Malea Rudolph
"My mission is to further my existing sustainable habits, reduce my waste, and reconnect with the world by drastically reducing plastic consumption; by planting an herb garden, as well as starting a compost bin at my residence; and finally, expressing daily gratitude and exercising healthy buying habits."
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 470 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO330minutesbeing mindful
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UP TO450minutesspent exercising
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UP TO1.0poundwaste composted
Malea's actions
Food
Join a Local CSA
I will sign up for a local CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture).
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.
Waste
Compost Food Waste
I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill each day by composting my food or learning how to.
Simplicity
Needs Vs. Wants
I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.
Food
Plant an Herb Garden
I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.
Health
Exercise Daily
Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 45 minute(s) each day.
Simplicity
Meditate
I will meditate or create a moment of silence for 30 minute(s) each day to reflect on things important to me.
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?
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Malea Rudolph 10/25/2018 9:51 AMI learned numerous things from participating in this challenge. The first one is that starting small with your goals is okay. I mistakenly made 6 goals for my challenge when I only successfully completed 3 of them. Even though I didn't accomplish every challenge, I still learned so much about how I can lessen my footprint. I was mad at myself at first for being overly ambitious but trying to do something about how you live is much better than doing nothing at all. There are more people in the world that are just trying to live their lives and survive, and do not have the luxury of trying to live a greener lifestyle (poor infrastructure, poverty, food deserts, lack of education/information, etc.); I am very privileged to be able to find out ways that I can live better and, further, go out and do those things.
Another thing I learned is how hard our system makes it for us to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle; it's like they do not want us to be healthy and like there is not choice but to consume in a wasteful way. Conscious consumption is also difficult because of green washing. As part of my challenge, I adopted a needs vs. wants mentality for when I shop (I shop a lot so I figured this would be a great thing for me to at least try) and when I would go to the store to buy a natural product (example- buying apple cider vinegar to clean over conventional cleaner like Clorox), they always came in smaller portions and were much more expensive. A 32 ounce glass jar of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar from Walmart is around $5, while a gallon plastic container of Clorox Bleach is $3. Another thing is that companies try to sell people on buying "natural" products by using certain key words, images, or colors on their packaging, in order to suggest that the buyer would be spending money on an environmentally friendly product from an environmentally friendly company. Even companies like Clorox do this now; I saw green bottles, words like "natural", "safe" and "non-toxic" and images of flowers, trees, and smiling faces. I already knew that capitalism was problematic and fake, but this was a brutal reminder of that fact. I am lucky to have knowledge of how companies try to cut corners with price in order to hook buyers (make money), and how that degrades our environment (additions to production process: waste, waste, waste). Having this information is key in order to make educated buying decisions.
The final thing I learned from this challenge is that I already do many things to lower my impact already. A couple examples of this are: I try to buy everything secondhand; I buy most of my food in bulk (to avoid plastic packaging); I do not use toxic chemicals in my home for cleaning, laundry, hygiene, pets, cooking, etc.; I buy most of my products from local companies and try to support companies with solid ethics and sustainable practices; I recycle everything I can and only buy things I need; and I do not drive somewhere unless I have to. However, in spite of doing these things (among other things as well), there are always ways that I can be better. I still fall back on old wasteful habits (like using single use plastic, using plastic bags at the grocery store, buying brand new clothes, using toxic cleaners, etc.) but doing this challenge has helped me figure out solutions to change these habits. For example, instead of using plastic bags at the store, I learned to keep my reusable bags in the cupboards and also in the car so I never forget them when I go out. When you go the store a lot, even doing something this small makes a huge difference. -
Malea Rudolph 10/23/2018 11:47 AMHey all!
I'm back, doing the same ole, same ole. Today, I am grateful for:
1. Interesting Homework Topics- I am thankful to be taking this sociology class! I love learning about ways that I can live a greener lifestyle, as well as being apart of a community of people who are doing the same.
2. Zero Waste- I am very thankful to be adopting a lower waste lifestyle. It is very empowering to be making my own products (not just in the kitchen) and to be finding ways to rebel against the system. I would rather show people how to act then tell them, so going zero waste grocery shopping is one of my favorite things. Even though some people look at me like "what the hell is she doing?", I feel confident knowing that I am making a smarter, more environmentally conscious decision.
