The unspoken challenge

The truth is, over the past few weeks or so I've been really interested in becoming more "old fashioned."  That's the term I am using, because self-sufficient, living off the land, having a homestead - all of those things sound so serious and it makes me want to laugh at myself.  Well it makes the me from 3 years ago that lived in a townhouse in the suburbs and drove into DC semi-often want to laugh at me.

I've really been feeling the pressure that I've been putting on myself, which I don't think is a bad thing.  There is just a lot I want to do, and really this is the biggest and  most important challenge that I am facing, and yet I don't have a weekly list or a calendar to get me through it.

You see, I want to garden.  I want to produce so much extra food it will make my head spin.



And then I want to start canning.

And dehydrating.

And freezing.

I want to have shelves of garden fresh food in my basement so that I can just walk downstairs to grab some fresh tomato sauce or some homemade pickles in the middle of the winter.


I want to be able to cook up a meal and have everything in it, besides the meat, if something I grew or made on my own.

So the pressure is on.  I have half of my dinning room table covered in seeds that are already starting to sprout.  I have bags and boxes of bulbs and seeds that are ready to go.  The garden is tilled.

But I have so much to do.

I have to measure out and mark the garden and then start preparing the rows.  I need to get newspaper and mulch so that I can clear the rows in the garden from weeds.  I need to buy some sort of fencing to put around the garden to keep the chickens out so they don't destroy the plants.

I need to move more boulders to create the last raised bed by the house and then plant strawberry bushes there.

I have to paint my garden rock labels.



I need to buy a pressure canner and all of the jars.  I need to buy a dehydrator.


I need to get the new coop built so I can get more chickens.

And during all of this, I need to keep planting the seeds in the house to get a head start on the garden.

There is a lot of upfront cost to this challenge.  But I know, in the long run, it will completely be worth it.

I just home that my kids learn from this and that they can look back on it and appreciate it.

So that's the truth.  It's the challenge that I find the most important, and yet it is the one that I haven't publicly confessed to.

Just barely made it this week

I didn't realize I succeeded yesterday.  Friday night when I was scrambling to get the fridge and freezer cleaned and some of the writing challenges done, I kept thinking it would leave Saturday to get other jobs done.  And then Saturday I realized I had already finished all of my challenges.

52 Week Money Challenge now has $202 in the jar.  I have the money for this week but then I'll have to head back to the bank to get more cash out.  I did realize that I have a safe that I never use and I think I'm going to make a smaller Money Challenge Jar that I can store in the safe.  It makes the cash safer from someone taking it but also from me getting to it since I never remember the combination.  Of course, having to get in to the safe each week might help me to finally memorize the combination.

52 Week Food Challenge was a success due to a technicality.  I don't like Hamburger Helper, I finally made it for the kids this last year and they love it, but I just can't bring myself to eat it.  However, our renter came home on Tuesday from a week vacation and when we walked in the door she proudly announced that she'd made dinner.  She only cooks for herself about once every other month so this was a big deal.  The meal was one of those Velveeta things just like Hamburger Helper.  I ate some.  A few days later a friend said I should meet him at Starbucks and try his Chai Tea to accomplish this challenge.

I agreed, until I realized that I could count the dinner earlier in the week.  I told him I didn't want to "waste" any of the new foods counting towards this challenge, because I am really worried about running out of new things and having to try disgusting things by the end of the year.  I'll be saving that taste of Chai Tea for another week.

I do want to keep the spirit of this challenge and I do plan to try "real" new foods for it, as soon as I'm allowed to spend a bit more. :)

No Spend February wasn't a success based on my personal rules.  I really had hoped to only spend on bread, produce, and milk.  I did very well until the 23rd for the most part.  But then I decided that the next grocery trip (in which we needed bread and milk), would be the longer drive to the better grocery store.  That grocery store is almost 3 times as far as my typical store, but the prices are much better.  With the cleaned out fridge and freezer and the trip to the better store, I decided to stock up.  I still have to admit that it was mostly a success as I still spent at least $400 less on food this month than I normally do AND everything is stocked up to last for awhile.

