#55 edit

I really want to do a Kickstarter. The idea has been bouncing around in my head for about a year. I feel like I need a bit more experience making and shipping chocolates as well as a few more batches to take excellent photos of (side note: find dSLR and charge batteries!) Next weekend I will be doing a local batch of chocolates... 17 orders! I had 3 people order double orders, and those are people I don't even know, coworkers of my brother! I'm excited to see how it goes making about 50% more chocolates this time. It'll be my first time making chocolates in the new place.

Yesterday I ordered the stickers, postcards and business cards for my chocolates. I want to give out postcards to get feedback on the chocolates, stickers are for labeling (which reminds me, I want a brown pen that matches my dark brown logo, for writing the flavor on each). I got a Groupon a while back $17 for $70 worth of merchandise which I used all of and then a little extra. I will be sure to post pictures of my chocolately endeavors, as part of my #55 Kickstarter prep bucket list item!

Off to figure out what flavors I'm going to make next weekend and asses my ingredient situation! Oh, and play with my super awesome puppy.

#1 Attend a UU service in Salem

With the invitation from a new friend we went to the service this morning. It was nice to go, and be a part of a service and it made me think more about wanting kids and wanting to take them to church and be a part of a community. I feel like I yearn for community... I had trouble finding it in NYC because it was just such a big city and it seemed like in order to get involved in things I always had to travel. I want community in my back yard. Well the church is only about a 15 minute drive from where I live now, so that's really not that bad.

The service was done by a visiting minister, I believe that is a tradition in the UU church over the summer. I would like to go again when the minister of the church is speaking. I really enjoy sermons and how they give me something to think about. I think I would enjoy getting that on a weekly basis - as well as a place to practice singing, though it will take some time to learn the songs of this new church that are not the same as the church I grew up in.

That's one more thing I can cross off the bucket list for the Year of 30, but like anything, it is leading to more  thoughts/ambitions/etc. for me to do in the future. I've only been 30 for about a week though so I don't want to add anything else to my already long list! We'll just see where my time/journey takes me!

#44 Attend a beerfest in Portland

I just found a full on list of beer fests in Portland so I can begin to figure out which one I'll go to.. there are so many options!

Portlandbeer.org

#17 Voice Lessons

I just returned home from my first voice lesson. It's been suggested a few times from friends who have heard me sing (mainly at church camp) to get voice lessons. I had done it once before with a friend for trade; she gave me a voice lesson and I made dinner, but our lives got in the way of making it a weekly thing.

I found a guy on craigslist with 14 years of experience teaching, high schoolers, in public schools as well as private lessons. My first lesson, and first several lessons, will mostly be vocal exercises. The shape of the mouth, breathing, etc. From doing a few scales he said he could hear that I have/can use my "Head Voice" as well as my "Chest Voice". He also said that (insert probably famous musician's name here) divided the human population into two vocal styles. "Brass" and "Wood" as in brass and wood instruments. And he was excited that my natural range falls into "brass". They tend to have more power in their voice than the "wood" vocals (which I could see, I'm pretty sure my mom has a "wood" voice).

I told him how I've found "my voice" a few times, but don't know how to purposefully achieve it. He asked how old I am and when I told him my birthday was yesterday and this is part of my "Year of 30 Bucketlist", he told me that the vocal chords are one of the last parts of your body to develop fully. And that most opera singers don't hit their prime vocals until their 30s, so I'm starting at the right time!

For now I've agreed to weekly lessons, it's only $20 a week and I can spend that going out to lunch in 2-3 days so I'll just make a swap. Bring food from home for lunch and get a weekly voice lesson!

Now I'm off to play with my puppy, and maybe sing a few scales before Le Boyfriend gets home :)

Year of 30 bucket list

I'm turning 30 on Monday. My bucket list for my life tends to get filled up with things that I'm nowhere close to being able to accomplish (Ice Hotel... someday... likely in the very distant future). I decided that I would make a list of things that I will do when I am 30. So here is my list. I think it's very doable, I put it in financial order because finances are my main hurdles

