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October 3 - October 24, 2018
Sadie Silkie's avatar

Sadie Silkie

City of Portland - Water Bureau

"To preserve and protect the earth and its systems so that my children and their grandchildren can enjoy some of the same marvelous beauty and life that I have."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 584 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    210
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    26
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    510
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    24
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed

Sadie's actions

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 20 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Historically, marginalized and low-income communities live closer to landfills, contributing to a multitude of health problems. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a 10-minute walk outside each day.

COMPLETED 21
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 12
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?


  • Sadie Silkie's avatar
    Sadie Silkie 10/24/2018 8:20 AM
    I just want to remind all my fellow Water Bureau teammates that you can earn 15 points for each reflection question answered. And you can do that today even if you're just checking in for the first time ;-)
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Nature Go for a Daily Walk
    How do you experience your neighborhood or city differently when walking instead of driving?

    Sadie Silkie's avatar
    Sadie Silkie 10/24/2018 8:19 AM
    Walking through an area quite literally makes me feel more connected to that area - not in an abstract way, but in a "I have a reality experience to put with the line on the map" kind of way. I get a better sense of how the different streets and the land and paths in between them connect to each other.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health Happiness
    How does/can practicing gratitude keep you centered and motivated to work for a better world?

    Sadie Silkie's avatar
    Sadie Silkie 10/24/2018 8:17 AM
    I have been impressed by how much this simple practice of spending just a few minutes each day thinking about what I am genuinely grateful for/appreciate of has extended into other parts of my day and lifted my spirits. Even when I'm tired and feeling down, there are still things that I can think of that I appreciate. I've started extending this to my family by having each person say one thing that they're thankful for during dinner (when we all sit down together, which isn't every day).
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health Exercise Daily
    How can you incorporate other personal values (like quality time with friends or spending time in nature) into your exercise routine?

    Sadie Silkie's avatar
    Sadie Silkie 10/24/2018 8:14 AM
    My favorite is exercising outside so that I'm getting fresh air at the same time. all the better if I can get out to a less developed area like the beach or the mountains!

  • Sadie Silkie's avatar
    Sadie Silkie 10/24/2018 8:12 AM
    This has been a great experience! I didn't do every action every day, but I think I will keep the Gratitude Journal going long term, and I am starting to use reusable cloth bags for fruits and veggies at the grocery store, so that's another long term change. Thanks for organizing this, Anna!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Reduce Animal Products
    What do you think contributes to people in North America eating more meat than in other places, and what does this say about North American values and ways of living? How do we start shifting a meat-focused food culture?

    Sadie Silkie's avatar
    Sadie Silkie 10/18/2018 8:46 AM
    I think availability of meat is a big part of it. North America still has a lot of good agricultural land used for meat production. We're at/close to the top of the food chain and enjoy that privilege. It's not unnatural to eat meat when it is easily available. I think the problem is in the quantities consumed and how heavily processed our food is. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Reduce Single-Use Disposables
    Bringing your own bags and containers to the grocery store, and even to restaurants for leftovers, are a couple of ways to reduce your waste. What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

    Sadie Silkie's avatar
    Sadie Silkie 10/18/2018 8:36 AM
    I use glass containers and cloth bags for packing lunches, and carry my own water bottle and coffee mug. What I find challenging to replace are plastic bags that I buy produce and meat in. Does anyone have good solutions for those? I carry reusable shopping bags, but what do you put your lettuce in so it doesn't wilt?

    • Sadie Silkie's avatar
      Sadie Silkie 10/18/2018 9:10 AM
      Thanks! I'll give that a try.

    • Maranda  Laws's avatar
      Maranda Laws 10/18/2018 9:00 AM
      https://wellnessmama.com/119222/diy-produce-bags/
      I googled a couple of these, and they are great. And washable! 

  • Sadie Silkie's avatar
    Sadie Silkie 10/17/2018 1:20 PM
    It's a gorgeous day for a 10 minute walk around the block!

  • Sadie Silkie's avatar
    Sadie Silkie 10/17/2018 7:18 AM
    I had to wait for a colleague to show up and took my 10 minute walk while waiting. Glorious leaves :-)

  • Sadie Silkie's avatar
    Sadie Silkie 10/05/2018 7:39 AM
    I'm surprised by how much I enjoy the Gratitude challenge. It has been pretty easy to come up with three things that I am genuinely appreciative of each day and I like how it feels.