I'm counting this week as a success, even though I can't deny that I gave up on two challenges this week.  Next week, I think I'll add a challenge to re-write the Mom Challenge into weekly challenges for the month of March.

A woman never sleeps

I was really worried about not completing challenges this week.  I mean I already dropped two of them this month, and I felt semi-justified because of the whole can't-check-a-calendar-every-day thing, but to not complete any of the 52 week challenges would feel like failure to me.

So after watching Grey's Anatomy I forced myself to go work on the refrigerator.  I told myself I just had to do the fridge and not the freezer.  I was actually looking forward to this only because I knew there were salad dressings and other containers of stuff I wanted to get rid of.

So I set to work, starting from the top, working toward the bottom.  I figured I could keep cleaning until I got tired and as dirt fell, it would go to a lower area that I would get to later.  

The closer I got to getting the main area clean, the more I wanted to clean the door.  That's where the "good" stuff was.  The stuff I wanted to throw away.  :)

I got everything cleaned and organized and stepped back to admire what I'd finished and told myself I would do the freezer tomorrow.

For the food stalkers:
Carrots, lettuce, grapes, salad, juice, milk, water, eggs, cheese, fruit, mayo, salad dressing, and chicken broth.

Funny that I have so much beer, considering I don't drink beer.

And then I admitted that I was going to be pretty busy tomorrow with outside chores, hopefully building the new chicken coop, and then hosting old friends, so I might as well do the freezer now.

Just a little cramped in there

I don't even know what is buried in those doors

Things went pretty fast.  I managed to find a bag of beans and a single freezer burned waffle for the chickens to eat as well as two tubs of sherbert and frozen yogurt that needed to be tossed.  The hardest part was the frozen pees all over the freezer.  Odd since I hate pees.

I got the job done and made sure to place the homemade biscuits front and center.

Oh I wasn't done.  I had just read about cleaning a dishwasher, so I figured I might as well do that since I already had cleaning gloves on.  So I did.

Now, I can rest...

The written work

I've been falling behind.  Maybe not behind, but I just haven't been reaching most of the goals the first day of the week and so I feel like I'm not doing it right.

So the two written challenges this week were the Listmania in which I wrote about my jobs from babysitting, to Denny's waitress, to office stuff, to teaching.  And my "Wheel of Life."

Yep I posted it here.  So maybe I didn't really put too much thought and effort into making this.  I just wanted to get it done because I started worrying that I wouldn't reach all of the challenges this week.  It is a little accurate, I know that I do not have the social life that I want, but that's because I would rather spend time on my property.  I miss my friends that are an hour away now, but driving in to the city really bothers me.  The other things, I feel like I can't be too hard on myself because I have to admit I have come a long way, but I definitely am no where close to where I want to be.

So I can check those two challenges off the list for the week.

Week Three: I'm admitting it, I'm giving up on two challenges

So I'm not succeeding at my challenges.  Yep, I'm admitting it.  Sadly, the things I'm not succeeding at are probably the ones I most NEED to succeed at.

52 Weeks to Simplify Your Life: Mission Statement - Check!
Okay, this challenge is starting to bore me.  A mission statement?  Get on with the stuff that's going to actually simplify my life?  My "mission statement" was about wanting the boys to grow up and be decent happy people.

52 Challenges in the Organized Home: Organize spices, pantry, and food storage - Check!
Yet another cake walk week for me.  I had organized the pantry during week one because I wasn't paying attention and thought I was suppose to clean the counters and the cupboards before I really finished reading the challenge.  Then today I was organizing the storage shelves in the basement just because I walked passed them.  Lucky me.

52 New Foods Challenge - Check!
A friend knows about this challenge and she brought me a pomelo today.  It's the grandfather of the grapefruit.  I looked it up after she brought it over.  Ended up just eating it plain, peeling it like an orange and taking a bite.  It was pretty good.

52 Week Money Challenge - Check!
Since the money for the month is already in my drawer it's pretty easy to do.  I dropped it in on Friday night and I'm on my way to success with this one.

Listmania: Crushes, past and present - Check!

