Connie Frey Spurlock

SIUnited Green Action Team

"To build a better community through sustainable living. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
528 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

2.0

documentaries

watched
UP TO

8.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

180

minutes

spent learning

Connie's actions

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 8 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Support Native Communities

I will use the resource links provided and spend 60 minutes learning about the native populations that lived in my area prior to colonization, and what I can do to support those that still exist.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 2 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

Waste

Go Paperless

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing and ending unwanted subscriptions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 10
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?

Connie Frey Spurlock 10/13/2018 10:14 AM

Dang it. Missed another day. Today I'm grateful for quiet Saturday mornings, community scavenger hunts, and fresh laid eggs from my chickens. Oh, and mashed potatoes - definitely grateful for mashed potatoes - indoor air cleaners (AKA, houseplants), and friends who share my love for animals.

Read More
- Dana Wynn 10/15/2018 11:45 AM
  
  I am grateful for every Saturday morning because it is the one day each week I do not have to work. And scavenger hunts are just fun! And oh how I wish I had chickens. We would save a ton of money and have little to no household waste.
  I am a bit jealous of your better indoor air quality. Nothing stays alive when I bring it into my house; could be one of three cats or my big dog. :-/
  
  I have missed a few days as well. Don't beat yourself up. You can always try to make up more points in other ways, especially through posting!
  
  Read More
Connie Frey Spurlock 10/11/2018 7:46 PM

I'm grateful tonight for sustainability champions near and far, for a writing partner who holds me accountable, and scarf season.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Go Paperless

Reducing your paper mail can be such a freeing action to take -- by reducing what is coming in, you can reduce what is going into the recycling bin too. How does it make you feel? What is the next step you will take to reduce your waste?

Connie Frey Spurlock 10/10/2018 2:53 PM

What a relief! It is freeing to get off the junk mail list. Most of what ends up in my mailbox anymore is junk because I've opted for online billing and other forms of communication. Having to process that junk was a waste of time and resources. So good to know I'll be receiving much less in the future!

Read More
Connie Frey Spurlock 10/10/2018 2:51 PM

What am I grateful for today? The opportunity to facilitate collaborations for my colleagues, the opportunity to learn from those collaborations, and the promise of new collaborations with new partners.

Read More
Connie Frey Spurlock 10/10/2018 2:50 PM

Oh, I'm getting sloppy with my efforts. 3 things I was grateful for yesterday? Grad students that make me laugh, colleagues who get it, and the promise of cooler temps.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Weekly Meal Planning

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Does this surprise you? Where would you rather use this money?

Connie Frey Spurlock 10/08/2018 1:47 PM

It does not surprise me that people in the U.S. throw out tons of food every year. It does sadden me however. Where would I use the money? To pay bills? To buy better quality food? To install solar panels? There are lots of ways to spend the money. What concerns me more than the lost money, however, is that we could feed everyone who is hungry by redistributing the food so that instead of us throwing it away, people could actually eat it.

Read More
Connie Frey Spurlock 10/08/2018 8:35 AM

I forgot to post yesterday so 6 things I'm grateful for today - Mondays that aren't overbooked, fast oil changes to keep my car running its best, meeting new community artists like Jamaica Ray (see photo), locally owned coffee shops, a sun that's bright and warm, and my Ecochallenge team mates!

Read More
Connie Frey Spurlock 10/06/2018 5:26 PM

Here are my 3 reasons to be grateful today. My 3 bffs.

Read More
Connie Frey Spurlock 10/05/2018 1:13 PM

Oh, it's Friday. I'm grateful for the end of the work week! I'm also grateful for awesome colleagues that I'll share dinner with tonight, and for finishing a proposal a whole 3 hours before the deadline. =)

Read More
Connie Frey Spurlock 10/04/2018 6:11 AM

Today I'm grateful
1) for the cool breeze outside that allows me to open my windows this morning,
2) for the opportunity to work with really bright graduate students who have a passion for making the world a better place, and
3) for my new stash of yarn that will soon become a handmade blanket to keep a loved one warm on the cool nights to come.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Read More