It's not so bad.

Although habits do die hard, I'm finding that this experiment is getting easier with time.  My decaf morning coffee suits me just fine.  I haven't felt tired or grumpy at all.  Sometimes I reach for caffeine when I need a boost, but usually it's out of boredom.  A trip to the staff room for a cup of mediocre coffee is an excuse to socialize and get out of my classroom.  "Grown-up time" isn't just something that mothers seek out; it's a teacher thing, too.

Chocolate, on the other hand, is something that I crave.  Usually right after lunch or dinner, I want a little sweet treat.  The other night I walked down to Top Pot Doughnuts and ordered a pink vanilla cake and a decaf coffee. 

This is something I would normally never do.  I would always pick the rich, goopy, chocolatey one.  But I have to admit that my little pink princess donut was pretty delicious, too.  I remind myself that it's good to try new things, even if they're not the things that you like the best.

Now I wonder if I will switch back to caffeinated coffee once this experiment is over.  It does taste a little better.  But why add a drug to my daily life that I'm fine without?  When I've been out lately, I've been ordering vodka tonics instead of my usual rum and Diet Cokes.  That seems like a "healthy" switch, too.  I could continue to live without all of the caffeine and aspartame/saccharin.  Don't even ask me what's in the Red Bull vodkas.  And definitely don't ask me when the alcohol-free month begins...

I've kept some parts of each experiment so far.  For example, I use vegetable broth instead of bouillon cubes in soups (see vegetarian month).  I've also been less drawn to buying new things, instead finding cute used items or pieces already in my closet (see shopping month).  What pieces of this month will I keep with me?