Reformed Bag Lady

I think this blog is slowly but surely making me low-maintenance. I am almost on week #3 without fake nails. I loaned my car to my brother they other day while his was in the shop, because I knew I’d be fine without one. I don’t worry about makeup if I don’t have time. I left my debit card at a fundraiser the other night, but I’m not worried, because I know I can get by without spending J Did I mention my office stash of pop has been empty all this week? And my week without a purse? Awesome!

I honestly didn’t think my purse was related to my shoulder problems. And while I still don’t believe it initially caused the problem – not wearing it has made a big difference! I hope it’s not all in my head, but the pain in my shoulder has subsided. It still hurts at certain angles, but it seems to have improved substantially. Go figure!

Also, not having a purse rules. I feel like a guy – in a good way. They never have to schlep all their crap around (and sometimes, everyone else’s crap!). I just stick what I absolutely need (wallet, phone, keys, Chapstick) into my pockets, & away I go! A couple times I’ve found myself reaching to put something INTO my purse, but so far I haven’t run into any situations where I really missed or needed one of those oddball items I’d been carrying around. Ladies, even if you don’t carry a big bag, I highly recommend trying a week without your purse.

Shoulder: 1

Purse: 0

Baggin' the bag

I just wrapped up my second week off since beginning this blog. The week without biting my nails was one of the biggest successes yet! Not only did I last a week without breaking down & and going to the salon – I STILL haven’t been there. I may have broken the habit for good *knock on wood* I started chewing on them a few times, but I’ve been able to stop myself. My friend Marna recommended keeping a nail file with me & using that whenever I get the urge to bite my nails. I’ve been doing that and painting my nails. I’m not sure which did the trick, but it’s been two full weeks and my fingernails are intact. That’s amazing! I still miss having super-strong, always-French tipped nails, so eventually, I’ll go back to the salon. But now that I don’t NEED nails, the salon will just be a nice way to pamper myself once in a while.

My right shoulder has been giving me problems for a few months. While it’s likely due to a paddling injury, I think I may be doing other things to aggravate it. That led to this “Week Without a Purse”. We’ve all heard stories of women who’ve suffered back or neck injuries stemming from their mammoth bags. My bag is not huge, but I am guilty of carrying way too much in it. All of my makeup travels with me, all of the time. I tend to accumulate a huge paper pile of receipts, printouts, invitations, and maps. I’ve got 2 checkbooks, a wallet, a very full keyring, and a phone. Many times there’s an MP3 player & headphones, or an FM transmitter in there. And then there’s the weird stuff that travels in there… I’ve had a wire stripper in there for about a month now. I used to carry a small tape measure and a Congressional directory or a deck of cards. (No, I wasn’t on my way to “Let’s Make a Deal”) A change of shoes or a Coke Zero often finds its way into the abyss that is my bag. I patented the “bag in a bag” technique: carrying my purse and other items INSIDE a backpack or larger bag. At first, it was because I needed a way to carry my gym clothes, lunch, and purse all at once. Then, it was just because I was weird.

This week, my shoulder gets a break. This morning, I did my makeup at home. I stuck my wallet & phone in my coat pockets. And I carried my usual lunch and a change of shoes in a plastic bag. Not heavy, and most of it won’t travel back home with me.

Nail Biter

I made it until Thursday, and then I pretty much gave up. I forgot what it was like to be 14 and without a drivers’ license. I carpooled with Ben & I tried to plan ahead, but between board meetings, kayak polo, and plans with friends – it’s really difficult for me to go without driving. However, I am pretty good at carpooling. Ben & I carpooled for a couple winters when I was between cars, so I’ve got a lot of practice. Here are my biggest obstacles:

- I am impatient.
Who wants to wait for a bus and travel across the city in a 45 minute commute when it only takes 15 by car? Biking doesn’t take that much longer than driving, plus I’ll save time because I won’t have to bike on the trainer at night or go to the gym – so the impatience excuse really won’t work for biking, except…

- It is cold.
It’s freezing out in the morning. Given the choice between A) a 3.5 mi ride in 30-degree weather, or B) travelling on a heated seat with warm air blowing on your freezing fingers…what would you choose?

- I am busy.
Sometimes waiting for a bus or taking a bike isn’t an option when I have to get across town & back quickly. There are situations when getting up early or being patient still won’t cut it.

