I will say that it is easy to just swing by the grocery store and get everything you need all at once. Having Farmers Markets and Stands around the area has given me a chance to get vegetables from Farm to Table and support farmers. My oldest child works for a Farmers Market stand. I have had the pleasure of watching her try new fruits and vegetables as well as get in to canning. When my kids get to try something new it broadens their perspective on possible new additions to the family meals. I will say that if you have steamed or riced cauliflower it hides easily in mashed potatoes, and your kids are none the wiser!

It has become important for me and my family to shop local. When we shop local we are using our resources within our community which leads to more revenue for small and diverse businesses. When we shop local I have a better understanding of the goods I'm purchasing and the ingredients and processes that in place to produce sustainable and better options in most cases for my family. There are quite a few local artisans that make amazing metal work and soaps. When the weather gets better I plan to take my family to different Markets throughout Central New York. I believe exposing my children to small business and the region will help them put back into the community first.

I love to start out my days with some guided meditation. This helps me to be mindful throughout the day. Utilizing this in the morning and at night have allowed me to use my time to power up/down to have the best day possible.

Before starting the challenge I knew that I craved sugar at certain points in my day. This has been an ever bigger help than I thought it would be in that in order to be healthy while at work I must start at home. As a family of 4 we are using this challenge to help teach our children about the importance of eating healthy and staying fit. Instead of grabbing their favorite candy at the checkout (They know what they are doing. Temptation is REAL!) we encourage each child to pick a new fruit or vegetable for our family to try. We have found many new and exciting things that have been hits with this technique.

I have a new sense of awareness when grocery shopping. By simply avoiding some aisles or by spending a little extra time to teach my children and myself about added sugars, I hope to change our family's intake.

As the weather is getting better around Syracuse, I am utilizing my off time by encouraging my family to declutter and downsize the items in which we are no longer using. Before donating to a community bank I check with neighbors or friends to see if they could use anything. There are a lot of community closets that give back to the community local.