About Dry Feb

Dry Feb is a fundraiser that challenges you to go booze-free for a month to support the Canadian Cancer Society. It helps you get healthy and clear your head while also raising funds for an important cause.

Dry Feb takes a light-hearted approach to raising funds for a serious issue. You don’t often get the chance to raise money for charity by not doing something! It is a challenge of determination that rewards participants with a great sense of achievement and feeling of wellbeing.

Taking part in Dry Feb also gives you the chance to focus on yourself – notice your own drinking habits and the value of a healthy, balanced lifestyle. The sobering news is that alcohol is one of the top three causes of cancer deaths worldwide. Last year, it is estimated that as many as 10,700 Canadians were diagnosed with cancer linked to their alcohol consumption.

Dry Heroes are supported by an online community of other participants, providing advice, help and encouragement throughout the challenge. (from https://www.dryfeb.ca/about)

 

My Final Week Sober For A Cause

Tuesday Through Friday

So this was a week of cleaning mostly.  I can’t really say that I did anything exciting until Friday.  I was cleaning in preparation of my daughter’s sleepover birthday party, because let me tell you preteen girls can be pretty judgy about how clean your house is.

Friday rolls around and a friend is messaging me that she’ll be over around 8:00.  Now I was only expecting her to drop off baked goods.  I hope to convince her to stay and hang out though. Well she shows up with an overnight bag because two weeks earlier we had made plans for her to spend the night and I totally forgot.  I feel bad about forgetting but I like that I was sober when I made the plans and everyday since. So sober me is also forgetful, that’s good to know.  So we had nice sober fun watching curling and then Last Man Standing.

Sleepover Saturday, Please Send Help…….

Actually sleepover Saturday was fairly successful. We had two of our daughter’s friends join us in the afternoon.  I took them skating, then downtown to rent movies and the bulk barn for treats.  Around dinner our son had a friend join the mix.  And this is probably where I would have cracked a drink if it were not for DryFeb.

Who knew that two little boys could make so much noise.  And though the girls were quiet once we were home and they went to the basement, I did spent my afternoon in close proximity to some very noisy and excited preteen girls.

So much noise, I was in total sensory overload.  But everyone had a good time so it was all worth it. Plus it’s probably not a bad thing that the kids don’t see us drink in response to their playing.

Home Stretch Time

Today is my daughter’s 11th. So reasonably I don’t need to drink at an 11 year olds birthday dinner.

There were days during the month were I probably would have drank.  But instead I stayed sober through a dinner party, the superbowl, dental surgery, Valentine’s Day, a week long migraine, and a sleepover birthday party.  I am feeling pretty good about the whole experience.  Spending an entire month sober and not getting to plan it around a time when I know nothing too exciting was happening, was a different experience for me.  I wouldn’t have chosen February myself but I got through it pretty smoothly.

Thank You

I want to express my kindest gratitude to everyone who took the time to read about my DryFeb adventures.  Also to everyone who shared our posts and of course to everyone who donated.  I won’t hesitate to do this again next year and I hope some of you will consider joining me.

For now though it’s not too late to click the image below and donate.

Graciously,

Mimi