3. Remind yourself that you can do it and hold a baby

As previously mentioned in a previous post, my pal Shelby was pregnant with her second little girl. Shelby and I arranged some time to hang out, check out her new crib and of course see the beautiful little girls. Shelby informed me ahead of time that there was going to be absolutely no decision-making and that I would holding Izzie whether I wanted to or not. And you know what?

I'm so glad I did! I mean, look how absolutely precious she is! She was so well behaved and didn't even cry once! I loved her little feet and obviously her adorable little outfit. Maybe this holding babies stuff isn't so bad..

90. Learn to cook 10 new recipes (1/10)

I love the summer.. well, minus the ridiculous humidity and its affect on my hair. Oh and how I hate working when it's gorgeous out and all I want to do is be outside. And how every time I'm outside in the summer, I burn to a crisp even though I wear like SPF 60. Vicious cycle, I tell you.

Now, where was I? Oh yes, summer - love love love. One thing I love about summer is obviously glorious cocktails. What?! You didn't think I was going to attempt an actual meal for my first new recipe, did you?

Anyway, since I'm a total fat kid, I have a subscription to the Rachael Ray Magazine (as well as Martha's Food Everyday - and since I really don't cook, fat kid alert) and she featured an adorable "Fourth of July" themed party. The party drink was called a Blackberry Ginger Sour Highball and look how summery it looks!

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So I'm totally going to do the rest of the post like I'm food blogger - in advance, I will apologize for my lack of fancy kitchen stuff and the pictures, in general. haha!

First, I chopped the ginger into one inch pieces. Btw, thanks to the Smith Household for my answering my random phone inquiry about whether or not I had to peel the skin off the ginger root. Sure, none of us knew the answer, but I appreciate answering my call!

Then I put the chopped ginger, blackberries, water and sugar into the pan on the stove. And within five minutes, it looked like this. Tell me this isn't a pretty color!

So this is the "syrup" for the drink. Since we were going to the cottage that weekend, I opted to make this ahead of time. I let it cool, strained it (aka just took the ginger and blackberries out) and then poured it into some tupperware where it sat in the fridge until it was drink time!

Obviously now we're in Saratoga - who else noticed the change in kitchens? So you're supposed to essentially fill the pitcher with ice and the gin - then mix it for a little over a minute so the alcohol is NICE and cold. I attempted to put the syrup right into the pitcher but it started to leak.

So I just transferred everything directly into the large tumbler glasses. Now this recipe is supposed to make six cocktails but obviously my serving size and the magazine's are two different things. I put more blackberries, ice, topped with club soda and even some limes (for color) right into the glasses and served!

Absolutely refreshing! I'm so happy with how these came out and I will absolutely be making these again. Next time, I'll just make like triple the recipe (what's more syrup right?) so there's enough if anyone wants a refill. In the words of Ms. Rachael Ray - Delish!

24. Visit Cooperstown

I was acquainted with baseball at four years old when my parents signed me up to the local t-ball league. Back then, to be a member of the girls' softball league, you had to be a little older to join so it was onto the local co-ed league. I was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates and I remember our plain little uniforms of baseball pants with a black t-shirt with the bright yellow writing. Obviously the league organizers were males because they didn't think that maybe black t-shirts and hats may be a touch HOT in glaring sun at noontime on a Saturday in the late eighties. Regardless, it really allowed my very blond ponytail to pop under the hat so I was happy as a clam. Sure, it's not the majors or anything but we have to start somewhere right?

Eventually my season with the Pirates ended and I moved on to bigger and better things (including better uniforms) but my affection for baseball never diminished. I still go to multiple games a year (and yes, moderate pitch softball counts) and thought it would be appropriate to visit the place where all its glorious history is documented, Cooperstown!

We went to Saratoga for Memorial Day weekend and Cooperstown was just a hop, skip and a jump down the road - well not really, but my three trip companions made the trip fly by. Now, the Hall of Fame is in charming Cooperstown and I mean totally charming. It reminds me of a movie with a really small town Main Street running down the middle of it, filling with families and small businesses.

Obviously this picture needed to happen.. it seems only fitting after reminiscing about my early t-ball days, right? The Baseball HOF has a ton of exhibits and really strives to rotate new material regularly. It's a nice mix of history and current items - including this season's stats compared with historical statistics. We did look for the bloody sock (which the staff insisted was on display - wrong!) but otherwise a good trip!

40. Buy 5 powerball tickets and write down three things you would do with the money (5/5)

I'm a relatively decisive person but when it comes to gambling, I can't make up my mind. I love to play games but hate to lose money - actually, I hate to lose, period. Gambling, in any form, is a risk and I'm a planner by profession. Therefore, I tend to stick to lower risk (in my mind at least) forms of gambling like Keno, scratch tickets and any obscure bet that I know I'm going to win. Either way, I'm upset when I lose and insisting on high fives when I win.

When I heard Powerball was up to 220 million, I was like go big or go home. So S and I each got five quick picks and pinky swore that we would split whatever our combined winnings. Here is my ticket..


Now, my task for the 101 list is to buy five Powerball tickets (check) and then write down five things that I would do if I won the jackpot. Surprisingly, this was harder than I thought. My list..


