Back In The Habit:: Days 1, 2 & 3

I've snuck into my 21 day time trial by omitting to blog about it.

I've been walking for 3 days in a row. Only 18 to go.

This last week I've realised I've been putting myself last - and exercise, oh woeful exercise, it was way down the list. Actually, it wasn't even on the list. I have a hate-hate relationship with exercise that I am so keen to turn the beat around on. So 3 days in a row - go me!

Music that got me walking (and I may have even cracked into a wee jog):

- Sam Sparro

- Rihanna

- Prince

- Salt n Pepa

- The Strokes

Tonight I walked on a wayward route to the supermarket. And got chatted up by an almost-70 year old. Now that does not happen when you don't exercise. Right?

I'm wondering if I can crack my phobia of early mornings and do a morning walk. In?

Day 2:: Up In Flames

Day 2 is up in flames. I've fallen off the wagon without being on the wagon. But I have a disclaimer.

I was rushing home for dinner, went to the supermarket after picking up some wine, slipped over on the supermarket floor, hurt my hands and knees, got the milk, felt teary, went to the register where I had to listen to the checkout chick rave on and on about banana chillis, and how she couldn't scan them, and then re-scan them, oh and then scan them again. I just wanted to get home, the woman in front of me told me my wine was leaking, I said, yes I know, look down, I'm covered in wine - there's a puddle of wine. Take the wine bottle over to the bin, just as it explodes all over me, walk back to the register to get the milk - but go past customer service to ask them if they could clean up the mess, burst into tears, stand at the register while this check out chick is still banging on about bananas chillis and the fact that she's been sneezing and coughing. I'm covered in wine. I'm blubbering at the counter. And all she can say is: "Do you want a bag?" Well of course I want a damn bag, there's clearly too much to carry.

Pay. Leave. Hurt.

But this man has 82 Julia Roberts tattoos. That's something. Right?

Tess of the D'Aggervilles:: Day 1

So it's day 1 of Back In The Habit. I went walking. I took my iPod and it ran out of batts after one song. Great preparation on my behalf.

And I totes looked like a complete dag-o-rama in my get up.

I've long thought about exercising VS fashion. And wondered this very point:

If you wear great exercise gear, does it make you more prone to enjoying exercising? So me wearing uber daggy trackies that skim my ankles, and just looking like I rolled out of a jersey workshop, does this impede my ability to enjoy exercise?

Would I enjoy exercise if I invested in my exercise wardrobe? I'm not talking decking myself out in latest and greatest from Stella McCartney's Adidas range, but if I made more of an effort to look good would I feel good?

So Day 1 of Back In The Habit has me asking some really big First World Questions. What's the answer dear reader? Invest in some quality spandex? Or should I keep walking the moors like Tess of the D'Aggervilles in my baggy trackies that are too short?

Yo! Yo! Yo!

It is with great excitement that I holler from the tree tops - ALOHA!

For no special reason, other than to bust some rhymes and let you know:

Back in the habit is... BACK!

Are you busting to do something good

in the 'hood

Are you bursting to make a habit?

Frisky as a jack rabbit?

Join me for Back in the Habit now

It's certainly not low brow.

And I see your puzzled brow right now! Wondering, what the heck is PMM banging on about?

Well Back in the Habit is 21 days of assisted habit making. Uh huh. It's all about forming good habits peeps. We blog about it. We make habits. We heal the world, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race. Oh and then after 21 days et voila - a healthy habit formed. We did it last year. We'll do it again.

Will you join me to form a new habit?

My habit of choice? Actually it's habits. Habits peeps for me.

- walking every day

- taking my lunch to work, or at least making lunch every day at home. No cheeky lunches out.

- break my sugar habit. Or at least reduce it. Uh huh.

If you'd like to get Back in the Habit, comment below, and I'll add you to the roll. We kick off on July 1st. Or whenever you get your hiney into gear. Uh huh. And you can even grab the button if you're so inclined. Uh huh.

Ahh Sleep

Lately I've not been getting enough sleep. I seem to stay up later and later, whereas once I was one of those people who went to bed around 9:30pm, lights out by 10pm. I'm blatantly flouting my own rules and staying up 'til midnight. I miss the sleep. And I am grumpy in the mornings. I hate being grumpy.