3. Amazon- I am SO thankful for Amazon because of all the cheap zero waste products they sell. I love being able to find all of the things I need from one place, that will ship it to me in one box! I know shopping online is not very low-waste of me but in an effort to not emit as much carbon, I did not opt to expedited shipping.
Update on the CSA: I got in a little over my head with thinking that I could start a CSA program in the Fall (that is when the season ends), BUT I did find a CSA that I will support next year. It is called Willow Grove Gardens. It is located about 10 miles from my house and they have all kinds of beautiful produce there. Plus, access to a full CSA package is $20 a week for 22 weeks ($400 total), which is actually a great price for many reasons!!!! I am more than happy with spending that much for fresh, local, organic produce. I cannot wait for Spring!
Update on the Exercise: Work has been my exercise, and I have learned to be okay with that. Since I have been picking up more hours, my four plus hours of work every day is definitely physically intensive enough to be called exercise.
Update on Meditation: Work has also provided a wonderful space to reflect. Sometimes I obviously get too in my thoughts but those moments help me bounce back faster (over practice over time). This goal has been easy to accomplish.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Join a Local CSADependable fresh food, better prices (cutting out carbon-heavy supply chain and grocery stores), supporting local farmers and building resilient communities are just a few benefits of local food systems. Which of these benefits (or others not listed here) inspire you the most?
Malea Rudolph 10/23/2018 11:37 AMWhat inspires me the most about supporting local farming is the fact that I can help enrich local businesses, as well as share their services with other members of my community. Another thing I am excited about related to CSA's is the fact that their produce is all organic and seasonal. I will receive items that are natural (for maximum health benefits) in all aspects of production. This cuts out carbon from importing produce from other parts of the world, in addition to increasing knowledge of seasonal foods to further smart buying. I wish that everyone has access to CSA's but I am, at least, extremely thankful to have access to a few solid ones in town. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONSimplicity MeditateWhat would you like to invest more time in reflecting on?
Malea Rudolph 10/21/2018 8:10 PMI would like to spend more time reflecting on how I can reorient my focus on my insecurities, and use that energy to instead fuel me to pursue my passions. I get really caught up in negative self talk so I want to try to fight that evil, as compassionately and realistic as possible, and try to learn how I can grow from that. I think about the negative sides of life too much but I do not know how to shut it off. No matter how hard I try, there is this hyper-critical voice inside me that wants me to hole up, not create things or talk to anyone, and rot away into the void. How do I leave that behind? -
Malea Rudolph 10/21/2018 8:05 PMHey everyone. I haven't posted in a sec due to a combination of a busy school and work schedule, BUT I am here.
The past couple days have been spent studying and working hard. I had a math midterm on Thursday so that was rough. On top of that, we are trying to meet a huge deadline at my work with a harvest and it's so much more work than what is expected. I have been so exhausted. My work is super understaffed right now so everyone is being pushed to their limits. I worked 8 hour days Friday and yesterday, along with a half day today but there is still so much that needs to be done.
However, in light of how busy life has been, I am still avidly working on my Ecochallenge goals. I just haven't gotten around to posting about it. I have been doing various physical labor at work and walking a decent portion of every day in order to stay active. In addition, I have still been making moments to meditate throughout my day (it is quite easy when you are trimming cannabis alone for 7 hours). I have learned a lot, specifically about dealing with personal demons like anxiety, depression, and insecurities. I have also been working on listing the 3 things I am grateful every day that I can. To sum up the main ideas about that from the past couple days, I will list what I am thankful for below.
1. Days with no plans: I am thankful for the rare day that you can spend not doing real adult things like working or reading for 6 hours straight.
2. Delicious baking: I have made 2 different loaves of banana bread this week, along with a batch of granola (all of which turned out amazing) in order to fill my few moments of free time. I am thankful for good food and having that random box of baking soda in my fridge.
3. Small victories: With such a large quota to meet at work with serious lack of staff, getting little tasks done (that add up and amount to accomplishing the whole task) produces a great feeling. Even though I could be working faster and I have a way to go in order to reach my peak performance, I learn more every minute and my boss would be screwed without me (it's blunt but very true). I am thankful for getting (some) stuff done. Also, I am extremely thankful to have a job at all.