I want to improve. I'm weak! I may try a week without driving another time. However, last week was a FAIL.

This week, I’m going a week without fake nails. For years, I bit my nails down until they hurt (gross!). About 7 years ago, I started getting fake nails, which solved the problem. I've had them ever since. However, the compulsion to chew them is still there.

For the 2nd time in 7 years, I took them off. (cue the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey) Realistically, I won't break the chewing habit this week, but I hope to at least make an improvement. My mouth may be so full of turkey & stuffing that I won’t have room for fingers anyway!

A Week Without Driving*

“No” ruled. Guess what I did on Sunday? NOTHING. I slept in, bummed around, and then celebrated my dad’s birthday with my family. Saturday, I had nothing planned, so I went to work & caught up on some work I’d been stressing about. I’ll admit that a 7-hour shift on a weekend doesn’t sound like fun, but it was so nice & quiet at the office, I got a lot done! Bliss.

Lesson learned: Gonna try to say “no” more. I’ll always be busy, but this week I didn’t feel overwhelmed when important things came up…such as my brother-in-law’s homecoming party after a year in Iraq.

Today begins my Week Without Driving. You’ll notice I didn’t say “Week Without a Car”. I think I’ll walk more, but I’m still allowed to carpool. Also, because I’m a realist, I’m permitting myself one cheat: I’m allowed to drive to Southwest High School to meet with my Teammate. It’s 30 minutes across town by car & I have to fit it into my workday, so biking or waiting on a bus will not work for this one, and I cannot skip it. Ben carpooled with me this morning, and instead of driving to the gym, I biked on the trainer at home.

The more you "no"...

HARD! My brother-in-law returned home from Baghdad yesterday (yay!!). I went out with my fiance’s family to celebrate. His dad invited us to the symphony. I said “no”. This morning, my mom invited me to a craft show. And even though a couple of my artist friends will be showing, I said “no”. I realize this doesn’t sound difficult at all. For me, it's tough! Am I mean for saying no to the symphony? Will his dad think I don’t like it? Will my mom think I don’t have time for her? Wouldn’t I earn some points with my artist friends if I showed up?

Alas, this is the life of a neurotic.

A Week Without "Yes"

Did you ever see the movie “Yes Man” starring Jim Carrey? He’s a negative guy who says “No” to every invitation, every favor, every friend – everything. I have the opposite problem. I say yes. To everyone. Every time. It’s taken me a LONG time to get this, but saying “yes” to everyone doesn’t make me a nice person. It doesn't make people like me. It just means I’m a crazy pushover who carries guilt when she turns anyone down. And in the rare event that I do say no, I always make sure to include a long explanation to (unsuccessfully) alleviate guilt. It’s not healthy.

This month, especially, I’m feeling the pressure: from friends, from family, from my job, and from volunteering. It seems like everyone needs something now, and they’re all important. Birthdays, sweeps, fundraisers…a girl’s likely to go nuts! I am depleted of sleep, time, and money from this “yes” habit.

Instead, I’m saying no this week and giving myself a staycation, hermit-style. So sorry, loved ones, but I’m practicing my “no” this week. “No, I can’t go out tonight.” “No, I can’t handle that this week.” No, I can’t help you tonight.” “No, I can’t stay late.”

And I’ll be repeating to myself “No, you’re not a bad person for saying ‘no’.” Think I’ll start to believe it?

My fridge is naked.

Two posts in one day? Nikki, are you crazy? No - I'm just game-deprived and blogging a lot.

UPDATE: I have moved from the closet to the kitchen. I just cleaned off 2+ years of thank-you notes, birthday cards, baby & wedding announcements, congratulations cards, expired coupons, kid drawings, adult drawings (not THAT kind of adult...), and even an Easter card circa 2009. Phew!

You think hoarder emotions are tied to clothes? Try greeting cards! So, to everyone who has now vacated my refrigerator - your cards were appreciated. And thank you for the magnet back.

