Lydia Hanssen

Today we ordered from Hood River Organics, a local CSA. So it's official; I've completed all my goals by the end of the challenge! Right now, we are just starting out with one "farmer's box" which should be enough produce for the week. We also get to add on some home-brewed kombucha. Yum! I am so excited for my order to get here. Before the send the box they give you the option to change any contents online, swapping any undesirable fruits or veggies with ones you prefer. It's really neat. This challenge has been so beneficial for me, as I've started to develop a couple good habits and try new things. Hope everyone else found this adventure to be fruitful!

Thankfully the weather was nice again today, so I spent a little bit of time outside. My personal health class is currently studying nutrition,  which we discussed today during lecture. Learning this topic was interesting, as it is consistent with a large part of my goals. Writing up weekly menus has been really helpful with my diet, but I need to balance my food groups better. Right now, I'm watching a documentary on endangered species. Advocating for endangered species is important for me, so movies like this are usually impactful.  My love for animals is what first got me so interested in the environment and reducing my carbon footprint.

Can't believe this challenge is almost over! The one thing I have left to do is to sign up for a CSA membership. Luckily, today I found some really cool websites for different CSA's in our area through the Portland city website. Unfortunately, most memberships run from late Spring to mid Fall and many others are sold out. Yet, I was able to find a few that I would like to try out and I should be able to get my order in within the next two days. Now it's time to choose, which will be fun! I just have to actually remember to check in my progress on here. Everything else has been going smoothly the last couple of days. Earlier this afternoon, we took the dogs for a hike near Macleay trail, which was really nice. It felt great to be outside in the cool air with some hot tea. Hopefully everyone else is having a good time and reaching their goals! 

The last few days have been busy and stressful. I haven't been getting the best sleep, so my stamina has been pretty low. So I haven't been exercising consistently. However, I did compile a workout routine/schedule, which I'm pretty excited about. We have been sticking to an organic weekly menu, too. With the continuous rain, I have been taking shorter walks lately. Tomorrow I was thinking of doing a hike with the dogs. I need to get outside more!

The last couple days have been successful. We had so much produce leftover from last week, that we haven't needed to get any more food yet. We found a cute little park near my neighborhood and walked a new trail with the dogs. It's always nice to get outdoors with the pups. They always have a good time, regardless of whether it's raining or not. Right now all the leaves are changing color and the trees look enflamed. It's beautiful! I am so happy the weather was nice enough to go out earlier and I spent quality time with my fur-babies. Plus, I got a good parking spot at school- which never happens! Today has been good. So right now, I've already been recording 3 positive things daily, which has been lovely. My Personal Health instructor is now allowing us to gain extra credit by turning in daily entries with 3 things we're grateful for/happy about. Hopefully​ everyone   has had a  stellar day!

Today was nice. On my first break at work, I sat outside and reflected on what I'm grateful for. It was nice just listing things that make me smile. Writing feels so natural to me when I sit amongst the roses. Being outside has always helped me focus and let the words freely flow. I didn't do much running around today, because most of my time was spent in the office or sitting with the dogs. I ate two healthy, organic meals earlier and one not-so-healthy option for dinner. Tomorrow I will construct a new menu for the week  , which I'm excited for.

Today was exhausting. Work was consistently busy and I ended up staying late, so I opted out of exercising tonight. Between all the running around, I easily got 30min in at work. Pus, I did some stretching this morning, helping me prepare for the day ahead. It made a remarkable difference, considering last night my muscles were more sore, despite a lighter workload than today. My weekly meal plan is still going well, though I've made some minor changes. Overall, today was a good day. Hope everyone else is having a great week!

Today I ate organic, staying on track with my weekly meal plan. Lunch was spent outside, during a break from the rain. However, I didn't spend much time outside because of the weather. This morning, I took the dogs for a short walk and that was the extent. I exercised inside for 30min this morning, as well. 

Hope everyone is enjoying the eco-challlange so far! Fortunateky, I'm off to a good start. We went a farmers market over the weekend and got fresh produce for the week, then made a meal plan that we've stuck with up to this point by cooking in bulk. This challenge should assist me with my goals, some of which I had already set, like 30min of exercise each day and writing a weekly meal plan. I've also been trying to track my mood daily. So I figure, I can add a few things I'm grateful for on there and checking in on here will help remind me/hold me accountable for keeping up with it each day. Sometimes I have problems with consistency, so I'm happy that this tool is here to help motivate and assist students to make positive changes in their lives.