It has been a banner year for Twin Tested. We have worked so hard on our blog and have loved all of the opportunities that have come our way. We started monthly challenges in 2019 and they have been life-changing! Here’s a look back:
January: Get Ready Challenge
We kicked off our year of monthly challenges with the Get Ready Challenge. For us, January can be a tough month. One that often has left us feeling depressed and lethargic. So, in order to combat that we got ready every single day for the month!
Working in TV for 10 years helped both of us to trim our routines down to about 15 minutes – getting dressed + makeup + hair. So, it was not a huge time commitment, but it actually turned out to be a tough challenge.
What we learned
We learned that when you feel confident on the outside, you honestly feel better on the inside. It was easier to go through the day with purpose when I was dressed and ready to go. Also, I didn’t have to hide from anyone at the grocery store because I was in sweats ha!
February: Make Your Bed Challenge
This one seemed almost too easy! All we committed to was making our beds every single day. Well, for someone who was not great at it, this was the perfect challenge to create a habit.
I timed myself one day and it took me 27 seconds to make my bed! That is nothing. I read the book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life… and Maybe the World. It was such a great way to look at it.
What we learned
We learned that if you begin your day by accomplishing a task, it sets a great precedent for the rest of your day! Something so simple can make a huge impact.
March: The MOVE Challenge
For the month of March, we decided we wanted to make an effort to move every day! That meant being more intentional about our workouts and getting outside to go on walks with our girls more.
It was a great challenge to focus on something that made me physically feel good. It also got me outside more, which is always a good thing!
What we learned
We learned that getting fresh air every single day is so important. Something about being outside and moving your body really does make you happier and we sincerely felt that.
April: Love Where You Live Challenge
This challenge was so much fun! We got to be tourists in our own city, partnering with Visit Salt Lake to make it all happen. We used our Connect Passes to get into 16 different attractions in Salt Lake City. We visited everywhere from the Tracy Aviary to Red Butte Gardens.
Being lifelong Utahns, we thought we knew everything there is to know about Salt Lake City. We were so wrong! Taking time to explore our own city was such an adventure. We had so much fun throughout the month.
What we learned
We deepened our love of Salt Lake City! It is such a beautiful place with so much to offer people of all ages. We will definitely keep up our exploring and quest to discover new things in our beloved city.
May: The Book Your Bucket List Disaster
This month did not go as we had planned. We were approached to go on a trip to Greece and ended up inviting several friends and family members. Well, when we landed in Greece, we found out that the tour company we booked through had not planned anything that was on the itinerary – no hotels, no transportation, no activities — nothing! You can read the entire story here.
We do have an update to this story. A few weeks ago, we were contacted by the police, letting us know that the owner of the tour company is being criminally charged.
This is a huge relief after working for months with several different law enforcement agencies and victims to bring her down.
What we learned
Sometimes things don’t go as planned and that’s when you pivot! We made the decision to leave the group and planned an amazing trip with our friends and family. So, the first day was a nightmare, but we honestly had a fabulous time in Greece after that! We also feel like this was meant to happen to us because we had the platform and journalism skills needed to bring the owner to justice after she had defrauded hundreds of other people.
June: Eat More Veggies Challenge
This challenge was perfect for the summer with fresh produce galore! For us, it’s a lot more fun to eat veggies when they’re coming straight out of the garden. We learned a couple new salad recipes that we are still making – they’re that good.
What we learned
Sometimes putting the focus on something you know you should be doing for one month is really effective. I tried new veggies – looking at you eggplant! Also, just getting in the kitchen and trying new things was a lot of fun.
July: Put Your Phone Down Challenge
This challenge was created to stop distracted driving. No phone use while driving. That means no texting, no mapping, no music changing, nothing. This didn’t seem like it would be that hard, but wow, was it eye-opening! Realizing how often I reach for my phone while in the car was scary.
I committed to doing this and made a habit out of it. I also came to the realization that when I used my phone in the car I was seriously endangering myself, my baby in the backseat and everyone else on the road.
What we learned
We learned that wake up calls are necessary. We all start doing small things and sometimes let them turn into big things. This challenge was empowering in that we saw that we can truly make a difference, starting with ourselves.
August: Lifelong Learning Challenge
We wanted to do an education-centric challenge during 2019 and this one turned out even better than we hoped! We partnered with the University of Utah Lifelong Learning program to encourage everyone, no matter their age, to never stop learning!
We got to try out several of the classes including watercolor, royal icing cooking decorating and fearless abstract painting. It was a blast!
What we learned
You are truly never too old to stop learning! Trying new things is fun and makes you a more well rounded, interesting person.
September: Money Boost Challenge
As a self-proclaimed finance dummy, this one was so good for me! We partnered with Experian to become more financially fit. We learned about credit scores and how to increase them. We also learned more about budgeting and making smart financial decisions.
We challenged ourselves with a weeklong spending freeze and it was definitely more challenging than I thought it would be.
What we learned
Mindless spending = wasted money. We learned to be more intentional with our spending and to stop impulse spending.
October: Get Hygge Challenge
We heard about this new trend that started in Denmark and encouraged coziness and embracing cooler temperatures. It was the perfect challenge to send us into Fall!
We loved making yummy new recipes and lighting candles in our home. We increased the cozy and had a lot of fun doing it.
What we learned
Perspective changes everything. Usually, we are mourning the loss of summer and dreading cooler temperatures, but this really helped change that attitude.
November: Celebrate Everyday Challenge
This was so much fun! Our goal with this was to find a reason to celebrate something every day – big or small. We also loved the idea of celebrating those around us.
It was a wonderful exercise in enjoying every moment and taking time to celebrate accomplishments big and small.
What we learned
There is always something or someone to celebrate and the people who cultivate that attitude are the best kind of people.
December: Make it Meaningful Challenge
For this month, we partnered with one of our favorite companies, Ancestry, to Make it Meaningful. Having taken DNA tests from Ancestry last year, we had already dipped our toes into our DNA and family history. It was so special to take an entire month to focus on it.
A couple of highlights from the month include Brooke’s ancestry wall that she created, our framed family recipes and our grandmother’s completed life story.
What we learned
Family is special and worth investing time in. This challenge brought me to tears multiple times in gratitude for my family and those who have gone before.
Thank you for joining us on all of our challenges this year! They have changed our lives for the better and we so appreciate all of your love and support.
Leave a Reply