Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 5: Final Weekly Review & Overall Project Reflection

My SMART goal remained the same this past week.  It was:  I will drink one bottled beverage per week.

This week, I achieved my goal!  (oooah oooah)

I had overall success this week as I reached my goal.  The only bottled beverage I had was a bottle of water after participating in my first ever 5K!  I realized after that I could've brought my own water bottle to this event, but it slipped my mind.  Still, that was my only bottled beverage for the week.  I was even hesitant to take it because I knew that I had to limit myself.  I am still faced with the challenge of wanting more flavor than just water, but I recently went out and bought some crystal light packets to mix in.  Thanks to my blog group members for all of your wonderful suggestions!  This really helped me to avoid the bottled beverages as I was able to make my own lemonade and my own fruit punch.

I felt great about reaching my goal, but I feel there is still room to improve.  Even as I write this I am proud of myself because I used to drink so many bottled beverages without even thinking about it.  I am hoping to reduce my consumption to ZERO bottled beverages in the near future.  It feels awesome to know I am making a difference.  I am also improving my own health because in avoiding bottled beverages, I am drinking less pop and juice the contains tons of sugar.  It is great to reap the benefits.

This week, I learned that if you set your mind to it, you can do it.  I made a conscious effort to reduce my consumption and spread the word to those around me.  I thought that my friends might think I was weird, but they almost looked up to me like I was a trend setter or something like that.  How great?  I suppose this counts as mini-advocacy?!?  Well, anyways, I learned the power of change and how much of an impact one person can really make.

Next week, I am going to make my goal:  I will drink ZERO bottled beverages per week.  This will make it more challenging but I think this is realistic for me and is a change I can make throughout the rest of my life.  Wish me luck!

Review

My original SMART goal was:  I will ride the bus to and from school 3 days per week.  I ended up eventually meeting this goal, and continue to meet it.  That is the main reason for me to switch my goal to:  I will drink one bottled beverage per week (zero now).  Both of these goals were challenging but realistic for my life.  

The main thing that helped me be successful overall was reading what my group members were going through.  Regardless of anyone's goal, we all had struggles and tips to help each other improve.  It was great to have my own support group to go through the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change with!  For my bus goal, it was helpful to carry the bus route schedule with me so that I wouldn't miss the bus.  As far as bottled beverages go, my biggest success came when I purchased the crystal light packets to mix in.  Water can taste boring to me, so I often fall into the trap of bottled beverages.  This is something that I will have to continue to work at.  

I benefited from this project in multiple ways.  For the bus goal, I ended up "going green" while seeing the personal benefits.  I saved TONS of gas money, did not have to start my car, did not have to scrape my car, and I did not have to worry about finding a parking spot (which we all know is a chore).  It was great to have a little extra change each week and know that I was reducing my carbon footprint at the same time. My second goal also benefited me.  I was able to drink more water and less pop which is just better for my body.  Both of these goals benefited me in that, it gave me something to be proud of and a challenge to overcome.  These goals weren't always easy, but man did it feel good to say I did it!  

Others benefited from this too in the short and long term.  Short term, I ended up teaching people about ways they can make a positive impact.  In the long term, I ended up reducing my carbon footprint and the number of planets it would take to sustain the earth if everyone lived like me.  In some way everyone benefits, whether it is now, or fifty years from now.  Making these changes part of my life beyond this class will be the true test of its full benefits.  

I will most definitely continue this behavior because it has been enjoyable to me and it is good for our planet.  I intend to continue educating generations before me who are reluctant to change.  It will be great to see where my family and friends are at this time next year.  

My best advice would be to find that support system, whether it is a group of people, a sibling, a pet, or a parent, find SOMEONE who supports you.  In order to go into behavior change, you can't just snap your fingers and make it happen, it takes dedication and work, but it is achievable.  My last tidbit of advice would be don't get down on yourself if you don't succeed at first.  Understand that you are human and that you have flaws (as do we all).  Acknowledge the minor setback but look towards the future.  Use setbacks as motivation for the next week.

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 5 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 4: Weekly Update

My SMART goal:  I will drink one bottled beverage per week.

I faced a lot of challenges with this goal because it is a habit of mine to go to the school store and buy a bottled beverage.  I do not drink too much water and I am all about flavor and carbonation.  This was a downfall.  I found myself thirsty and I would walk into the store pick up the drink and only THEN did I realize that I needed to put it back.   I guess I did not realize it was such a habit of mine until now.  I did drink 2 bottled beverages this week.  One was at Thanksgiving, my family had bottles of pop and I just couldn't resist.  Another one was at a sporting event I went to and I bought a bottle of Gatorade.  I realized that I don't have as much willpower as I thought.  HOWEVER, I did find that my success came when I made some yummy iced tea at my apartment and brought it in my stainless steel water bottle.  This helped tremendously because I was able to comply with my goal without compromising the flavor.  (Not that there is anything wrong with some good old H2O).  One strategy that helped me was involving my family and friends by urging them to do the goal with me.  It always helps to do it with a partner.