A Week Without Games

It wasn’t my most successful, and it definitely wasn’t my easiest “without”. However, last week’s “Week Without Stuff” was my FAVORITE so far. I started off strong, but missed a few days toward the end of the week. Because I had a very busy week, I’m giving myself a grace period to purge my house of more “stuff”. My hamper is getting very full, and I actually think this could be a habit that sticks. It’s hard for me to let go of things, but I’m also ridding myself of the guilt, etc. that makes me hold on to them. Does that make any sense?? Example: Every time I see a certain shirt in the closet, I feel guilty for buying it even though the sleeves didn’t fit right. I keep telling myself I’ll go & get it altered, but I never do – so I feel guilty. Got rid of the shirt, and *poof!* there goes the guilt along with it. Was it stupid to buy it? Yes. But time to move on.

This week I took my friend Angela’s suggestion: A week without computer games. So far, I haven’t slipped, but I think I’m going to have to block a few sites on my computer. Sporcle.com, I’m lookin’ at you. My lunch breaks will be different. This week, I’ll be busy working on a project every evening, so this should help keep me focused. That, or drive me insane because I won’t get any mental “fun” breaks.

Over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder-hoarder

It’s only Wednesday, and already this has been a hard –albeit productive- week. This blog has been just the excuse I needed to purge my house & my life of STUFF!

My giveaways/trash include:
1 pair of khaki capri pants
1 black lace shirt
1 black silk top from Express (never worn)
1 pair of black mules
1 pair of black flats (maybe never worn?)
1 very worn small black purse (trash)
1 Buzz Lightyear Happy Meal toy
7 worn-out bras!
2 pairs of dressy sandals from prom/bridesmaid outfits
1 knit skirt
1 broken necklace

Who knew I was a bra hoarder?? I found bras that were missing underwire & one with duct tape on it. (…which I wore for a long time with duct tape! LOL) Bras are expensive! When I find one I like, I guess I get attached to it & don’t throw it out...for years.

In the process of cleaning out old purses, I found lots of loose change, a handful of bobby pins, and an old favorite pair of earrings & a necklace. Woohoo!! Plus a random Polaroid of me with the Chippendales. If the bra hoarding didn’t make you laugh, this should.

That’s not even the full list of what I’ve purged so far, so I think I’m doing pretty well – but it has been difficult. There's a lot of guilt associated with giving away something I never wore. And more than once, I’ve walked back to the basket with the intention of trying those capris on – because who knows? They might fit. And even though I haven’t worn them in 2+ years, maybe I’ll spontaneously like them again! Right?!

Even though Nikki the Hoarder is having trouble letting go of her useless crap, Nikki the Cleaner is starting to love this. I’m uncovering stuff I actually WANT and will USE, while getting rid of the stuff that’s just cluttering up my life. I hope this becomes a habit. Tonight, maybe I’ll tackle the giant pile of mail & paper lurking in the back room.

I'm back, bebeh!

I’m back after a two-week lapse, so here’s a super long post to make up for lost time! Huzzah!

After my last post, I began a week without chocolate, which wasn’t bad – but more difficult than expected. Do I really eat that much chocolate?? I slipped up a couple times toward the end of the week, but they were honest mistakes:

- I bought a bottle of Frappuccino on the way to work, which wouldn’t have been cheating, except…it was mocha flavored. I drank it and felt guilty.

- I had dessert duty for Sunday night dinner at my parents’ house. I had a busy weekend, so I planned to stop by the grocery store & pick something up instead of cooking. Without thinking, I bought BROWNIES and ice cream. I ate one and felt guiltier.

- Then I ate a giant Hershey bar. Nope. Just joking.

Hilarious highlight: I got desperate for something sweet during that week, and the only dessert in my house –save for fat-free pudding- was a frozen Weight Watchers chocolate ice cream bar. Off limits. So, I decided to bake these.

The only problem? I didn’t have lemons or limes. I didn’t have milk. My ingredients were generic Splenda, egg substitute, questionably old powdered sugar found in the back of my baking cabinet, and some quinoa flour. That’s right, quinoa flour. I actually DID have real butter (Ben did the shopping) & lemon, lime, & orange juice. I told Ben not to think of them as cookies, but like an interesting sweet biscuit-type thing. I’ve made these sound disgusting at this point, but they actually aren’t that bad! That being said - barring a spontaneous gluten intolerance, I won’t be baking quinoa cookies again.

