343: Five A Day
Posted: September 1, 2011 Filed under: 365 Life in the Bogs Challenge, Adventures in Life, beginnings, Domesticity, Earth, exercise, Five A Day, food, goals, health, Healthful Living Plan, home, nature, Photography, Spirit, Summer, Walking, water, weather, yoga | Tags: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, decluttering, DVD, exercise, flowers, Health, nature, Photography, postaday2011, Rodney Yee, sunflowers, wildflowers, Yoga 30 Comments
Cheeky
I woke up this morning feeling bleh. It has not been a good week health-wise. I had some tummy troubles for about 24 hours earlier in the week, and now I seem to be catching the cold that is going around these parts.
Bleh.
Worse than a bad hair day
Somewhere around the beginning of August I mentioned that I was starting a decluttering project. A friend emailed with a really good suggestion that I promised to share with you all.
Simplicity
She suggested a Five A Day program (or Five A Week if you’re already so decluttered that you don’t need this on a daily basis) wherein you shed five things a day by either giving them away (best option), selling them (second best option), recycling them (third best option), or trashing them (least best option). It doesn’t have to be big things. In the way of clutter, it’s not usually the big things that are making the mess.
Ironweed hiding in the clutter
I know there are similar ideas floating around out there. A few years ago I read about 27 Things or a 27/9 program where you divest yourself of 27 things over the course of 9 days. I’ve also seen 100 Things in 30 Days. But I like the feel of Five A Day. It’s something I’m already familiar with due to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Five A Day program (which I see they have now updated to make it more complicated, something government agencies like to do). Five A Day is a reasonable and do-able goal for decluttering purposes. I might even add a fifth option, repurposing, as sometimes there are items I no longer need in the house, but can use in other ways (in the garden, in the barn, etc.).
Waking up feeling bleh today has me considering another Five A Day strategy. Do five good things for my health each day. For instance, today I:
- made a pitcher of Sassy Water (you’ll have to scroll down for the recipe after clicking on the link).
- unrolled my yoga mat for the first time in weeks, popped in the A.M. Yoga for Your Week
DVD, and spent 20 minutes with Rodney Yee doing standing poses. He’s my go-to-guy when I need to get back into a regular yoga practice. I especially like this DVD because there are five different focused morning routines, each only 20 minutes in length, which allows me to get my skill level back up when I’ve been out of practice for a while. After a couple of weeks with this DVD, I can move on to a longer practice.
- sat in meditation for 10 minutes. (I need to work my way back up to 20 minutes.)
- made sure to get my 6-9 servings of fruit and vegetables.
- walked outside for an hour.
Peering over the edge of the trees
If anyone wishes to join me in either Five A Day practice, I’d love to have your company. I won’t be listing my clutter, but will probably tack on a list of the five good things I did for myself at the end of my posts. That may involve coming back and editing the post later in the evening. Or you can join my team at DailyFeats. Send me your email address and I’ll send you an invite.
In other news…
I was surprised by some of the reactions to my post about “what next?” Let me put your minds to rest on this one: I will not be giving up the camera for a full year. It was a wandering thought I decided to explore. I will, however, take occasional breaks, going out and about without the camera. This will allow me to enjoy my daily outdoor time without the framing and composing of photos, and will also give me a chance to go through my old photos and post some of them.
I do have other possibilities in mind for another year-long challenge/commitment. Several possibilities, in fact. I’ll be blog about one or two of them soon.
Rising
We’ve had quite a few hot air balloons come by recently. I’ve reached the point where I don’t always haul out the camera when I hear that distinctive whoosh of the burner. The two pictured in this post came by on Monday.
It started out stormy here today. A friend came by early this morning to fish, and he got caught in quite a downpour while he was out in the rowboat. It didn’t dampen his fun, though. He waited out the rain and then spent a few hours fishing from shore. I don’t know if he caught anything or not.
Wilting
The temperature has been climbing. Add in the humidity and even the sunflowers are feeling droopy.
Today's view of the pond
That’s about it from the Bogs for today. Thanks for dropping by! I’ll be back tomorrow with more ramblings and wanderings.
Asters and goldenrod
Life in the Bogs 
You must have been posting this as I was reading yesterday’s post! 🙂
Sorry you are feeling bleh. Hope tomorrow is better. I’m a bit behind on my reading due to school beginning again, so I hadn’t heard about your “what’s next” post (I’ll have to go back and read it), but I say there is nothing wrong with the “when I feel like it” method! 😉
Thanks, Karma. 🙂
You don’t have to go back and read it. I know you’re busy, especially with school just starting. To sum up, I shocked a few people by suggesting my next year-long challenge might be to put down the camera. For a full year. It was a “thinking out loud” kind of post where I considered the possibility. This outdoor challenge has brought about such positive change that I want to try another year-long commitment. I just have to figure out what it will be.
I’m sorry you’re not feeling well…. hope you are better soon!
LOVE the chair in that sunny spot.
Thanks, Michaela. 🙂
It’s a very comfy chair.
