Christina Balles

RECYCLE BREVARD 2018

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
290 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

160

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

90

minutes

being mindful

Christina's actions

Transportation

Choose a Carbon Offset

If buying a plane ticket, I will also buy a carbon offset.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Collect Rain Water

I will create a rain garden or bioswale, or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Tend a Garden

I will tend to a garden each day, or work on starting one.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Meditate

I will meditate or create a moment of silence for 5 minute(s) each day to reflect on things important to me.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Track my Purchases

I will spend 10 minutes each day maintaining a record of all my purchases and learning about my spending habits.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Waste

Advocate For More Food Packaging Options

I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Install a Toilet Tank Bank

I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water each day by installing a toilet tank bank.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Forage for My Food

I will use the 'Learn More' resources below to find where I can forage for my own food locally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Join a Local CSA

I will sign up for a local CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture).

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How do your eating experiences differ when practicing mindfulness?

Christina Balles 10/10/2018 5:47 AM

Eating mindfully is a hard one for me. I'm guilty of watching TV or reading while I eat.

This week I challenged myself to put down the books, sit at the kitchen table, and eat mindfully.

Did I mention it's hard to break habits? HA! I have had to remind myself of this goal several times.

However, I've noticed I eat less and enjoy my meal more when I'm aware and focused on my food. Huh, who would have guessed you're more conscious of what you're eating when you're actually concentrating on it. 😆

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Forage for My Food

Amongst the motivations for foraging are: a source of food; means of income; connecting with nature; cultural tradition; or transmitting "local ecological knowledge, and a means for stewarding local and native plant populations" (McLain et al. 2012, 13). Which of these would be your chief motivation and why?

Christina Balles 10/10/2018 5:38 AM

Connecting with nature would be my main motivation out of this list. However, I'd also say connecting with others who enjoy foraging is another top interest of mine.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Tend a Garden

Have you ever had a significant experience in nature that altered your perspective or focus? If so, please describe it.

Christina Balles 10/03/2018 5:29 PM

This is a hard one. Being in nature helps ground me down. It reminds me of the simple beauty this world has to offer. Here's a photo I took of an old harbor in Hermanus, South Africa.

Read More