Category Archives: the 21 list

the 21 list // the recap

Love!

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Lists are totally my jam.

So when I turned twenty-one, I made a list of twenty-one things to do before I turned twenty-two. Just like I did the year before. And now that that milestone has come and gone, here’s a recap of everything that did (and didn’t) happen.

While this self-professed list-maker panicked and stressed out a little (or a lot) over those things that didn’t get crossed off, I decided to take things easy and let them go. Because hey, it’s supposed to be FUN after all (:

(I didn’t blog about all of them. But you can click through on some of them to read those that I did!)

1. Document my life at 21. (Project Life, here I come!)

2. Make 21 DIY projects. (I made 13 out of 21 projects!)

3. Get onto the dean’s list at school.

4. Try 21 new recipes.

5. SAVE MONEY.

6. Visit a museum.

7. Buy one outfit online.

8. Read at least one book a month. (I read 9 out of 12 books.)

9. Participate in at least 2 runs.

10. Go on a picnic.

11. Spend a day at the park.

12. Cook more Chinese food.

13. Write at least 5 thank you cards.

14. Eat fruit at least once a day for a whole month.

15. Keep a running log of distances I run each month.

16. Wear only glasses every day for a whole week.

17. Take pictures with and develop photos from a disposable camera.

18. Learn 300 new vocabulary words.

19. Not spend money for a month.

20. Have a baking date/tea party.

21. Happy surprise someone.

In all honesty, I think I did much better on the list last year, and could’ve been more diligent with this year’s list. But between trying to keep up with freshman year, making memories + being with family, this list inevitably got pushed to the back some days. And maybe, I might’ve been a little bit ambitious trying to make 21 DIY projects AND cook/bake 21 new recipes.

Anyhow, I had lots of fun working on this – as always. To be sure, I’m going to put some of these things into the next list, since I didn’t get to them this year (:

Check back soon for the twenty-two list!

21 projects // DIY printable post-its

Untitled There’s just something about post-its that make me really happy. They are one of those stationery supplies that I could have endless amounts of. So these neon post-it notes + a cute and easy printable = happiness all around.

Not only were they cute, but also super simple to do. (And you probably know by now, how much I love things that are quick and easy.)

Just download the printable from Living Locurto, lay your post-its on the page, and run it through the printer again. And WA-LAH! You have customized printables for school homework. Although, I think these would work just fine for plenty of other things besides homework. Untitled One thing I neglected to do was to check the size of my post-its against the printable template. It turned out that my post-its were actually a little larger than the template. So the guidelines themselves ended up being printed on my post-it. But the lines were pretty faint and I got to add some cute phrases with my Dear Lizzy phrase stamp, so it’s all good.

I think I’ll take Tater Tots and Jello’s tips for making my own template next time though. I love the idea of getting to add whatever text or graphic you want for some unique sticky notes for whatever you need!

13 down, 8 to go.

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21 DIY projects are part of my 21 list, a list of 21 things I’m working to accomplish during my twenty-first year. Check out my other 21 DIYs here.

21 projects // DIY wrapping paper

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To be honest, I don’t even think there’s tutorial for this.

I was probably inspired by this idea and just went the easy route by stamping on freezer paper with a foam stamp and some neon dye ink. This hardly took any time at all and I was done in less than five minutes. The options are totally endless with these and it’s up to your creativity to come up with whatever designs/patterns you like.

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Supplies:

  • Freezer paper
  • Foam stamp
  • Dye Ink or acrylic paint (your choice!)

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And here’s how it looks all wrapped up and pretty, ready to go to the giveaway winner!

I love the look of this and the way it turned out. The neon pink pops so nicely on the paper. I didn’t get to try this yet with the acrylic paints pictured but I’m planning to use some other shapes with them. I totally can’t wait to see how the gold paint will look!

12 down, 9 to go.

