Impotent potpourri

Have to run to work, but let's talk about my writing books next week.

Also, note the Amazon click-through button to the left. You could click through now, then bookmark that page on your computer, and click through there when you go to Amazon without ahving to come through here first.

Start the new 60-Day Challenge on Monday? With 2 things instead of three? Think about doing one physical thing (exercise, eating something, taking a supplement) and one mental/emotional/spiritual thing.

Comments

[paola]

I'm in. Have narrowed them down to 3. Will decide over the weekend.

See Rosemary, made it in the first 5 again today (here in Italy it's 2.00 pm and a long weekend - kids are asleep and dh is doing the housework)

[paola]

@rosemary

little tiny message for you in yesterday's post at the end. Sorry for hijacking guys.

[michaela]

Brilliant thinking on the Amazon button/bookmark. Will add it directly.

Love the idea of one physical and one mental/emotional/spiritual challenge. Will now ponder mine...

[Suzie]

Whoo -- Monday! OK, sounds good. I'll think about my two while on retreat at church this weekend. Monday! Sooner than expected, but I'll go with it. :-)

Thanks for the Amazon suggestion. I've gotten pretty good at remembering to come here first, but the new system will make it easier.

[Moxie]

Oh, I should thank Patrick at Amazon support for helping me with that button, which was available for me all the time and took 5 seconds to link.

[anonymous]

why 'impotent potpourri'? a missing 'r' perhaps? or something else?

[hedra]

Yikes... Okay, I'm in. Will have to think on the goals. Hmm.

[JB]

I'm in, though I have way more than two goals and need to focus, focus, focus.

Apparently I also need to do some more shopping.

[Amy]

Woo hooo! I skipped the first one b/c I was feeling overwhelmed by so much in my life that I just couldn't juggle one more ball... but I'm in for this one as I need to get my rear (and stomach!) in shape, and I'm dying to accomplish something intellectual this summer (aside from teaching summer school). I taught my last class of the semester yesterday, finals are next week... and then I'm ready to focus on me, me, ME!!! (Well, okay, and three kids too...).

Speaking of the kids... have to share my major bummer this week with you all. #3's school is closing (will omit the details, but it is a lovely Montessori program affiliated with my college), so I've scrambled to get him into my daughter's old Montessori school which is equally as lovely and actually more convenient, but, um, TWICE the price!!! So, I might need to start a blog with a tip jar and some amazon click-throughs... oh, and some NADS ads! :) just to keep my head above water! Aaaaargh.

[Moxie]

Remember on "Jeopardy" how they always had the category "Potent Potpourri" and it was a mish-mash of heavy topics? This was a post with a bunch of dumb stuff, so I made a pun that clearly wasn't that funny since I have to explain it....

I'll go now, say the Jeopardy nerd.

[Jac]

I just told my husband I should do this 60 day challenge. He told me "should" is a guilt word and a sign that I don't really want to do it. Argh. He is very insightful. So am changing thought pattern. I really want to do this.

[rowan+keaton+mama]

I'm pretty new to the askmoxie family and was wondering if there is a link here explaining what the 60 day challenge is exactly. We're right smack in the black hole of the 4 month sleep regression so I don't know if I have enough sanity to spare for it but would love some info...

[ivymae]

I'm in. At the start of the last one I was still trying to figure out how to survive with a newborn and a toddler, and as we all know, that is considered "Crisis mode" not "Diet and exercise" mode, haha.

[ada]

I really fell off during the last challenge. I'm excited that the next one is starting so quickly. Another chance! I'll ponder my goals this weekend.

[Emily]

I'm in!

[lucybelle]

This time I'm in. I lurked during the last challenge, but benefitted vicariously by reading about the changes others were making. I also like the one external/one internal idea.

As a side note, thanks Moxie for all you are, and all you do. I too am a daily reader, and even though I don't post often, I feel a part of your community. Wishing you strength with the changes in your life, from up here in the Great White North of Calgary (which was in fact white until yesterday...)

[Michelle]

I skipped the last challenge - life itself was feeling challenging enough - but I am in for this one.

Thanks for the bigger click-through button...as soon as I have ANY disposable income (food and gas are killing our budget) I will be sure and get some stuff on my wish list.

[Julie]

Haha Moxie...another Jeopardy nerd here raising ANOTHER J-nerd....Alex asks to watch "Jepidy" every night. Whenever someone gets a wrong answer, he yells "Oh MAN!!!"

I'm in for the challenge, and am pretty sure my goals will be running 3x per week according to the couch to 5K running program and journaling about how I'm feeling.

