Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

2012 Calendar
Photo Credit: danielmoyle, via flickr


New Year's Day is a nice, quite one around the Crafting Sanity household. We'll have some family time, I might (might) take down the Christmas tree, and the hubs and I will surely continue our joint assault on Harry Potter, Years 5-7 on the Wii.  Definitely a great day.

I've never been much for New Year's resolutions, and I'm not going to start now.  But I do hope this year is a year for growth, happiness, and constant self-improvement, for me and for all of you.

We also don't have any New Year's traditions to speak of, but I'd love to hear about yours!  What does your family do for the New Year? And did you make any resolutions this year?

Friday, December 30, 2011

This Moment

(From the SouleMama blog.)

 {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.



Do you have your own moment to share?  Let me know in the comments so I can come visit!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday is my way of pausing each week to consider all of the things I'm grateful for.  Sometimes they're small, sometimes they're large, but I think it's always important to keep my blessings in mind.

This week I'm thankful for:

...a slower, quieter time of year.  Post holidays, I need a breather, a time to reflect on the year that's passed and time to process my plans and goals for the New Year ahead.

...after-Christmas sales.  Stocking up on next year's gift wrapping paraphernalia at 70% off is a blessing, indeed!

...sunshine.  Even though some snow would be lovely, anything is better than the dreary, damp rain we've had for weeks on end.

...a marriage that, though never perfect, is the strongest it has ever been.

Feel free to join in the comments, or link back to your own blog!  What are you thankful for this week?

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Facebook Fast: My Progress So Far

Today is the beginning of my fourth day of saying "No Way" to my favorite social media site, Facebook.  How's it going?

Honestly? Much better than I expected it to go!

Typically, in the mornings, my "morning coffee" is sitting down at the computer for 20 to 30 minutes and checking Facebook, my e-mail accounts, and blogs I read.  Sometimes, I'll pop over to Pinterest.  It's a routine that helps get me going for the day, much like sitting down at the breakfast table and reading the newspaper.  So, I figured taking an entire step out of that routine might throw a wrench in my day and make it difficult to get anything done.  You know, kind of like when you lose your favorite piece of jewelry, the one you wear every day - you just don't feel right without it, like you're walking around with two left feet and can't keep your balance. 

And really, there's no problem with that.  My problem with Facebook is that I tend to be a grazer.  I'll sit down every other half hour or so just to check my news feed.  And sometimes that turns into checking out other sites and blogs, or getting lost in someone's photo album of their kids' Halloween costumes, and before I know it I've been on my tush in front of the screen for an hour or more.  Doing absolutely nothing worthwhile. 

Since FB has become such a daily habit, I figured I would have more of a struggle when it came to staying away.  I won't lie - the first day was difficult!  The kids did several adorable things, and my first thought was, "Oh, I need to post that!  So and so would get such a kick out of it."  But then I remembered I couldn't, and I moved on with my day.  A few times, I actually clicked on the Facebook shortcut on my toolbar, out of habit, before I caught myself.  Thankfully, my husband also uses Facebook and had his account logged in, because surely I would have gotten sucked in quickly if I'd caught a glimpse of something interesting or funny at the top of my newsfeed. 

The second and third days weren't so bad at all.  I still checked my e-mail and surfed Pinterest, but I noticed that I spent considerably less time parked in front of the computer screen, and more time interacting with kids or catching up with stuff I've been behind on for ages.  Or, writing in this blog, which I've sorely neglected these past few months. 

Bottom line?  I don't miss Facebook.  Let me say that again, because it just feel so good:

I don't miss Facebook!

I don't miss it so much that I'm considering making my 7 day fast a 30 day sabbatical and breaking the social media habit once and for all.  I can't stay away permanently, because I am trying to grow a business and social media is an important free marketing tool, but I think a 30 day break will be good for me, especially as I get into this busy month of holiday preparation and celebration.

I'll make my decision before my week is up, but for now, I'm enjoying this 7 days without Facebook. 

How about you?  Do you think you could go a week without Facebook?  How about a month?  What would you do with your extra time?

Friday, December 2, 2011

This Moment

(From the SouleMama blog.)

 {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.


picnikfile_KlwKGi


Do you have your own moment to share?  Let me know in the comments so I can come visit!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Taking a Break from Social Media

This week, I'm embarking on a (somewhat daunting) self-experiment.

I'm signing off of Facebook for seven days.

Facebook Screenshot
PhotoCredit: codemastersnake on flickr


 
Why?  Well, quite frankly, I think I've become a little too dependent, a little too attached, and I need to take a step back.  I want to see what life looks like when I'm not refreshing my news feed every thirty minutes.  I want to see who I miss, and who misses me.  I want to see if, ultimately, the time I devote to staying "connected" is worth it.

Another blogger challenged her readers to do a 7 day Facebook fast, and I jumped on that wagon pretty quick.  I've felt for a long time that the world's favorite social media site is far too high on my list of priorities, when it really should be far closer to the bottom.

In the interest of full disclosure, I won't be changing any of my other surfing habits, just abstaining from logging into Facebook until the morning of December 8th. 

How will it go?  I'm not sure, but I'm looking to finding out!

What about you?  Have you ever given up something that was superficially important to you?  How did it go?  Were you happy with the results?

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for...

...warm evening sunlight that chases the November chill away.

...my husband, who has taken the dinner chore off my hands this evening.

...Netflix Instant Watch and Dora the Explorer.  If you have preschoolers, I'm sure you understand why.

...the tiny tooth that has (finally!) worked it's way out of sore and worried gums.  I sense better sleeping nights ahead for all of us.

...a nice, quiet evening at home with my family. 


What are you thankful for today?