September

We have a bowl of off-brand fortune cookies in our dining hall that's a little out of place between the cheeseburgers and salad bar, but nonetheless very popular among the student body.  Today my fortune read  "This month your expectations are reasonable and should be met."

A good omen for September? I think so.
But first, thoughts on August:

Things didn't go so well for me this month...the first week was easy, but after I stopped working, there was less to distract me.  I tried my best to be good, but I'll admit the So You Think You Can Dance marathon was a little too enticing...
But life with less television is something I'll keep working on.

September.
I've decided this month is going to be all about being productive.  Since it's the first full month of school, I think it's appropriate to give up procrastinating.  This may be the most difficult challenge for me yet...I LOVE to procrastinate, and I'm pretty good at it.  I've even convinced myself that I do things better when I wait until the last minute. Yeah.

But in light of a mediocre performance in August, I plan to try really hard this month. Starting now with the reading that I should do before tomorrow...
Hope you all had an enjoyable August.

I can't believe it's August already. I've been meaning to blog for weeks...oops. This summer is flying by!

Some thoughts on July:

Being a vegetarian was surprisingly easy.  I thought I would have less energy during the day, but I really didn't notice any difference.  I definitely ate healthier, and mastered the art of making a really good salad.

Some things I ate and loved:

Chickpea wraps!

yummm

 

 Margarita pizza from here

And here...

Kroger brand margarita pizza is so delicious.

For my final vegetarian meal, I had zucchini sliders from Ruby Tuesday. Not something I would normally try, but they were actually really good.

I learned a lot in July about food and vegetables and trying new things.  It wasn't always easy avoiding meat, but I would definitely do it again.

But on to August...

I"m going TV-less this month, the last one of the summer.  I think it comes at the right time, seeing as there are way too many things left on my summer to-do list.  I can usually think of three or four or five useful things I should do after work, but many times I find myself right back in front of TV, watching re-runs of The Office or Say Yes To The Dress.  So I'm hoping that eliminating that distraction I can finally get some things done.

Happy August :)

July

Last thoughts on June:
I really liked the challenge this month.  I think silence is something I don't get enough of anymore. A quite car ride is really nice after a long day at work, and I think that habit will continue into July and August. Anyone else have thoughts on the June challenge?

Moving on...
It's the third day of July, but only my first full day without meat.  Found an interesting vegetarian blog here. I'm excited for this month because I've always been an animal lover, and I've been meaning to try going vegetarian for a while now.  I have heard that going meatless can make you have less energy though, so I'm a little worried since I've got full days at work...but I guess we'll see.

I'm hoping to try a new vegetarian meal once a week, so I'll try to post the recipes.  I made meatless baked spaghetti tonight, which actually turned out really well. 

Anyways, that's all for now.  Hope someone else is brave enough to go meatless for July!

I'm in love with this song lately.

 I like the version by Haley Reinhart better. Yes, I watched American Idol this season...

I really wanted to listen to it on the way to work, but then I got in my car and realized it wasn't on my ipod. A sad start to the morning...

However, I listened to Adele's Rolling in the Deep and felt a little better.  But I had to confess, it was not a music-less morning on the way to work today.
After a long first day though, I welcomed the quiet ride home.

On Silence

This morning I woke up and thought "I can't make it to work without the radio today."

The silence hasn't been quite to easy for me lately.  Maybe the radio doesn't seem like that big of a deal, and really, it's not. But with a few long days at home alone last week while friends and family were scattered or working, I was tired of quiet.  And sometimes I don't feel more alone than driving in the car by myself.  Especially on the 30 minute commute to work at 8 am.

So I got dressed this morning completely accepting the fact that I just couldn't do it today, and I was ready to give myself a break from the radio-less drive.  But then I got to work and realized, to my surprise, I forgot to turn it on. And I was okay.

I have a feeling next week will be a bit LOUDER with camp starting, so the silence will be a welcomed relief.  Now to make it through the rest of the week...

Here's to a happy tomorrow :]

June

This month's challenge is all about giving up excess noise.  I spent some time at the beach last week among family and friends, truly a great start to the summer. But when I came home on Saturday and had a quiet moment to myself, I could literally feel my ears ringing -- although I love the beach, I think there were very few times last week of complete silence.  It seemed that there was always music playing, people talking and laughing, television commercials in the background, waves were crashing on the shore, cars and washing machines and air conditioners and dishwashers were running...so I decided it was time for a little quiet.

I think silence is a good thing sometimes, and I often don't get enough of it.  So I've decided to go without my car radio this month.  Though it's a small gesture, it really does make a difference.  I learned this practice in a small group I was in that focused on peace and silence and simplicity, renewing and refreshing the mind and spirit.  Driving home after a long day at school or at work, I like to turn on the radio, but I've come to realize that the quiet can be much more enjoyable.  If you've never tried this before, I encourage you to go a few days without the radio and see what a little silence can do in your life.

Happy June.

Summer Preview:
 July - vegetarian month
August - no TV
Suggestions for the fall?

I really haven't been as diligent about posting this month as I would have liked...but I don't want to make any excuses for that. Instead, I think I'm going to just call a redo, and keep the challenge the same for the month of May. I think it could really be a good one if I stick to it.
Hope everyone's having a good May so far!