I like the five-a-day idea. I’m not sure I’m ready to part with anything yet. When I get ready, I usually do a major purge.
I want to be in your chair.
Thank you, Christine. 🙂
I second the bleh! My family came home with summer colds, and now it is my turn. Feel better! I’m spending lots of time at my easel, and, for breaks, finding things to purge from my shelves, closets, etc. It feels so freeing, doesn’t it? I love the chair in the sun, too. Can I come curl up in it?
Thanks, Melissa. 🙂
Sure. Have a seat in the sunshine and enjoy the comfy chair. 😀
I hate that you’re not feeling great, Robin. But I can’t wait to see some more of your year-long challenge ideas! I’m glad you won’t put the camera down for a year, but I was impressed that you would consider it. GO, ROBIN–whatever the challenge!
Kathy
Thank you, Kathy M. 🙂
I think ‘Bleh Days’ are those times when our bodies (or minds) are trying to tell us to slow down, take some time for ourselves. In this very rushed world, it is easy to get swept up in the driving need to be doing something. anything. no matter how we feel. What?! Do nothing?! How could I possibly justify that?!
Sometimes you just have to. I don’t think we humans were meant to be going all the time. I swear we would never slow down if we didn’t get sick!
So, yes, I am sorry you aren’t feeling well. That sucks. Take this time for yourself (and I see from the list you sort-of have done that) but perhaps, you might just have to do nothing. No yoga, no meditation, no outside committment. Curl up on the sofa with the cats and get lost in a movie. Listen to some really good music. Take a nap in the sun.
Hope you feel better soon. 🙂
Thanks, Tracy. 🙂
Doing nothing for a few days would be heavenly. Unfortunately, there’s too much going on right now. However, I am pacing myself. Next Tuesday I’m going to take the whole day off and do nothing. Maybe Wednesday too. 😀
Oh, good to hear! I do hope you get to enjoy your ‘do nothing Tuesday!’
Sorry you’re not feeling well… those days are no fun. 😦 It must be fun to start planning your “post-commitment” days! As you said, it’s more than forming a habit, you have made a lifestyle change – one that will be very good for you! It must be quite a sight to see all those hot air balloons so frequently! I can’t remember the last time I actually saw one flying overhead. We don’t have any local hot air balloon festivals.
Thanks, Holly. 🙂
Love the ballons – know what you mean about the ‘whoosh!’…first time I heard it , it scared me half to death.
Rest, re-coup, and feel better…or, as my old voice teacher used to tell me, “Don’t forget your vitamin C! Orange juice cures everything!’
😉
Thank you, Marie. 🙂
dibs on that chair…if you’re getting rid of it
but i bet you aren’t cos it’s very special
a chair of character
hope you can sit in it awhile till you feel better
Thanks, Kel. 🙂
And you’re right. I’m not getting rid of the chair. It’s one of my favorite places to sit and do nothing other than rock.
I do hope you get some rest and feel better soon… I can relate as I’ve been battling a late summer pneumonia… I’m on the mend and you will recover too. 🙂
I love those air balloons and the colors throughout this post… I come here to rest and enjoy the bogs with you… your blog soothes me. TY! 🙂
Thank you, Elizabeth. I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better. 🙂
The bad hair day photo is so cute, I think mostly because of the caption you added. 🙂
I’ll look forward to hearing what your next year long challenge ideas will be. I’m looking for inspiration myself, although I’m not quite sure what inspiration I’m after…just inspiration for something different I think.
The ‘bleh’s’ happen sometimes, don’t they, but I’m sure you’ll be feeling like your usual healthy self in no time at all. A bit of T.L.C. of oneself doesn’t go astray occasionally. 🙂
Thank you, Joanne. 🙂
You’re just going into spring now… a time of year where we usually look for something different. I tend to do that in the autumn too.
The photo of the pond is showing the slight splash of fall colors to come. Be well, my friend!
I need a 100 a day plan! LOL
Thanks, Scott. 🙂
Maybe try a 30-day plan to start… although 100 is a nice number.
Would love to and need to join your Five A Day committment (terry101152@msn.com). I have been trying to de-clutter for several months now but manage to pick up new things at the thrift store! So–count me in! Hope you are feeling well. I bet the time spent on meditating helped immensely. Take care.
Thanks, Teresita. 🙂
It’s great to have you join me. I sent you an invite from Daily Feats.
[…] post, by the way, was inspired by Robin’s post, Five A Day. She’s braver than I […]
I missed this post when I was away on my vacation. Thanks to Val for bringing me over. Very good idea.
Thanks for sharing the secrets for how you do yoga at home. I’m going to get me a DVD. What kind of yoga does Rodney Yee do?
Why are there so many balloonists in your area??
I’m not really sure, Rosie. Rodney Yee’s AM Yoga for Your Week seems to be a kind of generic yoga. It’s one of the few my husband will do, and it’s not too difficult so it’s a good one to have around.
There is a company not far from us that takes people on hot air balloon rides. The prevailing winds frequently put us in the flight path. 🙂