Energy:

a. This was a challenge for me because I do not have to pay for my own energy. Therefore, it was hard to remember to turn off the lights. 

b. This can help the environment because we saw first hand the amount of BTU we were using. By turning off or unplugging I can save the environment. I’m 

c. I discovered that doing cheesy things such as putting up reminders can help. 

Food:

a. This was a challenge for me because I didn’t want to go to a farmers market when food is so close on campus. 

b. Going to a food-coop can help the environment by limiting how much fossil fuel is going into the food I am consuming.

c. I discovered that fresh food from the coop tastes way better than Whitney even though it comes and a well worth cost. 

Waste: 

a. This was a challenge for me because I shop a lot at Kwik Trip. They only have plastic bags so I steadily had to request no bag or decline one, and this got annoying.

b. I helped limit the amount of plastic waste which directly impacts the amount of damage done to oceans and landfills, thus helping the environment.

c. I learned that I really don’t need plastic bags and that I can carry a lot more than I thought in just my arms. Most places also offer paper bags if you just ask.

Water: 

a. This was a challenge for me because once again I do not pay for water anymore inside the dorms. Ever since I’ve gotten here I’ve gotten into the bad habit of keeping water running. Therefore, this was challenging but I use to not leave the after running so I knew I could go back to that habit.

b. This helped the environment because I limited how much I took. This allowed for less energy to be used to purify and collect water and also limited the water I waste down the drain

c. I learned that habits can be learned really easily, but just as easily knew habits can be formed if effort and thought is put into it. 

I washed my clothes in cold water instead of warm and the only difference was that I saved water.  I saved a lot of water and that is insane.  Might have to keep doing this challenge because there wasn't a change and I am helping the earth.

My challenge is going well so far. At times I find it hard to actively remind myself about my goals but as the days go along, it gets easier to remember. Because I am not paying for my own electricity, I struggle to turn it off. But, having put a sticky note on my door reminding me to turn off all the lights- it gets easier. So overall, the beginning has been the most difficult part. Although, as the days go on the challenges get easier.

I have been able to accomplish the walking 30 minutes a day easily. Since it has been so nice out I have been outside daily walking with my daughters and walking to pick them up from school. I also spent last weekend starting to declutter. I finished the front porch and the bathroom as well as the living room and brought extra items that we don't use anymore to the Salvation Army. The meditation has been difficult to accomplish because it has been hard to find time alone to meditate uninterrupted. I tried doing it while my girls were at school but kept thinking about things that I needed to get done (so it wasn't very relaxing). Then I tried doing it after work and ended up falling asleep on my living room floor. So I will keep trying to find a good solution so I can get the meditation in. This weekend I plan on starting the herb garden which I am very excited about.

So far my challenges are going pretty well. Not using any plastic water bottles has so far been pretty easy since I have a reusable water bottle I can bring places. I did use the rest of the plastic bottles I had but now that they're gone I do not plan on buying anymore. Also, somedays I don't get outside as much as I would like to so by walking outside for 20 minutes a day has really made me appreciate nature and where I live, and it allows me to see things I may have not seen on my walk to class where I am not giving my full attention to nature. 

The five  minute shower is a real challenge for me. I am very conscious of conserving and recycling in all aspects of my life and encouraging my family to do the same, but a warm shower is my "me time" and is my biggest environmental vice! I have reduced my shower time by about half but am not quite consistently to five minutes yet. I'll keep working on it because it's important and I can't expect others to do it if I don't.

It has been easier then I thought to keep the lights turned off when they are not needed or when I leave. It also has been nice to just set my phone away during meals. I feel like I talk to people more and enjoy the meal more. It also is a good break from it. Eating three meals a day without meat has been a challenge. I have not been successful at it everyday, but I am getting better at it. 

So far I think that my eco challenge has been going well. One of my challenges was to take a 5 minute shower and that took some getting used to but I'm getting it down. I also chose to only use reusable bags and not accept any plastic ones. I've remembered when I've gone grocery shopping thankfully but the other day I picked up some things I forgot from Kwik Trip and had to balance several items in my arms instead of using a bag! After that, I don't go anywhere without my bag.

I’ve had a pretty good start to my eco challenge so far. My challenge was to shower for 5 minutes a day. Things took a little bit of a turn recently due to having hip surgery. It’s going to be a lot harder to only shower for 5 minutes but I’m gonna do my best. Hopefully soon I will be able to get back into the swing of things. 

So far I've been able to stick to five minute showers. I will say its been a challenge to not want to stay in the shower longer because I use the shower to help wake myself up.