#62 - Serve a meal for a person experiencing homelessness (90/101).

I attended a conference for volunteer professionals across the country in Miami. As a part of the conference, we served meals at Chapman Partnership, a comprehensive support program that includes emergency housing, meals & job placement. Over a short period of time, we served about 400 meals "restaurant style" to children, women and men of all ages. A common myth is that all people experiencing homelessness are men, when in fact, homeless families comprise roughly one third of the total homeless population. You can read a few more common myths and facts of people experiencing homelessness here.

I have visited shelter before but it had been awhile since I visited a family shelter. We served meals to families of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, babies and high school students, single men, people with disabilities, elderly and young, etc. I would ask kids how their day in school was, what their favorite subject in school was, and ask them to take three more bits of green beans before eating another cookie. I purposely did not take my phone out while I was inside. I wanted to preserve people's dignity and make sure I was not making anyone feel uncomfortable (so no photos to accompany this post). I left feeling grateful for having my basic needs met - having a safe and secure home and access to food.

#32 - Go vegetarian for a week (89/101).

I ate vegetarian for a week and really enjoyed it. I bought more varieties of vegetables than I usually do, cooked tofu in a couple of different ways and ate a lot of yummy grains. I did crave steak at the end of the week, and happily ate a good steak when the week is over. Here is what I ate all week:

SUNDAY
-Brunch: Huevos Rancheros from Parish
-Dinner: Veggie Tofu Spring Rolls

MONDAY
-Breakfast: Green Smoothie
-Lunch: Lentil Tortilla soup
-Dinner: Spinach Tofu Stir Fry + Velveeta Mac & Cheese

TUESDAY

-Breakfast: Blackberries + Cheerios

-Lunch: Lentil Tortilla soup

-Dinner: Tortellinis + Veggies

Wednesday
-Breakfast: Green Smoothie
-Lunch: Lentil Tortilla soup
-Dinner: Mediterranean Bowl

Thursday
-Breakfast: Green Smoothie
-Lunch: Tortellinis + Veggies
-Dinner: Vegan Pho from Sen Organic

Friday
-Breakfast: Cheerios
-Lunch: Cava Falafel Bowl
-Dinner: Brown Rice, Roasted Vegetables, Chickpeas

Saturday
-Breakfast: Eggs + Avocado
-Lunch: Grilled Cheese + Tomato Soup from Pop's Market on Grace
-Dinner: Vermicelli Bowl with Crispy Vegetable Rolls + Tofu from Mekong

Note on my green smoothies: Over the last few years, I have made green smoothies almost every morning at home (#drinkyourgreens). My go to recipe includes kale, spinach, banana, coconut flakes, orange mango juice, coconut water, chia seeds, flax seeds, greek yogurt, and ice. To spice things up, I sometimes throw in extra vegetables (celery, carrot, cucumber), herbs (mint, basil, cilantro), extra fruit (mango, peaches, berries) or other boosters (matcha).

#69 - Pay for someone behind me (88/101).

Every once in awhile after a workout class, I like to go through the Starbucks drive through. Yesterday as I was going through, I decided to pay for the person behind me in line. I liked doing it that way, through a drive through, so the person couldn't even see who I was. I also have no idea who the person was (I purposely did not look), all I know is that they ordered more than just one drink ;) I hope I inspired them to pay it forward as well, I guess I'll never know!

If you find yourself in a similar situation soon, I suggest trying it out. Pay it forward, see what happens!

#63 - Give my grandmas a gift one day out of the blue (87/101).

I am fortunate that both of my grandmothers are still living. As I have grown older, I have grown to appreciate my relationships with them even more. I enjoy hearing the stories they have told me about our family's history, my parents growing up, what they have experienced in their lives and more. I enjoy asking them for advice, what they would do in certain situations, visiting them and giving them lots of hugs. I am so grateful to have them in my life and always want to make sure they know how special I think they are. I gave them each a framed photo recently as a small token of showing them how much I care. I should have sent it to them on National Grandparents Day (apparently the next one is September 9, 2018) - guess they will have something to look forward to ;)

#75 - Volunteer again (86/101).

I work at an organization called Repair the World, which aims to make service a defining element of American life. I have learned through work that if a person volunteers 4 or more times, they are much more likely to have a lifelong commitment of volunteering. I am also fortunate that I am requested in our employee handbook to volunteer six days each year, so I can work on building up a personal lifelong commitment to volunteering and engaging in direct service.

I went to the Central Virginia Food Bank to fill backpacks with food for children in FeedMore's backpack program benefitting the Central Virginia Food Bank's distribution facility. We unpacked items from crates and cartons and assembled them into food bags to be delivered to children in various schools during the week. We ended up packing 1,000 backpacks in about three hours. It was a great experience and I'm looking forward to going back soon.

#66 - Send someone a care package for no reason (85/101).

I sent my cousin a care package in the mail this week. I wanted to send her a few workout clothes I don't wear often and decided to add some other goodies in there, including some of these fun "adult in training" socks. I'm excited for her to open her package, she doesn't even know it is coming! Especially in our digital age, it is so fun receiving and sending things via snail mail. Though, I am thankful for increased technology to help cut down on the time it takes for people to receive mailed boxes!

#3 - Learn how to tie a bowtie (84/101).

I am a fan of bowties on guys. I thought it would be helpful to know how to tie a bowtie so I learned. I am no expert, but I did get down the basics and am looking forward to having many opportunities to practice with the many weddings and events we will be going to over the next few years. And in full disclosure, I did not actually tie the bowtie in this picture. Next, on to how to tie a regular tie!