Part of the problem is that I've started reading again. I've not been into reading in the last few weeks, but now I've hit my stride and I'm back into the books.

I've finished one and into the next. It's my plan to get through the backlog of books on my bedside before the year is out. It's not a resolution people, it's just a plan.

The Resolution Revolution

What is it about a fresh New Year that inspires some to cast their wishes into the world and turn them into resolutions? Resolutions that are promptly forgotten and all they leave in their wake is guilt.

Guilt. Who needs it?

Not I.

But in the interests of a New Year, I'll start my own habit forming. All over again. Yes, yes, back in the habit. I need all the help I can get, and if it comes in the form of blogging about it to force some discipline and self-control, then that's what it takes.

* More quality time with my family

* Eat better - I'm low in iron and oh-so-tired

* Exercise more (this is going to be so achievable because when you do none, more is easy - the only way is UP!)

* Flossing - yes that old chestnut

Just to be clear, they're not resolutions, they're habits. PottyMouthMama doesn't do NY resolutions.

By the way, Happy New Year. I hope 2011 is Super Duper to the max.

image is of the world's prettiest wall calendar by Poppies for Grace - gosh I love you girls, so clever.

Natural Habitats

I have done my 21 days of habit making. I'm not overly convinced about my:

a) dedication to some of my causes

b) habit-forming success

But here's for the debrief. I am sure it makes for scintillating reading:

- water - yep more water

- exercise - ergh, negatory, I am going to puff out pretty soon if I continue with my chocolate intake

- throwing away things - yep I am excelling here

- housework - yep kicking goals

- meal planning - slightly better

How did you do? Did you kick some goals? (it's pretty hard to kick goals in a full-length habit, right?).

Back In The Habit - Group Pow-WOW!

Back in the habit is busting my bollocks, and I'm not succeeding in much other than my flossing. It wasn't a hard habit to rekindle.

So let's take a look at a few of our other habit formers over the past two weeks, let's see if anyone is flying high:

list.Lis has been getting buns of steel

ChoccyBangles has been showing off her buns of steel

Babble On has been reconnecting with old friends

Little Lady is kicking all sorts of goals - she's gone habit mad!

Coffee, Cake and Sunday is raising a family AND a garden - check it out.

As for me:

- Water is up

- Exercise is nil

- Flossing - yes!

- Housework - yes!

- Is that it? Can I lie down now?

Only one more week to go until our habits are so watertight we'll be doing them by rote. Let's go people!

Back In The Habit:: Day 7

What a beautiful weekend. Made even more beautiful that I got to do some jobs that I have been putting off forever. I even did some gardening, yanking out all sorts of weeds, fertilising weary looking plants, it's hard to believe, I know, I know, but I really did enjoy getting dirty in the garden this weekend.

Speaking of gardening, Kirsty at Coffee, Cake and Sunday has been forming her habit in the garden. Check out her edible yield.

This weekend I have:

- clocked some exercise

- tossed out more than 21 pieces to charity - and even dropped it off

- drank some water

- housework has increased exponentially and I should be due for a payrise and promotion pretty soon

- flossing - done

- I have not won a single Cheery Ripe. Tres disappointmente.

How is your habit forming going?

I am also on the hunt for silver footless tights. For me. And I need to find them by the end of the week. EEK!

image via

Back In The Habit:: Day 3

Greetings. And welcome to another exciting episode of PottyMouthMama.

Habiters, how are your habits coming along? Do you need some pep in your step? Well my friendly habit-formers, I have a special day three surprise especially for you! (And it's not a Kylie and Jason duo).

Read on. I urge you.

Day three has been a write off for me, though tonight, I am trying to make amends. I've been to two meetings and haven't even had lunch yet (crazy!). I've been fanging it around in ye olde automobile going hither and thither.

Tiny has lost her little Alice doll. Bad news.

We went to the park. Good news.

My kids are walking around singing Sex Bomb. Bad news.

Water - 0 (but on the agenda)

Exercise - 0

Housework - 0

Flossing - on the agenda

Throw out - I will find something and toss it, Scout's honour

I'm not setting a good example, am I? I will do better tomorrow.

And you??

I'm sure you're sitting there, very impatient for your special reward. This is ONLY for the habit formers. No one else is allowed to take a peek. And it is on this note that I say in my very best Julia Child's voice 'Bon Appetit!'

