#30DayBlogChallenge - Day 25 - Your Biggest Regret

Day 25: Your Biggest Regret
For more info on this 30 Day Blog Challenge, click here!

To tell the truth, I don't (or try not to) regret anything in life! I firmly believe that there is no need to regret decisions/actions in life, only that we should learn from our mistakes! Those stepping stones are what make us stronger, and even successful, in the end!

But the 30 day blog challenge would be no fun if I didn't follow through with my "big regret"! So, to comply, I must say the biggest life lesson I've had (due to my regret), would be:

TIME!

• Not making enough of it available to my kids
• Not giving enough of it to my wife
• Not dedicating enough of it to my own success
• Not making more of it so I can spend times with friends,

I am not a master of time, by all means, but I have learned to cherish it, give it to those I care about, and make it available when my kids need it most! I have spent the majority of my life working, trying to be perfect, and trying to be the best at whatever it is I was doing at the time.

However, I found myself neglecting my family, my friends, even my personal goals! So I have learned to take advantage of whatever time I can scrounge up, spend it with the kids, spend it visiting friends! It has made a huge difference in my relationships and the respect you gain. People realize you're going to be there for them, and they can depend on you. That is the greatest I could have!

Calories Burned Doing Household Chores #HealthAndFitness

I spend a lot of time trying to find easy ways to get my daily workout in. After a pretty strenuous day in the yard, with sweat pouring and all, I realized ... you can burn some serious calories doing yard and house work! But how many!?

So I did some research, and found a couple of sites that helped me get a pretty good idea of how great a workout housework can be! The calories can add up quickly, and you can get a great workout around the house, meeting (or even surpassing) those at the gym!

* NOTE: The caloric examples below are for the average 5'9", 150lb. man in his mid 20's. You can use the Calorie Burn Calculator at http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc for help figuring out your personal numbers.

Yard Work

Yard work is some of the most labor intensive you can do. Doing muscle toning and strengthening tasks, like digging and raking the leaves, not only burn lots of calories but can help tone muscles in your arms and legs.

• 30 minutes of digging in your yard will burn about 126 calories, the same amount burned by 18 minutes of low impact aerobics; and surprisingly, over 32 minutes of light weight training. Digging tones the muscles of your calves, thighs, arms and shoulders. If you do it vigorously enough and continue the activity for 20 minutes or more, you can raise your heart rate and strengthen your cardiovascular system.
• Washing your car works your arms and abdominal. For every 30 minutes of car washing, you'll burn 153 calories; which is equivalent to 17 minutes of Zumba!
• Weeding for 30 minutes burns anywhere between 184 to 225 calories ... pretty close to the same as running 5mph for just over 20 minutes. Weeding tones your thighs and buttocks. Just be careful to bend with your legs while keeping your spine straight, or you could hurt your back.
• Raking leaves for 30 minutes burns 135 calories. The resistance offered by the leaves makes this chore a type of light weight training, which it far exceeds calorie burning, by 15% . Raking leaves tones all the major muscle groups in your body.

Indoor Chores

And let's not forget our inside chores! Everything from mopping to washing dishes offers a calorie burning benefit! Here's some tips on indoor workouts, you didn't realize you were doing:

• Scrubbing the bath for 30 minutes burns 200 calories. Removing that stubborn soap scum from your tiles is a great way to tone the muscles of your arms and shoulders.
• Carrying shopping bags for 15 minutes burns 55-90 calories, and depending on how heavy the bags are. Distribute the weight evenly on each hand, or swap back and forth at regular intervals. Carrying too much weight on one side won't just overdevelop those muscles, it could injure your spine.
• Cleaning windows for 30 minutes burns 112 calories, the same number used in 20 minutes of power yoga (about one-third the length of a typical power yoga class).
• Loading the dishwasher for 15 minutes burns about 30-35 calories, which is less than the 77 calories burned when washing them by hand.
• Mopping for 30 minutes burns about 153 calories, just under what you'd burn in doing pushups for the same amount of time!
• Ironing for 30 minutes burns about 77 calories and tones the muscles of the upper body. Stand up straight at the ironing board and press down firmly. Switch hands periodically so you don't overdevelop one arm.

Other Calorie Burners

Here are some other activities that burn surprising amounts of calories:

• Climbing stairs for 30 minutes, burns about 274 calories
• Painting your house for 30 minutes, burns about 171 calories
• Showering and toweling off for 30 minutes burns about 144 calories

#30DayBlogChallenge - Day 24 - What Attracts You (In Love)

Day 24: What Attracts You (In Love)
For more info on this 30 Day Blog Challenge, click here!

I was just discussing this with Sunny, over at Spoken Word & Thoughts, and as I agreed with her that,

...in general, most people will find they love different and certain things about about each person they've been in love with. It’s all about the experience each person gives you!

 So, again, taking a page from Sunny, I think I'll explore this question, by looking at MY current "boo thing" as she called it! LOL! So that would be my beautiful wife, Alexis.

