I mentioned in my blogging bucket list post that I would be taking part in four challenges this year. I thought I would share those challenges with you all today, and if anyone wants to join in, it’s still early enough to start.
Challenge accepted?
1. Savings Jar – Challenge Accepted
Every year, I have a savings jar which I basically use to drop loose change in when it’s annoying me rolling around my purse or handbag. I also aim to put £10 a week in. I open the jar at the beginning of December and it usually goes a long way toward covering my Christmas shopping.
This year, I have seen all over Facebook the money challenge that everyone is doing where on day 1 you save 1p, day 2, 2p etc up to day 365. It works out as just over £667 by the end of the year so it is well worth doing and as the largest amount is £3.65, it is easy to do without missing the money much.
I thought about doing it, but to be honest, messing about trying to find the loose change isn’t going to happen for me, so I have decided to do my own version. Every day will round up to the nearest 10p. So days 1 – 10 will be 10p, days 11-20 will be 20p etc. I have no idea how much it will work out to be at the end of the year but I think this coupled with my regular savings will be more than enough for Christmas shopping.
2. Happy Jar – Challenge Accepted
I originally saw this idea introduced by Louise from Little Hearts Big Love and I loved the idea. Basically, you write down one good thing that’s happened to you every day for a year and put the thoughts in a jar. At the end of the year, you open it up and read the thoughts.
I think reading all those happy thoughts and moments will be perfect. I plan to do a post with all of my happy thoughts listed.
As you can see from the picture, I haven’t gotten around to finding a jar yet so for now I am using a Ziploc folder.
3. 50 Book Challenge – Challenge Accepted
I knew I wanted to do a reading challenge this year. All the ones I have found haven’t been my cup of tea though. They have all specified criteria for the books eg. a book you’ve already read, a classic, etc. I read for pleasure and the thought of having to endure books I am not enjoying to meet the challenge requirements fills me with dread.
I want to keep enjoying reading, so I decided to do my own reading challenge. 50 books in a year – any genre, any book, whatever takes my fancy.
4. A-Z Challenge – Challenge Accepted
When I first started thinking about which challenges I would like to do this year, I knew I had to have a blogging challenge. And I knew straight away which one would be perfect for me. Of course, it was the A-Z challenge. This challenge was a turning point for me and my blog last year. I started posting daily and I really found my blogging stride.
The A-Z challenge runs annually in April. You choose your theme, then post a blog post every day in April (except Sundays) that tie into your theme. The challenging part is every day is a letter of the alphabet – so day one’s topic is something beginning with A, day 2 is something beginning with B etc.
Last year, I didn’t know about the challenge until part way through April. I was looking for a way to get into posting daily and when I saw this, it seemed perfect. As I was so late, I didn’t sign up officially so I probably missed out on a lot of benefits. The A-Z Challenge has a community of bloggers that visit each others posts, comment on them and share them. This year, I will be signing up officially so I think it will be even better.
What about you? Are you taking part in any challenges this year? Will you be saying challenge accepted to any of these? Let me know in the comments 🙂
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We’ve got similar goals this year! I’m saving for a house deposit, I’ve started a happy book writing one happy thing that’s happened each day and I’m aiming to read 52 books this year
Oh, they are similar. Let’s hope we both hit them 🙂
what cool challenges to take part it. I guess the up side to being random musings is you can do random things like the april a-z. I’m not sure if i could fit this in with the series and features on my blog but it would be an interesting thing to do. I remember finding you in april when you were doing the a-z 🙂
These are great goals to have! The A-Z challenge sounds good but I will have to look into first before I decide if that’s something that would fit into my blog. Can you send me the info on it or the sign up website? I am still thinking about what goals I want to set this year. I have a few but I have to really decided and specify for myself what they are going to involve so that I can accomplish them! #anythinggoes
Thank you 🙂 That’s what I like about the challenge, it can fit any blog. You can choose any theme you want, or just post random without a theme, as long as the topic you choose relates to that days letter. I’ll tweet you the link 🙂 Good luck with setting your goals!
Wow! I’m loving the ambition you have this 2016, Deb! These are really neat challenges. I especially like the Happy Jar one. What a great way to ensure that you see positvity in every day of your life. It’ll be wonderful to read those notes next year. #AnythingGoes
Thank you, I feel really positive and motivated for this year 🙂 I think reading the notes at the end of the year will be lovely and make me realise how many good things happened 🙂
50 books is a lot. I used to average about 20 a year, pre-mini, butr unfortunately I’m lucky if I get through ten now. Good luck with all of these
I’m hoping it pushes me to read a bit more. I can imagine finding the peace to read is hard with children about! Thank you 🙂
Its hard to find time for anything. I’m fortunate that I get some occasional downtime at work to knock off ten pages or so at at time
That’s good, everyone needs a bit of time to themselves!
I love these challenges! Great picks. For me, this year, my challenges are:
1) Get my toddler to sleep through the night.
2) Make baby number 2. This ones proving to be quite a challenge so far.
#AnythingGoes
Thank you 🙂 Good luck on yours, fingers crossed baby number 2 isn’t far away!
I loved all the A-Z challenge posts that I read last year and was bummed that I didn’t know about it until it was too late to try and catch up so that is definitely one that I will be partaking in this year. I also just want to challenge myself to keep a weekly blog post planner and stay more organized with my blog. It was nice to take a step back into the beginning of how I first started blogging. To connect with people via WordPress and the daily post. Happy 2016 Debbie! 💌Trista
It’s so much fun, glad to hear you’ll be taking part this year 🙂 That’s a great goal, getting posts organised is such a good feeling! Happy New Year 🙂
The 50 books challenge sounds my sort of thing, a book a week shouldnt be too much trouble, though I read less now I am blogging. #Anythinggoes
I usually get through one about every 10 days so this will push me to read a bit more. I used to get through a lot more before blogging too 🙂
Great challenges! I may try a few of these myself. #anythinggoes
Thank you 🙂 Good luck if you do!