Last week was my week off AKA “A Week Without Blogging”. I’ve had a crazy busy October, and I was glad to not have to worry about one more thing last week. We got a LOT of cleaning up done over the weekend, plus recycling, plus grocery shopping, plus Halloween decorating, plus a metric ton of laundry. It felt good. And – all of that decluttering inspired this week’s “without”: A Week Without “stuff”. Vague? Perhaps. My plan is to purge no less than 5 items from my house (or desk or car) each day. Old magazines, clothing from the 90s, files that I no longer need to hang onto…all sorts of stuff. I am notorious for hanging onto papers and clothing because someday I’ll need them/fit into them again/frame them/find the perfect use for them. I also feel guilty about giving away things which were given to me. You know that box of random junk that has moved around with you since college? I have almost a room of that. Yikes. Rule for this week: It has to be MINE (Giving away Ben’s stuff would be easy. And fun.)

Here’s hoping this week keeps me off Hoarders!

It happened.

I was joking about the "worst case scenario" in my last blog entry. Well, it happened. And forget about my face -I am way self-conscious about too many *other* body parts. Despite what it sounds like, I AM actually gaining some self-confidence from this.

In the past, I've forgotten to put on makeup, or waited until after lunch to put on my face if I had a meeting, etc. That's why I didn't expect this to be a difficult week. WRONG! When did I start caring so much about what other people think of my appearance?? It's on my mind at every meeting I attend, and at every cashier I face. Hoping that'll fade by the week's end.

"CHEAT" REPORT: I still use sunscreen. I still allow myself chapstick (plain, untinted, non-makeupy kind). And...I used a spray-on fake tan.

Was that cheating? You tell me.
- "No! If you went fake baking instead, no one would call that makeup."
- "Yes! It affects the color of your face, so you shouldn't do it this week, you cheating cheater."

It’s about time I stopped covering up all of this hotness...

Surprisingly, I think my Week Without Alcohol was my easiest week yet! Moments of weakness: When my best friend begged me to go to a bar – on a weeknight, of all nights! She had two martinis. I had 3 ice waters. (The bartender gave me a couple bite-size Snickers, too!) I went to a friend’s Game Night on Friday, but since I had to be up & driving at 3:30am, I wasn’t very tempted to drink a beer. Again, water…and delicious squash bruschetta! The worst temptation was Saturday night after the Market to Market Relay. I was the team driver, and spent approx. 16 hours driving a 15 passenger van. Granted, it was WAY easier than actually running the race :) But I was very hot and tired and thirsty and ready to celebrate. No dice. I cleaned and returned the van, had a sandwich and some milk and went straight to bed. For 12 glorious hours. Ohhhh yeahhhh!

This week is a Week Without…Makeup. It’s about time I stopped covering up all of this hotness and let the world see the real me! (haha) I thought this would be an easy one for me, but I’ll admit it was a bit of a struggle this morning. My face is breaking out a little bit, and I worry about perceptions. Will my boss think I’m tired or that I just don’t care? Do I look like I was running late and didn’t have time to put on makeup?

Best case scenario: My skin will get a reprieve from my normal routine and I’ll wind up with a naturally glowing complexion. I guess this is a chance to try some fun homemade oatmeal scrubs or something?

Worst case scenario: I have to be on camera for something at work, which will be captured and preserved for future generations. Also, not too pumped about the possibility of Facebook photos this week…

Gin & Tonic...hold the gin.

Well, $H*! I didn’t exactly stop cursing last week, and not for lack of trying. The challenge was still worthwhile, because it made me realize when & where I do it. (It’s mostly around Ben or when I’m alone). It’s also helping me to do it less often now.

On Monday, I began my Week Without Alcohol. It conveniently coincides with a I’m-trying-to-lose-weight week J I enjoy drinking, and I enjoy the feeling of getting drunk & letting loose* once in a while. However, I don’t feel like I rely on it to relax. It’s just a tasty way to do it once in a while! J I’m hoping this week will help me lose weight & remind me that I don’t have to drink to have fun on the weekend.

I’ve got a Game Night this Friday night, followed by a very early morning (4am!!) for a relay race. I’m volunteering, not running, but there will likely be celebration afterward. I’ll be booze-free for both. If anyone needs a ride home, I’m your DD this week!

*Do you notice how everyone misspells lose/loose? It drives me insane. win:lose::tight:loose , people!

$#*^!&@^!

