So Ask Moxie came up with a 60 Day Challenge.

It starts today.  I linked to it awhile back and said that my post outlining my three goals would be forthcoming.  And then I totally forgot about it until she reposted today.

I like this challenge because you’re not going to do it perfectly.  That’s part of it.  If you miss it a day, you still keep going.  So here are my three things for the challenge:

I’m going to run three times a week.  I worded it specifically like that so that I can not have a goal every day, and if I just get too busy or tired to do every Mon/Wed/Fri, I can squeeze a Tue/Thur session in there, or maybe get some time at lunch to put on my tennies and head out.

I’m going to drink the recommended 8 8-oz glasses of water a day.  I used to be REALLY good at this until I had a baby.  For whatever reason, I have been detesting water since I gave birth.  But I’m going to get back into it.  I just feel better when I drink water.

I’m going to dedicate more to my savings.  I know that doesn’t sound like it’s part of the challenge, but I read somewhere that you should ideally have $2k in savings at any given time.  I don’t.  Don’t get me wrong; I have some savings.  But like a lot of America, we live paycheck to paycheck, and savings seems like a luxury.  I’m going to revamp my stance on savings and make it a priority. 

So those are my three things.  Wanna join? 

I have meant to bring the book into work for two days now, but every morning has me so half-awake that it’s still sitting on my coffee table.  You know, where I NEVER EVER WRITE.

So I’m going to try and do this one by memory.

It’s been a murderous day week month(s) here at work, so I often become very disheartened.  You can also replace disheartened with “exhausted”, “cranky”, “evil”, and “bitchy”.  It’s not uncommon for me to see a fresh, empty text box when I open up the “Write Post” window and want to just pour all of that into here.  But I know that can be a bit tiresome to read.  And, you know, I’m really NOT a negative person.  I don’t want you guys to wonder why I just don’t give up and go lateral with some Gillettes down my oh-so-dainty wrists.

(They used to be dainty.  Now, they are doughy.)

So instead of bitching (.. anymore), I’m going to give a list of THINGS THAT MAKE SARAH HAPPY. (by Sarah Brown.)

• Autumn weather.  Which, technically, has NOT arrived yet; we’re still a good 10 degrees higher than we should be.  This just means there are more good things to come.
• Tony kicking.  I keep expecting it to be less than miraculous, but every time I feel a foot to my belly, I get all sorts of mushy inside.
• Book Club.  I always feel so good when I leave.  It’s just amazing to be in that group of women, so diverse and amazing, and then go out among the world. 
• Mabel, when I walk in the door.  She’s deaf as a doornail, but through the years, she has perfected howling “HELLOOOOO”.  I swear, it’s true, and it makes me laugh every time.
• Krispie Kreme.  Which I totally indulged in last night.
• Our freshly cut lawn.
• My mother-in-law’s obsession with bringing me things with butterflies on them.  It makes me giggle.
• Jeff Dunham, who has a new special coming on this Sunday night.
• My husband’s excitement about the baby.  Did I mention that we had all baby items washed, assembled, and placed within 24 hours of the baby shower?
• Tony kicking.  I know I’ve already said that, but as we speak, he’s going to town.  I lurve it.

The first challenge I opened up in the new book said I should outline my most grave humiliation for you.  I tried REALLY hard, but hell, I update you people on the condition of my cervix at least twice a day, so how I can I consider anything truly humiliating?

(Completely unrelated: Delle said to me the other day, “You may think you’re embarrassed now with your body, but just wait until you give birth, when you have your whole family standing around, with your big ole cooter hangin’ out.”  A) why is my whole family in the birthing room (THEY WON’T BE) and B) why is my cooter big?)

So the second challenge I found is to describe funny family traditions you have.  They may be related to holidays (apparently, some people bake a cake every Christmas so people can sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus), or whatever.

Since I’m just starting our own family traditions, I’ll have to steal some that I’ve just picked up over the years.

The season starts with Halloween.  You HAVE to decorate for Halloween.  One, because it inspires you to clean the house (you can’t .. or shouldn’t.. decorate a dirty house), and then two, you’re ready for Christmas decorating.  I LOVE Halloween, and decorating for it is one of my favorite traditions.

Black Friday is also a tradition that was introduced to me at the Bitter House.  Waking up at the crack of dawn, making coffee in portable mugs, and hitting the mall with a game plan SOUNDS awful.  But OHMYGOD, the steals!  We would shop for a few hours, come home, nap, and then hit the Christmas Tree farm.  Cutting down our own tree is now a vital part of Christmas.  You feel like you own the tree when you put sweat into getting it into your house.  And the smell of live pine?  Mmmmm.

We open one present on Christmas Eve.  Like many other families, it’s usually one hand-picked present that will need to be opened early (such as an ornament for the tree or pjs to wear that night). 

And any time.. ANY time.. we have big news in our house, we allow ourselves to drive thru Krispie Kreme.  In the past year and a half, that’s the only times we’ve had donuts in our house: when we got married and when I told Bryan we were expecting. 

(Someone, give me some big news for tonight.  I sure could stand some glazed sugar.)

So what traditions does your family have?  Silly or special, share ‘em.  Go.