Wildcard: Week 11

How is it going with the no sugar?  I am finding it easier to refrain, even when watching the donuts being made in Krispy Kreme with my children.  What I like most about it is feeling like the master over my tastebuds and eating habits again.  Continuing this week with no sugar, you may earn 8 points each day.  If you wish to take a treat day this week leave a comment telling us your favorite quote.

For the wildcard this week you will be required to spend at least 15 minutes each day enjoying and appreciating the great outdoors.  This means deliberately going outside to breathe deep, look around, and notice things you usually don't see.  Notice the beauty around you and see how it affects you.  Looking back on your day and realizing that you were outside for 10 minutes does not count.  I'm looking for a very puprposeful trip out of doors!

Have a wonderful week.  Thank you for staying with me this far and please if you have suggestions about how I can be doing a better job of leading this please let me know! 

E

Week 9: Wildcard

Here goes:

For the wildcard this week you will be required to eat NO REFINED SUGAR.  I know, it's a big one, but it will be good for all of us!  By no sugar I mean:  no sweets, no treats, no candy, no baked goods.  If you usually have brown sugar on your oatmeal use honey instead.  If you usually use hot cocoa mix try it instead with a little cream in your water and some fat free sugar free chocolate syrup.  You get the idea.  This is a daily thing so if you slip up one day just try again the next!
As an option this week you may take one day where rather than no sugar you have one serving size of a treat instead.  Should you chose to do that you need to also post here and tell us your best health tip -- anything that you think may help someone else! This option is for one day only this week, then the other six days would be without sugar.  Does that make sense?  If you have questions please let me know.
ALSO
this wild card will continue to run for the duration of the challenge.  This means that for week 10, 11 and 12 there will be 8 points per day rather than 7.  For those upcoming three weeks I will post another wildcard AND this will continue to run as well.

GIVEAWAY:
I will do a random drawing at the end of the week for anyone who posts their points for all seven days. It will be a gift card to a restaurant.  So make sure you log your points and eat those fruits and veggies!
Thanks for sticking with me this far and have a wonderful week !
Emily

Week 8: Wildcard

Hello!
For this week's wildcard you will need to give a gift every day this week.  What do I mean?  Well I am currently reading the book 29 Gifts and if you want to read more about it you can go to the website HERE as well.
The idea is that you give something each day with an open heart in order to change the energy around you and make the world a better place.  You may want to write in your gratitude journal about what you gave and how it made you feel.  You may even want to continue after the first week and go ahead and do the 29 day challenge.
Your gifts can be anything given to anyone ... they do not need to be material but should be given with an open heart without an expectation of receiving.
Need Ideas?
money, food, smiles, your time, kind words, a note, a service, love, running an errand for someone, sharing part of you, teaching something you know, giving a gift to yourself.

If you have other ideas of gifts you can give please comment and share, as well as please tell us your experiences.  Have a great week !
Emily

Week 7: Wildcard

How is everyone doing?  I hope we can all pull together and help each other through this second half.  Do me a favor, if you personally know anyone who we haven't heard from on the blog lately or hasn't put points up check in with them.  I don't mean ask them why they aren't putting points up -- I just mean see how they are doing.  No big deal, just a thought.

This week's wildcard is working on better sleep habits.  SO.... In order to receive your point each day this week you need to be in bed (and on your way to sleep) by 10 pm.  That doesn't  mean in bed at ten and then awake until 11.  The idea is to actually get to sleep by 10.

After this week the wildcards are going to get tougher and I'm going to be asking a lot of you.  There will also be more prizes so stay tuned.

Thanks for sticking with me this far.
Have a great week!

** This post edited to include: **
For one night this week you may choose to go out or stay up late.  Rather than be in bed by 10pm that night you may post a comment here and tell us 1. what your favorite movie is and 2.  what you like to do for a late night up.

Emily

Week 6: Wildcard

We are approaching the half way point!
This week the wildcard is :
Drink 8 glasses {8 oz each} of water each day.  In addition, on one day this week I would like you to post a comment below.  So for one day this week in order to get your wild card point you will need to post a comment and drink your water.
Please answer this question:
Have your learned anything thus far in the challenge, and if so what have you learned?

Have a great week!
E

Wildcard: Week Five

Whew!
I don't know about you but for some reason this past week four felt pretty heavy.  January ran away with me and I need to get my feet back under me for the upcoming months.
So...
This week is all about SLOWING down.  For the wildcard this week spend at least 15 minutes each day sitting quietly -- meditating, pondering, rejuvenating -- call it what you want.  The idea is that you spend that 15 minutes in solitude (or sitting in a chair by myself while children play at the park, or however you can make it work).  Feel your body, breathe deep, wiggle your fingers and toes.  Be present in that moment and then think about how you feel about how you are doing personally.  Is your emotional tank full?  What can you do to take care of yourself so that you are fully able to give to those that rely on you?  How can you improve in the areas of your life that matter most to you?  What things are there in your life that are taking time or energy which you do not feel are very important that could possibly drop out of your life and stop taking your strength?  There are a thousand questions you could ask yourself.
Life Uncommon is one of my favorite songs that I like to listen to which help me to slow down and  get myself ready to think.
When I'm feeling overwhelmed and worried I love to hear  Lullaby For Stormy Night.
This version of  Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing is something I like to hear daily.   I love it.
And if you can handle one more, Amazing Grace is always uplifting for me.

As an optional post this week, if you have a song or songs that help you to slow down and feel grounded I would love to hear what they are.  Totally optional;  if you would rather post one day instead of doing your 15 minutes of slow down time that's great.  If not, just do your 15 minutes each day for the week and enjoy it.

