What New Challenge/Hard Thing Have You Done Recently?

[duckabell]

I find it hard to try new skills for fear of failure.  Last night I cut my daughter's hair for the first time.  I've cut my husband's and son's hair for years, but I've been very, very nervous to cut her hair.  It went well and looks straight!  Now I won't need to pay to have her hair cut.  

 

My next "fear" to get over is to hem some slacks that I have.  They've been three inches too long and held up with safety pins for years.  Perhaps I'll get around to hemming them in the next few weeks.  I'm just curious what skills/tasks other people may be afraid to take on or what fear they've overcome lately.

[walkermamaof4]

This summer we bought a lot of pairs of shorts at Goodwill. I cut them a little shorter than they were and took in the seams along the sides so that they were fitted the way girls are wearing their shorts now. They came out great and my girls were thrilled. We didn't want bermudas and didn't want short shorts. I was nervous but figured it was worth the try. I even bought a pair of colored jeans for my nice and made them into skinny jeans. She wore them for a week straight before she let her mom wash them. lol.

 

Last night I cut another niece's bangs into the long bangs people are wearing now. They came out pretty good.

 

I've been learning a new penmanship that I practice as my kids practice theirs. It is so beautiful!

[KungFuPanda]

I started school this week. I LOVE summer and being JUST a mom for a while. It was HARD to get back to work and live on a schedule again.

 

That's all I've got right now. 😬

[Ravin]

I made my first court appearance as a  certified limited practice student attorney today.

[Spryte]

I started school this week. I LOVE summer and being JUST a mom for a while. It was HARD to get back to work and live on a schedule again.

 

 

This.  Getting back to a schedule has been hard here, too.  Getting through our days has been an accomplishment.

 

Oh, and I successfully said, "no," to a neighborhood situation that was turning into an unwelcome babysitting gig.  Re-training the neighbors took some cojones on my part.   :D

[MommaOfalotta]

I made my sons first birthday cake! It was a butter cake, two tiered, layered with cinnamon sugar cream cheese filling, buttercream frosting and fondant decorations! I worked for DAYS on it but I was thrilled with the way it came out. I will update if I can get a picture. I forgot to take one before I cut into it... luckily my aunt says shes got a pic of it.

[trulycrabby]

I hate to sound redundant, but letting go of the public school system to begin homeschooling has been quite a challenge.

[Kim in Appalachia]

I took on redoing and painting our playroom (now family room), spent a heap of money (for us) on 2 TV's, upgraded our internet, and a new laptop (spending money makes me queasy.  It really is a challange for me to spend money on stuff). 

 

Also getting back into school.  I've been homeschooling for 14 years, and honestly I'm a bit burned out.  But this year we've dropped some activities (which was scary) and I'm throwing myself into homeschooling again (it's been just get by with the basics for a lot of years now).  I'm trying to keep my head in it and focus on some specific goals for my kids.  

 

In a lot of ways it feels like we've moved and our starting over, even though we haven't gone anywhere.  

[duckabell]

This summer we bought a lot of pairs of shorts at Goodwill. I cut them a little shorter than they were and took in the seams along the sides so that they were fitted the way girls are wearing their shorts now. They came out great and my girls were thrilled. We didn't want bermudas and didn't want short shorts. I was nervous but figured it was worth the try. I even bought a pair of colored jeans for my nice and made them into skinny jeans. She wore them for a week straight before she let her mom wash them. lol.

 

Last night I cut another niece's bangs into the long bangs people are wearing now. They came out pretty good.

 

I've been learning a new penmanship that I practice as my kids practice theirs. It is so beautiful!

 

I cut off some old jeans into cutoff shorts a year ago.  It wasn't nearly as complex as taking in the seams, just cutting and sewing a zigzag stitch.  I was still nervous, but then I told myself cutting up jeans really isn't that hard.  I think I'm realizing I have an aversion to scissors, whether it's with hair or sweing.

