our candles to harden overnight and went back and picked them up later that week. I suggest attending a workshop at Candlefish if you enjoy having your own candles and if not, I suggest stopping in the store to smell candles in the fragrance library (it is a great space and a lot of fun to test out what fragrances you enjoy).

#94 - Watch every episode of Friday Night Lights (65/101).

Over the past year, I have watched all five seasons and 76 episodes of Friday Night Lights. I had never seen a full episode before I started watching it but so many people I know had told me it was worth watching all the way through. The show is about a racially divided, blue-collared small town in Texas that is brought together Friday nights for high school football games. My favorite line in the show is "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose", which Coach Taylor uses as a mantra/rallying cry throughout each season. I have always been someone that watches certain tv shows to relax, but on my own schedule. I enjoyed watching this show to clear my mind and liked watching the evolution of all the characters throughout the five seasons. After watching the full show, I now understand what all the hype was about.

#14 - Take language lessons (Hebrew) (64/101).

Shalom! For the last couple months I have been taking Hebrew language lessons with Morah (teacher in Hebrew) Melissa. As a proud cultural Jew, I have always wished I knew more conversational Hebrew as I have been lucky to travel to Israel a few times and many of my colleagues and friends speak Hebrew fluently. I remember when I interviewed for my current job, the President of our Foundation asked me if I spoke Hebrew. I answered "while I learned the alphabet and some basic words in Hebrew school growing up, I don't - but I do want to learn. Do you speak Hebrew?" (he answer was similar to mine if you were interested).

My colleague Melissa speaks Hebrew. I heard she was tutoring someone else in the language so we chatted and decided to have four lessons so she could teach me some of the basics. When I travel to new countries, I try to make an effort and learn some basic words. Through my travels in Israel, I have learned a handful of words and phrases so my Hebrew lessons with Melissa at least started with a very basic understanding, although I had never been taught how to formulate phrases, verb tenses, etc. We ended up having 4 lessons, here is a bit of what I learned in each:

1. Lesson 1: I have/don't have, need versus want, telling time, numbers, question words, verbs
2. Lesson 2: calendar (days of the week, month, year), body, colors
3. Lesson 3: prepositions, verbs in past tense, adjectives, simple phrases
4. Lesson 4: verb groups, simple phrases, review 

While I am in no way fluent, I do feel that I have a better understanding of the language. Todah Rabah Morah Melissa! 

#51 - Ride a moped in another country (63/101).

We went to Bermuda, rented a moped and had a blast exploring the island. Check out a couple videos:

#87 - Paint a piece of pottery (62/101).

I like to think that I am creative but I wouldn't call myself artistic. I enjoy thinking about how colors mix together and how to turn a blank slate into a finished product. I asked a friend to go pottery painting with me last week because I love painting pottery and turning a white piece of pottery into useable decor.

The door sign entering into the pottery place read "Entering Into a No Stress Zone". I was very excited when I read this as I had a tough week and was looking forward to spending a few hours focusing on my creation. We brought wine and cookies with us to paint and enjoyed a fun few hours in the studio. I decided to paint a spoon holder using three different colors, a teal, sea foam green and baby blue. I first painted the whole spoon holder baby blue, used a sponge technique with the sea foam green and then used a lace technique with the teal. We ended up staying past closing so I was a bit rushed at the end but I think it still turned out ok. I am excited to use my spoon holder at home, it even matches my teapot!

Here is step one (pre-paint), step two (after paint, pre-kiln) and step three (after kiln, ready for use):

#68 - Donate my hair (61/101).

I have joked that while I don't like to donate blood because I'm afraid of needles, I at least have good hair genes and can donate my hair to those in need. 

I cut off eight inches of hair this weekend (was actually four little ponytails) and sent it in to a program through Pantene. I love Pantene Beautiful Length's mission of helping women fighting cancer feel like themselves again and was excited to donate eight inches. There is something so refreshing and fun about a new 'do and I love being able to support an organization doing incredible work. 

In the past, I have donated my hair both to Pantene's program and Locks of Love, which makes wigs for disadvantaged children under 21 who have permanent hair loss. I honestly usually make the choice based on how many inches I am comfortable donating at the time as Locks of Love asks for a minimum of ten inches of hair and Pantene asks for a minimum of eight inches.

I also decided in the spirit of giving to cancer-fighting organizations this week, I would take up the offer in our office building to take a new head shot to support Relay For Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. If you would like to donate to ACS through Relay For Life, my cousin Zoe will be walking at her university and would love a donation (click here to donate) to help everyone celebrate more birthdays. Check it out! #cancersucks

#17 - Hold a cookbook club (60/101).

For Hanukkah, I got a new cookbook, "Molly on the Range". One of my good friend's has the same cook book so a few of us decided to each pick a recipe from the cook book and eat them together, aka a cookbook club. Molly Yeh is an Asian Jew, who went to Juilliard and now lives on a farm with her husband. She was just named to the Forbes Under 30 2017 list. Her cookbook has a lot of great recipes, including many mediterranean ones. We decided to cool the falafel fatoush, hummus 'with meat all over it' and zhoug the other night. A few highlights:

• Zhoug looks like pesto but consists of jalapeños. It was surprisingly not too spicy but absolutely delicious on top of the hummus and falafel.
• The hummus 'with meat all over it' was incredible - it was basically hummus nachos with ground beef, onion, pine nut, pomegranates and parsley on top. We added zhoug on top of this dish as well.
• We used dried chickpeas (which is what the recipe called for) for the falafel and it made a huge difference. It gave it that authentic crunch that you usually taste when you bite into tasty falafel in places like Israel. 

I can't wait to cook more recipes from Molly's cookbook! 

#100 - Make a photo book (59/101).

There is something powerful about an image. We often hear the idiom "A picture is worth a thousand words" and it is true. It is incredible to see how a single still image can portray a complex idea and many times, an image can convey a description much simpler and more effectively than a written description would. Around my apartment I have many pictures. They exhibit rich memories, project emotions and capture meaningful moments in my life. Since images play a large part of my life, I wanted to create a photo book for one of my 101 in 1,001 days challenge.

For #41, I went camping in southeastern Utah. I decided to merge #100 with the trip and created a photo book. It was a lot of fun reflecting on the trip and the experience while creating the book. It brought back a lot of fun memories and I am hoping to take another trip like it at some point in the near future. One of my favorite parts of the book is the back cover, which reads "Trip sponsored by: Doritos, Taco Bell, McDonalds and Walmart". This demonstrates that through all the 30+ miles of hiking and exploring of stunning places we did, we also chowed down on some quality nourishment. I am looking forward to the next adventure, for now I will skim through my photo book.

#16 - Practice my Spanish (58/101).

Over New Years, I went to Costa Rica. It ended up being an incredibly relaxing week where I read lots of books, sat by the pool, took walks on the beach and turned off my work phone. I did not realize that it would also be a great opportunity for me to practice my Spanish. When we got picked up from the airport, we had an hour and a half drive with a Spanish-only speaking driver. We started to converse about where we were heading as well as the politics, currency, national parks, environmental tourism, weather and more about Costa Rica more generally. Throughout the week I continued to use my Spanish, to order omelettes at breakfast, converse with our non-English speaking boat driver and speak to the resort staff. I had trouble at times but it was wonderful to practice a bit of Spanish and celebrate the new year in such a beautiful place. In 2017 I will definitely seek out more opportunities to converse in Spanish, I had forgotten how much I enjoy speaking the language.