Days 17-23

Day 17: Be vegan/vegetarian for a day.

I went with vegetarian as it seemed like a bit of an easier option, but I decided not to include eggs and dairy (which may've made it vegan). However, I figured should I accidentally eat dairy and/or eggs, I wouldn't hold it against me.

My breakfast was pretty simple. I had a carrot with hummus, a banana with peanut butter, and some grapes. (If this seems like a small meal, that's probably because it is, but since I now drink at least 100 oz. daily, meaning a 24 oz. bottle of water before every meal. That being said, small amounts of food fill me up pretty quickly.)

My lunch was essentially the same thing minus the grapes and plus a potato. I had Cheez-Itz for a snack while I was babysitting and a perfectly delicious vegetarian dinner of avocado toast with tomato slices, green beans, and corn-on-the-cob. The only part that was a little difficult was when I actually wanted a little bit of ice cream. I ended the night with some popcorn instead. It was cool to try a sort of new diet thing and it definitely wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

Day 18: Create a new evening routine.

As much as I appreciate sleep, I am a night owl; 100%. And I dreaded the day I would have to create an evening routine since "routine" is not something I do at night, apart from brushing my teeth and washing my face.

However, I am frequently unable to calm down when I actually do want to go to sleep so with that in mind, instead of trying to create a routine, I decided to try something called "The Amish Hour." One hour before going to bed, all electronics get turned off/Do not use any type of backlit screen, or distraction-prone device like a TV, Computer, or Phone.

Being on my computer until the minute I climb into bed is actually problematic, so I really wanted to change that, but I also could not see how it was going to work. I started by setting my minimum to 5 times per week.

So, how did I get through it? I'd read...a LOT. It took me hours to actually fall asleep, but when I woke the next morning, I felt completely refreshed. Not really sure if that qualifies as an evening "routine," but if it's hard for you to get off of electronics before bed, I would definitely recommend trying this.

Day 19: Try/Learn something new.

I probably should've gone with sheet music on this one, but I decided to learn how to read/write Tengwar, the fictional script created by J.R.R. Tolkien for The Lord of the Rings series. I followed a series of YouTube tutorial videos that taught me how to write the elegant calligraphy. I must say I enjoyed it quite a lot.

Click HERE if you'd like to try your hand at Tengwar!

Day 20: Go for a walk.

I went walking with my friend in Downtown Norfolk. I was so pleased that I had such a fun two hours, simply by exploring the area. See? You don't need to spend money to have fun with your friends!

Day 21: Write down who you need to forgive.

I actually have a running list of people I don't like (it's not a hit list, I promise) or who I've been hurt by, whether they know they have or not. Whenever they come into my head, I say a quick prayer for them and, if someone new pops into my head, I add them too.

Day 22: Get rid of 3 things you don’t use.

I went through my entire room last week and got rid of more than three things, but in order to challenge myself with this one, I actually did look for three things that I no longer use. I went with my Projecta-Scope, some Zoya nail polish, and my Nintendo DSI.

Through a series of (comical) events, my childhood friend, Angelica, ended up over at my house so we spent part of the morning hanging out. Being the artist that she is, she accepted the Projecta-Scope (and nail polish) with the fervor of Gollum, but in a milder form. I was grateful to her for that, I was having a problem getting rid of my DSI.

In the past, I've tried, but temporary-functioning L and R buttons made that impossible, so I kept it. This time however, I decided to find someone to give it to instead of dropping it off at a thrift store. Thankfully, that turned out to be easier than I thought! I gifted it to one of the kids I babysit and he absolutely loved it.

Day 23: Have a long shower or bubble bath.

I'm not one to take long showers because, "hello, wasting water," but I found it far more relaxing when I actually took my time as opposed to just 'getting it done.' I could appreciate the process a little bit more than I usually do when I'm just trying to finish up.

This challenges get better and better as the month goes on!

Check out Days 10-16 HERE!