Day 8

Yesterday my girlfriend and I made pads, like menstrual pads. Yup. I know what you're thinking... "but Afton, aren't you pregnant." LOL jk... but we really did make pads. My girlfriend gets rashes from store bought pads and she hates tampons. A few years back one of my cousins (she's kind of a hippie environmentalist and I so admire her for that) told me that she used homemade pads and I passed the idea onto my girlfriend because they are basically cotton. Sounds comfy, right?

Or gross, which is what I know you all are really thinking. My girlfriend tried them all night last night and all day today and she really likes them. According to her they are absorbent and cute and comfortable... they get the job done. They don't stay in place that well and we didn't make enough of them. They wash well and they absorb the blood in a way that keeps them from leaking or running. And they are not gross, well, no more gross than changing a normal pad or tampon.

I also want you all to know I made it outside today! 

The snow we got last night had melted off throughout the day and the sun was almost down. There was a sound I didn't recognize. I couldn't tell if it was birds or bullfrogs but it seemed too cold still to be bullfrogs and too chirpy. I'm assuming that it was birds, pretty all the same.

I took an environmental studies class in high school that I LOVED. We went camping and whale watching and had desert survival training, and studied native + non-native species of plants... The class was AWESOME. But when I moved out here to the forest, all the knowledge I attained in that class and throughout my life about the wilderness around me is completely useless. LOL

Fortunately I have spouses that are from this area who can educate me on things like what to do when you are lost in the forest and what kinds of animals live around here.

Day 6 Boredom and The Routine

What happened to Day 5? I just didn't write about it. I did stick to my goals though.

So, I'm not watching TV or scrolling Facebook or searching YouTube... what am I dong? Being bored!

 Today I planted seedlings indoors with my girlfriend, made play dough for the kids to play with, and mostly sat around trying to think of something to do. Being on the computer temps me to waste time on my normal time-killer sites... which means I haven't been writing much. I did make a list of things to do but then I didn't do any of them LOL...

I guess you could say I am re-learning how to entertain myself throughout the day. Staying away from mindless watching isn't all that hard but I'm still sort of just sitting on the couch watching my spouses play around on their electronics. My girlfriend is super supportive, she closes her computer a lot and joins in on my wacky ideas pretty quickly. Sometimes I wish I was as supportive to her in the same way, but alas I am stubborn. 

Day 6 has gone really well. Because I have it set in my mind that I am changing my core habits it has come really easily. Maybe I was just ready, maybe I am just in a really good place and have a lot of support. Maybe I am just that tired of watching my life fly by in the pretend lives of other people. I don't really know but I feel really good about all the changes today.

Now if I can just figure out how to stay entertained without electronics. Oh, that reminds me... I find myself avoiding the computer altogether. It carries the stigma of being electronic entertainment and I don't feel ready to entirely incorporate the uses of it into my routine.

MY ROUTINE!

- Get up in the morning. Right now there's no pressure to get up at one particular time. What I am working towards is not spending the whole day in bed. At some point I check my Facebook and make sure I don't have any blog comments. That usually happens right after I stretch and before I go to the bathroom. It only takes me a couple minutes.

- Pee... because I'm pregnant and nothing else comes first lol. Since I am in the bathroom already I use this time to decide if I need a shower or if I'm still clean.

- Check on the kids for a minute. Make sure they are being good and don't need anything. Check on my spouses and make sure they are having an OK morning.

 - Pick out clothes and either take a shower or get dressed. If I didn't take a shower I at least brush my teeth and either way I fix my hair. 

- Make plans to go outside. When I do get there I make myself a cup of hot tea to take with me.

- Drink about two glasses of water a day which I think is good. I feel better hydration wise. I don't have a set time when water happens. I just drink it when I think of it.

- Pick something to clean. This can be large or small as long as it is something I can complete at once. I.E. the shelf in the kitchen, dust the livingroom, do a load of laundry, wipe down the bathroom vanity. Another option would be to clean for 15 minutes straight. You would be stunned what you are capable of cleaning in a short amount of time.

- The goal of watch less TV has no distinct plan. I allow myself to watch one or two shows a day and I like for those shows to be something I watch with someone I love. 

- Be less lazy... see above. There's the official plan right there. Doing more = being less lazy.