In terms of my needs vs. wants mentality, I have definitely grown. Being broke helps limit spending but it doesn't help the fact that going into a store is extremely overwhelming. Even when I go in with a list and my reusable bags, I still find myself looking for the most random things. Most of the time, they are things I think I need right then and there but really, the purchase could wait until I had the money.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Compost Food WasteNew to composting? Be sure to check out the action resource links to learn tips and more about it. As you transition from throwing food away to composting, what do you notice about how much you are tossing? Do you know how your compost will be used and the benefits it has on the environment?
Malea Rudolph 10/16/2018 11:11 AMI notice that I am tossing a lot more food out than I thought I would. I have only composed about twice now but I am definitely trying to be more aware of what I have been throwing out. As I start to compost more, I can utilize this waste by mixing it with other plant waste (fallen leaves, grass clippings, wood chips, branches, flower petals, etc.) in order to create healthy, fertile soil. I have read that it will take around a year to fully cultivate this, however, once it is ready, I can use that in the garden to both help the plants grows, as well as better the existing soil quality of the property. Over time, the garden could yield fruits and vegetables on all kinds if care and thought are put in. This could help us stay fed and healthy, as well as give us a deeper connection with the earth and how it provides for us in all areas of life. -
Malea Rudolph 10/16/2018 11:06 AMIn an effort to lessen my food waste, I used leftover vegetable scraps to make vegetable stock. This stock has been the basis of at least 3 recipes that I have made in the past couple days. Instead of putting around a pound of waste in the landfill, I used that to make other things. Once I made the stock, I did put the food waste into a bin in my freezer (to keep the smell down).
I have been super busy preparing to move all my stuff over to this new place but I have still been finding time to be gracious.
1. Focused Study Time- I have a midterm this Thursday so I have had to balance my time efficiently in order to be successful on the exam. It has been super hard to focus because of all the things on my mind. So, I am grateful for thoughtful, focused study time. This has been difficult to cultivate but wow it is magic.
2. Utilizing Food Waste- I am thankful that there are ways that I can utilize my food waste and not send food to a landfill. I am thankful that the stock I made turned out to be delicious!
3. Restful Sleep- Furthering what I said earlier, it has been hard to sleep all the way through the night because of all the things on my mind. I am thankful for the 2 nights of decent sleep I have gotten in the past week or so.
Update on the compost and garden: I had to put these on the back burner with moving, work, school, and trying to establish a balanced schedule. As usual, I will share anything new that happens with either of these. -
Malea Rudolph 10/14/2018 9:41 PMI went to ikea today and that was such a struggle. I wanted to buy everything in there but I somehow made it out of there without spending over $90 (which is awesome for me; and I even bought furniture!). I am feeling very thankful for self control. -
Malea Rudolph 10/12/2018 12:22 PMUpdate: Whole Foods is amazing. I went for the first time in years yesterday and I wanted to spend sooooooo much money on all kinds of yummy food and natural products. As hard as it was for me, I only bought some produce (apples, oranges, and carrots- which are all in season I believe), incense (I was out of nag Champa so of course I had to get some more), local raw honey (an $8 18 ounce glass jar of local honey makes my heart sing in all kinds of ways), and some lara bars for a healthy snack (this is way better than the cookies I was going to buy to snack on).
Adopting a needs vs. wants mentality has probably been the most challenging thing of this whole process. However, it feels good to be thoughtfully spending my money and not regretting anything I buy. I feel so good buying local food and low-waste products.
ALSO- honeycrisp apples are so delicious. I am very thankful that I rediscovered these wonderful creations.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth Exercise DailyHow can you incorporate other personal values (like quality time with friends or spending time in nature) into your exercise routine?
Malea Rudolph 10/09/2018 9:20 PMOne way you can incorporate personal values into your exercise routine include friends and or family in your workouts (or bring your dog). it's always fun to get other people involved and on the path to a healthier life. Working out with others can help build a stronger connection with the other person, in addition to building a better internal foundation for oneself.