$

1. Attend a UU service in Salem (completed 8/25/2013)
2. Go apple picking
3. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity
4. Grind my own flour
5. Make fresh bagels (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/09/bronx-worthy-bagels/)
6. Make cheese (need to get the kit)
7. Spend a weekend at the beach house alone
8. Run a 10K, Goal time: 1:20 (train with Laura?)
9. Camp at Silver Falls State Park
10. Hike at Drift Creek Falls
11. Go to Multnomah Falls, hike all the way to the top
12. Kayak or Canoe on a lake (with Charlotte? Mom?)
13. Do the Portland Bridge Pedal, August second weekend, with B&C and Judy & Bob (train longer bike rides!)
14. Visit The Oregon Garden
15. Draft Chocolates website, up and running and email address for people interested
16. Write a letter to/from my future self. Imagine who I am 10 years from now, what my life is like. What I am like, mentally, physically, what do I enjoy, where am I living?
17. Get a voice lesson (completed 8/20/2013)
18. Make a homemade dinner for my mom
19. Go to rock climbing gym in Portland (got Bouldering coupon, expires in November)
20. Sew a dress for myself, one I can wear to work (meetings)
21. Finish (3) paintings (owl, ___, ___ )
22. Peacock Lane or Zoolights
23. Go to Buffalo Wild Wings with Nitin and Tyler & Matt
24. Go to Saturday Market in Portland
25. Go strawberry picking and make freezer jam
26. Send a letter to Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Kayanna, Erin, Marissa, Laura, Aimee, Dan & Deb, Mark & Ali
27. Design a “dream” small (tiny) house and build a physical model of it
28. Visit Pringle Creek, potentially get involved
29. Go to a Salem Food Swap
30. Attend a Toastmasters meeting - possibly get involved
31. Build a self watering container garden or plant things in a community garden
32. Bake something fresh for breakfast and bring to work (bagels maybe?)
33. Take an Archery Lesson http://pacificcrestarchery.com/contact/ (Keizer) Saturdays at 9 or 9:30am $25 for 30min
34. Make and decorate sugar cookies (royal icing with patterns, details)
35. Spend a weekend in Springfield helping out with B&C’s garden

$$

36. Go snowboarding on Mt. Hood or with B&C at Willamette Pass
37. Paint a serving bowl at Create-a-Memory (can take my time with it)
38. Go snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor#11 Camp at Champoeg State Park
39. Do a Whole 30 (one month, whole food, no sugar, no booze) (started Sept 3)(FAILED TO COMPLETE!)
40. Go to Chocolate Fest in January! Bring cash, a good amount, so I can buy lots!
41. Host a holiday (Christmas or Thanksgiving or Easter just cause?)
42. Go shooting with Matt
43. Visit the Portland Zoo
44. Attend a Beer festival in Portland
45. Have a Lord of the Rings marathon party with LOTR inspired food! (do when it’s cold out)
46. Get haircut from Heidi (11-19-2013 edit: Heidi is in Portland most of the time and it's too hard to get up there on weekdays)
47. Get legs waxed for the first time
48. Send a care package to Kayanna (Sent Oct 1st, she posted pictures of her opening it to Facebook!)
49. Buy and try out food grade silicone mold making for chocolates
50. Make chocolates and send to: Farm, Kayanna, Mark & Ali, Dan & Deb, Jeff & Dayna,
51. Buy all new socks and underwear (got some from my mom for my birthday 8/16/2013, still need to throw out the old ones and take an inventory!)
52. Get something lasercut at Ponoko (possibly cards?)

$$$

53. Get $1000 in online savings account for emergency fund (no touching!)
54. Take SPD & SD exams, (retake) PPP (Jan/Feb)
55. Do chocolate making Kickstarter, develop a look, Kickstarter specials, early bird specials (edited 8/25/2013) (Launched 10/15/2103)(Successful! 11/14/2013)
56. Road trip to Vancouver BC with Laura & Matt
57. Roast a Heritage Turkey (brine it!) Great success 11/28/2013
58. Go to Breitenbush Hot Springs (http://www.breitenbush.com/)
59. Treat myself to a spa day
60. Hotel for a night or weekend in Portland with Matt, walking to restaurants and museums (be tourists!) Ace Hotel, or Jupiter Hotel
61. Take a class (OCAC? Chemeketa? UO? Willamette? ADX?)
62. Get “Happy Camper” tattoo
63. Buy a pair of quality running shoes

Things to do in Salem Oregon

Growing up we weren't allowed to be bored, that seems to have stuck with me! This doesn't even take into consideration all the things you could be learning/doing on your own which I won't get into cause everyone has different interests :) I've lived here for getting close to 2 years. I moved here from NYC (though I grew up in Beaverton) my main frustration has been finding things to do... so I've been assembling a list and decided to share my findings/ideas. I will update it when I find out about new things!

RESOURCES

• Check Statesman Journal for more local events
• Attend a fair or festival
• Check out the Salem Library's events
• Statesman Journal music listings

VOLUNTEERING

• Volunteer at Habitat for Humanity
• Volunteer at the Willamette Humane Society
• Volunteer with the Marion-Polk Food Share  
• Volunteer with The Boys & Girls Club
• Save a life by donating blood

ACTIVE

• Archery at Pacific Crest
• Silver Falls State Park, hiking and camping
• Watch a Volcanoes game - that's baseball, even if you don't like baseball, go with some friends and hang out somewhere other than your living room or a bar!
• Go for a walk or jog at Minto Park and eat blackberries along the way
• Sign up for a race
• Participate in On Your Feet Fridays
• Take a yoga class at Indigo Wellness Center
• Play in the Willamette River at the West Salem Boat Ramp
• North Santiam river trips

ARTS

• Theater performances at Willamette University
• Improv at Capitol City Theater
• Do a life drawing class at The Nest
• Paint a ceramic or try your hand at glass fusing at Create-a-Memory My favorite part is that you can leave unfinished things for up to 6 months and come back again and again to work on it. So if you want to take your time and do something intricate you won't have a time cut off!
• Take a pottery class at Willamette Art Center
• Get creative at DIY Studio
• So does the Salem Chamber Orchestra
• Willamette Master Chorus
• Salem Pops Orchestra
• Salem Youth Symphony

