Project 50 - Day 17

I feel like I'm getting better at this and some things are becoming habits. My morning routine yesterday was great. I've been reading in the Old Testament during that time, and I have no regrets doing so. I'm learning a lot and becoming a better reader. I started a new book for my nonfiction/nonreligious reading: Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Chad will be reading this book as well once he finishes his current book so we can discuss it. I love reading the same books with him sometimes. He has insights I wouldn't think of, and I would like to think I do the same for him. For exercise, Chad and I went for a walk. It felt so good to get outside and feel the crisp autumn air! I crocheted after I did dishes as I wound down for bed. I think I like crocheting at the end of the day. I have gotten trough more of the blanket than I thought I would by this point and think if I push myself hard enough, I may be able to finish it by Eric's birthday. I won't be mad if I don't with so much going on between now and then, but it would be nice. 

Project 50 - Day 16

I think I may be getting the hang of this on the weekdays at least. My morning routine went well but felt a bit more rushed because I had a hard time getting out of bed. I did get it done, though, and felt better for doing it. I didn't exercise on the Gazelle again while watching TV and talking to my daughter on the phone. My crochet was done also while watching TV because it’s too quiet otherwise. My eating is getting better. I had eggs and toast for breakfast, soup and a roll for lunch, and homemade chicken enchiladas for dinner. I only had two snacks: cheese sticks in the morning and chips in the afternoon. I consider that better than last week, so it's progress. I finished the last 18 pages of Eleanor Roosevelt's autobiography. There were parts of the book that were dry, but overall I loved it! The idea that she never saw how beautiful and smart and inspiring she was made her very relatable. I also loved her spunk. I learned so much about things that were unfolding in the world at that time that I wouldn't have learned otherwise because I was reading a firsthand account. It was amazing! Really, I would suggest this book to anyone. 

Learning from Books

I have been loving my year in reading so far. Being in a book club has expanded my fiction reading into genres I probably wouldn't have explored. My nonfiction reading has been good as well. I love that I can just choose a book to read and learn from. Right now I'm reading Eleanor Roosevelt's autobiography. I have learned a lot about her and grown to love the unapologetic person that she was, and I have learned some things about history that aren't taught in schools through her firsthand accounts. I would like to try to find more autobiographies written in different time periods to learn from as well. 

My next three books are already chosen because I am reading them with Chad. We will be reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad to try to help us move in the right direction financially. Then, we will be reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Atomic Habits again. We read these together at the beginning of this year and want to read them together again as the new year is underway.

After these books, the world of possibilities is wide open. I have a big bag of books I have already bought and will most likely choose from there. I'm really itching to read Ruth Bader Ginsburg's biography. It will very likely be that, but there are so many other good ones to choose from, and who knows what Chad will give me for Christmas. All I know is that I am going to continue learning the best way I can with my current budget. Will I go back to school and get another degree someday? I hope so. It's just not in the cards while we are paying all of these medical bills. For now, I am just going to enjoy learning from my books. 

Project 50 - Day 15

Yesterday wasn't too bad. My morning routine went well. My eating was ok. I had eggs and toast for breakfast, soup and crackers for lunch, and half a chicken club sandwich from IHOP for dinner. Chad, Sean and I went to see a movie about an hour after I got off work, but I was able to read my 10 pages before we left. I had a plan to finish the last few pages of the chapter before I went to bed, but that didn't happen. My exercise and crochet happened at the same time. I walked in place while I crocheted. This isn't the best option, but it gets the job done. I don't know how long I will be able to do it though because the blanket it getting heavier, bigger, and more cumbersome to work on while walking in place. It felt good to be completely back on track with everything, and I'm impressed how much can get done with consistency. The book is almost done, the blanket it further along than it would've been otherwise, and I have lost some weight. I may keep these habits when this little experiment is over. 

Project 50 - Day 14 (Fail and Redo)

Saturday, I failed at getting everything done for this challenge. I completed my morning routine and crocheting, but my reading and exercise goals went out the window. I procrastinated a lot of the day away then went to see Les Miserables with my friend at a dinner theater. Between dinner and the play, it didn't get out until after 10:30. I could have finished all my goals before I went out, but i didn't. Side note: when I was married to my first husband, one time I went to a play date in the middle of the day and left folded clothes on the couch. I got home a bit after he got home from work and was chastised for not finishing my chores before I went out with my friends. On the other hand, I left Saturday with clothes in the dryer and Chad's clothes folded for him to put away. Chad folded that last load of laundry for me without me having to ask or anything said by him other than to inquire if I had fun. This bounced around in my head all day yesterday. What a difference it makes to be married to someone who lifts me up.

