Thursday 23 July 2020

Doing the Work

Racism has been at the forefront of conversations in the last couple months.  There is a lot of work to be done so that everyone is safe and has true equality where we live.  I have been doing the work for a while now and yet I know I have much to learn.  Today I want to share a few resources that I have found helpful.


Resources for Children:

  • I purchased the course "The White Families' Guide to Talking About Racism" from Education With An Apron.  I have been working through the course with my 6 year old.
  • We have purchased books that center BIPOC characters, written by BIPOC authors.  We have been working to diversify our book shelf.  We have a limited budget but we will keep adding to our bookshelf.  I have found wonderful recommendations from the following accounts on Instagram:
  • Our toy 'community' is now much more reflective of the world around us and includes dolls from of different races
Resources for Adults:
  • Rachel Cargle  I have become a patron on Patreon for Rachel's work and I am learning from the resources she provides there and on her website.
  • Ibram X. Kendi has a must-read book called How To Be An Antiracist
  • Jaris is an Indigenous Pharmacy professor in Saskatchewan who has great posts regarding racism and the work that Canadians need to do.
  • Austin Channing Brown wrote a must-read booked called I'm Still Here.


Wednesday 22 July 2020

Summer Capsule Wardrobe- 22.07.2020

We are halfway through this capsule wardrobe and I am so happy with it.  My clothes feel good and I have options for whatever weather we face.  I have owned most of this capsule wardrobe for years and these pieces are still going strong. I love this from a sustainability standpoint.  We really don't need new things as often as we think we do.







Happy Wednesday, friends!

Monday 13 July 2020

Tech Free Time

Lately, I have been conscious of my phone use.  I have always kept my phone on the kitchen counter during the day.  I had found that it was an easy way to limit my phone use when I am with my kids.  I also keep my phone on silent and I have turned off notifications for most of my apps.  When the pandemic hit, I found myself picking up my phone more often to check the news, learn about the disease and use my social media as a way to escape reality.

I was using my 'free' time in the evenings to read over news reports, look at alarming statistics and read all of my friends' views on the experience of living through a pandemic.  I lost sleep and my brain never seemed to turn off.  I kept feeding my craving for information with news and social media.

It took longer than I would like to admit to realize how my screen time was hurting my mental health.  I wasn't taking the time to properly care for myself and something needed to change.  I became better at putting my phone away and setting time limits.

I came across the idea of a 'tech sabbath' in Casper Ter Kuile's book The Power of Ritual. (I highly recommend this book!)  I was intrigued.  Casper observes a tech sabbath from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday where he puts away both his phone and laptop.  He doesn't engage in social media, read emails, work, answer messages or phone calls during that time.  I loved the idea and decided to bring it up to my husband.



My husband's work requires him to be on call so he can't just put away his phone for a full day, but we agreed to our own version of a tech sabbath.  We decided that on Saturday night ('date night' in our house) that we would start our tech free time and that we would observe our tech free time until Sunday evening.  We also made the decision to dedicate our Sunday to family time that would include a creative activity, a physical activity (family walk or bike ride) and using our family supper to have a discussion about what we are grateful for from the previous week.  

Our rules for our tech free time are:
  • no social media
  • no games on our phones or laptops
  • no podcasts
  • no email
  • no internet browsing
  • no blogging
We have found that our tech free time has really increased our enjoyment and relaxation during our 'days off'.  We truly have time to rest and we are able to tune out the rest of the world for a short period of time.  It is rejuvenating.

Do you ever limit your social media or tech use?
 

Wednesday 8 July 2020

Summer Capsule Wardrobe- 08.07.2020

I am back to my blog this week with some new outfits to share.  Last week my family and I headed to the cabin for a mini vacation.  We tried our best to unplug, relax and enjoy nature.  It was so rejuvenating.  I came back refreshed and ready to work again.  I have been loving my distressed jeans lately.  We have had the odd rainy day and I have been wearing them quite a bit.  They are so comfortable and look cute, too!










Happy Wednesday, friends!