#77 - Go to a New York City Street Fair

I've been slacking as an updater.  Here's another one I accomplished this summer - an NYC street fair!

My dear friend Lisa and I went to the Day Life festival on Orchard Street in the LES on June 3rd.

It was fun!  Lots of food, some shopping, and a seven-year-old DJ who was really awesome!  I didn't take many pictures, but I did eat these delicious tacos from Brooklyn Taco.

And... then we went to Hot 97's Summer Jam.  But that's not really what this post is about. #loose

Yes uh... that's Rick Ross.  Don't be jealous.

I'm about 22% done with Day Zero!

#39 - Get My MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Hello, Blogland.

I have returned to update you on my Day Zero progress.  I'm not gonna lie, it isn't going spectacularly, but things are still happening!  In fact, I graduated!

Me with my mom and dad on graduation day!

Yes, it's very exciting and I'm so happy to be done with my degree.  If you don't know much about I/O psychology, I won't bore you here.  But I loved the program at Hofstra University, so feel free to take a look.

Now to find employment...

#45 - Blog Once a Week for Six Months

This was the HARDEST challenge I've done so far.  I started on June 19, 2011 and my original end date was December 18.  Unfortunately, I missed some weeks, as you may have noticed.  But I decided, rather than start my six months all over again,  to expand the challenge until I blogged the equivalent of six months.  This put my final completion date at January 29th.

And I have made it.

It wasn't easy, and sometimes it wasn't fun.  But I did learn something about myself - blogging is not for me.  Maybe it's the impostor syndrome talking, but I just don't think that I'm all that interesting.  The pressure is too great with how busy my life is right now.  And I just don't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

So I have decided that, now that I have reached my goal, this blog will only be used to document the rest of my Day Zero Project journey.  Mainly so I have something to go back to and see my accomplishments all laid out in one place.  It's been real, and it's been fun, but I'm a bad blogger!

Thanks for reading, feel free to keep an eye out for Day Zero posts in the future.

Love, Kelsey

Day Zero Fail

Yes, I made this in Paint.

I realized today that while working on #45 on my list - Blog Once a Week for Six Months - I actually missed a week where I did not post at all.

The purpose for my Day Zero Project was to have fun and try new things, and while that is definitely happening, I'm finding that a lot of my tasks are harder than I initially anticipated.  While this is good, and I do want to challenge myself, I realize that I don't really like the goals that have a time limit on them.  I love "Read 10 books I've been meaning to read," but I don't like "Cook dinner twice a week for a month."  The unfortunate thing about goals like that is, if you miss one week, or one night, you lose all your progress and have to start over.

Blogging once a week is really difficult!  Especially when you work 30 hours a week, go to school for another 6, go to the gym 4 days a week, and have an hour-long commute each way.  By the time I get home, I have no more energy left to spare.

I have decided that, instead of losing all of my progress on this task and starting over, I am going to extend it one week to make up for the one I missed.  I started this task on June 19, and the new end date is December 25.

I will not let this task defeat me!  Here's to two more months of blog posts.

A Day Zero Twofer

This weekend I completed TWO things on my Day Zero list!

#68 - Read in the New York Public Library

Have you been to the NYPL?  It is the most gorgeous building!  I knew I wanted to read in the reading room and after wandering around for a bit, we finally found it:

The library.

The reading room ceiling!

Cheesin'.

#88 - Leave an inspirational note inside a book for someone to find

Maybe it's cheesy, but I thought it would be fun!  So if you're ever in the New York Public Library, be on the lookout for secret messages in your books.

Yes, I left it in a cookbook...

Thanks to my mom for making me do more on my list!

How're your goals coming?

#86 - Adopt a Dog or a Cat

Ladies and gentlemen, meet our newest roommate, Kyle Field!

Kevin and I adopted him from Purrfect Pals, Inc. this weekend and we are in love.  He is a three and a half month old mackerel tabby, and he is SO cute.  We may be biased, but I'm pretty sure it's just plain true.

Gratuitous cat photos commence.

He doesn't always sleep, it's just the easiest time to get pictures of him.

#10 - Make Someone a Birthday Cake

As you know, Kevin's birthday was on the 4th.  I took the opportunity to make him a cake and cross #10 off of my list!

It was also his friend Masha's birthday, so I wrote both of their names on the cake.

Cake = Funfetti + Chocolate Fudge Funfetti Icing!

So maybe I cheated a little by using a box cake, but I had never made a cake before that I really enjoyed (I think because I always make chocolate cake, and I recently realized that I like white cake better).  So yay for another one down!

#51 - Read a Non-Fiction Book All the Way Through

As promised, a post dedicated to reading a non-fiction book!

