Three Things Thursday: Steps!

Today is August third, which means I've only been doing my 10,000+ steps per day challenge for three days. It's so much harder than I thought! I realized that most of the work I do around the house, even heavy duty work like when I was hanging drywall in the garage a couple of summers ago, the steps take a while to add up.

This morning, I "pruned" our apple tree in the front yard (I put that in quotes because I'm pretty sure I pruned so much that it will die). I'll have to take a picture of it tomorrow. I'd never pruned it before--I didn't know it was needed?--so I had no idea what I was doing. I watched several YouTube videos and checked out websites, but they all say different things (pruning in summer vs. winter was a big one; since ours was *really* overgrown, I decided to just do it).

It's kind of funny; when we planted this tree, we chose a Granny Smith apple tree because it was Noah's favorite apple. Now, nobody in the family eats Granny Smith apples, hahaha. So, if it dies, I won't be sad. I'll just plant another Asian pear tree and keep trying for that. Maybe by the time I'm 100 years old and have no teeth, I'll finally get some Asian pears, haha. 

I did prune that one as well, but I kept it *very* minimal. I really don't want that one to die! It's way too tall and probably has way too many branches, but I'll check it out in the winter and see what it looks like when there aren't a bunch of leaves on it.

After that, I went in the garage to work on painting a large armoire (actually, I think it's meant to be an entertainment center). I bought it ages ago from Facebook Marketplace and I was using it in the garage, but I *really* need a spot to put all of my craft stuff. So, Jerry and I figured out a place to put it, but now I want to paint it first. I had to clean it all with TSP, then prime it, and finally paint it. I won't be able to finish painting until it's dry (I have to turn pieces over). 

Anyway, after all of that, I only accumulated 2,000 steps and it was 4:00 pm! So, I took Joey for a walk and hit my 10,000 steps. I'm going to eat leftovers again tonight because I'm beat. With Jerry doing a special project at work, they're feeding him--and he's getting some good stuff! ;)

Well, that was a long intro for this Three Things Thursday post. I thought that since I'm doing this 10,000+ steps per day challenge, I'd write a few ways that I've gotten steps in. (I did this challenge way back in 2013(?) and had to get creative.) I'll try *not* to state the obvious ones like going for a walk or run. Here goes...

1. Put away laundry one item at a time. (Dishes work, too.)

Yes, I have gotten desperate enough to do this. Actually, I did it today! I put the hamper on my bed, took out one item at a time, folded it, and put it away in my closet. Over and over again. It sounds really boring and tedious, but I turned on a podcast and listened to that while I put the laundry away and I didn't mind it at all. If you're curious, it took about 1,000 steps to do one basket of laundry. When the kids were little and I did this, I got in a LOT of steps back and forth in the house.

2. Talk on the phone. (While on a walk.)

I didn't want to say "go for a walk" because it's so cliché, but today on my walk, I called a few friends. I never, ever make phone calls--I get super nervous about talking on the phone for some reason!--but I figured I could do two things at once. I could get in my steps as well as call a couple of friends that I've been meaning to catch up with.

I am working on a "favorite things" post, and my earbuds are absolutely one of my favorite things, so I will write about them on that post. They are amazing for talking and walking. I took Joey with me, and it was nice to put my phone in my pocket and have a real conversation while I walked.

I think talking on the phone is a great way to catch up with someone (even though introverted me finds it difficult to just dial the number). And why just sit on the couch and talk? I'm not sure how far Joey and I walked (I've been leaving my Garmin at home) but when I got home, I saw on my Fitbit that I'd reached the 10,000 steps mark. AND I'd called a couple of friends.

3. Mow the lawn.

I know I just wrote about this yesterday, but I couldn't believe how many steps I got just from the lawn alone! I pushed the mower for a while, then I took the bag from the mower (where the clippings go) walked them to the dike across the street and dumped them, then walked back to the mower and kept going. Our yard isn't enormous, but it certainly felt like it when I was mowing! Other ways to get in steps while doing yard work is to walk around and pick up stray sticks, weeds, poop scoop, etc.

Since I just wrote about mowing the lawn yesterday, I'll write one more as a runner up...

Runner up: Tidy up the house.

Basically, I just pick up one thing and move it to where it belongs, and usually I'll see another thing out of place, so I'll grab that and move it... over and over. This is how I end up cleaning my house, usually, too. I start with one task and then never end up getting to it because I notice all the other stuff while I'm doing it. The house winds up being tidy (and then I may vacuum and/or mop the floors for even more steps) and it adds up to a surprising amount of steps.

Well, I'm going to go take another shower; I already took one after painting, but I didn't realize how hot it was going to be while walking Joey and I definitely worked up a sweat. For those of you doing the 10,000 steps challenge, I hope it's going well for you! I give you credit, because it's harder than I thought.