I felt really guilty when I did have my two bottled beverages.  I felt like the class would be disappointed that I caved to my own desire for some pop.  I felt much better when I started to use my new water bottle more and fill it with yummy juice.  I felt even better when I realized how much CA$H I was saving each day.  Those bottled beverages sure do add up.  

I learned that it takes more will power to succeed than I thought.  I also learned more about myself in that, I had a bad habit that I hadn't even acknowledged before.


I plan to keep my goal the same for next week and I WILL meet it.  Good luck everyone!








Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 4 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain.

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

Hidden Treasures

Over Thanksgiving, I was fortunate enough to spend ample time with my crazy, yet adorable family.  I had been thinking about my photo essay over turkey dinner at my grandpa's house when I realized that I was standing on top of a junker's gold mine!  I guess you could say that my grandpa would qualify as a "hoarder."  My family and I dread the day when we have to clean out his house.

However, I decided to take a trip to the basement where years and years of junk has piled up collecting dust.  I found some pretty cool hidden treasures that could be used in many different ways.  I realized that I did not have to go to a thrift store to find my junk because it was right in front of me.  I wanted to take some of this stuff and junk it, but when I came up from the basement, my grandpa was not too happy.  What I saw as an opportunity to reuse old cool junk, he saw as me taking away some of his "treasures," even though he hadn't touched some of them for years!  So, with a little convincing and an extra big smile, I will try to persuade my grandpa into letting me use some of these hidden treasures...

A room made for a treasure hunt. 

Percolator 

Tea Kettle

One of my favorites, broken but still beautiful.  

Glass milk bottles from Bridgeman's

Old School 7up Bottles

"Hey, hey hey!"  It's a Fat Albert lunch box!

My grandma's old clock.  

Bunkbed ladder, great for some throwback shelving, eh?

Besides finding all of these cool things, I had a fun time taking a trip down memory lane.  Of course I stumbled onto some old photo albums, cards, and toys that I played with as a child.  Some of them have more value to me than anyone else in the world.  What ways would you use some of this JUNK?  Next time you take a trip home, take an hour or two to go through basements, closets, and attics.  You might be surprised at what hidden treasures you find and have a great time along the way.  

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3: Weekly Update

My SMART Goal:  I will ride the bus to and from school 4 days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) each week.

I did pretty good this week and was able to meet my goal.  I never missed the bus like I thought I would.  Having the schedule with me as I suggested last week was a great help.  This helped with my patience so that I was able to ride the bus without worrying about the times it was going to be there or if it would leave without me.  A new challenge this week was being able to carry all of my stuff.  I realized that I had a backpack, my purse, and two other bags one day.  Most people don't really like it if you have to take up more than one seat so I did get some dirty looks.  Other than that, I did not run into any more challenges.

I felt great this week.  I had most of the same feelings as last week, happy that I do not have to scrape my car or pay for gas.  As I said earlier, my anxiety went down about missing the bus once I got used to the schedule.

I learned some new things this week from the people on the bus.  I actually started asking the people that I sat by why they rode the bus.  Some people said that they rode the bus for the following reasons:

       - Saves money/gas
       - I don't have a vehicle
       - Convenience
       - It is better for the environment!! 


I thought that all of these reasons were great but I really got excited when people said the last one.  It is great that we have so many college students who are committed to the environment and even more that might not realize the impact they are making for other reasons.

NEXT WEEK...I decided to continue riding the bus, but I am going to change my SMART goal for next week.  I decided to change it to:  I will drink one bottled beverage per week.  This is realistic for me because I tend to buy a lot of bottled drinks, not just water.  I have cut down on bottled water since watching Tapped, but I would like to reduce my consumption of plastic bottles overall.  I am excited to face this new challenge.  Good luck to everyone over THANKSGIVING (woop woop).


Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update

My SMART goal :
       I will ride the bus to and from school 3 days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) each week.

The Wheels on the Bus go 'Round and 'Round...

I actually ended up doing pretty well in my lifestyle change.  Last week, I rode the bus on Wednesday and Thursday both to and from school.  This week, I took the bus to school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  However, the way back was interesting.  On Monday, I did ride the DTA bus back to my apartment.  On Tuesday, I ended up getting a ride home from a friend because I was too impatient to wait 40 minutes for the bus.  Today, I ended up taking the Boulder Ridge Shuttle back to my apartment which in my mind still counts.  Right?  The shuttle is basically like a bus, but it is only for residents of Boulder Ridge/Campus Park.

