No Booze, No Caffeine, No Sugar (and No Complaining)

The short version of this article is this: for the next 30 days, I will not consume any alcohol, caffeine, or sugar. And I won't complain about it either. Here's the long version. In times of stress, we turn to things that offer us comfort. We look for a...

20 Days of Photography (aka I Came Up 10 Days Short)

When I started this blog and series of 30-day challenges three years ago, I had a couple of objectives. First, to build better habits - because the right habits mean you don't have to fight so hard to make good decisions. And second, to explore my many and varied curiosities....

15 Amazing Commencement Speeches Guaranteed to Inspire

Graduation season - it's where some of the smartest and most accomplished minds return to college campuses to inspire the youngest crop of graduates as they head into the real world. But you don't need to be 22 to be inspired; these roadmaps can help give new perspectives and...

The Photography Challenge (and Where Have I Been?)

You may have noticed my absence these past few months. I haven't posted an article or taken on a challenge since June and I apologize for this long stretch of silence. I took a break to focus on a few other (and all consuming) challenges. First, a monumentally stressful...

I Exercised for 30 Days!!

I write this from an indoor water park in South Dakota. It's day 4 of our cross country family road trip. Between packing up 8 years of our lives, saying our goodbyes, driving, hiking, seeing friends, driving, working and more driving, I'm mentally and physically tapped out. This month...

30 Days of Exercise

"You should come play tennis with me," my sister said to me at a party a few weeks ago. "Sounds fun! I'd love to do that," I replied. "How about Thursday? A group of us are playing at 9." "Oh Thursday? I don't know, I think I..." My sister cut...

30 Days of Slow Carb Diet – The Results

This month, I gave up grains, gluten and other white carbohydrates, fruits, dairy, and alcohol except for wine, but granted myself one cheat day per week (I took three total) as part of my 30 day Slow Carb Diet challenge. I weighed myself first thing every morning and lost 5...