This week, I went with my mom’s suggestion: A Week Without Swearing. I’m not too bad when it comes to cursing, but I’m definitely more crass than I used to be. I’m pretty sensitive to people cursing when there are children within earshot, I don’t use foul language when my grandma’s around, and I know when to behave myself. But already, this week is making me realize that I curse a lot at home or when I’m...by myself! I guess I hold it in until I’m ready to unload on an inanimate object, a bad driver (with my windows rolled up, of course), or my own mistakes. If you’ve known me for very long, you know that I usually say I’m “honked off” if I’m annoyed. If I stub my toe or my computer crashes, I might mutter “frick on a stick!” (ala Elliot Reid). You probably also know that if I’m joking around with you at the bar, angry, nervous, or well…just want to emphasize my point, I might drop the occasional F-bomb. Sorry, Mom & Dad.

This week will be more of a mental game than previous weeks. Prepare to meet mild-mouthed Nikki!

D'oh!

I’ve been eating at the table by myself, reading magazines cover to cover, and playing online games to keep myself away from the TV. Then I went tailgating. Maybe it was the beer, or maybe it’s because I don’t typically watch sports on TV. In any case, I forgot. I watched the Husker game on TV at a bar. And I didn’t even realize I had cheated until a friend pointed it out to me later that night as we talked about the game. “So…is it this week or next week you’re giving up TV?” D’oh.

One more day of this until I can go back to basking in television’s warm glowing warming glow…

Cheating on the TV

I’m halfway through my week without TV. So far, it has NOT made me more active, which I had predicted. It HAS made me:

- Fall asleep faster

- Use Facebook & play online games non-stop

- Get ready for work a little faster

- Cook/clean more

- Question what qualifies as “TV”

- Listen to a lot of “This American Life”

You’d think Ben & I would be spending a little more quality time together instead of sitting in front of the idiot box. You’d be wrong. Ben eats dinner in front of the TV while I eat at the table and play on my laptop. He watches TV in the bedroom while I try a new recipe.

I’ve been home by myself a lot these past couple days, and it’s been a little weird not to have the TV on, but I don’t miss it half as much as I thought I would. I still see bits & pieces of shows at work, and I still get to watch stupid YouTube videos online. Although I haven’t watched any full shows online on Hulu or movies on Netflix, I have watched a lot of video online on sites like ted.com or wimp.com. I wouldn’t classify a funny :30 cat video as “TV”, but when the link is a 2:00 clip taken from a British TV show – does that count? How about a 20 minute lecture? I guess I didn’t realize how much programming I watched away from my TV. Sorry to cheat on you, television. I'm seeing the radio and the internet on the side.

My first FAIL!

Well, I almost made it. I didn’t spend any money until Saturday at 7:30pm, when I donated $20 at a fundraiser dinner. Sabotaged my week without spending, but it was for a worthy cause.

Friday and Saturday were significantly more difficult than the rest of the week. Since I played in a kayak polo tournament in Omaha both days (and stayed the night in between), I needed to pack my own meals. FAIL! Ben bailed me out and gave me the peanut butter sandwich and Triscuits he’d packed for his day in Omaha. (He went to Burger King instead) Phew! Plus, my teammates are the nicest people ever and kept giving me food to snack on between games. (Thanks, Honey Badgers!) No hotel cost, because my friend Jessica lent us her guest room! Here’s where it gets a little iffy: Ben & I BOTH used my car to get up to Omaha, because we both had events there. We’ve also both been using my car this week. I don’t know for sure if the remaining gas in my tank would’ve lasted. In any case, Ben put some gas in my car. He also bought me dinner on Friday & beef jerky/Sun chips for my Saturday snacks during games. It’s fair to say that even though I didn’t technically spend money, Ben bailed me out.

This challenge definitely made me think twice about how much I spend & how much I need. I didn’t think that my standard of living had changed that much in 10 years, but I go out to eat way more and spend money on things I didn’t used to – like getting my nails done and buying things for the house. This week made me look into the back corners of my kitchen cabinets to really inventory what I had – I had to get creative with a couple meals. I hope I continue to do that & waste less.

