November's NaBloCleanPoMo

For those of you who don't know, November is National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo).  The challenge is to write a blog post everyday for a month.  I actually tried to complete NaBloPoMo a few years ago.  Surprise... I didn't succeed!  But with my recent 30 day exercise challenge success, I feel ready to tackle another "Every day for a month" challenge.  Since I haven't been too successful at the yearly challenges...ahem....365 day...fail, I thought I'd try to stick with a 30 day challenge.  Although, my husband has informed me that the new standard is it takes 40 days to create a habit, not 30.  This as he comes to the end of his own exercise-every-day-for-30-days-challenge.

Anyway, I thought it would be helpful to put a different spin on posting everyday for a month and add a home improvement component.  (In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I stole this idea from a friend who did it a few years ago).  I love reading blogs with before and after photos of house projects like Young House Love, and improve-your-house-and-life projects like the 20/20 Cure so I figured I'd try my own hand at it for a month. 

However, there are not that many non-expensive projects I can complete and blog about everyday for a month.  So, my projects will be cleaning projects.  I have house guests coming for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and while my house is fairly organized and clean, it could certainly be more so.  And bringing out Christmas decorations has the tendency to make surfaces look more cluttered, so I'm guessing getting rid of the bits of actual clutter that are there will improve things!

I feel like I've finally gotten a handle on managing our large, lovely, old Victorian house.  Old houses get dirty fast!  And with so much space, clutter builds up in a heartbeat.  If I don't vacuum at least weekly (and preferably twice a week), dog hair tumbleweeds start making their way down our hallways.  I was used to a small 3 bedroom house...then a 1 bedroom apartment...and then a townhouse.  Going from 1500 square feet with 2 people and 2 kitties (and a roommate who did most of the cleaning)...to 3300 square feet with 2 people, 2 LARGE dogs, and ME doing most of the cleaning was an adjustment.

I also really love the idea of doing a cleaning task each day.  Though, it's difficult on days I have rehearsal and leave the house at 7:30 or 8 AM and arrive home at 10:45 PM.  But I'm gonna do my best!  I think I will always have one day a week where I do a big 2-3 hour clean of the house, but I want to get used to doing one extra task a day as well.  I've made a list of every little random cleaning and organizing project in the house I could think of, and I came up with 25.  I'm sure I'll come up with others as the month goes on.  I have tasks like scrub our marble entrance, organize my closet, and wash my cashmere sweaters on the list.

It's gonna be fun.  I'll be completing a project a day, taking pictures, and posting about the project.  So tomorrow, look for the first NaBloCleanPoMo post.  Anyone else want to join me?

Making Progress

5. Workout everyday for a month

This was my goal for the month of September.

Frankly, this is one I didn't think I would ever complete!  Some weeks I find it difficult enough to get 3 runs in...much less some form of exercise every day.  But, moving into my new office and having a free gym less than 100 steps from my desk made all the difference.

My main rule was that the "exercise" had to be at least 30 minutes of some form of cardio.  In order to not kill my body (and mind), I deemed that walking could count.   I ran at least 3 times a week, got on the elliptical about 2 times per week, and walked the rest of the time.  I tried to save walking for days that I was at my house and didn't have access to the office gym.  The toughest day was the day I walked 30 minutes in the pouring rain.  For some reason, it's easier for me to run in the rain than walk.  Maybe because I feel more hardcore.

I'd love to say that after exercising every day for a month I've lost weight.  Sadly, that is not the case.  I'm about the same as I was at the beginning of September.  However, I seem to have leveled out the steady gain I had been working on since this time last year.  And, I have noticed other benefits to my efforts.  I feel fitter, I'm sleeping better, I also feel more disciplined and happier with my body (even thought I didn't lose any weight).  And, duh...my blood pressure and resting heart rate have dropped.

I have to say, some days it was really hard to go exercise, and it was only not breaking my streak that got me out there.  So, while one of my goals was to create a habit of exercising every day, I think I need the freedom to occasionally say, "You know what, I just can't do it today".  And that is ok.  However, I'd like to maintain a habit of exercising 5 days week.  Mon-Thurs at the office, and Saturday (or Sunday) long runs.  J and I have bought a treadmill for our house, so that should help as well.  My goal is to run my normal 3 days a week, and cross train the other 2.  I think I also want to start back up with some weight training 3 of the 5 days.

So while I won't be as regimented as I was in September, I want to still reap the benefits of creating this habit!