[caramama]

I'm in for the second challenge! I'll be thinking of something physical and something spiritual. I might have to redo the yoga 3 times a day because I didn't really finish that one as strong as I would have liked.

rowan+keaton+mama - Here's the link to the original post about doing a 60-day challenge: http://www.askmoxie.org/2008/02/anyone-up-for-a.html

[hedra]

@Amy, I'm so sorry about the school closing. It's such a wrench, even knowing you're headed for another good program. Fingers crossed for affording the tuition - we know about that, oh, do we know about that. (Any family willing to help out? That's how we managed the tuition with G. My sister volunteered to help out.)

[Sarah]

I'm in (again)!

[Mommy-O]

Me too! This will be the timely kick in the butt that I need. I've lost 6 lbs since the end of the last challenge but am starting to slack off already.

I am exclusively breastfeeding my 5 month old and whenever we have a rough night I immediately go for the sugar/chocolate quick energy the next day. Anyone have any FUN healthy snack ideas for a nursing mom who likes to eat?

[virgo]

I'm in. Just coming out of lurker-dom is a special challenge in itself for me!

I'll give some real thought to what I'd like to work on in the coming 60 days. It might have something to do with not eating sweet sweet donuts for breakfast several times a week.

[Colleen]

I think the first thing in publishing books is to find a literary agent--maybe the dooce.com connection can come in here? I think they all live up in NYC so you're halfway there . .. I have a friend whose cousin (yeah, close connection I know) publishes children's books and when I asked her about her writing career she said that was the biggest hump to get over, and it was just work, work, work once she got her first deal.

[Katie B.]

I'm in. Going to have to think long and hard about what I can do that will work with having a baby in the middle of it, though!

[Shannon]

Isn't it "potent potables"? And "potpourri" is a separate one?

[epeepunk]

You know what, I'm in too. I like the idea of a physical and spiritual goal. More focused than just 'your top three'.

@Shannon: I was thinking about mentioning that too, but crossing a Jeopardy nerd is asking for a world of hurt. They know things, they do. ;)

[Moxie]

Bwahahahaha! You guys (Shannon and epeepunk) are right! I got may categories confused.

So now the title of this post makes less than no sense!

What went with "potpourri" then?

(I'm kind of a meta-Jeopardy nerd. I don't really watch all that often, but I know at least 6 people who have been on it so kind of know more of the lore than people who enjoy watching and playing along more than I do. It bugs me that the payouts are so low compared to other game shows that don't require as much knowledge.)

[Shannon]

I tried out for teen Jeopardy but the tryout kicked my ass.

Jeopardy comes on at 3:30 where I live, so I don't watch it like I did when I lived in a place where it came on at 7:30. Doesn't really seem like the kind of show to Tivo.

[pnuts mama]

jeopardy was replaced with the simpsons here- we just needed some 'off' time for our brains during dinner...yes, we eat on front of the tv, i know, i know...

i'm totally in for the next 60 days, and got my next 60 fish oil pills last night! heh! although i'm not sure if that will be one of my things this time or not, as it really has become second nature and i know there are other things i need to focus on right now...hmm...

[rowan+keaton+mama]

@caramama- Thanks!

[epeepunk]

Moxie,

Nothing goes with Potpourri, it's a catch-all category. Potent Potables is about drinking.

I kind of enjoy the fact that it seems like most contestants on Jeopardy aren't there for the money, like say, all the others. They mostly professionals with large amounts of trivia stuffed in their heads.

[Julie]

@pnuts mama...we eat in front of the tv too. Glad to hear there are more of us out there!

[caramama]

Hey guys in the DC area: I put up an update for the meet up on my blog. More details and more decisions to be made!

Moxie - you're not THAT far from us, either. Wanna come down? ;-)

[Amy]

@Hedra--My mom helped out when I put the older two in Montessori, but given that she didn't approve of my having a third child, I haven't asked. She knows what's going on... she's taken more of a "you made your bed" approach (not in a mean way but in a matter of fact way). So... I mentioned to my husband that maybe his family would want to help this time... he didn't answer, so I'm guessing that's out too.

We'll survive. Unless gas reaches $8/gallon as my uncle predicted recently (he works for a refinery, so I guess this is the inside info??) Holy gas prices, Batman! And I drive about 100 miles a day between dropping all the kids at various schools and my own long commute. You can bet I'm considering quitting, keeping baby at home, and home-schooling the other two to save money all around... if only insurance weren't off the charts...

[Julieta]

I'm looking forward to trying the 60 day challenge. Also looking forward to seeing a link to your Zazzle store right above the Amazon link.