Ever since I was a kid, I hated the words "non-fiction." I associated it with biographies and therefore with history, which was one of my least favorite subjects in school.  I understand that history is important and we learn from past mistakes, et cetera, but I just can't get on board.  It's too much memorizing and not enough fun.

Because of my aversion to history, I have never read an entire biography or non-fiction book.  This is why I added it to my list.  But I got lucky - instead of reading something about a World War or an American president (both good to know about, but not exactly light reading), Tina Fey came out with her book

[source]

Tina Fey is hilarious.  Seriously, at multiple points in the book, I was literally laughing out loud and reading passages to Kevin.  If you haven't read it already, I highly recommend it.  You will laugh, you will cry, you will watch 30 Rock on Hulu.  My favorite quote, on magazine photoshoots:

 "It's hard to take because it's more positive feedback than you've received in your entire life thrown at you in fifteen seconds.  It would be like going jogging while someone rode next to you in a slow-moving car, yelling, 'Yes!  You are Carl Lewis!  You're breaking a world record right now.  Amazing!  You are fast.  You are going very fast, yes.'"

Read it.  It's awesome.

Day Zero Progress Report

Well it’s been almost a year since I started my Day Zero project!  I’ve had a lot of fun with it so far, and I am currently 11% done!  Now that’s not a lot, but that doesn’t include all of the things that are “in progress.”  Since a large reason for this blog is to keep track of my list in more detail than my Day Zero profile, I wanted to write up a progress report and include those things on the list that are too small (or too boring) to warrant their own blog post.

Completed tasks:

#11 – Find a type of wine that I like –

I now drink Riesling! I'm still an amateur wine drinker, but it's a start.

#14 – Go apple picking –

Posted on October 10, 2010

#48 – Back up and clean out all of my files on my hard drive and computer –

Boring, but done!

#51 – Read a non-fiction book all the way through  –

I read Bossypants by Tina Fey.  She is absolutely hilarious!  I may actually do a post on the book later.

#64 – Get a Kitchen Aid stand mixer –

A Christmas gift from my dad!

#67 – Go to the FAO Schwartz store –

On November 24, 2010!

#70 – Take a walk in Central Park –

Posted on September 20, 2010

#74 – Visit the Sony Wonder Technology Lab –

Posted on October 31, 2010

#75 – See a show at Radio City Music Hall –

We saw the Radio City Christmas Spectacular!  On November 24, 2010

#79 – Go to Cape Cod with Kevin –

Posted on June 21, 2011

#89 – Buy and use reusable shopping bags –

Another one that's rather boring, but done!  Now we have fewer plastic bags floating around our apartment.

Tasks in progress:

#17 – Get to my goal weight –

Started Weight Watchers last week.  I'm keeping the numbers to myself, but so far so good!

#21 – Take my vitamins every day for a month –

Started on June 22, a week and a half down so far!

#37 – Send 10 “Just Because” cards –

Six sent so far, more to come.  If you like to get mail, let me know and I'll send you one!

#39 – Get my MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology –

Finished my first year and passed my comprehensive exam, second year and internship to come!

#45 – Blog once a week for six months –

Partially the reason for the increase in blog posts lately.  It will probably slow down from posts every day to posts every few days as my internship picks up.  I'd currently guess I'll probably aim for twice a week, unless it gets to be too much.

#46 – Make an iTunes playlist of 101 of my favorite songs –

I've picked the songs, but until I actually make the playlist, it's not official!  I'll post the list when I'm finished.

#49 – Read 10 books I’ve been meaning to read –

I've read five so far, and two are on deck (both are Harry Potter books)!  This has been one of the most enjoyable tasks on the list.

#53 – Watch 26 movies I’ve never seen – one for each letter of the alphabet –

I've watched 17 so far!  This one has also been a ton of fun, one of my favorites on the list.  I can't wait to show you all the final list! (You can see the partially completed list on my DZ profile)

#54 – Watch every episode of NCIS in order –

I've finished seasons one through three, started season four.  I love this show.

So that's how it's going so far!  If you like the idea of this project, take a look at the Day Zero Project website and blog for more info.

#79 - Go to Cape Cod with Kevin

At the end of May, Kevin and I went with his family to Massachusets for his cousin's wedding!  While we were there we got to go to the Cape, and I got to check off another thing on my Day Zero list.  We spent a day in Provincetown, MA and it was delightful.

Crazy house in Provincetown with the coolest art in their yard.

Because we all know Kelsey has an owl obsession...

Pictures from whale watching!  I didn't get any great ones of whales, so you'll have to be satisfied with one of us instead.

I can't wait to knock #78 off the list - Travel with Kevin out of the country!

A Hiatus of Sorts

Hi Blogland, remember me?