Sounds like some really fun and interesting challenges for 2016. The A to Z sounds particularly good, but posting every day wouldn’t be possible for me. I hope you enjoy it though. I’ll keep my eye out in April. Good luck with it all!
Sally @ Life Loving
#AnythingGoes
I love the A-Z Challenge. If you can’t post daily, you can still join in, it will just take a bit longer to finish 🙂 Thank you!
Like the idea of all of these… especially the 50 book challenge! #AnythingGoes
Thank you! I think it will be tough but hopefully I will manage it 🙂
These look fun to do! I would love to do the Books and Happy Jar Challenge! I love reading but I don’t think I have read 50 AFTER I had kids LOL. And the Happy Jar would be a very good food for the soul. Look forward to seeing how you go with your challenges, especially the blogging one!
Thank you 🙂 I’m really looking forward to reading all the happy thoughts at the end of the year 🙂 I think finding time to read one book would be something to be proud of when you have kids lol!
There are some good challenges here and they are challenging! The book one especially. My patience is shot so I’ve been reading more comics than books lately and have been really enjoying the wide range of stories and genres.
We have saving jars for loose change and one for £2 coins but we’ve been a bit lazy with it (and also not much change!) so your post is a good reminder to get more disciplined.
My own challenge this year I haven’t really thought about yet but you’ve given me a kick to do so now!
#AnythingGoes
Thank you 🙂 Yeah, the book one is pretty mammoth! I’ve never really tried comics. Good luck picking your challenge and with your savings jar 🙂
All these challenges look like fun. I really must do the savings plan one, think it would be a great one to pass on to the kids when they’re older too #AnythingGoes
Yes, it’s a good one for kids as it’s such a small amount daily
Good luck in completely your challenges. I’m doing a savings plan one and seeing what the year brings for everything else.
Thank you 🙂 Good luck with your savings, and I hope everything else is good!
I love the Happy Jar idea. I used to do something similar back when I was in my teens, and it really used to work, looking back on all those nice things. 🙂 #AnythingGoes
I think it’s going to be lovely reading back through all of them 🙂
Great challenges!! I have also set myself the savings jar and the 50 book challenge! So far I have zero in the savings jar but have read two books! I’m thinking I may have to deposit a monthly amount in the savings jar which defeats the object but still….points for trying!! Thanks for hosting!! #anythinggoes
Thank you 🙂 I’ve nearly finished my second book too! Whatever works for you, you’ll still have some extra money at the end of the year however you do it 🙂 Thanks for linking up
Love all of these. I never have cash other wise I would do the savings jar challenge. I like the idea of a happy thoughts box and I am going to look into the A-Z challenge I think. Good luck with all your challenges 🙂 xx #anythinggoes
The A-Z challenge is so much fun 🙂 Thank you, and same to you if you decide to do it! x
Some fab ideas and challenges here! Wow 50 books! Wish I could read that much, I’m rubbish! I love the savings jar challenge idea, I saw this idea last year and thought it would be a good one! X
Thank you 🙂 The 50 books will be tough, but I hope it pushes me into reading a bit more. I’m loving the savings jar, it’ll take a lot of pressure off at the end of the year! x
I’m with you on the first two, I have my savings pot and also our memory jar. However our jar ends up turning into a box and a carrier bag full of stuff. We just chuck everything in and then I put it all on a picture. Bit behind with that this year. I love the sound of A-Z challenge, would be interested in that. Good luck, you shall be a busy lady. Nicky #AnythingGoes
I can see mine ending up that way, more a memory box than a thought jar 🙂 A-Z is really fun 🙂 Thank you
Great challenges! The money one is a really good idea! I kept seeing posts that were for the A-Z challenge when I started blogging last April, but didn’t know what it was. Not sure I could manage to write a post a day though! #anythinggoes
Thank you 🙂 It’s a good way to save up hopefully! I post daily anyway so the challenge for me is more thinking up things to write about with the relevant letters
These are five great challenges Debbie! The 50 books will be no problem for you – you are such a great reader! I love the idea of the happiness jar or zip lock (lol). And, the savings jar for Christmas – I might steal those two 🙂 Thanks so much for hosting x
Thank you 🙂 I’m hoping the 50 books will push me to read a bit more I think I managed around 40 last year. Feel free! Thanks for linking up x
Go you! I’ve got no challenges or ambitions for 2016, other than to keep all members of my household alive, fed and maybe clean. Maybe. #anythinggoes
Lol, that’s a pretty good one – doesn’t sound easy though 😉 Good luck!
These are great challenges! #anythinggoes xx
Thank you and thanks for linking up 🙂 x
This sounds interesting and a lot of fun although I’m rubbished to stick to things!! I will probable give up half way through!! LOL The one that caught my eye was the one of writing a good thing that happened to you every day and put it in a jar. It would be cool to read back all these thoughts at the end of the year! Good luck with these challenges. Thanks for hosting, 🙂 xx
#AnythingGoes
Lol, I hope I managed to stick to them! I’m really looking forward to reading them all at the end of the year. Thanks for linking up 🙂 x
I’ve sent myself some stretch targets for blog stats / social media etc which will be a big challenge but other than having baby number 2 I’ve not done any others all though I really like the sound of the A-Z one 🙂 good luck I am sure you will do them all #AnythingGoes xx
Good look with your stats challenge! The A-Z Challenge is a lot of fun but I think having baby number 2 will beat them all 🙂 Thank you x