Whether we crack our knuckles or need to clean out the kitchen drawer; whether we need to go through the pile of paper on our desk or throw away the junk food in the pantry, we all have things we want to “thin out” of our lives.

So, Sargento Cheese decided to create a challenge on their Facebook Page that would encourage and inspire us to do more with less. To take a daily challenge to better ourselves, our families, our careers, or our friends. To eliminate things that don’t really matter without sacrificing things that do, and to thin out the waste we may have in our lives. (These challenges correspond with the launch of Sargento’s new Thin Cheese Slices, which reduces calories without reducing taste.)

All in all, there are thirty-two “Thin to Win” challenges, and this is challenge Number 12.

Exercise your Mental Health By Doing a CrossWord Puzzle.

Thus, I challenged myself to a crossword puzzle this morning.

{Cough}

Yes, the kiddie-version. But heck, it’s still a crossword puzzle! And I also found some really cool smartphone crossword apps, so maybe I’ll get better at them, like I did with Suduko.

iPad/iPhone/iPod

• Crossword Light (iTunes)
• New York Times Crosswords (iTunes)
• Crosswords (iTunes)

And here is a fun, free and downloadable crossword puzzle for kids, with a Father’s Day theme. It is a great activity to teach to children.

On a personal note, I’m super-preggo, which means everything is a challenge for me these days: seeing my feet, trying to get behind the car’s steering wheel, sleeping through the night (this happens even before the baby gets here.) And with this preggo brain, everything is a mental challenge too. Like, where did I put my car keys?

Yet, we have all read the studies that show the more you use brain power, the more mentally alert you will be. (I’m presuming these studies had pregnant participants?)

So challenge yourself to a crossword puzzle this weekend. Maybe sit down with your child and complete the crossword puzzle together for a learning (and bonding) opportunity. Then upload a picture of your completed (or semi-completed) crossword puzzle to the Sargento Cheese Thin to Win contest page. There are some seriously fantastic prizes available. But at a minimum, you’ll have some fun and will be doing something for your mental health (which we often neglect more than our physical health – and that is saying something.)

Overall, the Sargento Cheese Thin to Win Facebook Challenge encourages you to make steps to thin-out the junk in your life and win great prizes as a result! So start with this mental goal!

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Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Disclosure: I was compensated for my time in writing and promoting the Sargento Facebook Contest, but the words and thoughts are my own. I only chose to participate in the campaign because I love daily challenges and the overall goal of the contest.