My 30 before 30

For me, yesterday was a very special day...it was my 29th Birthday! Even though I must admit to feeling daunted by the fact that I've reached the last year of my twenties and am now less than a year away from the big 3-0, there was still a certain magic as I spent the day with my family and some of my closest friends and felt almost overwhelmed by all the wonderful cards, presents and birthday messages that I received. I am certainly a very lucky lady! And maybe everyone feels the same way about their birthday, but I also think I'm especially lucky to have mine in January. "Why?", you may ask. Well, for one, it adds a little extra sparkle to what can often be a cold, dark and depressing month and gives me something not too distant to look forward to once the Christmas and New Year festivities are over. Secondly, and this is something that has seemed to become more and more relevant the older I get, it gives me a chance to reaffirm and reevaluate my new year's goals and resolutions as I start a new year of my own. So, with this in mind, I've taken the opportunity to come up with possibly my most ambitious goals list to date: 30 before 30. As with all my previous lists, there's a mix of items on there. Some fun, others more serious. Some will hopefully be things I can tick off rather quickly, whereas I know that others could take all year and may not even be completed at all. But I do know that I'll give everything my best shot and am looking forward to attempting every one of my 30! So without further ado, here's my list: 

My 30 before 30

1. Get a new job
2. Create a monthly budget and stick to it
3. Save at least a fifth of my monthly salary
4. Lose at least 2 stones (28 lbs)
5. Exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3 times a week
6. Complete Couch to 5 K
7. Have a ruthless clear out of my wardrobes and drawers
8. Declutter my bedroom and keep it tidy
9. Read at least 24 new books (2 per month)
10. Bake at least twice a month
11. Try 10 new recipes
12. Learn a new skill and/or develop an existing one
13. Go on holiday somewhere new
14. Exfoliate weekly
15. Give myself a DIY pedicure every week
16. Grow my nails
17. Moisturise my problem areas (elbows, feet and knees) every day
18. Find a facial skincare routine that works for me and stick to it
19. Find and purchase the perfect pair of skinny jeans
20. Organise at least 5 social events for me and my friends
21. Watch at least 10 new (to me) films (to include at least 1 Tarantino...I don't think I've ever actually seen any of his films, to the shock of some of my friends!)
22. Be a better blogger (specifically blog at least 3 times a week, comment/reply to comments more often and try to become more active in the blogosphere by participating in blogger link ups, tags etc)
23. Take and share more photos
24. Start taking part in quizzes again
25. Go for afternoon tea
26. Watch an open air film/concert (or both)
27. Be a better friend
28. Be a better family member (sister/daughter/niece)
29. Declutter my email inboxes, unsubscribe from any spam and maybe even deactivate old accounts.
30. Do more and talk, procrastinate and worry about things less!!

So there we have it! And now it's over to you! Do you make birthday goals lists, and if so, do they work for you? Are you still a big kid when it comes to birthdays or have they lost their magic over time? If there's anything at all you want to say, feel free!

'Til next time...