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So, I don't know about you guys but the holiday season stresses. me. out. I absolutely adore my family, but we are definitely one of those families where the drama level is usuall high (hooray for being Italian-American!). Like seriously, I end up hiding in my cousins room with a bottle of wine 99% of the time on thanksgiving/christmas at my grandmas. This year there will be none of that! I will take care of myself and my mental health. I also have a lot going on the next few weeks. My birthday is this weekend, next weekend I'm going to visit my friend in the Carribbean (because that's where she lives. That jerk.). The weekend after that I'm visiting my high school friend. Then it's Thanksgiving, and then we're going camping, and then my boyfriends birthday. Ahhhh so much stuff. I have been finding some real comfort in finding a routine, and doing things every day from my last challenge. So I am going to basically do the same thing as last challenge, (which was my most successful yet!) except focus more on the calming factors of working out, meditating, and having a routine even while traveling. Main Quest. Keep going with my regular routines, working towards my epic quests and KEEP CALM. The Challenge. The way I'm setting up this challenge may seem kind of complicated (and definitely not the normal NF challenge set up), but it really worked for me last challenge so I'm just expanding upon that. Instead of just having a list of every day things, I'm breaking it down to every day, every week day, and every week tasks. Things I Will Do Every Day (1 pt/day): Move. Preferably doing my 30 day challenges, but since a few of them require equipment I only have at home I am OK with doing something else when I'm away. Especially if it's hiking related Or just this: Eat. And eat consciously. I've also been doing really well with for the first time in my adult life stopping counting my calories. Or even my macros. I have been doing both those things for so long, I know what is good and what isn't. Having calories and macros to fall back on almost hurts me because then I can eat a pizza (or 20 of my grandmas deviled eggs) and somehow finagle the numbers to "fit" in my calorie or macro goal. I know if it's not healthy, and if it isn't I will eat it with purpose and because it is enjoyable, not in an uncontrollable food rage. Things I Will Do Every Week Day (1 pt/day): Clean. I may bring Fly Lady back into my life, the site helped me out a lot when I first started on NF. Not sure yet, but every week day I need to do something to improve the space around me. If I'm not at home I can help clean up where ever I am, or straighten up my car, or even declutter my purse. Just something. Meditate. With Headspace. This meditation program is amazing and has really helped me ground myself the past few weeks. Sleep. I always get enough sleep on weekends and try to tell myself I get enough because of "making it up" during the weekends. So I'm removing weekends from the equation and just saying I need to get 7 hours of sleep a weeknight. No exceptions. Things I Will Do Every Week (1 pt/wk): Duolingo: I have been progressing with my spanish a lot lately and would like to keep on top of this. I'd like to do this 4 times a week. Lumosity: I love Lumosity. I know the science is questionable but I have been really enjoying it so I don't really care hahah. Plus it takes like 10 minutes and its free. And it really seems to help curtail my stress if I do it during lunch at work. And destressing is the theme of this challenge! Also 4 times a week. Foam Roll. 2x/week. It needs to be done. This can count as my movement those days if it is a rest day. Bonus! Bonus Activities (1pt/wk): Handle Snakes. My pet snakes are lacking in the love department. They are really good pets in the sense that they don't need a ton of attention but I'd like to make it a point to hang out with them when I can. Pamper. Do something for myself. A bath, a face mask, get the bf to give me a massage. Even finding time to relax and reading a book. Whatever. Something to add to the destress action. Extra Bonus (1 pt/challenge): Volunteer. If the opportunity presents itself I will volunteer again with HRC. They are an amazing bunch and I love every time I volunteer with them. Scotland Trip. I was supposed to post something here about my Scotland trip back in September and never did. I was also supposed to finish going through all my photos and put them on FB and haven't either. If I have time I will do both of these things before I don't do it at all. Cross Something Off My Epic Quest. Some of the things on that list are pretty doable in the short run. It's unlikely I'll have time for any of it right now, but I'll throw it in here just in case. Grading. I will start with 200 points. For every daily, weekday, or weekly task I miss I will lose 1 point. For every bonus I will gain 1 point. I will distribute the 15 stat points at the end of the challenge based on the areas I feel I've improved upon most. A: 199+ (15 stat points) B: 180-199 (10 stat points) C: 165-184 (8 stat points) D: 150-164 (5 stat points) F: <149 (1 stat point IF I stick with the challenge to the end, even if I do horribly and fail. Otherwise 0 stat points) Now, if at any point I become overwhelmed by the challenge instead of it helping me destress, I reserve the right to totally change my daily goals. Holiday Zen, here I come!

Welcome to the Castle of Lord Helix. Take of your shoes. It might sound sad, but I don't know what my mission is - I don't know what I want. I just know I want to create these few habbits, because they will help me. Goal 1: +CHA Reach level 20 in French in Duolingo. (I am level 14 now) Goal 2: +INT Read 6 books. (about 250 pages each) Goal 3: +STR Be able to do 30 pull-ups. (i can do about 25 now) 30 - 3 STR, 28 - 2.5 STR, 25 - 2STR. Daily Tasks: - Continue my Duolingo streak. - Continue my Lumosity streak. - Read 40 pages. - Meditate for 5 minutes. - Stretch legs for 5 minutes. - Listen to a new music album. - No unhealthy food. Life Goal: +WIS Get a job. For that, I need to apply for jobs. For that, I need to get my photo taken. For that, I need to feel good. It's complicated. I want to learn french, so I have been trying for months. I want to read more, so I can be a better company to people and to have more topics to talk about. I want to listen to a new musical album for the same reason, and because for a while now i've had the feeling that I am listening to the same music over and over again, like I am stuck on the same place. And music is life. Lumosity is a site that develops the mind, and it takes 5 minutes per day. Stretching and meditations would also take 5 minutes per day, so I want to try and make them a habit. // MiniChallenge 1 of L1 Guild - Done. +1WIS // // MiniChallenge 2 of L1 Guild - Done. +1CHA // // MiniChallenge 3 of L1 Guild - Done. + 1WIS // // MiniChallenge 4 of L1 Guild - Done. (reaching lvl 1) //

I made a Lumosity account earlier today just to see what it was like. I did the first little run though and found it to be, at the very least, entertaining. However, I am loathe to spend time on entertainment that is being alloted to training my mind and body. So my questions are thus: Does anybody here use Lumosity? If so, how was your experience with it? Is it worth the time expenditure or mearly an entertaining way to pass the time.