This week I’m giving up TV at home. Forewarning: I’ve already failed. I turned on the CBS Early show while ironing my dress for work this morning. It’s ingrained in me. Since I can’t “block” TV like I did Facebook, I may have to unplug our TVs or hide the remote controls this week. Yeah, it’s that bad. Due to the nature of my job, I’ll still have TV at work, but I don’t really consider that cheating. “Watching TV” at work is more like “having Ch. 10/11 programming on in the background while I may or may not be at my desk, and intermittently monitoring promos & PSAs which air during the commercial breaks”. Trust me, it’s a far cry from kicking back and watching Simpsons on the couch. Here goes…

I rule!

Last night, I made up a cheesy chicken/broccoli/rice casserole in the crockpot which turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever made in there! (probably cuz it had fatty cream soup in it – ha!). No dessert? No problem. Things tend to show up around the office. Too many things! Today there were banana bars from a birthday, homemade black bean brownies from a reporter, and the guest dietitian on the noon news even brought frozen banana "ice cream" down to our lunch table! I’m starting to think I could go a week without bringing my lunch at ALL and still scrape a meal together.

Tomorrow, we have a birthday in our department, so I was a little worried about what I could make & share. Found a red velvet cake mix in the pantry – bingo! So I made some cupcakes but had to make frosting. Most recipes I found called for milk. Ben was sweet.

Me: All of these call for milk, but we don’t have any!

Ben: Do you need me to go get some?

Me: No, I can’t buy anything.

Ben: But *I* could buy it so you could make it.

Me: No, I can’t ask you to buy stuff for me.

Ben: Ok. (pause) If you want milk, just give me the signal (taps nose)

A tempting offer, but I didn’t cheat! Found a frosting recipe that worked out great. A little bittersweet, but no one turns down free food at the office, so I’m not too worried. Treat made, no money spent. I rule!

Cheapskate

I’m a pretty good cheapskate!

Gripe: No Coke Zero

Solution: “borrowed” some of Ben’s regular Coke from the mini fridge

Gripe: No grocery shopping

Solution: Fresh tomatoes from mother-in-law’s garden. Who’s got an onion?

Gripe: No fast food

Solution: Producers brought back free food from the Burrito Shack shoot

Gripe: No eating out

Solution: I found a gold mine! Gift cards to the Olive Garden! I’m hangin’ on to these in case I’m desperate for a dinner date later this week. In the meantime, I’m getting creative with my crock pot.

Gripe: Couldn’t buy an ice wrap bandage at Walgreens

Solution: Used freezer packs on my leg & ankle. I’ve used duct tape with them before, & I’ll do it again. Yay for ghetto remedies!

…most of my gripes are food-related (and very minor) so far, but I’m sure I’ll run into some other obstacles. Honestly, I don't need fast food or restaurants, but I'm just excited to have found work-arounds. Fortunately, unless I’m overlooking an event on my calendar, I don’t foresee any gifts I have to buy this week. I don’t really shop for fun, so I’m not missing clothes shopping, etc. I’ll be in Omaha this weekend for a kayak polo tournament (paid for last week), so I’m wondering if I’ll run into some miscellaneous expenditures: rentals, fees, beer? J

I'm spent.

I think I could become a permanent vegetarian pretty easily. When I started this week, I thought I would miss meat a lot. I don’t. A lot of times, it’s just convenient.

Saturday, I went to the Huskers’ season opener against Chattanooga. Although there weren’t really any vegetarian options at the tailgate, I took the turkey off of a turkey sandwich and ate a couple cookies. Plus, there’s no meat in beer – which really worked out in my favor this week. After the game, we went to BisonWitches, and I had no problem finding vegetarian options for a soup/sandwich meal. +1 for artichokes on the veggie sandwich!

Yesterday, I used fake meat crumbles for the first time. I made a breakfast scramble-thingy with potatoes, mushrooms, and soy crumbles. Soooo gooood. I also went to a wedding, which had surprisingly nice options for vegetarians! I had a green salad, a really good pasta salad, green beans, & a roll. So, even in some tricky situations, it really wasn’t difficult to avoid meat.

Overall, I think my week without meat helped me get more fruits & veggies into my diet, made me read menus more carefully, and made me more conscious of what I eat.

