heather olson
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 305 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO240minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO96gallons of waterhave been saved
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UP TO40plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
heather 's actions
Water
Use Reusable Bottles
I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 4 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.
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.
Waste
Needs vs. Wants
I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.
Nature
Explore my Area
I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.
Food
Weekly Meal Planning
I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.
Water
Brush My Teeth Without Running Water
I will save up to 8 gallons (30 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.
Waste
Start Composting
I will start a compost collection at home, work, or school.
Waste
Use Reusable Containers
I will only use reusable containers for my lunches at work or school.
Water
Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants
I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.
Nature
Go for a Daily Walk
I will take a 30-minute walk outside each day.
Participant Feed
Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.
To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?
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heather olson 10/28/2016 5:10 PMwhat a whirl wind this challenge was! it was hard at first, but i think that some of the habits i have put in place will stick with me! the reusable containers and turning off the water as well as going for walks with my dogs will be easy to do, however, the needs vs wants idea will be a daily struggle for me.
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heather olson 10/27/2016 10:56 PMI packed all my lunches for my work week ahead and have really gotten into the swing of things these days. It seems second nature to grab my reusables now witch is nice!! It's been hard to get outside every day with this weather but I guess a little rain never hurt!! -
heather olson 10/26/2016 5:41 PMI have been slacking on posting these blogs, but i have been continuing my new habits of using reusable containers for lunches and water as well as turning the water off when i brush my teeth. Even that habit has carried over to watching how much i let the water run in the kitchen, if it has to run, i try to find a use for it like watering plants or adding water into my fish tank. the struggle is real!
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heather olson 10/21/2016 10:00 PMfor the past few days i have really been looking at my spending habits in relation to needs vs wants. I have discovered that i want a lot of things that i just don't need!! I may or may not have a shopping problem, especially online. I find myself aimlessly browsing around amazon looking for things just for the sake of having it. I remind myself that i don't really need it and i would just be feeding the giant consumer machine. I think this may take more than a couple weeks for me to break these deep rooted habits! -
heather olson 10/20/2016 9:58 PMI had a very productive day today. I took Linkin for a walk, he's really getting used to these! This time we went to my parents neighborhood and got my mom and her 2 bulldogs out and let them explore. It's become pretty normal now for me to turn the wanted off now when I brush my teeth and my metal Dutch bros reusable insulated water bottle is my new best friend!! It keeps my water so cold that I drink more of it, so I'm getting double benifits! -
heather olson 10/19/2016 8:56 PMSorry i missed yesterday guys...it was my birthday!! Today I went for a long walk with my dog. he was so excited and i let him sniff everything till he couldn't sniff anymore! I think he could get used to this part of the challenge! Today i made time to pack my dinner for classes for the rest of the week as well as making my lunches for the next couple days at work. I am really liking taking a minute to have it all ready to go and i really don't notice a difference using reusable vs disposable, its no hassle at all and is just as easy! -
heather olson 10/17/2016 10:31 AMI have 2 really big oak trees in my front yard and of course with all the wind, we lost a bunch of leaves. Instead of just mowing them off the grass, we raked them to the non grassy parts of the yard and spread them on top of the cedar chips. this will prevent any runoff and insulate my bulbs in the process. we will just rake them in the spring and compost them. speaking of composting, we also set up a food waste compost system in our kitchen to try to cut down on food waste. i plan to use what i compost in the garden. -
heather olson 10/15/2016 10:26 PMToday I packed my lunch for the week in reusable containers. Instead of paper bags, I purchased a lunchbox that can be used time and time again. I traded zip lock bags and plastic cups for fish nets and mason jars!-
Sara Harding Mihm 10/15/2016 11:10 PMAwesome accomplishment, Heather! I'm obsessed with Pyrex and mason jars. Last holiday season, that's all I asked for and now my parents are hooked on them, too. Hope you continue to enjoy your reusables!
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heather olson 10/14/2016 3:16 PMToday has been so crazy outside! I took my dog out and surveyed the wind "damage" in our neighborhood since it wasn't raining this afternoon. It was nice to get outside with my boy and just take in nature and feel the wind blow. I also cant believe i remembered to turn off the water this morning when i was brushing my teeth! I may have to post a note on my mirror so i can be sure to remember to save my 8 gallons everyday! -
heather olson 10/13/2016 12:05 PMI am looking forward to the next couple weeks challenging myself to do a few small things each day to make a difference. Hopefully, doing these small things for a couple weeks will give me a solid foundation to really make some new healthy habits, not just for me, but also for the environment.