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Showing posts from 2015

Observations After 3 Days of My First 30 Day Challenge

It may seem a little early to be reflecting on my 30 day challenge when I'm only 1/10th of the way through it. Could I really have learned anything after such a short time? Sure I could have! I want to keep my writing momentum going and while I'm sure I'll have different takeaways when the month is over, I also think it'll be interesting to look back at how I felt when I was just getting started. For those who missed last post, the challenge is simple: take at least 1 picture every day for 30 days. Observation 1: Winter is probably not the ideal time for this challenge. I'm realizing that I prefer to take pictures outdoors, as I think most people do. Many of us find beauty in a body of water, cityscape, sunset, or wildlife, and therefore we are more inclined to try and capture those things. The problem with winter here in Minnesota is twofold: it's really cold, and it gets dark earlier. So I am less likely to be outside over lunch and when I do leave work it&#

My First 30 Day Challange

Well, after a solid 3 posts in August I have neglected to write here for the last 3 and 1/2 months. While I can justify my absence for the much of the time due to purchasing our first home as well as some health issues, I can also say that recently things have settled down and my lack of writing has been more due to distraction with easier ways to spend my time and hesitation for fear that I needed to orchestrate an epic, memorable post for my return. But I have realized that instead I just need to set things in motion again and so here I am announcing my pledge to do my first 30 day challenge , which is something I referenced in my first post. I've set what I feel is a very achievable goal for my first challenge: take one picture every day. There is part of me that wants to do a challenge that seems more obviously aimed at self-improvement, for instance walking or meditating every day. But these take more time and therefore are less likely to stick, even for what seems like a sm

How I saved big on my family's cell phone bill (while getting 4.5 more gigs of data)

Edit: As I was writing up this post, Verizon actually came out with their own no-contract phone plans . This is another obvious indicator of which way things are heading, and how big an impact T-mobile's strategy as one of the "Big 4" carriers offering no contract plans has had on the industry. I looked at these new Verizon plans and while the prices have slightly improved they still don't compare to Cricket or T-mobile. One of my plans for this blog is to share my own experiences in the hopes that they help someone else who's interested in trying the same thing. One area this could be effective is with finances. I tend to enjoy researching things, especially when it comes to finding ways to save a bit of money. I think the term "frugal" sounds like "cheap" to some people so instead I'll say that I like to eliminate waste in my spending habits. If you are like many adults I know, the cost of a monthly cellphone bill seems outrageous and

Podcasts

I love podcasts. They are a great way to get useful or entertaining information about a subject I choose & at a time & place I choose. They seem to be coming up more & more in my discussions with other people. I personally listen to them while driving, running, walking over my lunch break, & even sometimes while at work. This post will be dedicated to some of my favorites. I'll try not to overwhelm you with a giant list. Please feel free to share your own recommendations as well! Technology: This Week In Tech (TWIT): I find discussions of current technologies fascinating (and occasionally frightening). TWIT is actually a live "netcast" which is also recorded & then can be downloaded as a podcast. Leo Laporte hosts a panel of 3 guests who discuss tech news & what it might mean for our lives. I think the panel is a great format because it allows for a wide variety of viewpoints & backgrounds on the show & occasionally leads to lively deba

It's a great day to start a blog

I've decided to jump back into blogging. I've had a number of short lived blogs in the past but they've all been abandoned due to a lack of commitment. I think the problem with my last couple efforts was that I just wasn't having fun with them. I had chosen a narrow focus after reading several recommendations about how important focus is in making a blog successful. In fact, one writer even calls a blog without a specific topic a waste of time . While these authors make great points, their definition of what makes a blog successful seems to be how popular it is or how much money it makes. If that's what makes a successful blog, then in most cases I agree that specific focus is very important. But I can think of many other definitions of success when it comes to blogging: If it helps hone your writing or HTML skills, if it helps you connect with even a few people, or if it simply brings you joy. With this blog I am aiming for those latter definitions of success.