COMMUNITY

• Volunteer with the Marion-Polk Food Share  They also have community gardens, so that's another idea to get a plot and grow some food! Or just help out people who are growing food.
• Network with young professionals
• Attend a church service at a church you haven't been to before
• Take a class or be a guinea pig at the Salem Campus for the Oregon School of Massage
• Try out meditation at the Unitarian Church
• Get involved in the Salem Food Cooperative

DIY

• U-pick some fruit during the summer/fall
• Swap some homemade jam at the Cherry City Food Swap
• Paint a ceramic or try your hand at glass fusing at Create-a-Memory My favorite part is that you can leave unfinished things for up to 6 months and come back again and again to work on it. So if you want to take your time and do something intricate you won't have a time cut off!
• Take a pottery class at Willamette Art Center
• Get creative at DIY Studio

ENTERTAINMENT

• Theater performances at Willamette University
• Improv at Capitol City Theater 
• Have some tasty fries and play some arcade games at The Coin Jam 
• Participate in a board game or Magic The Gathering tournament or learn some other games at Borderlands Tuesday night is Boardgame night (they have lots of other games and tournaments, but I'm a boardgamer :P
• Play Cards Against Humanity at Franklin's Bottle Shop I think they play almost every night.
• Watch a Volcanoes game - that's baseball, even if you don't like baseball, go with some friends and hang out somewhere other than your living room or a bar!
• Go see a cheap movie at Northern Lights Theater Pub, only $3... $8 if you count the Blue Moon you'll want to accompany the movie :)
• Go to a Drive-In movie! We are lucky enough to have 2 within a reasonable distance! Dallas Motor Vu and Newberg's 99W Check both because sometime they play the same things and sometimes they play different things. In the summer time the second movie is crazy late, going at the end of the season is awesome though awkward to watch through windshield wipers!
• Check out some live music, here are a few places that have it: IKE Box, McMennamin's Boon's Treasury, The Half Penny, Statesman Journal music listings
• Check out free screenings of Break Bad (and other shows) at Cinebarre Note, they won't bring you water anymore once you are in the theater, so as for it at the bar before you go in if you want water.
• Oregon Symphony performs some concerts at Willamette University
• So does the Salem Chamber Orchestra
• Willamette Master Chorus
• Salem Pops Orchestra
• Salem Youth Symphony
• Willamette Live music listings
• Enchanted Forest, rides

FOOD AND DRINK

• U-pick some fruit during the summer/fall
• Make a custom popsicle, almost instantly, at Twinsies 
• Have a beer and some food and play some arcade games at The Coin Jam 
• Go to the Saturday Farmer's Market
• Swap some homemade jam at the Cherry City Food Swap
• Go to the Wednesday lunch time Market I'm not sure why the address says Waverly, it's on Chemeketa between High and Liberty)
• Play Cards Against Humanity at Franklin's Bottle Shop I think they play almost every night.
• Explore the restaurants of Salem during Salem Restaurant Week 
• Go to The Ram on Sunday after 9pm for discounted beer and food
• Take a cooking class at Lullus' Tutto Cucina
• Take cooking classes or attend food demonstrations at Marion Polk Food Share
• Grab a slice of pizza and a beer at Church Street Pizza I've only been a couple times but the beer selection was stellar and the pizza quite good. 
• Go to Happy Hour at Orupa on the rooftop
• Taste 30 beers and have a pint or take home a growlette or growler at Growl Movement
• Go to f/stop Fitzgerald's and hang out by the fire outside while having a beer on the patio, they have a boardgame night, show movies, and have a craft night!
• Go to Word Of Mouth Bistro on a weekday morning early for a tasty cheap breakfast and probably less of a line!
• Wine tasting The list of wineries is longer than any other list of things to do here!
• Get involved in the Salem Food Cooperative
• Support a new brewery in Salem, Salem Ale Works
• 
  

LEARNING

• Archery at Pacific Crest, lessons are $25
• Participate in a board game or Magic The Gathering tournament or learn some other games at Borderlands Tuesday night is Boardgame night (they have lots of other games and tournaments, but I'm a boardgamer :P
• Take a class at The Nest
• Take a continuing education class at Chemeketa
• Take a cooking class at Lullus' Tutto Cucina
• Take cooking classes or attend food demonstrations at Marion Polk Food Share
• Try out meditation at the Unitarian Church
• TEDxSalem, happening November 16, 2013

MINGLE-ING

• Network with young professionals
• Explore meetup groups for things going on in Salem and to meet people
• Attend a church service at a church you haven't been to before
• Try out meditation at the Unitarian Church

SHOPPING

• Go to a Flea Market 
• Go to the Saturday Farmer's Market
• Go to the Wednesday lunch time Market I'm not sure why the address says Waverly, it's on Chemeketa between High and Liberty)
• Find deals at DealChicken for new things to try, at a discount!