It's 40 Days In....get me those ideas in the next 40 hours!

Today marks the 40th day into the 40X40 challenge.  I am allowing 40 more hours for folks to submit their ideas for my additional adventures!  I am most looking forward to the ideas that others are suggesting...I can really hardly contain myself about it!!  To clear up some questions I have been receiving, let me go over a few parameters.  You only need to submit ideas for challenging adventures; they do not need to incorporate the number 40 unless you choose it that way.  They can be simple ideas such as trying snowboarding for the first time to something as elaborate as trying zip lining or participating in a half marathon.  None of those ideas have been taken by the way; so if one strikes your fancy as a suggestion, by all means, submit the idea. Additionally, the ideas can incorporate other people or they can just incorporate me.  Don't forget, I'll be drawing 20 ideas to add to my list of 20 (which you'll begin to hear more about as time goes on).  

So, as an official 40X40 milestone event day, you might be wondering how I chose to celebrate or signify the day.  With two of my favorite girls of course!  My sister Amanda (aka Punky) and my niece Olivia (aka Liv) are down in PA visiting this weekend.  We did what most girls do best...shopped, ate yummy food, and laughed together.  My sister is a super awesome mom!  I am not even quite sure how she does it, but she is the best mom to my niece and I know that I could never do what she is doing with as much grace as she does it! 

This is an obvious statement as Jason and I both allowed Liv to hang out in Bella's dog crate today!

The evening has ended with the munchkin in bed, my sister out having a good time with great friends, and me writing the blog and enjoying two of life's other finer things...

In case you're wondering, the Riesling is a perfect match for just about anything!  Tonight, it's paired with a Red Hot Velvet cupcake from Lancaster Cupcake.  This is truly the most delicious cupcake I have ever eaten -most of you know that is a pretty big statement. Just imagine your childhood favorite red hot candies wrapped up in a super moist and delicious cupcake.  Yes, it's as good as it sounds and it's from a fellow Messiah Alum's local business!

Alright, hurry up and email me your 40X40 adventure challenge ideas at queenpam143@gmail.com or post a comment here on the blog or to Facebook.....however you do it, just get it done!!  I know there are some really great ideas out there. 

40 hours...ready...set...go!

-That's 6pm Monday for the math slackers-

So Much Suspense and a Celebratory Event Announcement!!

Oh my word!  I love all of the flutter around what my big reveal is regarding the bucket list item.  And, I have gotten some great suggestions for the 20 things to add to my list.  Have you added yours yet???? Don't miss out; if it's something really cool and I pick it, I might invite you along:) 

Alright, let's get down to business.  I am having the second Celebratory Event THIS WEEKEND IN ROCHESTER!!!  There is so much to celebrate....it's my cousin's birthday- yay Kyle!  It's his wife Kari's baby shower, I'll be celebrating my mom's upcoming birthday AND Chris Daughtry is going to be in concert!  What the heck else would be more appropriate than a 40X40 Celebratory Event?? 

Here's the deal:

Saturday at O'Callaghan's I will host the first event at 5:15pm with a second event around 11pm (after the concert) back at O'Calls.  I am looking for all my Roc friends that have been so supportive already with the journey to join me for one of the events.  Hey, if we haven't seen each other in awhile, stop out- it's a great reason for an impromptu mini reunion.  Don't forget the important details...I buy the first $40 worth of whatever...in this case, probably drinks.  For this special occasion, I will do this for both time events.  I do need to reveal an important caveat to the 5:15 event.... There is a slight chance that a second item on my bucket list could become a reality.  If this is the case, I will post an announcement on Facebook and the blog to cancel the 5:15 event as soon as I know....and then we'll party at 11ish and I'll tell you all about it!!! If you don't see a post stating it's cancelled, we're on as planned.

Recently I was having a conversation with a friend of mine about the 40X40.  She said, "I don't know how I feel about this whole secretive side of you."  She was referencing my excitement about securing a bucket list item but not telling her what it was until I "revealed it on the blog."  My response went something like this (minus quotations because it will be too much work and stupid)...so, one of the reasons I am doing this adventure and using the blog is because I am a fairly private person.  I work in an environment that is subject to public opinion and in the public eye, I work hard and play hard...but don't always include as many of my close folks as I should...and I don't always take a lot of personal risks.  Sooo, it's not that I am being secretive, I am actually just being more public about what's happening and telling you that I am not telling you about it (making it seem like a secret).  Does that make any sense???  In the end, you'll know more (probably more than you wanted) and I will have shared more.  It's really just my way of still having control over the situation...that's a conversation for another day...and no, Jason, you may not claim "give up control" as one of the items for my list!

Oh, you're still reading because you want to know the first bucket list reveal??  Ok, here it is.  If you are a really close friend to me (family or otherwise), you are one of the few that know I am a closet Pink! fan.  I guess when you have a blog and state you like something, you aren't really in the closet about it anymore.  Nonetheless, I am a huge Pink! fan and I have always, ALWAYS, always wanted to see her in concert.  I don't know why, but I connect with her music on some level regardless of how ridiculous that seems and am sure that seeing her live is a great experience and one that has been on my bucket list for awhile.  Guess What???

I'M GOING TO SEE PINK! LIVE IN CONCERT!!!!

AND I CAN'T WAIT....

AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO JUDGE...

It's my bucket and we're throwing Jason in it and heading to my favorite state of North Carolina to see Pink! in Charlotte over St Patty's Day weekend!  What's better than seats that are so good you describe the cost as "you can't put a price tag on the experience" and a venue that's close to one of my closest friends and great family??  Nothing right now- it's a "Happy" moment and he'll be joining us!

40X40 Kickoff Event Highlights and the Journey Continues...

The 40X40 kickoff was a huge success!  It was so great to have many friends and family join me as I start this journey.  My boss even made an appearance...no pictures of that though:) and we were all able to celebrate my good friend Shanon's birthday! She'll probably hate that I put the picture of her in the silly birthday hat I got her on this blog, but she was the reason we were celebrating afterall!

It was so great to take 40 minutes to celebrate each other and everyone went home with the 40X40 mascot "Happy."  I'm sure Happy will gain some other nicknames along the way, but for this night, he was simply "Happy!"  I am truly blessed and thankful for everyone who supported me for the Kickoff Celebratory event...whether in person, by text, or calling me from all across the country...truly blessed and Happy!

My BFF Michele and some pretty cool work friends!

Shanon smiling in her ridiculous birthday hat, shining on as the most special optimist I have in my world!

So, milestone one is down and we are supersonically approaching the next milestone on February 16th.  Remember, the one you all are supposed to be helping with???  Come on people, this is hard enough for me to keep track of everything and I desperately need your help!  February 16th will mark the 40th day into the Journey and is when I would like to have the list of my future adventures pulled together.  Here's a reminder of what you're supposed to be doing to help me with this milestone......

I will be taking your suggestions for what the other 20 parts of my journey will be.  What is the one thing you would incorporate if you were doing this journey?  What's the one thing you would like to see me do as part of this journey?  I can't wait to see all of the cool suggestions.  I will be taking suggestions for the next 40 days (until February 16th) and will throw them into a hat and randomly select 20 to add to the journey. Only comments posted on the blog or the Facebook post of this blog entry will count as official suggestions.

Alright, you've got your assignment, don't let me down!  Plus, check back tomorrow for info on February's Celebratory Event...it's on the move to Rochester and happening before the 24/7 is up! And as an added bonus, I will be revealing my first bucket list item right here on this blog tomorrow (which most people are going to find completely ridiculous..but hey, it's my bucket, not yours!).