This week, I’m going A Week Without…spending. I already pulled into the Walgreens parking lot this afternoon and had to pull away. This could be rough. I didn’t prepare, so I’m thankful I have a full tank of gas. I’m also regretting not buying Coke Zero. As it turns out, I’ll be giving that up for another week. Ha! I’m not counting things that are on auto-pay (I’m not going to rearrange a gym payment around this), and I’m going to try my darndest not to rely on Ben and ask him to buy things. I guess I’ll be cooking a lot this week!

Meatless is effortless (so far)

I am halfway through my week without meat. Weekdays are easy! My breakfasts are typically vegetarian anyway, so that’s not a sacrifice. Lunch & dinner are vegetarian some of the time, so that hasn’t been too big of an adjustment either. Nutritionally, I think I’m doing about the same, but it *is* making me want to cook a little more. I made Moroccan Lentil Soup and some mini veggie pizzas this week. It’s also making me examine menus differently. I had a vegetarian sub at Jimmy John’s. It was good but fatty because of all of the cheese (I normally have turkey breast/no mayo). The (cute) employee at Oso Burrito recommended the curry burrito with tofu. It was awesome & fed me for two meals!

I’ve had a pretty normal week though - no lunch meetings or parties with pre-planned menus...until now. Tonight was our staff BBQ. Hy-Vee grilled burgers & brats, so I handed them a pack of veggie brats and asked them to throw them on the grill. Tasty! Someone there also mentioned that vegetarians leave a much smaller carbon footprint. I have no idea if that’s true, but if it is, I may make this experiment more of a habit!

Saturday is game day, and I don’t think many of the tailgates or stadium vendors will have a lot of vegetarian (or healthy) entrees. Plus, Sunday I have a wedding to go to, & I know it’s going to have really good food – but vegetarian is doubtful. Maybe I’ll be eating a lot of salad and cake?

Yes, we have no bananas.

I went to make a vegetarian meal in my crock pot, and realized: I have no food. I have dry goods like couscous, bulgur wheat, & quinoa. I have beans & lentils. But aside from a zucchini from the office garden, a couple potatoes, & a withering basil plant, I have virtually no fresh produce in my house right now. Not because we don’t eat fresh fruit & veggies. In fact, we eat a LOT of them. But we didn’t shop, and now my fridge is empty! I have just enough cheese to make a veggie pizza for dinner, and one lonely frozen meal which qualifies as vegetarian (my lunch tomorrow). Every vegetarian crock pot recipe I’ve looked at calls for vegetable stock or some item I don’t have.

Last week, our fridge was stocked full of –get this- vegetarian lasagna & homemade roasted potato-corn salad. Oh, the irony.

Lesson learned: If you plan to cook vegetarian, have vegetables on hand.

Better listener

Phew! I made it through a week without Facebook. In hindsight, if I’m trying to promote a blog, that was a dumb one to do in my second week - right?? Here’s what I learned: Facebook both helps me and hurts me.

There are a lot of people who think that Facebook/social media is a detriment to relationships; that it has replaced real, personal communication. I disagree. I use it to stay in touch with people I don’t normally get to spend a lot of time with – which is most of my friends. I’m busy, they’re busy, and in many cases we live far apart. I love being able to have that connection & share our daily lives. I’ve learned things about friends & acquaintances that I’d never known about them before. I missed my friends this week!

However, I also realized how MUCH time I spend on Facebook. I roll over to turn off my phone alarm in the morning and check it. I take quick breaks from work to check in with friends. When I’m waiting – on Ben, in line, etc, I compulsively check it! And while I truly consider it a social activity and not a waste of time, I’ll concede that this week – I paid better attention to the people with whom I spent time, especially Ben. I was so starved for “updates”, that I think it made me a better listener. I loved getting phone calls from friends, and I even found myself getting jealous of Ben’s phone or laptop. And much like Coke Zero – I think it helped my productivity :)

By his own suggestion, Ben also gave up Facebook for the week (mostly). His new phone is so integrated with social networks that it was nearly impossible to avoid it altogether. Plus, he uses it to get updates from his brother in Baghdad. Who can fault him for that?

Today begins my week without…meat. Please post links to yummy vegetarian recipes!

I miss Facebook.

“I miss Facebook.” Ben hears this from me every day. Luckily, I’ve had kayak polo practice, work, and friends to distract me. I’m also compulsively checking my MyYahoo page, 1011now.com, and friends’ blogs. FYI April & Angela if you’re reading – You could post about watching paint dry or poopy diapers on your blogs, and I’d be fascinated by it & leave a comment. And reread your post about 5 times. To be fair – they both are hilarious and have adorable kids, so I’m normally pretty entertained by their posts.