The things that originally attracted me, and also things that keep me attracted, to her are (in no particular order):

• Her determination
• Her ability to be independent without being resistant to assistance
• Her work ethic
• Her moral fortitude
• Her love of family
• Her love for her children
• Her smile, and the hope it brings
• Her eyes, and the brightness they give the day
• Her butt...because I like Big Butts and I cannot Lie!!!
• Her love of travel! Because I love to explore the world "out there" too!
• Her ability to love me, and see past my faults
• Her patience
• Her strong will

There's probably more, but I think you get the point and the picture! I love my wife, and SHE is what Attracts me, in love!

#30DayBlogChallenge - Day 23 - If You Won The Lottery...

Day 23: If You Won The Lottery...
For more info on this 30 Day Blog Challenge, click here!

Ask anyone that question, and you'll starry eyes, dreams of relaxing and helping friends and family and all that good stuff! I can't say I wouldn't be vastly any different, in my fantasies of winning it big! But, today, I thought about, what would it REALLY be like to win a huge jackpot!?

What would I really want to do with my life, while all that money affords me the lifestyle I could only dream of!? Who would I REALLY help, versus, who would I steer clear of!? There are really so many things to consider, when winning a large sum of money! Are you going to invest it, give it all away, spend it all or just end right back up in the poor house, again! So after doing that #RealityCheck I created the following list, of what I would realistically do, if I won the Lottery:

• Pay off debt.... mine and my wife's; for my mom; for a couple of our really close friends (because it ain't no fun, if you can't take your real friends with you on a trip or adventure)
• setup education trusts for my kids and grandkid - only education and a headstart in life will take them far
• I'd give money to my favorite religious organization and charities
• I would still only buy a "newer" car every 3-4 years ... if I really like it. I would also limit the number of cars I own to 2, MAYBE 3 at most. You can always get benefit of owning a large vehicle or pickup. But having 7 or 8 cars is pretty wasteful! 
•  I would buy 10-12 weeks of timeshare points from the top 3 or 4 property companies. That way I have luxurious living accommodations, all year long, without wasting 10's of millions achieving it. I'd have a main residence that I'd spend about 2 or 3 months at, then I'd travel the rest of the year!
• I would still work...but it would definitely be my own business, and working remotely! Can't travel all year long if I'm stuck in an office or in someone else's server room! LOL!
• My kids would have to still get jobs and go to school. I would not spoil them, otherwise, they'll never learn to be independent and make something for themselves! 
• I would invest some of my money in very safe areas. But I wouldn't mind doing some risky, aggressive investments...but those wouldn't see more than a couple hundred thousand or so, depending on how much I won! I am not trying to end up poor!
• Just try to have fun, be safe and make it till I'm gone! Again, if I get rich, I'm not trying to go back to being poor! LOL!

What do you foresee in a future with lots of money!?

#30DayBlogChallenge - Day 22 - Your Worst Habits

Day 22: Your Worst Habits
For more info on this 30 Day Blog Challenge, click here!

Unfortunately, BAD HABITS ... are a fact of life! It's great to have good habits, but when you recognize your worse habits... sometimes it's hard to believe you've let it get "this bad"!!! Here are some of the things that bug me, about ME!

1. Work-a-holic - I work 24-7-365 ... for work (on call), home, and with family and friends! I only get "days off" when I'm on vacation with my wife! And even then, we usually stay at resorts where we have to cook and clean up after ourselves! LOL! 
2. Don't delegate well - I'd rather do things myself, than trust someone else to do it. I'm getting better at this at work. But at home, I still cling to tasks and chores I should give to others!
3. Quick tempered - yea, I'm generally non-confrontational and laid back. But if you get on my bad side... which if you hit the right triggers, can happen rapidly... I will GO OFF! It's a constant battle to keep it under control!
4. Eat when I'm not hungry - I work overnight, a lot, and sady, find myself eating, not because I'm hungry, but because I'm sleepy/tired! Or, if I see something that I like to eat, I will binge on it, regardless if I'm hungry or not! One day I'll get it under control! But shoot, I want to do it even right now! SMH! 

Those are my worst habits ... have you found yours? 

#30DayBlogChallenge - Day 21 - What Makes You Sad

Day 21: What Makes You Sad
For more info on this 30 Day Blog Challenge, click here!

So, coming off yesterday's topic of Happiness, the obvious opposite of that is Sadness! I find that the exact opposite of each of those things I described yesterday (family, things I enjoy) can be a cause for sadness! But I guess I should give more thought to this subject.

Well, there are a few things that can make a guy like me upset, saddened, hurt, unable to function, etc. Firstly, there's death! I hate it! I literally wish everyone could live forever, and not deal with it. But it's a fact of life ... for now!

Secondly, I can't stand rejection! I find it one of the hardest things for me to deal with and function behind! I spend a lot of time trying to do what's right by folks, and trying to make people happy! So, feeling rejection from those people makes me sad! Especially when I care for those people. There's so many examples of rejection, but any of them, for me, can be devastating...not only to my ego, but to my overall existence!

And finally, seeing others hurt! Again, this is especially true for those I care about and/or love!  Seeing them hurt, seeing them struggling, in pain, etc., just breaks my heart! This is probably one of the main reasons I spend time trying to please (some) people, and try to make them happy! If I see them hurt or sad, then it makes me sad. So being the cause of that sadness, is just unfathomable to me!

What makes you sad!?