[duckabell]

I made my sons first birthday cake! It was a butter cake, two tiered, layered with cinnamon sugar cream cheese filling, buttercream frosting and fondant decorations! I worked for DAYS on it but I was thrilled with the way it came out. I will update if I can get a picture. I forgot to take one before I cut into it... luckily my aunt says shes got a pic of it.

 

Making cakes are another thing that I'm hesitant to try.  I usually just frost, add candy and figurines.  Your cake sounds wonderful.

[fraidycat]

.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't think of a darn thing. :(

[Mommyfaithe]

I started running. I ran my first 5k, an obstacle course mud run and I am signed up for my first 10 k Monday.

 

I am learning to relax a little too. Scary! I force myself to take a break every afternoon! New and challenging!

[Mom-ninja.]

I bought a kettlebell and tried using it. I figured out quickly I need some gloves.

[tabinfl]

Leading a brand new Girl Scout troop this fall (there's a waiting list in my area, so this was the only way to get my girls into a troop), when my last exposure to GS was when _I_ was a Cadette!

 

(GS trivia: the highest award at the time was "First Class"... how old am I? :) )

[Jean in Newcastle]

I let myself be shocked for science -    ok, it was a medical test but it was scary and painful.  

[SemiSweet]

We moved here about 8 months ago and other than my neighbors I haven't made many contacts even though I had signed up with a couple hs groups.  This week I have really put myself out there to find some friends for myself and some more for kids.  I tend to be a bit introverted and a homebody, so this was a big thing for me.  Turns out I've had a great time and so have the kids!  :)

[swellmomma]

well yesterday I tried to hula hoop with a weighted hoop, it's been 30ish years since I hooped so this is new

 

Applied for a writing position and got hired, that is a huge new challenge.  Hope to have my first assignment completed and ready to submit by the end of holiday Monday.  I have also been writing articles for my homeschool board bimonthly magazine.

Canning has been new for me this year.  So far I have done strawberry jam, peach jam, strawberry lemonade concentrate and tonight I am doing pickled beets.

 

 

[MommaOfalotta]

Making cakes are another thing that I'm hesitant to try.  I usually just frost, add candy and figurines.  Your cake sounds wonderful.

 

Thank you!

 

I was a nervous wreck for days. I tend to get a little too stressed over things. I was actually dreaming of screwing up the cake. It turned out really well though, I think. I was very happy with it!

 

But, honestly, who spends four days slaving and stressing over a cake and then forgets to take a picture!??!?!  :(

 

If I'm able to get one from my aunt I might post it on the forums.

[Tress]

This morning I parked the car in a very scary (to me :D) parking garage.

Not crime scary, but teeny-tiny parking spaces scary.

 

I had been parking in the other far away parking garage for years, to prevent parking in this one.

But now I did it! And I didn't damage the car!

[swellmomma]

This morning I parked the car in a very scary (to me :D) parking garage.

Not crime scary, but teeny-tiny parking spaces scary.

 

I had been parking in the other far away parking garage for years, to prevent parking in this one.

But now I did it! And I didn't damage the car!

 

ahhh but see it's not the parking that's the problem, it's the backing out again at the end of the day ;)

[Tress]

ahhh but see it's not the parking that's the problem, it's the backing out again at the end of the day ;)

 

Parking, backing out AND leaving the garage!

 

When you see all those scratches on the walls and pilars while you are driving next to it.... :svengo: .

[swellmomma]

Parking, backing out AND leaving the garage!

 

When you see all those scratches on the walls and pilars while you are driving next to it.... :svengo: .

Well in that case :hurray:  lol good job!

[PrincessMommy]

I haven't tried anything new recently... but I'm loving this thread.  Very inspirational.

[elegantlion]

Last week: Job cleaning hotel rooms. It's 100 degrees here. I almost passed out on the first day. I call it the Housekeeping from Hell workout program. 

 

This week: started college classes online

 

[G5052]

Started doing Zumba.  Who'd ever expected that!

 

OK, granted it's at what my kids call "the old people's gym," but we MOVE.

 

 

[Heather in Neverland]

I started my doctoral degree and the workload is kicking my butt.

[DarlaS]

I recently tested for my yellow belt in Tang So Do.

