
Beth Beek Blackford
"Clean my own doorstep first!"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 776 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO300minutesspent exercising
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UP TO14meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO20more servingsof fruits and vegetables
Beth's actions
Community
Volunteer in my Community
I will volunteer 8 hour(s) in my community.
Community
Sign a Petition
I will sign a petition in support of an environmental or social initiative in my state.
Health
Happiness
I will write down three things every day for two weeks that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.
Community
Express My Support
I will find out who in my state makes decisions that impact the environment and express my support for more environmental actions.
Community
Share My Actions
I will make my environmental actions visible with a lawn sign or bumper sticker, or by posting to my social media networks.
Health
Take Control
I will develop a plan with my medical professionals to achieve my best health and live my life to the fullest.
Water
Eco-friendly Gardening
I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.
Water
Insulate Water Pipes and Water Heater
I will avoid wasting water while waiting for the shower or sink to heat up.
Health
Exercise Daily
I will exercise daily for 30 minute(s) per day for two weeks.
Health
More Fruits and Veggies
I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 2 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.
Food
Eat Meatless Meals
I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) per day.
Energy
Choose Clean/Renewable Energy
I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option.
Nature
Tend a Garden
I will tend to a garden each day, or work on starting one.
Waste
Find Local Recycling Depots
I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.
Simplicity
Go for a Daily Walk
I will take a walk each day.
Energy
Replace Manual Thermostats
I will replace manual thermostats with programmable ones.
Waste
Reduce Unwanted Mail
I will reduce the amount of unwanted mail I receive (catalogs, phone books, etc.).
Waste
Lobby for Reusables
I will lobby my workplace to have reusable dishes and silverware in order to minimize disposables.
Energy
Turn it off
I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.
Energy
Disable Screen Savers
I will disable screen savers and will put the computer to sleep instead, saving up to 28% more energy.
Waste
Avoid Disposables
I will not use any disposable plates, cups, or utensils.
Energy
Adjust the Thermostat
I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.
Community
Connect with a Nonprofit
I will connect with a local nonprofit, environmental or otherwise, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.
Waste
Go Paperless
I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing and subscriptions.
Participant Feed
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Beth Beek Blackford 10/25/2017 7:27 PMI want to explore the "Other" category of challenges for next year, and be prepared with my own unique challenges that push me in the direction I want to go.
I'm also in search of an app or program to transition to tomorrow, so I can keep going. Super Better comes to mind. Any suggestions out there?? -
Beth Beek Blackford 10/24/2017 6:04 PMMeatless meals went out the window with the first whiff of Singh's Roti Shop's boneless chicken roti, with tamarind sauce. So worth it! But tomorrow's breakfast will be a meatless channa double with slight peppa' and an egg over easy. And I'll be dreaming of Trinidad again. -
Beth Beek Blackford 10/23/2017 5:22 PMThere is no way I'm going to start or sign 14 petitions in support of environmental or social initiatives in my state. First of all, imagine the onslaught of e-mail junk that's going to generate! Second, I don't know if there ARE 14 petitions I'd be willing to sign. I think this challenge needs to be rethunk. -
Beth Beek Blackford 10/22/2017 3:45 PMTeammates, while I haven't exercised every day either, I HAVE built a new pattern that even my cat picked up on, and I DID exercise at the same time each morning on most days. I call that a success! -
Beth Beek Blackford 10/14/2017 7:52 PMSaturday, Day 4: It was challenging to fit in my personal food & health goals today, but I did it unexpectedly by exploring 6 backyards and a park during the annual Florida Native Plant Society-Conradina Chapter's native landscape tour! I love seeing how other people use native plants to eliminate watering, fertilizing, & mowing their yards, while providing food sources & nurseries to bees, birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. My goal is to be on the tour one year and present a manicured, well-kept landscape that looks traditional... until guests look closer! -
Beth Beek Blackford 10/13/2017 2:23 PMDAY 3: Today I spent some time researching this Challenge more fully & now realize what a powerful tool it can be! I'll be better prepared to tackle something really tough for next year's Challenge.
For today, I'm very satisfied to have eaten 2 meatless meals, worked out for 40+ minutes, saved water, invited a couple more teammates to join us, and taken advantage of the great tool the VA has online (My HealtheVet) to follow up on my annual physical and outline a plan to achieve my best health with my primary care manager & nurse. It's amazing what expressing a little gratitude will do for one's sense of perspective, too. -
Beth Beek Blackford 10/12/2017 5:26 PMMy new cruiser bicycle arrives this weekend, and I can hardly wait to take my morning coffee for a ride.
Kellet the Cat might have to come too. -
Beth Beek Blackford 10/12/2017 5:00 PMI need some suggestions for what else I can do with the cold water I saved from my 3-5 minute shower and dishwashing.
So far, I've saved it in a bucket for flushing the toilet (when it isn't "mellowing"). Anybody?-
Beth Beek Blackford 10/12/2017 5:25 PMGood suggestion, Dr. R. I should have clarified: highest use for clean, potable, COLD water. Other gray water I feed to the (native) plants around tree bases, where it's a bit drier. -
Dr. Rutherford 10/12/2017 5:03 PMCould you use the shower water to wash your car? Too gross? I mean, it could be cool if your car smelled like shampoo...
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Beth Beek Blackford 10/12/2017 4:56 PMDo I get extra points for exercising OVER 30 minutes?!-
Chris Kane 10/13/2017 3:32 PM
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Beth Beek Blackford 10/12/2017 4:55 PMThis is great - having 2 meatless meals today makes the scale change, too!