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!

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?

 

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!

Summer Capsule Wardrobe- 17.06.2020

I am so glad to be in my summer wardrobe.  My spring clothes were getting to be much too warm for the weather.  I spend most of my days chasing kids, doing housework and gardening.  My wardrobe has to be comfortable and easy to work in.  So far this wardrobe has worked beautifully.  

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Peaceful Simple Loves- 12.06.2020

I read a lot.  I have really stuck to a non-fiction in recent years, but I do love fiction.  I like the romance genre, but I don't always get caught up in the story the way that I want to.  I want books to draw me in a hold my attention.

I read a book by Alyssa Cole  and I was instantly hooked.  Her books are well-written with strong, intelligent female characters and her books are inclusive.  Her Reluctant Royals series made me fall head over heels for her novels and I am now working my way through the rest of her books.  If you love romance novels, you need to check her work out.

Summer Capsule Wardrobe 2020

I have my summer capsule wardrobe all ready to go.  I am looking forward to warm days.  Our weather has been mostly cool and windy so far so I made sure to include some warm clothes so that I will be comfortable throughout the summer.  My Summer Capsule Wardrobe consists of 32 pieces.  I am excited to start wearing this wardrobe and I am hopeful that it will serve my clothing needs until the fall.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

June Home Goals

It is a new month and we are nearly halfway through 2020.  It has been a challenging year with a lot of things going on globally.  I am trying to focus on a few goals this month that will make my home more organized. I have been struggling lately to feel motivated and I think that having some clear goals might encourage me to be more productive with my time.  My home goals this month are:

• organize the gardening shelves in the garage
• go through and organize the dog's items in the garage
• go through Miss. Em's clothes and remove items that aren't being used
• complete our 2017 family photo book

I plan to achieve my goals by using my 20 minute resolution.  Taking 20 minutes, 3 times a week will certainly help me find the time to work on these projects.

Happy Monday!