My last update in October = pretty sad.  I hope to get back into blogging here now that I have the summer on my side.  Some updates on my life here:

• Finished by first year of grad school AND passed my comprehensive exam
• Making great progress on my 101 in 1001 list (it will soon be updated on the blog)
• Started Weight Watchers (and I've already lost 2 pounds!)
• Bought Harry Potter 7 tickets for the midnight showing on July 14!!
• Read (and loved) The Hunger Games trilogy

Get excited for more 101 in 1001 posts, as well as things I like. I leave you with a picture taken by that cute little boyfriend of mine on our trip to Connecticut.

#74 - Visit the Sony Wonder Technology Lab

Friday was my birthday! Kevin and I went into the city for a day of fun!

First stop, we got student rush tickets to see A Life in the Theatre with T.R. Knight and Patrick Stewart! Student rush is man's greatest invention. The morning of the show, they sell any tickets they didn't sell for full price at a super reduced rate. So we went to the box office when it opened to get some super cheap tickets. More on that later.

Then we hopped over to the Sony Wonder Technology Lab, to fulfill another thing on my 101 in 1001 list! It's completely free, all you have to do is go and get a ticket for an entry time.

When you go in, they give you a card that you use to "log in" to each exhibit. It's all interactive and each exhibit looks at different types of technology and how they work. It would definitely be cool for kids who are into computers.

Some pictures from the trip:

Yellow wall.

Group photo!

Kevin wondering in the Wonder Lab.

Our key cards to log in to exhibits

Screen dropping little nuggets on our shadows.

After the Wonder Lab, we went to Jamba Juice for lunch, followed by a wonderful afternoon in Barnes and Noble. Possibly the largest Barnes and Noble I've ever been in. Here's a fun sign from the store. The restrrooms were in two different places, so they had a very helpful sign to show us the way:

After a dinner at Shake Shack (amazingggg burgers), it was off to the M&M store to kill time! It's really weird to walk in Times Square when you're not a tourist. I loathe getting heckled into buying tickets to comedy shows or double decker bus tours of the city. But it was worth it to make our autumn mix of M&Ms at M&Ms World.

The green ones are the leaves that haven't turned yet.

And finally, the moment we have all been waiting for. It was time for A Life in the Theatre! It turned out that we had seats in the front row, thanks to student rush! We were off to the side, and at more than one time, both actors were literally two feet away from us! And at the end, when they were talking to use about Broadway Cares, I risked it all for this:

Patrick Stewart (and a bit of T.R. Knight) in the flesh! I promise they were not performing the show at this point!

After the show, the actors were taking donations at the door, so I got to meet Patrick Stewart and tell him I love him. It was awesome! I had the best birthday EVER. And, I got another thing done on my list!

#14 - Go Apple Picking

Last weekend, Kevin and I went apple picking at Fort Salonga Farm!

Kevin and me at the start of our picking adventure! (Notice the still empty bags.)

Two photos above taken with Hipstamatic iPhone app.

Kevin in the rows of trees.

SO fresh and delicious!

After picking, at Sunken Meadow Park.

It was a total blast, and we picked about 16 pounds of apples! Please don't judge us when I tell you that we finished them this weekend (a mere week later). The folks at Fort Salonga Farm were incredibly nice and very helpful. They had three types of apples up for picking while we were there: Jonagold, Mutsu, and Red Delicious. (The first two were our favorites, but they were all yummy.) After we picked, we grabbed some of their flavored honey straws in clover, lemon, raspberry, and blackberry. They were also incredibly tasty.

We ate the apples as is, in slices, and in two different kinds of applesauce! And enjoyed every minute of it. We're trying to decide if it's possible to make one more trip out there before the season ends, maybe grab some Fuji and/or Granny Smith. Needless to say, we WILL be doing this again. I'm addicted!

Thank you, Fort Salonga, for making my #14 come true!

(Reblogged at Lemons as Big as Diamonds)

#70 - Take a Walk in Central Park

On a lovely Sunday afternoon, Kevin and I took a walk in Central Park! We climbed some rocks, watched a couple of innings of a softball game, and ate over-priced hot dogs.

101 in 1001

I'm excited to be back to blogging and ready to go!

On September 5th I started my Day Zero Project. You can follow it here. I'm going to keep track of my completed tasks on this blog! I'll put up pictures when appropriate, talk about my experiences, whatever I feel like doing! You want to see the list? Inspired by Caitlin, I've arranged my tasks into categories.


The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of work on my part).

Start date: September 5, 2010
End date: June 3, 2013

Why?
If you set a goal and acknowledge it (say it out loud/ write it down), your brain processes it as something that is already yours. Your psyche counts it as a loss if you don’t achieve your goal.