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21 DIY projects are part of my 21 list, a list of 21 things I’m working to accomplish during my twenty-first year. Check out my other 21 DIYs here.

the 21 list // write at least five thank you cards

Truth

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Including the ones I wrote after my twenty-first birthday bash last year, I get to check this one off my list. Really, the idea behind this item was to be more intentional about expressing my gratitude and thanks to the people who have made a difference in my life. Because it’s so easy to take for granted all the things that people do, and overlook the little things you actually do appreciate.

I definitely want to be constantly reminded of all the things I can be grateful for.

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The 21 list is a list of things I made to be completed at twenty-one years old. For more about my 21 list, read this post.

21 projects // DIY office supplies

Although I used the same concept for all these DIYs, I’m going to call the shots here and count them each individually in the list of 21 DIY projects. After all, time is running out, you guys, and I’m still not quite halfway through. But hey, no biggie whether I get everything on the 21 list done or not. I’m totally not going to let myself stress out about this.

And besides, I have too many rolls of washi tape around the house that are meant to be used. Any way to use them up so I get to buy new ones (; Just kidding.

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Inspired by these articles on Buzz feed, Brit + Co, and Sew Much Crafting, I went washi tape crazy and taped all the office supplies that were in sight. That includes some notebooks, wooden pegs, binder clips, paper clips, and pencils.

As with all things washi, I love that the tape doesn’t damage whatever I stick it on, and I can easily peel it off if/when I get bored with

And by the way, just in case you’re wondering (which you’re probably not, ha!), I’m still using my DIY washi tape keyboard and LOVE IT. It makes a statement whenever I use my laptop, and still adds such a burst of color to my workspace.

Really, the sky’s the limit with anything you want to washi tape. Whoever invented washi tape has my serious gratitude.

11 down, 10 to go.

P.S. I’m counting down to my birthday this week so look out for a flurry of 21 list-related posts! (:

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21 DIY projects are part of my 21 list, a list of 21 things I’m working to accomplish during my twenty-first year. Check out my other 21 DIYs here.

21 projects // DIY travel journal

I’m not even really sure whether to call this a DIY, since all I really did was compile several printables and put them all into a book, tied together with some twine. But I really had fun doing this so I’m counting it in (;

I made this travel journal for one of my little friends who traveled to America for several weeks. And just to keep her occupied during the long flight there and back, I put together a fun travel journal for her to work on during the trip.

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The options of what to include are endless. But here are some of the ones I chose to use: travel journal prompts, map of the United States, games, and journal sheets. (You can find more printables on my Pinterest board.)

I kept things simple – travel journal + color pencils + a pack of chocolate. But really, you can make this as simple or complicated as you like. I would’ve put more things in, but I didn’t have much time to get this together, so nice + simple it was.

6 down, 15 to go.

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21 DIY projects are part of my 21 list, a list of 21 things I’m working to accomplish during my twenty-first year. Check out my other 21 DIYs here.

21 recipes // creamy lemon crumb squares

Before we jump into today’s post, the winner of my 100 followers giveaway has been announced in the post! Click here to find out if you won. THANK YOU to everyone who participated (:

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Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares by The Girl who Ate Everything

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The first time I made this, almost all the taste-testers raved about it and emptied the entire box I made. So I’m assuming they really, really liked it. Which I’m so glad they did. Because just for the record, the last time I tried making lemon squares for my twenty list, they hardly turned out like they should’ve. And the rest of my family members have rather, uhm, fond memories of my last failed attempt. So I’m really glad things worked in my favor this time around.

Okay, so back to all the yumminess that is creamy lemon crumb squares: they are a nice twist on traditional lemon squares. And I especially like how the crumbly top and base, together with the oats, give a nice texture contrast. Of all the twenty-one recipes I’ve tried this year, I think this one ranks pretty high on the top of the favorites list.

A note on the original recipe: I actually tasted the filling as I went along and added the lemon juice accordingly. I ended up using 2 1/2 to 3 lemons (not sure how much this is in cups) because I like my lemon squares slightly tart.