The list reads...

1) Buy a "crib" (Obviously I was thinking like a massively obscene place to live not somewhere to store a baby)

2) Do not end up on an E! True Hollywood Story (Is anyone else obsessed with watching the horrifying "How the Lottery Changed My Life" episodes?! Just me? Cool.)

3) Share the wealth (My plea to karma to assist in my winnings? Perhaps)

4) Travel - Travel - Travel (Obviously I need something to fill my schedule once I tell my place of employment where to go)

5) Be set for life (Ahhh my roots of planning come to a head. Basically, I was telling the future billionaire me to not blow it all at once - complete with a smiley face no less)

Not too shabby of a list eh? Well, the Powerball numbers were announced and I won...

NOTHING!

Well I shouldn't say "nothing" persay.. I earned the two delicious pieces of paper (see below) and a chance to be part of the hype.


Either way, I think I'm going to stick to Keno and ridiculous bets from here on out.

76. Eat 5 things I've never tried before (1/5)

I don't know why but I've always been a fussy eater. I love food, have subscriptions to food magazines and obsessively read food blogs. I'm pretty sure if I ate every time I thought about food, I would weigh 800 pounds and have my own documentary on TLC. Thankfully (or not thankfully if you're into that sort of thing), I dismiss certain foods for absolutely no rhyme or reason other than I deem it yucky before I even taste it.

Take baked beans for instance - absolutely no rhyme or reason why I haven't even tasted it. So what better time to totally step out of the box and try something new!

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I stopped by a relative's house to watch the game and enjoy a couple of adult beverages. Being that it was dinnertime and I certainly didn't want to seem rude, I decide to indulge in a bit of grilled food. Alas, the only side was baked beans and rather than eat my weight in hot dogs (which I could easily do), I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try it.. and guess what, I didn't hate it. I don't think anyone loves baked beans or craves them but I wouldn't definitely kick it off my plate in the near future.

Not too shabby.. first random item to try and I didn't want to barf. (I know, I'm so eight years old) Could this be a positive sign for things to come? Time will tell :)

85. Start a herb garden

Growing up in southeastern Massachusetts, we were surrounded with farms and vegetable stands. I really never appreciated the wealth of fruits and vegetables in my community until I moved to Boston where our local "grocery store" was a glorified market and the produce was something to be desired. Now that I'm back in the "country", I thought that I would get in the mood to buy the freshest stuff and really embrace the local environment.

When I was home three weekends ago, my Mom suggested we go to Four Farms to check out the herbs and start my herb garden (Sidebar: I love that she reads my blog and wants to help me complete my items - thanks Mom!) Four Farms is a family owned farm located right outside of Providence, Rhode Island. They have everything between produce, flowers and herbs. All items are super fresh and their staff is so kind and friendly.

Yes, I took this picture when the car was moving - impressive eh? :)

Anyway I decided that I was going to start an herb garden of stuff that I was actually going to use - unlike the lemongrass that I grew last summer because it added some color to the garden.

Behold!

Disregard the nighttime picture - it's been a tough couple of weeks where I've gotten home after sundown on the regular. We selected some basil (my favorite), parsley and mint with the hopes that it'll inspire me to use one of these little gems regularly. Don't worry, I'm not going to keep them in those ghetto little pots - eventually I'll transfer the three plants into one large pot. Now who wants some herbs?!

Making strides

So I realize my blogging may have been lacking but, dear cherubs, I am making strides in completing all my goals. One particular goal is probably the most laughable to anyone who does not know me personally...

3. Remind yourself that you can do it and hold a baby

Now, where should I start - I grew up in a non-baby household. Sure, I'm the oldest child in said household but obviously I was way too cool at age 3.5 to be bother to hold my little but big headed (sorry but you know it's true!) sister. Even at family events, all the adults were complete baby hogs so there was never a reason for me to get off the tire swing to hold one.

Years began passing quickly and I slipped under the radar, escaping babies left and right. The only time I babysat solo was during my college senior year spring break where I told a pal I would look after two kids who I assumed were potty trained because they were walking around. Boy, was I wrong and yes, those felt like the longest days of my life.

Please allow me to take a moment to clear up a rumor - I don't dislike babies or children rather I am cautious of the unpredictable and think unruly children should be euthanized. I kid, I kid. Seriously though, as I become more refined (note: I didn't state older) and my friends all begin to pop, I thought it was a perfect time to get more acquainted with the little darlings.

The mom of one of my dearest friends, Shelby, held a girls brunch to celebrate the soon-to-be arrival of baby #2 and the "end" of the world revolving about Emma, baby #1. Now, as the oldest child, I totally understand the anguish of having to "share" the spotlight with a sibling. After brunch, Emma was obviously over everything and just wanted to take a nap. She was getting passed around to each "auntie" to say goodnight and then it was my turn.

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It's like she knew. Thank you Amy for documentation and the coaching throughout the process. I'm not counting this as my task number three whereas I don't consider Emma a baby (did you see that sassy outfit? she's a big girl, all the way) and plan on actually holding a little baby.. in my arms.. without passing out. Baby steps are strides right?!