My Day...Unplugged

What did I miss? Apparently blogger updated their interface but it says my browser doesn't support it...whatever that means.  I guess I need to look into that.

I also missed an invite to a Mile High Mama's event at The Museum of Nature and Science.  It was sold out at 4pm.  It happens to be the night of my first PTA meeting and if I'm going to be the President someday...I can't miss the first one.  So...it's all good.

Here is a run down of my day:

8am....shut everything down. (I'd like to know the electricity that was saved today)

8:15am...eat breakfast in front of the TV while watching a segment on The Today Show about Teens that are addicted to technology.  Find out that Teens are cyber bullying each other anonymously on Formspring.  Vow not to get a formspring account...or a cellphone for my kids until they are 30.  Tips from the *expert*: don't take your phone to bed with you.  Any texts tweets sent after 10pm are irrational. Park your phone when you have company.

8:50am...sign an 8 month lease on my apartment and vow to get the hell out of here and BUY A HOUSE by April.

9am...watch Nancy Drew with Mallory.  Think to myself that her Penny Loafer's are kind of cute and wish I could google *penny loafer*.

10am..Impulsive Addict calls to check up on me.  Love her for doing this with me!

10:15am....Wish I could check my weather app to see what the temp is.

10:35am...Email break (but not twitter) I have 51 emails.  NONE of them are important.  Check the weather app.  It's 80 degrees.  Turn on the AC and straighter my hair just like a You Tube Video I saw yesterday.  Wish I could watch the video again.

11am...Pick up Alex, remember to take my watch so that I know what time it is instead of checking my phone. Go to McDonald's Drive through and remember that I can't check in on 4square or Gowalla or FB or Forkly.  Wonder how my friends on twitter will live without knowing where I was.

12pm...Watch Y&R on TV that I DVR'd instead of watching it online.  I actually pay attention to what is going on without being distracted by twitter and cry at the end.

12:45pm....Open Alex's backpack and find that Ms. M is helping me out.  She sent me a Scholastic Books Magazine to read. Get to page four and see that they want me to follow @parentandchild on twitter.  Read 1/2 of magazine and find things I want to google:

The Rhythm of Family by Amanda and Stephen Soule
Skiphop.com
My Future Listography
How Your Child Learns Best by Judy Willis
Recipe that I'm making for dinner
The house I saw for sale by the school.

1pm...Do a load of laundry and wish I could check my weather app because it's hotter than hades outside. Decide to watch this really bad movie so that I can see a love scene with Michael Muhney in it.  Luckily the kids stayed in their room playing legos.

2:15pm..Check email (49) and weather app (95 degrees).

2:30pm Watching Nancy Drew....again.  Ask Alex 50 times to stop calling her Nasty Drew.  Find the little chubby kid that loves her annoying and think that the penny loafers look stupid now.  Wish I could google the name of the cute kid that likes her from her old town.

4:10pm...turn on my computer.  Send out my first tweet of the day and check my weather app again.

Impulsive Addicts Unplugged Post.
Yoga Pants & Coffee Results Post.
Outta This World Unplugged Post.
Mighty M Family 8 Hours Post
Emmy Mom Lessons From Unplugging
Jenny Kate  Calling Betty Ford

iPhone Challenge...

Do you ever feel like you've become too dependent on your phone and your computer? Are you addicted to Words with Friends and Twitter?

Every now and again....I find it really helpful to unplug from all of my electronics. It helps me realize that there are OTHER ways that I could be spending my time and that there are PEOPLE that I should be focusing that time on.

I've gotten way better about this as my kids have gotten older and over this summer actually. I have taken a lot more time to read (I've read NINE books this summer. Looky here.) and I've done more things with my kids.

My kids need me more and I NEED to be more in the moment.

So...when Impulsive Addict started talking about taking a break from her phone...I pushed encouraged her to do it and said I'd do it with her.

Tomorrow...I'm joining up with Impulsive Addict, Emmy Mom and @AmberNDE for a iPhone/Computer Fast for 8 hours.

Could you give up your phone (except if it rings and you don't have a landline) and your computer (except for 2 ~15 minute breaks to check email) for 8 hours (me: 8am-4pm MST)? Should you?

Join us, keep a log of what you did instead and blog about it on Thursday!


YAY! Barb from Yoga Pants and Coffee is joining us!
WOOT!  Pam from Be Colorful is joining us too!
Boo YA! Teri from The Mighty M Family is in!
Yippy! Sara Jo from Outta This World wants in!

What You Missed: Unplugged Edition

Internet was intermittent today.  Managed to get a few photos uploaded but the video is still a no go. Going to post this before the web goes down again.

Daddy's Home!

iKeith came home from San Francisco on Friday night and we couldn't be happier! Mallory even broke out into a dance in the middle of the airport. I have the most adorable video of it....but my internet has been wonky since Thursday and I can't upload it. I'm seriously video challenged lately.

Was really happy to have iKeith home since when the pizza guy came to the door Thursday night...Alex told him that Daddy was not home and was in San Fran. I made double sure the doors were locked that night and gave Alex his first scare...about what strangers can do. He informed me that the pizza guy is NOT a stranger...because he brings pizza.


