Let the Annual Fast Begin....

I know I certainly don't contribute to our little blog very often anymore. But, just for the record:

My neighbor, Lisa, and I are continuing our annual Lenten fast from: digital media.

(I know, right?! GASP. HOW WILL WE SURVIVE???)

For the answer to that question, and a great sum-up of why we do this, please see our very first year's recap.

The nature of my fast changes year to year slightly, mostly because I'm in school right now pursuing an information science degree and it's all online. I HAVE to be on the computer/internet regularly.

Therefore, this year's focus/rules are as follows:

• One focused email time in the morning and one in the afternoon; no more checking/responding throughout the day.
• Social media ONLY as it relates to class (I'm taking a social media class, so there is some significant activity related to class.... It does NOT include this blog, though). No Google reader. No new blog posts on anything save Literaritea (it's been my test ground for several assignments). No Pinterest browsing. 
• No... gulp... online shopping.
• No internet searching. (and this ... big gulp... includes the local library's online catalog)
• No internet activities that aren't completely necessary (for instance, I'm allowed to continue banking activities but will not be searching for new advance review copies of books to read through netgalley)

In general, I'm going to make a concerted effort to single-task: to pay attention to the moment, to not surf the web whilst I should be folding laundry, to not delay getting dinner ready because I want to catch up on my Google reader, to miss opportunities to enjoy spring because I'm hunting down the perfect birthday present online. It's so easy to get sucked into the online world and end up wasting precious time.

See you on Easter!

A Day in the Life of....

I think it's fun (and reassuring) to get a realistic peek into other people's lives, don't you? So often we go to someone's house (when they've had advance warning), and everything looks spanking clean, the kids are scrubbed and dressed, and dinner's wafting inviting aromas from the kitchen. Or, perhaps you see blog pic after blog pic of super cool decorating niches, artsy "simple" DIY projects, or simply someone's masterful schedule. It's important to remember that you're still only seeing a slice of life. Maybe they clean up good. And maybe, their lives look a lot like yours on a normal day. Here's how mine's gone so far:

Have you had a shower?

YES!!

Is the kitchen floor clean?

YES!! Cleaner than it's been in... maybe a year.

Is the bathroom clean?

YES!! It's ALL clean at the same time!! (except for the mysterious poop-colored stain about potty height on the WHITE shower curtain...)

Are the children clothed and happy?

YES!!

Are they watching TV?

YES!!

Is the laundry done?

If by "done," you mean it's been through a complete washer and dryer cycle, then the kids' laundry is done. If by "done," you mean that it's actually been folded and put back where it goes, then "no."

Are the breakfast dishes cleaned up and table wiped off?

Um.... no. In fact, in our super heavy duty cleaning of said kitchen floor, we also tackled the abyss under the sink and all that "stuff" is on my counter and I can't even see the breakfast dishes anymore... I know they're in the sink somewhere.

Is it lunchtime?

YES!!

Do you have lunch plans?

If by lunch plans, you mean a coupon to some delicious fast food restaurant around the corner, then maybe.

Can you throw together something from your existing pantry/refrigerator supplies?

Of course. But that would be a heck of a lot easier if I could see my kitchen counters and access my sink. But. tummy. doth. protest. need. lunch. now. no. time. to. keep. cleaning.

Are you going to resist the urge to eat out today?

YES!! (but only because we're already planning a Salsaritas run on Friday....)

And the TV show is over and Mommy must return to the fray.

New Year = New Blog Routine?

Hah! Who am I kidding? Carrie and I each have three kids ranging in age (collectively) from 6 months to age 9. Carrie's are spread out and include the bookend ages. Mine are clumped in the middle. In addition, we have hard-working hubbies, outside commitments (hers is a new Tupperware business, mine is grad school), and at least part-time homeschooling commitments.

So, I don't anticipate too much new writing on this poor little blog space of ours. However, we frequently make comments such as the following when we talk on the phone:

"I should put that on the blog!"

"I've been  meaning to write this up for the blog."

"Maybe we could have a new feature on the blog."

And so forth.

But this year, I'd really like to record more of my thoughts on this handy virtual space, if for no other reason than to have a record for my own bad self of all my musings. So, I'm going to get out the real teapot behind our "Tarnished Teapot" title and give it a good polish. It is indeed tarnished.

And I'm going to try to slow down a bit this year (hah! I can hear those of you who know me laughing uproariously at this). By slow down, I mean that I want to take the time to do things right: write important dates down, put stuff up where it goes when I'm tidying up, completely clean the kitchen at night (which, by the way, my hubby does an excellent job of when I'm in class 2 nights/week), blow dry my hair, etc. I probably won't be up to date on my Google reader, won't read as many books outside of classwork, and won't be cooking very elaborately.

But hopefully, I'll spend more time outside, keep the house in better shape, and not forget as many important school things for my daughter (like show-n-tell!). In order to facilitate putting stuff back where it goes, my hubby and I've been engaged in massive house decluttering (including parts of the attic!). We've made some fun discoveries, made huge donations to local thrift stores, and re-evaluated how we want our house to serve us. Stay tuned!