Really?  So it was a little silly to think about who I had crushes on back in the day (Will Withers - even though I never watched Star Trek, NKOTB, Christian Slater, yeah I had tons.)  My list now is pretty short with people like Brad Paisley and Patrick Dempsey :)

Wellness Calendar: Goals to Reach this month and Declutter one area - BLAH!

This is where I start to fail.  I just have a hard time having the calendar available each day and remembering to see what the challenge even is.  I made the menu for the week, and I stuck to it... But I forgot every other challenge.  I looked at them now and I definitely didn't work out hard on Monday, and I didn't send a card to someone I love during the week.  I didn't do a single pushup and I didn't change a recipe.  I could at least update the recipe tonight to reach at least one of the goals, but I think I just quit on this.

28 Day Mom Challenge: Utter Fail

Okay really.  I just can't find it in me to find the calendar and check it each day.  The challenges themselves aren't necessarily hard, I just don't remember that there's something new each day.  I think I should re-vamp this challenge and try it again another month, with weekly goals.

No Spend February - Check!

THIS I have done great with.  I did pay for a mud run, but even if I didn't pay for it in February, I would have paid for it in March, so what is the difference?  And really, I was just worried it would sell out before March.  And then today I did spend money at Home Depot.  I've never spent so little at Home Depot, so $35 isn't much AND it was soil and seeds for the garden.  I think that shouldn't count.

I got a ton of stuff planted and it's all laid out on my table because I really want this year's garden to be the best.

Menu for the week

The Wellness calendar requires me to make a menu for the week.

Being on the No Spend February, this means I can't go buy fun food or plan a menu like I normally would.  Everything has to be based on what we have in the house so here is what I can make happen this week.

Five breakfasts during the week: 2-3 eggs a day if the chickens keep laying.  If not, I can grab a pack of oatmeal.

Five work lunches: Salad, lean cuisine, tuna and crackers or bread.

Five work night dinners: pasta and spaghetti sauce with a salad, pork chops, grilled marinated flank steak, chicken and potatoes, seafood (fish sticks and shrimp egg rolls).

Weekends are a bit different because things change if someone shows up or we need to run out.  I'm sure it will end up being something like hot dogs or sandwiches for lunch, pancakes or cereal for breakfasts, and something in a crock pot for dinner at least once.

I will admit my failures

52 Weeks to Simplify Your life: What Values Do You Stand For - Check!
This wasn't too hard.  I mean sitting down to make a list of values and then deciding which were the most important doesn't take too long.   I'm guessing this challenge will be getting harder as the year goes on.

My top value...

52 Challenges in the Organized Home: Clean the Drawers and Cabinets - Check!
I did this on Sunday, didn't take long because I was in a throwing-out mood.  I had a counter covered in "stuff" I didn't need and within 24 hours people from Craigslist had come to pick it all up.  The drawers and cupboards have stayed organized AND my counters are still clean (if you don't count the mixer I brought up from the basement and I have been using it pretty regularly.

52 New Foods Challenge - Check!
I should probably admit that I haven't even read the blog or the website attached to this challenge.  I am simply trying to eat something each week that I haven't ever had before.  This week I semi-cheated because I just tried the other jar of tea stuff.

52 Week Money Challenge - Check!
I already pulled the money out of the bank a week ago and had it tucked away.  So I just had to get the money out and put $51 in the jar this week.  Balance: $103

Listmania: The Current Season... - Check!

I wasn't all artsy-fartsy with my completion of this task, like the original author of this topic, but I completed it.  I like winter, I like snow, so it wasn't bad.  I'm more of a list person.

Wellness Calendar: Schedule workouts, eat greens and healthy, love myself  - Check!

Scheduling my workouts was easy, I go to the gym every weekday morning at 4AM.

Yes, really.  If I don't go at 4AM, then there is no other time for me to go, so I started working out at this time about a year and a half ago.  It works for me, most days.  And since I take advantage of the treadmill, that made it even easier for me to "plan" my workouts.  I'm doing 3-4 miles a day walking at least 4.2 mph, with the weight vest (currently at about 16 pounds.)