Have a super week.
E

Wildcard: Week 4

How is it going thus far?
Welcome to week 4.  I hope you are beginning to see some things getting easier.  I know the fruits and veggies is getting easier for me and I like that.
For week 4 the wildcard is all about money!  

This week I am asking you to do THREE things:
First, you are required to track EVERY PENNY you spend.  Write it down and categorize it.  At the end of the week look at what you spent and see if you can improve your budget in any way.  
Second, save some amount of money as cash in your home.  The amout will be established by you - what works for you.  But come up with a safe place in your home and stash some cash.  I know it has always been helpful for me to know that I have some cash on hand at home if I needed it right away.   I have found that if I save it in the size of a large bill then I am not tempted to use it for anything either.  If it was in one dollar bills it would be easier for me to justify pulling a few our here or there.
Third, post a comment at least one day here on the blog and tell us if you use a program how you like to track your spending and/or give a budgeting tip.  Do you use multiple accounts in order to organize spending?  How do you manage your savings accounts?  What do you do to help other family members establish habits for saving?  

Have a great week and save some money!
E

Kitchen Organization -- by Brandi

Way to go Brandi!  I'm impressed for sure.  

Wildcard: Week 3

Welcome to week 3!  I am so impressed with how well you are all doing on the challenge.  I love having the extra push at the end of the day (even though it sometimes still doesn't get me moving enough) to put everything back together.
For week three we will be working on an oldie but goodie:  Organization.
For 6 days this week organize an area of your life.  This could be your purse; a drawer; your desk, your tools, a kitchen cabinet, that part of your house that collects the infamous paper stack, your closet shelves, dresser drawers...

 Or if you take on a larger project like the one I need to tackle (my pantry) break it down into a few sections at a time.  Because I won't have a large enough chunk of time in one day to do the entire thing, I will be  making 3 different sections to work on and that will count as my point for 3 different days.

For your organization point on the 7th day this week please post a comment here giving us your best organization tip -- something you think can help all of us.  Also, if you want to share a photo of an area you made progress on email it to me and I will post it here on the blog.

On Monday I will do the random draw for the Amazon gift card and let you know who the winner is.

PS.  Wouldn't it be great if my pantry looked like this?

Happy week 3.
E

Week 2 wildcard: Top 10

My top ten favorites right now, not in any particular order:

1.  Oranges, sliced.

2.  My new (to me) Volkswagon Eurovan

3.  Paint

4.  Fabric

5.  The color orange

6.  See's Candy chocolate (especially butterscotch, carmel, and coconut cream)

7.  Dry Needling.  I would not be able to function without my awesome physical therapist and his  magic needles!

8.  My gap jeans - thank you, gap, for still making a pair of jeans that comes near my real waistline that are reasonably priced.

9.  Cowgirl boots.  I have 2 pair I absolutely love and I want more.

10.  My baby, Faye.  Not that I love her more than my other 5 children, just that she is at such an
       adorable stage -- trying new things and new sounds each day that make me laugh.

E

Wildcard: Week 2

Welcome to week 2!
How has the first week been?  I hope you are having success in adjusting your routines.

The focus for this week is communication.  For your wild card this week you are required to call or visit in person someone whom you don't normally talk to -- not a text, not email.  If you already call your sister every day then you need to choose someone else - maybe a family member or friend who you haven't caught up with in a while.  It doesn't need to be a super long conversation but at least 15 minutes.  Try to really listen to what is going on with them and connect with them.  You are required to do this 5 days this week.  For the other 2 days you need to post a reply here on the blog (1 reply each to each post).  You can choose which days you reply on the blog and which days you talk to someone.

As an incentive for those of you who may not want to post here on the blog:  anyone who does their 2 posts on the blog this week will be eligible for a $25 Amazon gift card which I will do a random pick for (at the end of the week) using the number next to your name on the spreadsheet.

What to reply to:
On this post, please reply and introduce yourself.  Type at least 3 sentences about yourself, anything you want to share.
On the next post, reply with a Top 10 list of your favorite things right now, in 2013.

My name is Emily Smith - I live in Parker, CO with my husband Kurt and our 6 children ranging in ages from 12 to 1.  I was born and raised in Colorado and I love living here.  I met Kurt 13 years ago while jogging in the rain in Provo, UT.  I have 5 brothers and 2 sisters (both of whom are in on the challenge with me, along with 1 brother).  One of the greatest blessings I have been given in my life is to be surrounded by incredible people who have taught me, supported me, lifted me up, and helped me along the way.  That is one of the reasons why I was open to running this challenge -- I feel passionate about women connecting with other women (guys, I'm glad you are here too!)

Have a great week 2!
E

Wild Card, week 1

The wild card this week:

Spend at least 30 minutes each day doing something creative.  (Possibly creating a gratitude journal?)  It could be creativity in any area - cooking, sewing, baking, painting, decorating, you get the idea.  Enjoy the time and see what you can learn about the satisfaction that comes from doing something creative.

A few more details :
the spreadsheet link should be available on the first post inside the google group.  If you did not get your google group invite please let me know.  This blog will now be going private (as of tomorrow), inviting only those who are participating in the challenge.  I will always post the wild card here and also as a message in the google group.  I hope this will allow you to use which format is easiest for you.  We have a total of 24 participants this year.  There will be several prizes along the way.  The remaining money will be for one winner.  I am not eligable to be the winner.

Happy New Year!
E