Me & My Quite Contrary Life

NUDGED: "Make a craft from Pinterest" BACKSTORY: I enjoy casually browsing Pinterest for finding ideas and looking at pretty things. It's a great way to relax after a long day. I have several boards where I save things, most filed under the "make someday" category. The nudge this week challenged me to actually make a craft instead of just planning on making it. How will it turn out? Will I be inspired and want to do more? QUOTE: "In crafting there are no mistakes, just unique creations." - Unknown HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I decided early on this week that I would not spend any money on craft supplies to complete this nudge. I have plenty of supplies already and I did not want to venture into public stores for a few items. This guideline helped limit my search for which crafts to create this week. I ended up making three projects, all inspired by pins that I saw and saved on Pinterest awhile ago. Craft Project #1: String-art of my state (South

NUDGED: "Wear different shoes every day" BACKSTORY: This nudge comes from Kathleen's 2.0 list of nudges and it intrigued me. While I own many pairs of shoes, I tend wear the same ones most of the time. Tackling this nudge would be a way for me to get my feet out of their literal comfort zone and try different shoes! It would also be a great way to "pair down" what I have or see if I need to invest in more.... QUOTE: "Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world." - Marilyn Monroe HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: Each day this past week, I wore a different pair of shoes. Some days, I wore two different pairs of shoes - dressy shoes during the day and casual shoes in the evening. I actually didn't have any difficulty rotating my selection. I could always find a new pair to wear. Black shoes and pants for work It was actually very comfortable for me to wear different shoes, with the exception of my new leopard-print flats. That pair

NUDGED: "Drive a new street/area" BACKSTORY: It's so easy to get into a rut. Each weekday, I drive to work and back home, usually with little variance to my route. I see changes and new construction that happens along my normal streets, but miss what else is happening around the city. The nudge this week encourages me to get out of my comfort zone (literally!) and check out a new street or area. QUOTE: "There are wonders to see, to feel, to enjoy, once you get out of your comfort zone." - Unknown  HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I took to the road this week and checked out some "new to me" areas. One evening, I drove around a residential area with big, expensive homes, then a once-familiar neighborhood that my friends used to live in. Both areas were not as I remembered as a child/teen. The houses didn't seem as big and as grand as before, and I thought of all the work it takes to be a homeowner. This was not something that occurred to me as a kid!

NUDGED: "Have lunch outside" BACKSTORY: I would say that I eat 98% of my meals indoors. It's not that I don't like having picnics, it's just that I don't think of the outdoor option when I am hungry. I'm not a fan of bugs or temperature fluctuations either, which may be additional reasons I eat inside most of the time. This nudge is intended to get me out of my temperature-controlled, bug-free, comfort zone and into nature. QUOTE: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I was really apprehensive about completing this nudge and initially came up with a bunch of excuses before trying it. It will be too cold this week. It is too windy. We don't have chairs set out on our back deck yet. On and on....until I told my husband about the nudge and he helped me. On Sunday, hours after drawing this "impossible" nudge, we decided to grab lunch. We picked up Chinese food at a grocery store (they have excellent teriyaki chicken!) and my husband came up with a

NUDGED: "Jump rope" BACKSTORY: When I came up with my list of nudges/challenges, I decided to add activities that I enjoyed when I was younger. Jumping rope was an activity I did a lot growing up but haven't done in many years. I was curious how it would feel to try it again. Would it give me joy as an adult? I just hope I don't injure myself! QUOTE:  HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I found a jump rope in my fitness drawer, hanging out with other forgotten items. The weather was beautiful this week, so I had no excuse to not try it. I was a little nervous at first that I would hurt myself. I completed the first jump (YES!) before catching my feet on the second jump (booo). It was far more challenging than I remembered. I struggled to complete 10 forward jumps, then tried until I finished 10 backward jumps (swinging rope behind me then jumping). Full disclosure - It was not pretty. I was not a graceful jumper. There were never more than two completed jumps in a r