21 down, and we’re done! Over forty recipes and two years later, trying out these new recipes is still one of my favorite parts of my annual list (:

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The 21 recipes are part of my 21 list, a list of 21 things I’m working to accomplish during my twenty-first year. Check out my other 21 recipes here.

21 projects // DIY body scrub

Before we jump into today’s post, just a heads up that the 100 followers giveaway closes tonight at 1159pm so be sure to enter by then if you haven’t already!

DIY Body Scrub by Rad Mom Cool Kid

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Slowly but surely, I’m plodding my way through the list of 21 DIY projects. Probably not all of it will happen, but I’m rolling with it and doing what I can.

I used The Body Shop’s body scrub until I ran out and decided to make my own. So I did, with the help of this pin. And I really liked it.

I love that the ingredients are all-natural and things that you already have in your kitchen. It’s extremely easy to assemble and whenever you run out, you can just mix another batch in no time at all!

I just used the basic version from the pin. But really, you can get as creative (or simple) as you like and add other ingredients as you prefer. Maybe I’ll add some lavender, or tea tree oil the next time I make this…

In the original post, the blogger does caution against storing this in the shower and getting any water in the mixture, which will cause bacteria. So it’s just slightly inconvenient that you can’t store it next to you in the bathroom. But I just remember to bring it along with me whenever I want to use it. And it may be helpful to grab a spoon along the way so no water gets into the jar by accident. Just slightly inconvenient, but no biggie.

And just in case you need anymore convincing on why you should make this, check out this article for five benefits of body scrubs.

5 down, 16 to go.

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21 DIY projects are part of my 21 list, a list of 21 things I’m working to accomplish during my twenty-first year. Check out my other 21 DIYs here.

21 recipes // cream cheese apple bread

Cream Cheese Apple Bread by Today’s Creative blog

Cream Cheese apple bread recipe

The day I made these, I was in a hurry to pack and go so I wouldn’t be late for my Bible Study meeting. Hence, the lack of photos. Again. I promise this wasn’t intentional for the last few food posts.

Despite the lack of photos, I assure you that this was yummy indeed. And oh, did I mention that it’s also super simple to make?

Contrary to the name of the recipe, I’m more inclined to call this recipe a cake than a bread because of the texture. But regardless of what you call it, this cake/bread tasted good and I think all the ladies liked it! We enjoyed ourselves in a little circle, with our tiny boxes of apple juice and slice of cake, bonding + talking about life. Good times.

The recipe doesn’t state measurements for your baking tray, so I just used a regular loaf pan for mine (which measured 8x5x3). It turned out that the loaf needed a little more time in the oven than what the recipe stated, but that was fixed in no time. I also used a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg, instead of pumpkin spice seasoning

This one’s going on my list of “Recipes to make again”!

20 down, 1 to go!

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The 21 recipes are part of my 21 list, a list of 21 things I’m working to accomplish during my twenty-first year. Check out my other 21 recipes here.

21 recipes // banana nut pancakes

Banana Nut Pancakes from A Beautiful Mess

Fluffy buttermilk and banana pancakes!

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My version of these didn’t look photo-worthy at all. The batter was thin and my pancakes were overly brown (read: burned) and out of shape. Definitely not what you want pancakes to look like. And we were hungry, so we gobbled them up despite their look, and I didn’t get any photos in time.

But despite the lack of photos, here’s the verdict: the bananas added lots of sweetness to the pancakes and the walnuts gave a good crunch. And maybe it was my cooking, but they weren’t as thick and fluffy as I would’ve liked them to be. But the tricky part is trying to give enough time for your batter to cook while not letting the bananas get burned.

I know, I’m still trying to master this whole pancake breakfast thing. But hey, practice makes perfect. So I think I’m one step closer to this (;

19 down, 2 to go.

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The 21 recipes are part of my 21 list, a list of 21 things I’m working to accomplish during my twenty-first year. Check out my other 21 recipes here.