Beat The Heat challenge - Final round up

This is the end, folks. It's the first time I've ever participated in a blog challenge for personal motivation outside of the blogging world so....hows it gone?

Well, before I look at it in more detail, I just want to say that when I made these goals I made them with one thing in mind...keeping myself busy and "productive" through what was prospectively my second summer of unemployment in a row. My timetable is now completely different. Tomorrow I have a twelve hour day followed by a thirteen hour day as opposed to so, you know...I didn't really have time to do some of what I'd given myself to do! Of course in the next challenge I will be tailoring it to my new employed status so be expecting much more win and much less fail!

1. Loose 10 pounds

Euch. Miserably. Fail, fail fail! However! I have not put weight on...I have actually lost some...2 pounds! Which is better than gaining. I've...learned a lot. Yeah yeah yeah, I've been "dieting" for years and reading the whole "you need to make lifestyle changes" thing forever now. It's never really sunk in until the past couple of weeks though, and it hit me hard over this weekend as I was reading the book on PCOS I bought on Friday. When the Autumn challenge comes along, I plan on aiming to loose 5 pounds, as I'm a wuss and don't want to set myself up for a fail again...however I will be tailoring my challenge goals to encompass a change in lifestyle as opposed to "I will loose!" without any real plan other than "umm...I'll be good, honest!". But...that's for then, and this is now. I don't feel like a failure as such because at least I lost some, but I know I could have lost at least five had I been good and stuck to my guns. 

2. Make at least five Xmas presents


Another epic fail, I haven't even finished the one I started! Once again, this was in response to being out of work and without much to do, also with no money to buy anything in. I think I'll be heading down a semi home made semi bought gift route now, with less time but more cash. Yes, this is a failed goal, but it this was one of those tailored to my lifestyle and circumstances when the challenge began.

3. Work towards my Day Zero list

I only failed to complete 2 of the five projects I set out to do, so I feel relatively happy about my success to fail ratio on this one!

4. Expand my recipe journal by trying some new recipes

I've tried many, many new recipes over the past couple of months, more than the three I set myself out to do. Most have been resounding successes, some have been a little bit "meh". All in all though, this particular challenge was a success.


5. Keep on track with the job search.

Epic win!

6. FLY through my chores

This has slipped a little bit I will admit over the past couple of weeks, but not tremendously. Instead of doing loads every day I now do only what is desperately needed each day then more when I have days off. I also veered away from the FLY system and made my own. Either way, the flat is still tidy and clean, and certainly a world away from the way it was when I started the challenge. Success!

All in all, I've really enjoyed the challenge...like I said it was the first one of its kind I've taken part in. I may well take part in more if I come accross them, and I hope with all my fingers and toes crossed that there is an Autumn one soon!