Yesterday, I decided I was going to redo day 14 of this challenge. I hate challenges that make people start over when they fail. That's a big reason I don't finish most of the challenges I start. My morning routine was just interrupted by a call from my daughter while she was getting ready for church. I always answer her calls when it's possible. I love that she wants to talk to me. So my morning routine was shortened considerably, but for a good reason. I read a chapter that was 10 pages in Eleanor Roosevelt's autobiography about her second trip to the USSR. It is so interesting to read these firsthand accounts and impressions of countries like this. I did an hour in the Gazelle while watching a movie with Chad and crocheted for the second half of the movie while he was on the Gazelle. It was a satisfying day. I'm almost done with my book which makes me a bit sad. Hopefully, I will learn from the next one as well. 

Project 50 - Day 13

Yesterday was my most productive day in a while. My morning routine was great as always. As I do this every morning, I can feel my relationship with the Lord growing stronger. My eating was atrocious. There is no other way to describe it. I essentially snacked all day while I worked and had spaghetti that Sean made for dinner. I am going to make a meal plan for next week. Hopefully, that will get me on the right track. For my exercise, I went on a walk for about 30 minutes with Chad while my bread was doing its second rise. Then, I walked in place for about another 30 minutes with the bread in the oven while I worked on my crochet. The other half hour of crochet was done while watching the Barbie movie. I read more than 10 pages from Eleanor Roosevelt's autobiography and learned a lot about how people were conditioned into compliance post WWII. It's very eye opening and confirms my resolve to not follow any political party specially because we could fall into the same traps if we are not careful. This book has been so eye opening! I have learned not only about this amazing woman, I have learned about parts of history that aren't talked about and aren't known anymore. I would love to find more autobiographies that were written is this time period to learn more about the world at that time. If history classes taught real stories like this, I may have paid more attention in high school. 

Project 50 - Day 12

 Yesterday was one of my easier days this week. I started they day off with a good morning routine and was feeling positive about the progress I have been making while doing this little experiment. For breakfast, I had eggs with cheese and toast. My lunch was soup and crackers. For dinner, we had baked potatoes. It wasn't the best day for my diet, but it also wasn't my worst. Once again, I hopped on the Gazelle after work and watched the news for an hour. I walked away feeling the accomplishment of having kept a commitment to myself and the gloom from having watched the news. I may need to figure out something else to watch while doing that. After Chad got home from work, I crocheted while we watched an episode of a show we had recorded over the weekend. After dinner, I rounded out my day by reading my 10 pages in Eleanor Roosevelt's autobiography. I am really loving reading her perspective on what is now history as it was happening! I really like autobiographies because I get to learn about the people, but this has that added benefit that makes me even more delighted to read it. I don't know why I stopped reading it for a bit this summer, but I'm glad I picked it back up. I can't wait to see what else come out of this little project.

Project 50 - Day 11

Yesterday, I felt accomplished. I pushed past the feelings of not wanting to do things and past the feelings of things being too hard. The morning routine of course went great. I enjoy knowing that part of what I am reading each morning is the same as many people around the world, the Old Testament. Even when I don't understand it, I know there is someone who does. I can research and learn more if I desire. My eating is ok, but not great. I had eggs and toast for breakfast, leftover tater tot casserole for lunch, and chicken with rice, peach slices, and corn for dinner. Those things don't seem too bad. The snacks throughout the day are my weak spot. I'm going to have to figure out how to curb the cravings. When it comes to exercise, I have a Gazelle which is like an elliptical in a way. I worked out on that for an hour while watching the news and talking to my daughter. It's not the most fun way to work out, and I really just wanted to relax and watch the news after work. I knew that I would have kicked myself if I had done that later that evening, though. I'm glad I did it when I did because after dinner, I was working on getting new car insurance because outlets was being canceled due to a mixup when Noel was in her accident in August. It took and hour and a half to get everything figured out and quotes to compare. I had already done my reading in Eleanor Roosevelt's autobiography while making dinner and only had mosaic crochet left for the day. By the time everything was taken care of and dishes were washed it was after 9pm, but I still got the crochet done. It was a long day of fitting throngs in when I didn't want to and pushing through when tired and frazzled, but I completed all of my goals. I love knowing that I was able to do this even with the stress and struggles of the day.