Eating a healthy breakfast wasn't hard, eating the fruits and veggies wasn't even hard since I do that usually.  Eating something green at every meal was something I had to think about.  Breakfast is usually fresh eggs, or oatmeal, and then a banana when I drive to work.  I had to change things up a bit on Thursday morning and ended up having kiwi as part of my breakfast and celery with peanut butter in my lunch to make sure that I had green stuff.

And yes, I did write in my journal about one body part that I like.  It was boring.  And just for the record I chose my shoulders.  Not because I think they are great, I just really couldn't think of a body part that I'm not still trying to improve and I thought that saying "my eyes" would be a cop out.

I didn't sign up for a dance class, but I already knew that was something I wouldn't do. My gym is small and I don't do classes, so it wasn't going to happen.  I'm not 100% sure that I ate 5 fruits and veggies on Saturday, because I haven't stopped to think about what I ate, but I think I met this goal.

28 Day Mom Challenge: Hugging, New words, favorite foods, lunch notes, and hearing them out  - Yikes!

I won't lie.  This is the one challenge that I have the most trouble with.  From losing the paper copy of my calendar (and not turning the computer on to view the online one) I forgot what the challenge was one day, I didn't get a note in their lunches, and I'm not sure that they asked to do anything on Saturday that I let them do.  I can't remember them asking me to do anything really.

I have been torn between continuing this challenge and just seeing what I can get done, or giving up and starting over another time.  I've also thought about changing the challenges to just being things like not yelling - each day.  While I am constantly hard on myself and hating myself for my parenting deficiencies, I also know that I am constantly analyzing things and trying to figure out what I can do differently to make my little boogers grow up to be productive and happy members of society.

No Spend February - Check!

I'm actually really proud of myself with this challenge.  I've had a rough week and I tend to spend money on food when I am stressed out.  But I didn't.  I didn't stop for a muffin or a donut either of the mornings that I wanted one.  I didn't go to Tropical Smoothies on my way home like I was craving.

I made it two weeks before we went to the grocery store and then I only spent $26 at the grocery store and under $70 at Costco.

I bought a 50 pound bag of flour and a 25 pound bag of sugar at costco which may not have been a "need" except that I am determined to make more of our breads instead of buying them and I also buy in bulk to save money in the long run.  Besides those two things I bought 2 gallons of milk, strawberries, blackberries, heavy cream (to make bread and real butter), two loaves of bread, and parchment paper (we were out and I need it to make the bread.)

At the grocery store I bought apples, pears, bananas, shortening (I was out), baking soda and yeast, potatoes (on sale), and I don't know what else.  I feel like I am forgetting something.

I should be able to avoid needing anything else from the store for two more weeks, which means there is no reason why I can't end up spending less than $150 on groceries for the entire month.

New Monthly Challenges - Already?

So I had found this picture during my search for other challenges, and then forgot about it.  Until I found it again today.

And there was also this one that I'd forgotten about, but found again today when I was cleaning my computer files.

Rather than trying to add more things to my already-too-cramped-calendar, I decided I'd take these challenges on for March and April.  I guess I might as well start creating those calendars now...

The Start of Week Two

I semi-purposely started my weeks on Sundays, simply so I'd have a day to try to get some of those challenges done before I get back into my work schedule.  And today is Sunday.

And I have just completed the 52 Challenges in the Organized Home for this week.

These pictures would be more shocking to people who have been in my house before.  I am known for having all kinds of gadgets and "stuff" in my cupboards but I managed to organize all of the cupboards and clear our my drawers and they haven't looked this clean in years.

I even cleaned out the storage in our benches in the breakfast nook.

 Here is a picture of half of the junk I posted to freecycle/recycle.  My counters are suppose to be clean thanks to the challenges from last week so people better show up to get this stuff soon or I will sweep it all in to a trash can.

I also got the 52 New Foods Challenge done!  There was another jar of strange Korean something or other in our basement.  The two jars were given to me.  I have no idea what flavor this one is, but I prepared it the same way and made tea.  It was pretty good, a year after it was given to me.

I just tossed that egg in the picture so people would realize how large that coffee mug is :)

I am going to get to writing so I can get a few more challenges done before the game starts.

