My Just Water Challenge

WaterAid Just Water Challenge 1

Today is January 1st. The challenge to drink just water for the month of January begins on January 4th.

I have begun preparing for the challenge by cutting down on my tea intake - I usually drink about 5 or 6 cups a day. Yesterday I had only 3 cups and today I am only going to have 2 cups.

Yesterday I went out and bought myself an "Infruition" bottle so I can flavour the water.
Because from January 4th I won't be drinking tea, coffee, hot chocolate, milk, fruit juices, alcohol, fruit & herb teas - I can only have water! I want to make it a bit interesting.

I will, however, keep having  my warm lemon water when I get up because it is supposed to alkalise  my body, and I will continue to have my breakfast smoothie because it is a nutritious part of my breakfast.

But apart from that it will be just water.

If I forget or I need a break from it, I will donate £15 to the cause!

Which brings me onto the matter of sponsorship - I would be really pleased if you would sponsor me to endure this challenge - it will make it really worthwhile as I am raising money for WaterAid  - more about what they do and why I support them another day.
My page is at www.justgiving.com/Sue-Courtney 

Please give - even £1 will make a difference!

30 Complaint-Free Days 

Day 30

My last blog on being complaint-free.

It has been a relatively easy month to do this because I haven't been at work. That being said, life always has its challenges.

August has certainly zoomed by and I think I have appreciated most of it! Obviously there are always times when things aren't as I would have liked - remember Liskeard?! But there are always lessons in these events. I guess what I have learnt is

• Do things that make me happy
• Consider whether in a year it will still matter - if not then let it go
• Get fit, eat well and get enough rest - in common with most people, I am always in a much better, more positive frame of mind when I am not tired, hungry and feeling less than my best
• Remember that 'it too shall pass' whether it  is the good times or the bad. Change is a given, how I deal with it is up to me. Nothing is permanent. So fully appreciate the good times and savour them.
• Lighten up and see the funny side more

So thank you for reading my blogs/ramblings. I have had fun writing them.

Any ideas for my next blogs? I thought maybe the joys/trials of being a gluten-free vegetarian or progress on my daily steps with my Fitbit and the effect this is having on my health, wellbeing and weight - or should I just stop?!

Happy September - may you have noting to complain about!

30 Complaint-Free Days 

Day 29

Today was the day of the walk which turned out to be 8 miles long. Considering it was local it was a very pleasant walk taking in fields, roads, a village, the sea, country lanes, a coffee shop and a pub! What's not to like?

By the end of the day I had clocked up 23,000 steps which gets the week off to a very good start.

I do like to walk and used to walk far more than I do now.

I watched the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on tv for the first time in the evening and really enjoyed it - especially the Jordanian wave(!). The best bit was seeing bits of Edinburgh. I so enjoyed my stay there in March. It was a birthday pressie from my daughter and son-in-law. I really love the city, which was a surprise to me. I am looking forward to going back later in the year.

I am approaching the end of my complaint-free month of August. I have enjoyed writing about it. I haven't managed to be completely complaint-free - not finding a small bottle of water in a supermarket got the better of me, and I do remember a few complaints earlier in the month, though I can't remember what I complained about. I suppose that is the point - if I can't remember what I was complaining about only a few weeks later then it clearly wasn't worth having a moan in the first place! 

They say that before complaining you should ask whether it will still be important in a year and if not, then let it go. Wise words, I think.

I will miss writing a short blog each day. Maybe I should find another topic to write about?!

30 Complaint-Free Days 

Day 28

A wonderfully blustery day.

Only in this country could the weather change so much overnight! From gloriously warm, balmy and still to quite chilly, windy and wet. So a fairly lazy day was called for. However, I still need to get my steps in so a walk on was needed. 5 days before it was 30degrees, still and sticky. This time it was considerably less than 30 degrees (closer to 17), blowing a small gale and quite damp and drizzly. I got very blustered - and it was wonderful!

Strangely though, the walk didn't yield many steps. I was struck by the fact that on some days steps are easy to achieve and on others doing seemingly the same distance results in only half the steps. That being the case I had an evening walk to top up.

I enjoyed a relatively relaxing day. I finished my book and am now wondering which of the 5 I have waiting will be my next. I really must try not to buy any more books for a few months!

Longer walk being planned for tomorrow.

How is your bank holiday going?

30 Complaint-Free Days 

Day 27

15,000 effortless steps and a film.

On a gloriously warm day I decided to go to Gunwharf today to see the Jason Bourne film. Sat upstairs on the ferry because that is always fun. I didn't expect to get many steps in, so I was surprised to end the day with 15,000.

I seem to have ended the day with a new suitcase and rucksack - hmm, not sure how that happened. I thought I would have a look and see what was on offer and found one I liked so popped back after the film to get it. Now, anyone who nows me will realise that I am not a great fan of rucksacks. It took a lot of effort to find a rucksack I was prepared to use in March when I needed one for a wonderful trip to Edinburgh with my daughter. The family went through trauma trying to persuade me to buy one.

The thing is - the suitcase I liked was a grey/brown colour. All through the film I had this niggle in the back of my mind that my rucksack wouldn't go with it, so I would need to buy the black case. Silly, I know. I am sure that having matching luggage isn't the done thing any more, but it bothered me. SO - imagine my joy when I discovered that they had a matching rucksack! So now I have 2 rucksacks!

Anyway, it was a great day.

How was your bank holiday Saturday?

30 Complaint-Free Days 

Day 26

20,225 steps!

I did this in 1 walk to Waitrose and back, plus walking round the house. Will I still be able to walk tomorrow?

I chose a very hot day to walk and drank over a litre of water. It brought home to me how fortunate I am to have easy access to clean drinking water. Many people have to walk far farther than I did just to collect dirty water to drink. 

At lunchtime the latest newsletter arrived from WaterAid - a charity I support. It made me realise how lucky I am.

Being Friday it was also bed change and house clean day. As I changed my bed I pondered how blessed I am to have such a comfortable bed and a selection of clean sheets to change. I would think that the majority of people in the world don't have this. Cleaning the house made me aware how fortunate I am to have a roof over my head and a house to clean, so many don't enjoy that privilege.

Then there was ironing! Now I do like ironing - I find it a very creative activity. But I also realised that I am so lucky to have a change of clothes (well, several actually!) and so I enjoyed the ironing even more - with a glass of Pimms to celebrate achieving so many steps.

We really are very blessed in this country and I finished the day with a greater sense of this.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring - and how many steps?

30 Complaint-Free Days 

Day 25

16,000 steps.

I achieved my goal of between 15,000 and 20,000 steps! Yes. It took 3 walks but I did it. Just need to keep it up every day.

It was gloriously warm, with just a little rain. I cleaned out the inside of my car and washed the car rug. I will get the outside washed this weekend. I love the feeling of getting into a really clean car.

I read a lot and did the grocery shop. There was no major washing to be done (just the car rug) and, therefore, no ironing. Managed a guided meditation and made a glorious smoothie drink with some over-ripe bananas, almond milk, vanilla and honey. OH it was so delicious. I now know what to do with bananas that are too ripe to eat.

So, I am looking forward to a long walk tomorrow to attempt to get my steps done in 1 walk instead of 2 or 3.

Happy days.