Heidi Copko

My husband and I just moved into an apartment, so we don't have a ton of room to garden. However, I've had my eye on the patio as a potential spot! I can't wait to grow flowers from hanging baskets this spring. In some ways, the smaller space makes the task much less daunting. You can spruce up the whole space will just 2-3 baskets, which is great for a beginner like me!

I feel so much better when I avoid processed foods! My husband and I had been really good about avoiding processed foods for years, but then went back to them a few months back. I quickly noticed a difference in how I felt. Thankfully, that phase didn't last long! I could definitely see how relying on processed foods long term would negatively impact our health.

Walking through my neighborhood allows me to experience the beauty of my surroundings. I've loved the fall colors lately! I grew up in an area where we really didn't get a fall. I've really enjoyed walking under the red and yellow canopies lining the local sidewalks.

I'm trying to learn how to "reduce" in a small way through this challenge. I never thought much about grabbing a plastic coffee stirrer every time I got a cup of coffee at work--sometimes two or three times a day. But then I start thinking, "Is this really necessary? Or am I wasting resources?" It's easy to just reverse the order of adding milk and then coffee so no stirrer is needed at all! I believe we should be good stewards of the resources we've been given. This challenge has helped me start being a little more mindful in small, daily decisions.