Week One: Success

52 Weeks to Simplify Your life: Make a list of Everything that Went Right in 2012 - Check!
So my list wasn't very long.  It isn't that I think everything went wrong, I just felt strange writing the list.  I mean work went well, my house went well, my kids went well.  Maybe I'm expected to be more specific?  In any case the list was done.

52 Challenges in the Organized Home: Clean the Counters - Check!

The rooster and the onions stay.

It didn't seem to even take me that long, but I was able to put everything away, off the counter and it has been a few days with things still staying clean.

The compost/chicken scraps tub and the recycle basket under the sink out of sight 

Many things just needed to have a spot.  There are still things I need to sort through, but they are in the cupboards and apparently that is coming up next week.  I didn't realize that until after I'd already cleaned out two cupboards.  I'm finally admitting that I need to move things into the basement to storage since I rarely use them.

52 New Foods Challenge - Check!
Okay I had to go digging through the freezer and shelves for this one and I have a feeling I will have trouble with this for the rest of the month due to another challenge.  So I found two things that I haven't tried.  If I were smarter, I would have saved one for next week, but I wasn't smart in the moment that I made them both.

A student gave me two jars like this last year with a note that told me how to make them into tea when I'm sick.  I have no idea where the note is, but I found one line of English that told me to mix some teaspoons with hot water.  It was actually pretty good and we went back for seconds.

Citrus Tea, or so they say

 And then I made this.  I bought this for some reason a long time ago and it has sat in the freezer.  It is called Turkey Hunter.  It's a stew or something.  So I made it, with apprehension.  But it was actually good too.  If Only I'd made some rolls or something to dip in it.

52 Week Money Challenge - Check!

The first $52

I decided to go backwards with this challenge, starting with $52 the first week and working my way to $1 on the 52nd week.  I actually got the cash out for the entire month but I am going to make myself wait to put it in each week.

Listmania: Currently I am... - Check!

It took me one night and then a few minutes on another day, but I finished writing this in my journal on Saturday.  Taking the time to sit down and write is hard for me.  I have wanted to write in this journal for THREE YEARS.  

It still has the sticker on it

And has prompts to make it easier to write

I didn't realize it has been three years because I am constantly saying "Okay this week, I will start writing in there again."  I just looked and the last entry was 3-31-10 when we were in Jamaica. Seriously, that's too long.  I managed to write in it three times this week, partly to finish some of these challenges.

Wellness Calendar: Goals to Reach this month and Declutter one area - Check!

Again, this list was short and also in my journal.  Not that I don't have a lot to complete but I wrote "completing all challenges" which means doing 100 different things that I don't have to write down.  The things on the list that aren't on my challenge calendar are losing 5 pounds, getting the chicken coop put together, getting more chickens, having extra money this month, getting my garden planned, getting my taxes done, and getting some questions about my son's behavior answered.

As for the decluttering, I made this chair, which is clearly my dump zone

Look like it should

By simply taking the time to organize things and put them where they belong.  I won't lie, the weight vest will be back on this chair because I walk past this chair to the gym each morning and stop here to take the vest off when I get back.  I don't really have a place to hang the vest considering how heavy it is.

So I admit that I cheated a little.  A huge pile of papers went from this chair into the office.  Where it is now sitting on the desk needing to be organized.  That's another week though, I'm sure it will be a challenge later. The only rule was to declutter one area, and I did!

28 Day Mom Challenge: Plan an activity this month and kiss the kids - Check!

Easy to do considering I planned out the month of activities and challenges for myself.  The kissing them while they're sleeping is a different story.  The youngest was easy, he was asleep around 8 so I just went in and fixed his blankets and kissed him.  I went to bed at 11:15, which is really really late for me, but the oldest was still awake.  No really, he was sitting in bed reading for at least 2 hours.  I had no choice but to get him when I woke up in the morning.

So this morning I went in there around 7:10, and right as I kissed him he woke up and startled in fear.  It was one of those inhaled gasps that was so loud.  I quickly left the room and was trying to hold my laughter in.  He was up and out of his room a few minutes later to go feed the animals and as he was coughing from his cold he said "I can't believe I'm still sick, I woke up because I was having trouble breathing."  And I'm laughing because he never seems to have any idea what happens when he is woken up...

