Michelle Abbott

EarthSavers

"Faith. Family. Friends. Nature. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
592 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted
UP TO

5.0

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

7.0

more servings

of fruits and vegetables
UP TO

1.0

advocacy action

completed
UP TO

5.0

hours

volunteered
UP TO

178

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

3.6

pounds

food waste prevented
UP TO

7.5

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Michelle's actions

Community

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 5 hour(s) in my community during the challenge.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Skip the Straw

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

I will reduce food waste and save money by prepping for 3 meal(s) each day, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Personal Waste Audit

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

More Fruits and Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 1 cup(s) of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 0
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 -1
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

Why is it so difficult to understand the impacts our purchases and waste have on other people, animals, and places? How might your experience with this challenge impact your future consumption and choices?
Michelle Abbott 10/23/2019 7:48 AM
We tend to think that waste "goes away" after we discard it but of course that isn't true. Every week I'm proud that there is a lot more in our recycling rolling bin than our landfill rolling bin, but we still have work to do. We need to buy less in the first place. I've helped a lot of family members "downsize" recently and dealing with all that "stuff" makes me hesitant to buy anything else for my house unless we absolutely need it. I'm going to try harder to give "experiences" versus "things" this upcoming holiday season.

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- Robbi Walls 10/23/2019 8:05 AM
  I've been trying to pass the word as tactfully as I can that while I love beautiful items, they turn into dust collectors and I don't need any more of those (as gifts).
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

How does eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat positively affect yourself, other people, and our planet?
Michelle Abbott 10/23/2019 7:43 AM
I love sweets but don't want the calories so have tricked myself into believing fruit is my "dessert." I have also started cooking quinoa more with beans and spinach to avoid meat. I truly feel better when I don't eat processed or junk food. The last time I ate fast food, I honestly felt horrible afterwards.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

What do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reusable one with you? Carry things out in your hands? In a cart? Accept a disposable one? If you find yourself in this position often, what system could you put in place to try to create a successful habit of not using plastic bags?
Michelle Abbott 10/23/2019 7:39 AM
I need another set of reusable bags for our other vehicle. That obvious fix would mean my family has NO EXCUSES!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

What is one thing you can do to help your community become more sustainable?
Michelle Abbott 10/22/2019 11:59 AM
I love trying new volunteer activities. However, I have some regular activities that are very important to me: 1) backpack food ministry (monthly) 2) serving on the board of the local Girl Scout Council (year round) and 3) picking up soon-to-expire food from my local grocery store and delivering to a soup kitchen (weekly).

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Does this surprise you? Where would you rather use this money?
Michelle Abbott 10/22/2019 11:55 AM
Avoiding food waste is a big focus at my house. However, the holidays can be challenging. I plan to do better this year by not cooking too much food that ends up getting thrown out. My son and his fiancé will not be with us this year so I need to "right size" my cooking.

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Michelle Abbott 10/18/2019 12:39 PM
I can't believe the EcoChallenge is almost over! Time flies when you are having fun!

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Michelle Abbott 10/16/2019 12:10 PM
I confess giving up straws is an easy one for me. I'm never been a straw person!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

How does/can practicing gratitude keep you centered and motivated to work for a better world?
Michelle Abbott 10/14/2019 8:57 AM
This exercise has helped keep me grounded the past couple weeks. It's been a challenging time due to my husband having back/spine surgery. I have learned that even when a loved one is going through a tough time, there is always something to be grateful for every single day!

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- Michelle Abbott 10/14/2019 9:02 AM
  Oops, I should have pointed out that I was talking about the gratitude exercise where your write down 3 things that you're thankful every day.
  
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Michelle Abbott 10/10/2019 9:37 AM
Went back to the gym today finally and loved it! It's so easy to get out of the swing of things.

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Michelle Abbott 10/07/2019 3:00 PM
I really appreciate Robbi's leadership of our team! And congrats to Christina D’Abreo for being the week 1 winner!

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- Christina D'Abreo 10/09/2019 4:33 AM
  Thank you Michelle.
  
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