Many people did very well this last month. If you look at the comments here, you'll see their reports. I am not among those who did well. As the stress built in the situation with my grandmother-in-law, and the temperatures soared, I pretty much threw in the towel. We ended up getting take-out a number of times because I was either too hot, tired, or depressed to deal with making even the simplest of meals. As a result, I am choosing the same thing for my July challenge: eating out. I would like to go one month, a mere 31 days, without relying on someone else to cook my meals. This may mean a few meals that are extremely unexciting, perhaps featuring the dried potatoes I ordered last week, but I'm sure we can live through that.
Let me please point out that anyone who wants to try again with something that still needs work from the June version of this challenge is welcome to do so. If you've completely conquered that addiction though, and are merely continuing on with it, choose something new that will challenge you. Please clarify in today's comments so that I can modify the list in the sidebar as necessary. Thanks!
Here's a little doodad you can put up on your blog as a reminder of your commitment. It also helps other people find out about the challenge, so please either include it or some other link back to the challenge so we can spread the word. The more the merrier when it comes to doing something challenging!
Please note that having your own blog or online journal is not a requirement! Anyone can participate in the challenge. Just leave a comment with your name and I'll add you to the sidebar. All the fun discussions happen in the comments sections anyway. Believe me, I'm not the only one here with good ideas.
For the doodard, first copy this code:
<a href=http://chilechews.blogspot.com/2008/05/quit-now-challenge.html"><img src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_2H3G4C5T6s0/SD1ruwqisEI/AAAAAAAAAy8/SMeXCf9rzUE/s400/Addiction+logo+mini.jpg" /></a>
- In Blogger, go to your layout options, and click on Add a Page Element.
- Select Text.
- Type whatever you want for the title or leave it blank.
- Click Edit Html
- Paste the code you copied in the body.
- Then click Rich Text to confirm the image shows up.
- Save.
When you view your blog, the sidebar image should now appear and have a hyperlink back to this blog.
Chile, can I combine your challenge with the No Graze Days challenge I'm doing with Heather at Simple Green Frugal? I'm joining her in not eating mindlessly, only eating when I'm sitting down to appreciate the food. So I would be attempting to give up my addiction to eating without thinking about it. Is that fair or am I double dipping?
ReplyDeleteIt's efficient and I love efficiency! You're on.
ReplyDeleteI'm in for aircon (again) and line drying. Crap - where did I put that rack, anyhow? Kids probably made a fort out of it in the basement. See? You got me going around wrecking forts and stuff!! Meanie! :o)
ReplyDeleteIt's efficient, for sure! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWe may be crazy, but we are going to try to make this more of a challenge this month.
ReplyDeleteWe will not go out to eat or order in, buy vegan (or vegetarian in Brett's case) frozen pizzas, drink soda from Mexico (Jarritos), or buy coffee shop lattes for the month
I want my challenge to be about reducing our recycling load this month, so I am going to try drinking only water, coffee, and tea. In other words, no pop or beer, because those generate recycling. By the way I missed the whole bottled water thing, so that is not an issue. Don't know if the rest of the household will join me on this, but they're adults and can make their own decisions.
ReplyDeleteAw hell. I'm giving up the diet dr. pepper. It's hypocritical of me to slam bottled water all the time while drinking ddp out of the other side of my mouth. I already feel ornery about this, so it must be a good change.
ReplyDeleteSign me up for saying no to store-bought desserts.
ReplyDeletehummmmmm......
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking, I'm thinking (scary thought, thinking!)
This may sound petty but it is a point for me. Turn the faucet off WHILE I brush my teeth and don't leave the water running in the kitchen sink either.
I have started using an eco-friendly laudry detergent! I'm still very thought-full-y driving to conserve. The toilet was running which wasted water - I got that fixed.
I have to say, I am actually enjoying working on all of this. Now if I could just retire and move to the farm - I actually researched donkey rescue the other day.
I'm hooked!
~Mad(elyn) in Alabama
www.xanga.com/madewyn
Chili, I'm not sure if anons are invited to participate in the challenge, if so, I will attempt to not compost food. That is, I'll try to use, preserve or give away my excess garden produce. We mostly do, but sometimes when we leave town for a few days things get out of hand! Today, for instance, I picked about 5-6 lbs of english peas. These won't go to waste because I love them so much I'll snack on them raw.
ReplyDeleteJoyce, if you have a brewery near by, you can bring growler bottles in and just have them filled directly from the keg. Thus, no recycle waste.
diana
I think I have everyone added so far. Let me know if you want anything changed in the sidebar. Sometimes it's a challenge to figure out how to word it as something you are giving up.
ReplyDeleteYeah, yeah, Melinda, I know. I could have done a positive challenge so I didn't have this problem. ;-P
Oh, and Diana? Everyone is welcome. I edited the post to indicate that. Thanks for pointing out that it seemed a bit exclusive.
Okay I'm in. And M. is in this time (no tricks!). WE are giving up all prepackaged junk food. To clarify thats no chocolate, sweets, cake, chips (aka crisps), takeaways, cookies, etc etc.
