Kristen Dutra

Port of Portland

"Try to do good and be good"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
445 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

40

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

60

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

14

more servings

of fruits and vegetables

Kristen's actions

Nature

Explore My Area

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

More Fruits and Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 1 cup(s) of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Happiness

I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

De-Clutter My Home

I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

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?

Kristen Dutra 10/24/2018 4:00 PM

I think these challenges really made me think about being more intentional with my actions and the long term impact of my actions. Trying to remove my waste from the environment and choosing options that are better for the environment are going to be my long term goals. I want to work more on reducing my plastic waste. I think that is a little thing I can do on a daily basis. I'm seeing that quite a few challenges I chose are now headlines about how we as a society need to change our practices. I hope that everyone around the world understands why these changes are so important and how the impact of using the world's natural resources at the rate we currently are is going to have a negative affect. It is of great concern to me and I'm nervous that the science is going to prove correct.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Explore My Area

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place?

Kristen Dutra 10/24/2018 10:50 AM

I can go for a walk in my neighborhood at the end of the day instead of putting my feet up at the end of the day. It's easier to do it with a group or another person, so I want to do it with my boyfriend at least once a week.

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Kristen Dutra 10/24/2018 10:18 AM

It's interesting to me how I used the reusable water bottle challenge to think about how that affects other plastic items. I have been trying to use my metal utensils and straw instead of using the disposable options. That's something that has really come into my mind recently especially doing this challenge.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Use a Reusable Water Bottle

While water bottles serve an important role in places for health and safety, we can do more to reduce the unnecessary use of them. Can you identify the barriers in making this a new habit? How can you set yourself up for success in making this a permanent change?

Kristen Dutra 10/24/2018 10:07 AM

Some barriers would be not having a water bottle with me or reusable cup. I don't travel with one regularly, but I have thought about getting a collapsible one for traveling. I actually started carrying a metal straw with me. Along those lines, I realized how frequently I was using plastic forks and spoons when I have metal ones at my desk! I was about to grab one from Elephants the other day and had the epiphany that I shouldn't be doing that! I think that's one of the barriers, that having plastic utensils available is convenient, so I really have to focus on remembering my utensils upstairs.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Use Reusable Bags

What do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reuseable one with you? Carry things out in your hands? In a cart? Accept a disposable one? If you find yourself in this position often, what system could you put in place to try to establish this a successful habit?

Kristen Dutra 10/24/2018 9:11 AM

I actually started carrying around a small foldable reusable bag in my purse in case this happens! If I don't have a reusable bag, I usually will carry the items out, or I will throw them in my purse. If they are larger items I will put them in a cart. But I usually remember to grab one of my reusable bags because they are right behind my seat in my car!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity De-Clutter My Home

How can you prevent yourself from accumulating more things in the future?

Kristen Dutra 10/24/2018 8:59 AM

I try to do better about asking myself if I need something, and for a while I was doing really well. But I find that when I get stressed stuff makes me feel like I can control more of my life. I need to find better outlets for stress. I have implemented a method with clothing especially, where when one thing comes in one thing must go out. I have also tried to make it so two things leave my closet when one thing comes in, but that definitely needs more practice.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Happiness

How does/can practicing gratitude keep you centered and motivated to work for a better world?

Kristen Dutra 10/24/2018 8:58 AM

I need to do better at practicing this, but I find that when I take a moment to reflect on what I have and how fortunate I am, I realize that whatever was my big problem is not so big in the grand scheme of things. It also puts me in a better mood and makes me happy to have what I do.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health More Fruits and Veggies

What do you think contributes to people in North America eating more meat than any other places, and what does this say about North American values and ways of living? How can we start shifting from a meat-focused food culture to a more plant-based one?

Kristen Dutra 10/24/2018 8:56 AM

I think it started out early on when the Europeans came over and brought their eating methods with them. It grew from there and, like all things in American culture, we got greedy about being able to have access to meat and didn't realize the effect on our planet. I don't know that we can change the way we can focus on our eating habits until we change our minds or until meat options become more expensive and it deters people from eating meat.

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Kristen Dutra 10/24/2018 8:47 AM

I realized how much plastic I use on a daily basis. I'm going to try to do more reusable methods for storage and food packaging.

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Kristen Dutra 10/23/2018 12:31 PM

Seeing all of the news reports about eating less meat has made me realize how important it is to change my diet. I'm going to try to start focusing more on my eating choices, and, more importantly, trying to not waste food.

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