Challenges and Successes 

My main challenge in obtaining my goal was figuring out the schedule of the buses, and then making it to the bus stop on time.  I seemed to have no trouble in the morning, but at the end of my school day, I did not always have time to sprint to the Kirby Bus Hub.  One strategy that was helpful in my process was meeting other people who ride the bus and talking to them about what they like about it and how early you should get to the bus stop after class.  Most UMD students told me that it was a sprint most days, but it was definitely worth it.  I also found that by printing off the schedule, I felt more control over the timing of everything.

Another challenge that I mentioned earlier was my patience.  Sometimes, I need to talk to my professors after class or stop by someone's office, so I am unable to catch the hourly bus.  This means that I would have to wait almost another hour before hopping on the next bus.  I decided to bring something with me to read in case situations like that come up, or just do my homework at the Food Court for a while.  This is fine on most days, unless I have to work at night.

Let's Talk About Feelings

I generally had positive feelings about the whole process.  What better time to start riding the bus than in the winter?  I got almost a sick pleasure watching other residents of my apartment freeze in frustration as they scraped their cars in the mornings.  I LOVE that I can just walk outside and hop on the nice, warm bus.  I did get a little anxious when it came time to catch the bus at the end of the day, but it all seemed to work out.  As I become more familiar with the system, I think my anxiety about missing the bus will decrease.

What I Learned and the Homeless Man on the Bus

This week I learned that being environmentally friendly doesn't have to cost you, and it can actually benefit you in more ways than you think.  While reducing my carbon footprint, I have many luxuries because of public transportation.  I do not have to start/scrape my car, I don't have to worry about finding a parking space, and I don't have to deal with driving on the icy roads.  Can you say BONUS?!?

I also learned that there are some kind of goofy stereotypes about public transportation.  During this process, part of my change was telling others about my SMART goal.  When I did, I got some crazy responses...

     "Ew.  That's SO dirty.  Why would you ever go on there with such sketchy people?"
     "Did you get in a car accident?!?!  Buses are gross"
     "Do you see a lot of poor people?"  ( <-----wtf? )

These are the three most shocking responses.  I feel like a lot of people think public transportation and instantly picture a dirty bus with a crazy drunk homeless person on it that wants to bite your ear off.  I mean, come on people!  The bus is actually very clean and the people aren't "sketchy."  I don't know where these comments/assumptions come from but they are so far off base.

Future Plans

My plans for next week are to keep it pretty simple and keep my goal the same.  I would like to include the shuttle as part of the "bus" part of my goal since it is still achieving the same goal.  I think that I could maybe push it to 4 days, but I am still not comfortable riding the bus on days that I need to get to work right after class.  So, I will say 4 days of the week (include Thursday) unless I happen to get scheduled on a Thursday (I realize that this is not really that specific but my schedule is all over the place).  Wish me luck!

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by  Amy@ Amy in the Rain

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 1: My SMART Goal

1. I want to will ride the bus to and from school 3 days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) each week.  
2. This lifestyle change is eco-chic because by using public transportation I will cut back my gas consumption and emissions.  On the South Wisconsin Transit System Website, I found that "Public transportation reduces the nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually. Thirty-seven million metric tons of carbon emissions is equivalent to the electricity used by 4.9 million households."  I think that is pretty neat!  
3. This goal is really important to me because it is something that I have access to and it is free to me, yet I was not doing it.  How crazy is that?!?!  The DTA bus comes right by my apartment and drops off at UMD with plenty of time to spare.  Before this class, I had never even considered riding the bus.  I just thought, why would I when I have a car?  Well now I see all of the environmental benefits as well as the personal ones.  Clearly I can reduce my carbon footprint by using public transportation.  BUT, if I wanted to think of it selfishly, there are some pretty great perks.  First, it is FREE to students so it doesn't cost a thing.  Filling up my tank is usually between $40-$50 for me and that just stinks.  Another great bonus to riding the bus is that I don't have to warm up my car or scrape my windshield every cold, Duluth morning.  (That is reason enough for the change!).  

 I started this change this morning and rode the bus to school.  In some weird way I felt great knowing that I was doing myself and the environment a HUGE favor.  I think that 3 days will be realistic for me to start off, but I am hoping to increase that as the semester goes on.


Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 1 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain.

New Blog Header at Kristen's Coral Reef

When I heard we were going to use Picnik in class the other day I was pretty pumped!  I really enjoy using Picnik for fun projects or birthday presents, but it had never dawned on me that I could use it to enhance an image for a class such as this one.  What a great and fun tool to use!  

I hope you all enjoy my header!