ReplyDeleteThis could be tricky!
I'll keep going with no soda, by which I mean that this month I will actually give up soda. I'm already hooked on not vegging out in front of the computer screen :)
ReplyDeleteNo breweries nearby at all. We have beer so rarely it wouldn't be worth the effort anyway. Thanks for the tip though- someone else may benefit from your advice.
ReplyDeleteI am going to give up fast food... This includes a fast drink of soda or tea too... I have wanted to do this for awhile... thank you for telling how to put the doodad on my page... It will be a good reminder...
ReplyDeleteI'm in too. I'm new to all this, so I'll be starting small, but I guess you gotta start somewhere. No plastic bags for the month. Or make that absolutely no NEW plastic bags... I will reuse bags I already have as trash can liners, for bringing lunches to work (a habit I hope to stop soon once I find a decent lunch box), etc, but I'm not bringing home any MORE plastic bags. Wow, I'm excited about this already! :-)
ReplyDelete- JenniJ
I'm in again! I have dropped down to 4 cups of tea a day, so this month I will go for 3. When pregnant and breastfeeding my kids it was easy to do 3 cups a day and I stayed like that for years, so this should be easy really!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't in on this last month but I would like to join in here!
ReplyDeleteI am going to give up fast food.
For the last two years I have been planning to give it up but with college full-time and 2 jobs I always had an excuse not to pack my lunch. I just graduated & started work full-time so now is the perfect time! This is great - now I can justify all this blogging & say it is making me healthier! :)
I had a similar month as yourself so there was a lot of eating out. And not just eating anywhere, but eating alot of crappy food.
ReplyDeleteSo my quit challenge involves eating home cooked meals - both for husband and me which entails better planning. I will give myself 4 meals to eat out to spend the time with friends either in a restaurant or at their home.
Ok, here it goes. I will keep drinking my diet coke, but I will:
ReplyDelete1. Bring a large glass for water in the office and try to keep that filled.
2. Much like I piggyback errands, I am going to make a list of tasks I need to do on the computer as to avoid the constant turning on and off of it all day.
3. Seriously watch my plastic bag intake. I have reusable bags, but occasionally I forget to have them on hand. So I'm going to duct tape them to myself or something and get on it!
I'm in. Like Joyce, I will only drink beverages that do not create waste or I have to recycle, i.e. my DIET PEPSI! (Yes, I am yelling because I am scared to do this. I hope I don't get too cranky. Ha Ha) And I will combine this challenge with the one I am doing with Robin at A Little Greener Everyday .
ReplyDeleteBe Green.
Hey, some of you are really diggin' in and going for the tough stuff. Kudos!
ReplyDeleteAllison, I'm sorry but you crack me up. I went to your profile page to find your blog address. Hm, two choices. At the top of the sidebar on one is a list of things you'll never give up with DIET PEPSI right at the top.
I linked to the other blog... You're going to have to edit the first one now. ROFLMAO!
I wanna see anonymous diana eat her peas in the raw!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a new snack idea- no?
Can't wait to see when the MadAd boys get ahold of it!
I'm in, Chile - but not a continuation of the no-couch-potato-tv - that would be too easy now that it's summer & staying light until almost 10! Instead, I'm going to challenge myself to buy ONLY local produce for the month, to supllement what's growing in my garden.
ReplyDeleteNow I LUV fresh fruit, esp. nectarines & plums - there's just something about biting into a nice, juicy nectarine that says summer to me. So this will be more of a challenge because my 'local' will include only Idaho and Washington produce. (And maybe Montana, if there is ever any Montana produce available.) I don't know if nectarines are grown in WA - don't think I've ever seen any...lots of other WA produce tho'
This means, if something isn't marked w/the origin, I'm going to have to either ask where it's from or not buy it. This will be tough... no bananas, either...
But, my strawberries are ripening, and so are the blueberries...and it looks like I'll have lots of raspberries... It could be a "berry" nice summer after all (har-har-har)
Carla in Idaho
p.s. I DO get to finish those last 2 nectarines from CA that are waiting for me in my fruit bowl, don't I...?
All right, I'm in. I'm quitting spendin money for a month. Let's see how much I fail. Hah hah.
ReplyDeleteI didn't sign up last month but I did the challenge. I decided to give up Triscuit-type crackers, and I didn't eat ANY crackers at all, all month. I did, however, buy a new stash of Triscuit (in case of emergency), and summer is a low cracker season for me. But all in all a success, I say. Since crackers are my big snack weakness, we worked them into our meal plan over the winter but the lure of the open box was becoming impossible to resist as an any time snack, not to mention packaging, manufactured food issues, etc.
ReplyDeleteFor July, I will officially participate, but not to remaining cracker-free. Instead, I plan to give up Kleenex brand tissues (because they use boreal forests). My plan is not to buy any more; to the extent my household demands tissues, buy recycled, and for personal use, switch to hankerchiefs as much as possible. To do so, I must overcome my fear of becoming like my late aunt who could be found by following the trail of used pink and blue floral print hankies.