[Vida Winter]

Got my daughter moved out and into the dorm at college. One of the hardest things I've ever done.

[MarinesWife]

Walkermama, what penmanship program are you doing?

[kwickimom]

I am running. Doing C25K with 2 friends at night at the track. I have asthma and always thought I couldn't run. Well, turns out I can, even when its 90+ and 100% humidity  :D  I just completed Week 6 and have done every single day as the plan tells me to do, not cheating, no stopping. I just go and run it. 

[PeacefulChaos]

Started running.  First 5k is the 7th of September, and doing another the 14th.  Discovered that I really, really enjoy running (which I always knew, but kept telling myself that it would be 'too hard' for me to get out and find time to do it because of our schedule, and the kids, etc.  In the end, it means getting up early most of the time - 6 or 6:30.  Which I hate.  But it's so worth it.)  Next plan after that is to sign up for another 5k in the spring because Link wants to do one with me!!  :)  And I'd like to do one of the mud/obstacle ones next fall, probably.  After that, who knows?  The sky's the limit - maybe in a few years I'll be writing about a marathon!

This one is obvious and I talk about it all the time, but I decided to go to Thailand to visit our girl we support through Compassion.  I'm going on one of their trips in January.  Yet another thing that I always really wanted to do, but always said 'Someday...' because somehow, someday I was going to have the money for it, etc.  I didn't, but I signed up and paid the deposit out of the last I had in savings, got my passport, and started working.  I'll have it all by the time it's due (September 26) - $3750 in 5 months.  :)  

Hand in hand with that, i got a job.  It's not even part time (about 2-3 evenings or weekend shifts per week) but I got one.  And I started babysitting.  Which I always swore I would never do because I don't usually like other people's kids.  but wouldn't you know, the one person who asked me about it had the one kid who reminded me of mine and didn't drive me nuts?  :lol:  

Lastly, I decided to go ahead and take the LASIK plunge.  I haven't had the surgery yet, it's scheduled for the 26th (September is a BIG MONTH for me lol!) but again, it was something that I said, 'someday...' and I finally figured that if I kept saying that, it wouldn't be worth it to do it.  Plus with the problems I've had with my eyes, I can no longer wear contacts often and I hate my glasses, etc.  So, yeah, I went and had the free consultation and scheduled everything.

It feels good to finally be doing things.  And I found a new favorite quote not long after I made all these decisions/changes:

'There are seven days in a week, and Someday isn't one of them.'

Thought it applied to me all too well!!  :D

[bettyandbob]

This is going to sound dumb, but I finally learned how to g et a picture off an sd card. I had it in my head it was really complicated and I needed to sit down for hours to learn it. 

 

I guess now I need to learn how to a picture pasted here. 

 

I signed up for a 10K. I am increasing my mileage. I am still slow, but I am doing it. 

 

[JenneinCA]

I talked to my kids' music teacher and she agree to give me music lessons. I start next week. I am very excited and very very nervous.

[Parrothead]

I cleaned out someone's hoard. It was in one room and took 12.5 hours.

[Rosie_0801]

My brother and I took the kids on "school camp." Taking the kids away is not new, but it is a challenge every time. The boy likes to share his enthusiasm for life at inappropriate hours. :rolleyes:

[walkermamaof4]

Walkermama, what penmanship program are you doing?

Based on a thread about handwriting that I saved to evernote from WTM forums, I printed this font out and I write the kids' copywork in this font each day and any other things I need to write: http://www.fontsy.com/font_details_22698.html

It is LA El2 Schulschriften by Rainer Will Softwareentwicklung

 

Isn't it beautiful?

[Melinda in VT]

This morning I parked the car in a very scary (to me :D) parking garage.

Not crime scary, but teeny-tiny parking spaces scary.

 

I had been parking in the other far away parking garage for years, to prevent parking in this one.

But now I did it! And I didn't damage the car!

 

This is a long shot, but is this the Powell's parking garage, by any chance?

[Dandelion]

Last month, I became the president of the board of the nonprofit I've been working with for the past 1.5 years.  