Items in bold are completed
Items in italics are in progress
Related blog posts are linked where applicable
See all posts in the category 101 in 1001



Be Creative

1. Learn to knit or crochet
2. Make at least ten 12x12 scrapbook pages and put them in an album
3. Put my printed photos into equal-sized albums
4. Build a snowman
5. Paint a canvas until I’m proud of it
6. Make a quilt
7. Take a Red Velvet Art online class

Food and Drink

8. Make a four-course meal
9. Cook dinner twice a week for a month
10. Make someone a birthday cake - Completed July 4, 2011
11. Find a type of wine that I like - Riesling
12. Make/bring my lunch every day for one month
13. Shop at a farmer’s market
14. Go apple picking - Completed October 2, 2010
15. Make up a good recipe

Fitness

16. Wear a pedometer every day for a week
17. Get to my goal weight
18. Use the stairs instead of the elevator for one week

Health and Beauty

19. Find out my blood type
20. Get 8 hours of sleep per night for two straight weeks
21. Take my vitamins every day for a month - Completed July 21, 2011
22. Figure out and implement a natural make-up look
23. Drink 8 glasses of water a day for a week
24. Discover a new hairstyle for myself
25. Get a weird spa treatment (like a mud bath)

Family

26. Ask my living grandparents to tell me about their lives
27. Take my mom to a nice dinner on me
28. Have a drink with my dad and talk about his life
29. Go on a trip with my sister

Friends and Relationships

30. Get engaged
31. Take a picture together with Kevin once a week for three months
32. Have a Lady Gaga themed party
33. Carve “kt♥ks” on a tree
34. Host a game night
35. Send out Christmas cards
36. Read Kevin’s favorite book, no matter what it is
37. Send 10 “Just Because” cards
38. Organize a game of Hide and Seek with 10+ people in Ikea

Career and Education

39. Get my MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology - Completed May 20, 2012
40. Get a job after graduation
41. Put 10% of my paychecks into savings (starting after my MA degree is complete)

Finances

42. Save all of my change for 1001 days and cash it in when the challenge is done
43. Put $5 into savings for each completed task
44. Pay back $3000 of my graduate student loans

Computer and Internet

45. Blog once a week for six months - Completed January 29, 2012
46. Make an iTunes playlist of 101 of my favorite songs
47. Get to 3,000 pictures of me tagged on Facebook
48. Back up and clean out all of my files

Culture and Television

49. Read 10 books I’ve been meaning to read
50. Re-learn sign language (and add to it)
51. Read a non-fiction book all the way through - Bossypants by Tina Fey
52. Attend a live taping of a show
53. Watch 26 movies I’ve never seen – one for each letter of the alphabet
54. Watch every episode of NCIS
55. Go one week without watching any television or movies (including on the computer)

Music and Expression

56. Send a secret to Post Secret
57. Audition for a musical
58. Learn how to play a song on the piano, then perform it for someone
59. Attend a dance class
60. Sing karaoke at a bar
61. Go back to see at least one Century Singers concert as a former
62. Find a personally inspiring quote and apply it to my daily life

Home

63. Visit a flea market (purchasing optional)
64. Get a Kitchen Aid stand mixer - Gift from Dad for Christmas 2010!
65. Downsize – get rid of extra, useless junk
66. Buy 5 original/handmade art or craft pieces from local creators to display in our home

New York City

67. Go to FAO Schwarz store - Completed November 24, 2010
68. Read in the New York Public Library - Completed September 25, 2011
69. Eat breakfast at big Tiffany & Co. store
70. Take a walk in Central Park - Completed September 5, 2010
71. Go to Top of the Rock observation deck (topoftherocknyc.com)
72. Go on a Scott’s Pizza Tour (scottspizzatours.com)
73. Update my voter registration to New York address
74. Visit the Sony Wonder Technology Lab (wondertechlab.com) - Completed October 29, 2010
75. See a show at Radio City Music Hall - Completed November 24, 2010
76. Visit the Bronx Zoo
77. Go to a New York City street fair

Travel

78. Travel with Kevin out of the country
79. Go to Cape Cod with Kevin - Completed May 30, 2011
80. Visit South Carolina again
81. Drive down the California coast

Spiritual

82. Find a church home in New York
83. Reread Blue Like Jazz
84. Memorize James 1
85. Do another Beth Moore bible study

Give Back

86. Adopt a dog or cat - Completed July 17, 2011
87. Donate $1 for every goal not completed
88. Leave an inspirational note inside a book for someone to find - Completed September 25, 2011
89. Buy and use reusable shopping bags
90. Adopt an Angel for the Salvation Army
91. Give a 100% tip
92. Praise a good customer service experience to the person’s boss
93. Donate blood

Et cetera

94. Make a wish at 11:11 on November 11, 2011
95. Buy a lottery ticket
96. Go without speaking for an entire day
97. Watch the sunrise and sunset in the same day
98. Get a tattoo
99. Find a place to practice archery
100. Buy some piece(s) of archery equipment for recreation
101. Get through the whole list!