I'd like to join. I wanted to give up industrial corn... but I think that's too much. I'm going to give up corn syrup and other corn sweeteners for now... we'll see how I do with that before I give up all industrial corn. I started thinking about what I'd have to give up with all corn, and I need more time to prepare!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to tackle two challenges because I've been feeling tired, depressed and irresponsible (binge drinking).
ReplyDeleteI'm going to eat at all my meals at home or cooked from home for the month of july.
I'm also going to compost my veggie waste or stuff it in the freezer for vegetable stock - avoid laziness and dumping it in the garbage.
I'm joining in this month! I'm giving up Dairy (milk/cheese) and eggs, when eating at home. We're almost vegan so its not much of a jump, but I really would like to make that last step. Part 1 -giving it up at home
ReplyDeletepart 2 if all goes well, giving it up when eating out.
I'm in for July. This month I'm making almost all of my meals at home; no eating out except for my son's birthday dinner (his choice) and one other meal out each week (at most).
ReplyDeleteok, only day 2 and i blew it. last night i had take-out chinese at a friends house then today mexican while out shopping with mom. we were shopping at the goodwill so can i get points for not buying any new clothes? yea, sure, right... only so long as i want to forego any personal responsibility so.. tomorrow's a new day
ReplyDeleteEveryone's signed up. I'm taking a mental health day today but hope to get a short post in tomorrow. Remember to be committed to what you've signed up for but not to beat yourselves up if you slip. There may be a learning curve involved or serious habits to break and new ones to form. Don't use this as an excuse to rationalize making a concious choice to blow it.
ReplyDeleteBlondeoverboard, you'll need to plan ahead to avoid slip-ups. For instance, tomorrow I was supposed to have breakfast out with a friend. Instead, I invited her to come over for pancakes and coffee here. If going out around mealtime, take a picnic with you or eat ahead of time. It will take some time to get used to thinking ahead and planning for hunger, but you can do it. Get back on board! ;-)
I plan to do the same again in July- no eating out unless planned. The only 2 I will plan are my monthly Girls Night and my 10th wedding anniversary. I love challenges.
ReplyDeleteI quit driving - I sold my car on Thursday. 30-35 mpg is not enough - and it's cheaper if I rent a car for a week a month for a year than to own a private car!
ReplyDeleteSounds reasonable, Ellen.
ReplyDeleteSounds way cool, Jenn! That is really awesome.
I have a great thing to give up, paper napkins! I just ordered 6 of them and I haven't gotten my hubby on board yet so that is a fair number for myself.
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome challenge please check out my page for my challenge I think you will like it. :)
Oh, I would like to join in. There are so many things that I need to cut out and make adjustments for but I think my biggest thing is getting take out. I am not going to order take out for the month of July. If I have to have Chinese food, I'll figure out how to make my fave dish. I am going to have to be more organized and prepared for nights when I'm "too tired" to cook.
ReplyDeleteI'm scared, but I'm in.
I'm giving up my lovely, long showers!
ReplyDeleteI've found out about this challenge through Jennifer and I definitely feel like I should participate, for my sake!
ReplyDeleteHere are my addictions and my plan to at least limit some of them:
- no store bought sweets & snacks (cookies, nachos, fruit bars etc.)
- no daily grocery shopping, instead max. 3 times a week under 40 € per week
- max. 5 cigarettes a day
- no bong hits in the morning (I can't get myself to smash it into pieces yet... maybe I'll be ready when the next challenge starts)
I'm nervous... in an excited way though ;)
Since I'm a bit late I'll just do 30 days from now until the 6th =)
oh and the most important thing: STOP SPENDING MONEY I don't have (my bank lets me overdraw 600€ and my account is usually -200€, hence the 40€ grocery limit) =/
ReplyDeleteChile,
ReplyDeleteI'm late but I'm in. Coffee is gone, even decaf. Comfort eating still an big effort. So these two will continue.
New folks added.
ReplyDeleteLisa - I assume you mean you ordered 6 cloth napkins rather than paper, right? ;-)
Lizzy - one thing I would caution you about is trying to quit too many things all at once. If you are really attached to all of these, the effort may be overwhelming. Just food for thought...
Susan - since it sounds like you successfully conquered the coffee, I didn't add it to the list for this month. Only the new thing gets listed, or the old thing if last month was a total bust (like me and eating out!)
Chile, thanks I appreciate it! =)
ReplyDeleteI know this may seem like a lot, but the money and grocery thing pretty much go hand in hand. Less grocery shopping weekly (minus buying premade snacks there) will automatically lower my expenses.
Smoking less has been going well. The only really tough one I wish I wouldn't have to count as my addiction and write down here is the fact that I take a bong hit every morning before I leave the house and it's become more of a bad habit (like smoking a cigarette even though you don't really crave one atm).
I'll try my best and cut down on addictions when I notice that it's just too much to take.
But again, thanks for pointing that out nevertheless =)