Teresa Schulze

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

I will promote equity and support my community by purchasing items at 1 diverse- and/or locally-owned businesses.

I will replace 2 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.

I will repair an item, such as clothing or an appliance, for myself, a friend, family member, or neighbor.

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

I will save up to 4 gallons (15 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.

I will Practice the "5 Rs" — refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — to reduce my waste more than I can with just recycling alone.

I will take one action to support local wildlife, such as adding a food or water source, creating shelter/habitat, preventing light pollution, eliminating bird strikes, or another action.

I will help others in need and prevent useful items from going to landfill by donating 10 items.

I will create or support a sharing economy with family, friends, and neighbors, or purchase items second-hand to reduce resource use.

I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for every day.

No one person can do everything, but we can all do something. Making one person's worth of difference matters! Share an impact you made related to an Ecochallenge action that you are proud of in the feed.

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.

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 30 minute(s) each day.

I will make 1 appointments to support my health and well-being (primary care provider, dental, vision, etc.)

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.

I will purchase produce and/or meat from a local farmers market or food co-op to make 4 locally-sourced meals.

I will refuse 5 of single-use paper or plastic bags each day by bringing my own reusable bags or carrying purchased goods another way.

Hand washing dishes can use more energy and hot water than running a full dishwasher. To save water, I will scrape instead of rinsing dishes before loading them into the dishwasher, and only run it when it is full.