Connie and the Not Bummer Summer

We already completed two items on our list. We got ice cream at Sonic and yesterday we went to Dinosaur Ridge. We'll be doing both things again really soon!

Really Just a Yard Sale with Music

Thursday night I was trying to eat my pizza watch The Crappy Life of the American Teenager when I kept hearing really obnoxious music.  I finally figured out it was coming from just outside my patio and there were people setting up a tarp and hanging clothing from the tree limbs. There was a guy playing some kind of an instrument and then I spied a portable grill. I flipped my lid when I saw people leaning up against my very expensive vehicle! I went out to move my SUV and they had so much stuff set up that it took all my driving skills to get it out of there.  I might have run over a church lady.

When I got back to my apartment....I saw this hanging on my door.

A carnival.....with free used clothes.

When A**holes Attack

Saturday night....I went to bed kind of early because I got ZERO sleep while iKeith was gone.  I had just drifted off when I heard a ton of racket and then I heard Don/Dawn's dog freak out!  I was so out of it that I didn't really know what had happened...but I thought maybe people were drag racing down the street right outside my apartment.



Turns out some jack hole in a street racer decided to do some cookies in the grass out side my patio. (it IS a popular location lately.. Maybe he hates clowns) He tore up the grass and scared the hell out of me and iKeith.  He was going to call the police but figured it was probably a gang member and he didn't want to get involved in any shenanigans.  Mick claims that they just evicted someone and he thinks it might have been them.  Awesome!

I really, really think it's time for us to move.  And Living Social Daily Deals agrees with me.

Get The Door!

So...Thursday, when I was completely without internet and had a migraine on top of it.  I decided I wanted to order a pizza. I haven't called in a pizza order in....about 3 years. I love ordering Domino's online and watching the tracker as they make my pizza.

I called.  And they had my order history! YAY!  So I placed my order for 1 medium half cheese, half ham and 1 medium ham and mushroom.  I order this ALL THE TIME!

They screwed up my order.  They sent me TWO half cheese, half ham pizzas.  Why the hell would I do that? If that's what I wanted....why wouldn't I order ONE cheese and ONE ham?  They also didn't give me the coupon price. I will NEVER call for a pizza again!

And now I don't have to....Domino's just came out with an iPhone app so you don't have to talk to their incompetent employees.

Being in the Moment

I have to tell you that I was a little anxious going into this challenge. A large part of my day is spent on the computer/iPhone and I depend on them to provide me with entertainment, news, information and a CLOCK!

I realized this morning that I haven't worn a watch in years because I check the time on my cell phone which is always attached to me. I also realized that I run to GOOGLE a million times a day when random thoughts pop into my head.

I also check the weather and news from the computer. I felt out of touch.

I started my day by sitting down on the couch with my cold brewed Iced Coffee and my Jen Lancaster book Bright Lights, Big Ass and I read for about 20 minutes until my darling son woke up. He immediately asked for a show and I told him we weren't turning the TV on today. He thought I lost my mind. We put together a puzzle. Then we read books until his sister got up. Then we read more books after breakfast.

Finally it was time to head out to our activity for the day. Ogden Nature Center! We had a great time with our friends and saw birds and Deer and some turkeys. I am still trying to find an exercise calculator that will tell me how many calories you burn carrying a 23 pound toddler through the woods with a 45 pound Preschooler attached to your leg. Check out our photo montage....it's not very long.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Kids were tuckered out and took a good two hour nap and I cleaned the kitchen and read my book. Then....things went terribly wrong. Children woke up cranky and started fighting with each other. There was lots of crying...mostly from me.

At 5:10pm, I remembered that Calvin said he was going to be very late coming home. At 5:11pm, I made popcorn chicken for Mallory and poured myself a glass of wine and got into my new comfy pink jammies and slippers. At 5:19pm, I turned on the TV and went back to reading my book.

Lesson learned: I do need to cut back on my time on the computer. There are many other things I need to and would like to be doing. But I can't cut it out completely. It was nice to have a break and focus on the kids....that is where my main focus should be. I am a doer and I thrive on being busy but I need to take the time to be in the moment more.

And man! I missed my friends!

I'm Unplugged!

Today is the day! I'm unplugged from all my electronic devices for the entire day! No computer, twitter, facebook and television. I am also going to unplug my washer and dryer!

I will be leaving my phone on. I don't have a land line....so it will be on for hubby to call me and tell me he's coming home from work. And for emergencies. But I won't be accessing the internet from it. And no texting.

Instead, the kids and I have plans to meet our friends Monica, William and Kate at the Nature Center and we will plant some flowers and we will play! During nap time, I will read and work on my Vision Board. I can't wait to see how we do without all of these things that we depend on but probably spend too much time on.

I told Calvin about this challenge and he rolled his eyes at me. I tried to explain to him that my *friends* on my blogs, twitter and facebook are like my co-workers. You all are the people that I talk with and that most times help get me through another monotonous day. If it wasn't for the internet...I wouldn't have any adult interaction. It is a lifeline for me and I love it. But it is possible to have too much of a good thing and I realize that.

Ironically, Oprah is doing a show about living without TV, Internet and Cell Phone. I won't be watching it...until tomorrow!

Tomorrow....I will be back with pictures of our day!