 

It's a role that I initially resisted accepting, because I have no experience managing a nonprofit (my entire career was spent managing for-profit businesses - very different).  It's definitely taking me out of my comfort zone. But while the learning curve is steep, the opportunity to do something great for this nonprofit and the community we support is exciting. 

[Tress]

This is a long shot, but is this the Powell's parking garage, by any chance?

I don't think so (I'm in the Netherlands), but I don't doubt that there are scary parking garages all over the world :grouphug:.

[SJ.]

I recently increased the weights I lift to personal bests - 130 lb squat, 125 lb deadlift, and 65 lb bench press.

 

Way to go everyone!

 

:party: 

[DarlaS]

I recently increased the weights I lift to personal bests - 130 lb squat, 125 lb deadlift, and 65 lb bench press.

 

Way to go everyone!

 

:party:

I have knee and shoulder issues. I can bench 65, deadlift about 100 and maximum 80 lbs squat. Really makes a difference fast!

 

At first, the bar alone was a challenge.

 

I also do overhead presses (really taking it easy with those due to a shoulder impingement) and rows (about 70 lbs).

[Rose in BC]

After many years as a stay at home mom I was forced back into the workforce when my dh lost his job of 21 years due to a mill closure. By the grace of God, I have landed into a dream job. This year I began taking courses relevant to my field of work. As we speak I'm taking a break from writing a paper.

 

This is challenging given my life circumstances but I am really enjoying the courses. Honestly, I never dreamed I could be where I am in my worklife (now if only I could work out the challenges of my home life :)).

[Little Nyssa]

Detached dryer vent from dryer and cleaned it out in its entirety to where it vents outdoors, then successfully reassembled everything!

[SJ.]

I have knee and shoulder issues. I can bench 65, deadlift about 100 and maximum 80 lbs squat. Really makes a difference fast!

 

At first, the bar alone was a challenge.

 

I also do overhead presses (really taking it easy with those due to a shoulder impingement) and rows (about 70 lbs).

 

The bar was a challenge for me too when I started back in February.  It has taken me forever to get my bench press numbers up and I deloaded both my squats and deadlifts to make some form adjustments, it was like starting over.  My other lifts are overhead press, which is very difficult for me to increase, and power clean.  While weight lifting isn't the most exciting thing for me to do in the gym I love the results!

[happyWImom]

I was an adult chaperone at 4H Camp with my dc this summer.  To me, it was a huge challenge, because I am definitely not a camper (backyard camping, okay, but that's it) and it was pretty physical, especially when you're as out of shape as I am! :D   All of the cabins were up a super steep hill (or natural stairs-either way, UP) and all of the activities were down.  Also, I wore no makeup at all & a baseball cap the entire time.  Not that I am always perfectly made up (far from it) but no make up & around the same group of people for that long was a challenge.  Plus the heat & humidity, voracious mosquitoes, lack of sleep, and rambunctious kids.  

 

It was really good for me, because now I use it as a type of "measurement".  As in "It can't be as bad as 4H Camp!"

[Rosyl]

BOSU BALL! I thought I was getting a relaxing stretch class. I didn't. it was a very hard workout on a stationary ball(who would think up such a thing) in a workout that resembles step aerobics. Honestly, this was really hard because you have to stand on the ball, balance and do things. I love it and am going back. I told the leader it's a good thing the description was vague or I never would have walked through the door. lol I have NEVER sweat like I do during these workouts.

[PhotoGal]

I've been learning Chinese! It is hard!

 

I also noticed that the kids enthusiasm for learning has gone up and they see how hard I am working on it, too. :)

[Excelsior! Academy]

Dealing with family extended family dynamics. Oh, not the kind of challenges you meant? Well...nothing then. Everything else pales in comparison.

[G5052]

Dealing with family extended family dynamics. Oh, not the kind of challenges you meant? Well...nothing then. Everything else pales in comparison.

 

 

I agree with that.  The family member who caused so much turmoil for years has been gone for two years now later this month, and the tone of my life is entirely different.  Still some residual effects with some family members, but they live far away.