[Charisse]

Ok, I might even be in for the 60-day challenge. I keep hesitating because there are things I really want to do that I know aren't realistic right now (full yoga session 3 times a week!!) and I will just get disappointed. BUT, there is some Michael Pollan eating advice that I would like to put into practice, and I'd love to commit to reading a book a week or something. I'm in.

[Beth]

This has absolutely nothing to do with anything else on this post, but you can file it under potent potables.
I remember a while back when there was some talk of a good juice for kids on this site, with people wishing that everything wasn't 100% juice. So the makers of Honest Tea have a product called Honest Kids that is organic, only 7% juice (I can only assume from the ingredient list that the rest is water) and comes in those convenient little pouches with a sippy straw. I didn't spend a ton of time reading the label and it may be riddled with organic sugar, but I thought I'd throw it out there. I didn't buy any because Bean is only 11 months and I just don't see the point of giving him juice yet. Anyway, it may have been around forever and may have already been mentioned here, but I just found it today...

[susannah]

I'm in! have to spend the weekend thinking what it will be...

[rudyinparis]

I'm in, too, but with some thoughtful trepidation. I didn't do very well with the last challenge, so I need to really think about what I want to achieve. I will be mulling it over this weekend.

****

Moxie, even your tone sounds different now... lighter somehow. But maybe I'm reading into it more than is there. Either way, congratulations on getting through a tough week.

[Ann]

I'm in! I've been meaning to start T-Tapping for a year. Got the DVD and everything.

I'll have to think about the second thing... maybe resume knitting, now that the baby doesn't want to be held ALL the time?

Thanks for being our motivator, Moxie!

[ireps]

I'm in too
a. take vitamins every morning
b. start the positive affirmations again

cant wait

[WireGryphon]

I'm in! I'll be thinking more about my 2 this weekend. I think I have it narrowed down.

[Chaosgirl]

I'm in.

1) Some form of exercise -- walking, yoga, horseback riding.

2) Mental/emotional....not allow the negativity chorus to win. Counter with positive affirmations.

[BradyBaby]

Hmmm, I will have to be in on this 60 day challenge. I keep kicking myself in the butt for not doing the first one, because DUH, had I exercised a little bit for 60 days I might be a little bit more in shape right now. I think the motivation of checking in and seeing updates is fantastic!

Of course my 10 month old seems to be cutting molars all over the place AND decided he would wake up at 4am to make sure I knew he was cutting molars. If he keeps this up my goal may be just to be able to get some sleep.

[Lisa F.]

I'm in, I like this combo better than the 3, for some reason seems more manageable.

1) journal daily, even ONE word.
2) lights out by 10:30

rudyinparis, I too thought Moxie's tone was lighter!

Moxie, thought of you as I woke up at 3:30 this a.m. to the ending of one of the Most Intense dreams I've had in a loooong time. had to journal about it immediately.

[Amanda]

I'm in too!

Now I just have to think about what to do....

I'm leaning towards reading a book (I figure 60 days should be enough to finish 1 book, right?) I'm not as confident as the person who suggested they could finish 1/week! And taking my vitamins everyday (fish oil, calcium, the Bs and magnesium).

I would also like to work on my journal I've been keeping for the little guy. Since he was born I have been trying to write just a paragraph or two every couple of weeks describing what he does, things he says, etc. I feel so bad, I haven't written in it in months.

[MrsHaley]

It's Saturday and I have been thinking and thinking about doing this 60 Day since Moxie first suggested it sometime last week. I couldn't do the last one because I was in the throes of 1st-tri nonstop vomiting. We're over the hump now (At 20 weeks! About TIME!) so I'm game for this one.

I am still mulling over what my 2 challenges will be ... mostly the wording, so I don't paint myself into an overambitious corner. But, I'M IN. Hopefully I will have them ironed out by Monday. Looking forward to seeing everybody else's too.

@Amanda -- I'm super interested to see what book you choose!!

[Foster]

Ack, Monday is WAY too early for me! I skipped the last challenge being too consumed w/ trying to turn my breech baby and preparing for her impending arrival. Now Im in c-section recovery w/a one-week-old, but I really dont want to miss out this time! Well, maybe I can start off easily w/ one of my goals being to get dressed by noon every day :D

[Girl Jen]

Yay! I was hoping for another challenge, since I jumped the shark on the last one. I already have my goals all set out:

1. Bike commute EVERY work day unless it would be too dangerous due to weather
2. Clear off the kitchen table and get into the habit of eating dinner as a family