Habitual:: Day Two

So friends, it's day two. It's day two, and what have you got to show for it?

Me?

I got rid of more than one thing (but maybe I should ration these things out so that by day 18 I'm not struggling with tossing something aloft?).

I drank more water. And, er, two glasses of wine.

Teeth flossing is on track - check!

Exercise... Er.. I've been sorting out bills. Does this count?

I've realised something profound. Without trying, I easily do one hour of housework without even thinking about it. Apparently I need to do about 15 hours of housework to get on top of this shamozzle.

Are you playing and you're not on the Cast & Crew over yonder? Jeepers! If so, let me know!

If you've been working hard on your habit-forming - here's your daily reward.

Back In The Habit:: Day One

It's day one of Back In The Habit. Are you playing? Would you like to play? If so, let me know so I can add your blog to the blog roll (see over there ---> Back In The Habit: Cast and Crew). And grab your button while you're at it!

My habits I am heading for over the next 21 days:

- teeth flossing (totally unglamorous, but I'm back in the saddle)

- drinking more water

- exercising more frequently

- editing my house (I must donate to charity 21 pieces in 21 days - can I do it, or will the hoarding beast within stick its claws in)

- at least one hour of housework a day

Gosh my life is exciting.

I've already loaded two small ramekins to be given to charity. I am in the throes of housework.. Le sigh. Teeth flossing scheduled for tonight. Water in progress.. It's just so cold. Exercise.. Hmmm. I am wild. I am crazy like a fox.

How are you going with your habit forming?

Back In The Habit

I keep seeing things around about forming habits. It's everywhere I go. Every corner I turn. Under every leaf I flip (because I am always flipping leaves). No stone will be left unturned that is not banging on about habits. In fact, I can seriously say the habit forming epidemic is gripping the world. In a tight, overbearing grip.

And it got me to thinking about flossing my teeth.

Big jump there, huh?

But not really.

Earlier in the year I talked about things I would do. Not New Year's Resolutions (because those, damn fool, are made to be broken). Mine was a list of realistic things I wanted to do this year. Such as, er, flossing my teeth.

I was going incredible well until I got sick. I think I had flossed my teeth every single night (bar one) until I got sick, and that was six-ish weeks ago. My gums were sore and I couldn't face the soreness. Please get out the world's smallest violin.

Have a I lost you yet? Here. I'll throw some key words at you. Gingivitis. Heart disease. Bad breath. Not pretty? No. You don't say!

Well friends, it's time I set myself back on my merry path.

But wait! There's more!

Why don't you join me on this merry habit-forming trip? Come skip down the 21-day path with me. Have you got a habit you want to form? Do you? Sing it with me: do you? (Don't you want me?)

- Maybe you want to eat more chocolate
- Maybe you want to blog every day
- Maybe you want to get back into reading
- Maybe you want a nightly canoodle with your lover
- Do you want to go bike riding every day?
- Meal plan so you don't get to 5:30pm and have a meltdown and everyone winds up eating baked beans/eggs/leftovers (oh you don't do that, nope, me neither)
- Catch up with a friend every week?

- Are you wanting to learn to rollerskate?
- Perhaps this is not your speed at all. Maybe you just want to do the crossword each and every night?

Then this is for you! Get in the habit with PottyMouthMama!

Here's what we're going to do. You check in once a week with me for the next 3 weeks (that's so short, it won't hurt a bit, trust me, I'm an expert). It's not so much that it's intimidating, but I WILL hold you accountable and be asking you about your habit forming!

Think about it over the weekend, then we can kick off, and you check back into PMM on Saturday. It's a 21-step support group.

I don't want anyone signing up that wants to form a habit of picking their nose. Thanks but no thanks.

Are you in? Do you want to get BACK IN THE HABIT?

If so, grab the button and be gone on your merry habit forming ways (and add your name/link to the list).

My super fabulous friend Anna has made me two ridiculously awesome buttons (so damn RAD!) to choose from. I am seriously loving my makeover and think I will thwart any efforts made by Sally Field to become the non-flying Nun.

Michelle from Leni & Rose has done an ace to the power of wicked job of coding. You can pop over to her blog for deets on how to upload the button yourself (she has all sorts of tips and tricks up her blogging sleeve).