No Spend February - Check!

For several years I had a "No Spend January" but I didn't this year.  And then I decided to do it once the month was half over so I am starting now.  The rules are simple, I am not allowed to spend ANY money unless it is an absolute necessity.  Gas and basic groceries are the only things on the list.  Basic groceries is the rule.  No treats, no fun stuff, no fresh herbs or interesting things.  Basically I can buy milk and bread and fresh fruit.  Everything else that we eat needs to come from our storage or our freezer.  It has only been two days, but so far I'm good.

No Spend February is going to mess with the food challenge.  It isn't like I have food in my house that I haven't ever tried before...  Not sure if I will be able find something new for the next three weeks if I'm not allowed to go buy something.

My ADD has been an asset...

Yesterday I created this calendar for February.

Yes, I should be ashamed.  I am a little proud though.

I listed the weekly challenges on Sundays and then put the daily challenges on each day.

My challenges officially started on February 1st, so the weekly challenges should have started on the third, but I was excited to start them and somehow I had my counters cleaned on January 31st.

My counters have NEVER been cleaned before.  I am known for having a stack of papers (bills, school papers, etc) on the counter.  I thought I was so smart to put the toaster in a cupboard when I bought this house, but I had filled in that area

with a chicken water pitcher that my friend B gave me...

... and a basket from Jamaica that's filled with onions

... and a basket from one of my students with old apples for the chickens and some random medicine bottles
... and boxes and cans of food that weren't put away
... and cell phones and chargers
... and the list could go on.

But it is clean now, and will stay clean.

I figured since I started that, I might as well do a few other things... And then I realized I should just make that last week in January be my "Week 1" and I will update how I've done once I complete them all - today.

28 Day Mom Challenge

I used the 30 Day Mom Challenge to create my own version for February.  I used most of their ideas but I created a few new ideas and changed the order around a little so that challenges that fell on weekends would make more sense.  

It is only day 2, so yesterday I planned that I would go geocaching with our old friend N later this month as part of the "do something healthy day" and I put all of these on to my monthly calendar so I figured that I planned several things to do with them when I was doing that.  

Today's challenge is to kiss them when they are sleeping, so I have a few hours before that challenge can be checked off the list.

I am not a blogger

Bloggers are writers.  They write well, they write funny, they write interesting.

I do not do these things.  I just wanted a way to document my progress with what I decided to take on.  I thought maybe if I documented things this way, it would hold me more accountable, and I wouldn't give up in 9 months.

So what have I decided to take on exactly?

Well, I was falling in to a slump.

I wasn't pushing myself at the gym, I wasn't cleaning the house, I wasn't even close to being the mom that I wanted to be, I wasn't keeping up.

So maybe I do have some valid excuses.  I'm a single mom to two boys that are more than the usual handful.  I have a dog.  I have goats.  I have chickens.  I have land to clean up and take care of.  I have a full time job with a 2 hour commute each day.  I'm just one person.

Those excuses mean nothing to me and they didn't make me think it was okay to be letting things slide.

And then somehow I saw this 

30 Day Mom Challenge

I didn't like many things on the list but had planned to try it anyway until a friend of mine mentioned starting it on February 1st.  And then the idea came up that we adjust it to have more meaningful things to do each day.  So I did a quick edit to create my own version.  (I will share it later).

 And then, I have no idea how, but I stumbled across this a few days later:

52 Week Money Saving Challenge

And I decided I wanted to try it too.

Deciding to take on these two challenges made my ADD brain start running.  I wondered what other challenges I could find online.  The truth is, challenges motivate me for two reasons.  First because I am very competitive and second because when I find something about myself that I don't like, I want to change, but sometimes I need a little push.

I'm very competitive and even though I am not competing against anyone in particular, the simple fact that I am telling myself I can do things, means I will do what it takes to complete the challenges.

And so, after some ridiculous google searches I found these challenges that I liked....

52 weeks to Simplify Your Life

52 Week Food Challenge

52 Weeks to an Organized Home

And these ideas that I liked....

February Wellness Calendar

Listmania

And decided to make things fit for me.....  And the Challenges begin today.