Ben & I are taking a road trip to Kansas City this weekend. Normally I’d be sharing photos or updates from the vacation – so it’ll be weird not to be able to do that. I’m hoping less time with my phone will mean more focus on my Bendo, where it should be on a weekend getaway!

I haven’t decided yet what to give up for next week, so I’m taking suggestions…

Update: I'm lame.

I am having social media withdrawals. Hey, don’t judge me. You’re reading this on a blog.

It’s a good thing I made Ben block Facebook on all of our computers at home, because I tried to check it out of habit at least 10 times today. I wasn’t able to uninstall the Facebook app from my Android phone, but Ben had the good idea to log me out. That way, even if I open the app, I’m reminded not to check Facebook. I was fine at work, but that’s because most of my day was spent editing or re-learning CPR/First Aid. Resusci-Annie is a piss-poor replacement for my FB News Feed.

I don’t think I post THAT many status updates, but now that I CAN’T, everything seems important enough to post. That perfect-looking veggie lasagna I pulled out of the oven? I should post a photo of that! That funny thing I thought of in the car? I should post that! Those photos from the weekend – I should share those! My life…riveting, really.

I allowed myself the normal checks of the Twitter account I run for work, but decided that using my own Twitter or Google+ are off limits for this week, too.

It is embarrassing how much I missed Facebook today, but I think it’s already making me get off the couch & DO more. Since I wasn’t sitting on my butt with my laptop after work, I made a really good homemade dinner, then worked out & swam with a friend tonight. And I wrote this. That counts for something, right?? Judging by my planner, I think I’ll be busy enough with real life this week that I’ll be distracted from my virtual one.

Yup. I’m that lame.

Hello pop; Goodbye Facebook

An anti-climactic week without pop ends today! I made it. Here’s what I learned: My pop/caffeine “addiction” isn’t nearly as severe as I suspected. In fact, it’s pretty easy for me to give up – I just get less done at work. While this experiment did help me to drink more water, I also started drinking more sugary drinks instead of diet soda. So – if I feel like getting fat & lazy, I’ll give up pop forever. That’s a fair simplification…right? J

Beginning tomorrow, I go a week without…Facebook. This will either be really tough, or I’m just going to take a sudden interest in Google+. Ha!

Caffeine=Productivity

So far, so good! Here’s what I’ve noticed so far: I miss my get-me-goin’ pop in the morning the most, but I've made due with water or Crystal Light. Also, I am way less productive without caffeine! Although I’m getting things checked off my planner, I feel like I get more done when I’m pumped full-o Coke Zero.

A Week Without Pop: Day One

Day One:

It’s the first day of the challenge. Ben suggested I give up pop for this week. I’m used to having a Coke Zero (Or two. Or three.) at my desk in the morning. If I go out for lunch, I usually have at least two. On a bad day, I'll have 5-6, but that's pretty rare anymore. I wanted one pretty bad this morning, but so far, I haven’t cheated. I can feel a headache coming on, & I’m a little tired. If that’s the worst I have to deal with, I think this will be one of the easier weeks.

This challenge is off to a thrilling start, eh? I guess I'll take this as a sign that my bad habit wasn't as bad as I thought (for now).

Introduction

Lately, I've found myself thinking "I could get SO much done if I didn't watch so much TV." Or, "I could lose SO much weight if I stopped drinking beer." Or, "I could save SO much money if I didn't eat out so much."...See a pattern? So did I. Hence the experiment: Go a week without. Abstain from one thing for one week.

I really don't know if I'll get more done, or lose weight, or save money, but I want to find out what I can do without -and how it'll change the way I live- one week at a time. I've got a list of ideas, and I'm open to your suggestions, too...with a few restrictions:

- It must be legal.

- It must be safe. (No giving up sleep for a week)

- I must be able to give it up without interfering directly with my fiance's life. If ME giving it up forces HIM to give it up unwillingly, it's a no-go.

- It can't interfere with my job. Giving up home internet access is acceptable. Giving up internet access at work isn't an option.

- I get to pick what I give up.

The experiment starts Monday. Here's hoping I don't give up on giving up!