Bucket List

At this point, I'm sure the country has been well-educated on the east coast "snowmeggedon" that is upon us. What better time is there to post a new blog since it's been a while? :) I've been thinking about a few bucket list things I would like to accomplish in the near future.

1. Cruise the Caribbean. My grandmother and her best friend used to go on a cruise every year. I still look at the pictures they took on their cruises. I want to go where the water is clear, the weather is warm, and there is nothing but fun to be had.

2. Elope. Now this one will probably get me some side-eye action, but hear me out. I've already been married and divorced before. We spent the money on the wedding and all of that. Afterward, I walked away knowing I would have rather used that money to vacation, and have a private ceremony. Next time around, I want to run off and do it without anyone's knowledge. Just he and I. <3

3. Have coffee in London. Yes, I said coffee. I hear they have the BEST coffee, and that the coffee there makes the coffee in the US taste like nasty water. I need that experience.

This is about as far as I've made it for my bucket list. I don't think I ask for much. Ha ha ha!

Thoughts....Randomly...

I've been vocal about the issues that are dear to my heart for various reasons. So, I won't say much. I hate that I know and love people that are supporters or contributors to rape culture. I can't bring myself to continue relationships and friendships with them anymore. I see so much ugly shit online that it is making the distance easier to bear.

Farewell...

Day 1

Before I get started, I was interviewed by the Simply Dope Momma, Deanna. Please check it out and follow her fabulous blog! Simply Dope Momma.

So, I deactivated my Facebook profile a few days earlier than I planned. I don't know. I just reached a point to where I was done. I think the hardest thing for me about breaking this addiction (because it's surely an addiction) is getting past the routine of scrolling my timeline and reading news articles. I've sort of thrown myself into other activities, and I have some newfound energy.

• I've been baking yummy desserts from scratch. I used to hate baking. It's been quite therapeutic, however.
• I've been cooking, organizing, and cleaning like crazy too.
• I spent more time doing activities with my kid. We've done Lego activities, coloring, arts and crafts, played video games together, and had absolutely amazing conversation.
• I even want to play board games again. My family that is visiting this weekend doesn't know this yet, but they have some Trouble and Battleship beatings coming their way after I finish writing tonight.
• Today was the first day I worked out and felt great about it in a long time. I feel productive.

I'm managing now. It feels good. Breaking the habit is really the hardest part. I'm glad I took the plunge. I'm really thinking about stepping away from all the other social networks too (Instagram, Twitter, etc). I guess I will if the feeling strikes. I haven't really spent much time on those sites anyway.

Side note: Cuffing season is real. I'm telling you...folks I haven't talked to since the last Cuffing season are making the hotline bling. LOL Eh...entertainment. I'm not mad.

Consumption - Resolution #1

"If it's great stuff, the people who consume it are nourished. It's a positive force." `Manuel Puig

In the beginning...

I have been brainstorming about starting this blog for weeks. I debated with myself on whether maintaining this blog in addition to my Tumblr blog is a good idea. I mean really, where would I find the time? I guess it's pretty obvious, at this point, the pros are outweighing the cons.

In this thought process, I focused on being more cognizant of my daily activities. What moves me? Where am I unchanging? How is the quality of my thoughts? With a few results, I quickly realized there was an important need to pay attention to my daily consumption. What am I reading? With whom am I interacting? How am I reacting? 

Here is what I found:

• Not only do I read the ridiculously depressing news online, I read the public comments. There are some truly disgusting humans in this world that act with "keyboard courage" to spew and penetrate others' peace of mind with their hate.
• A recurring thought process about how my thoughts or posts may affect others--positively or negatively. I'm extremely thoughtful and avoid hurting people I love; however, I'm also mad petty and will battle with the best of them if the need should arise.
• I constantly check my phone. I have an app cycle. I go from one to the other, and several times. It is really time consuming.
• I'm not huge on socializing outside of my home. Social networking makes it so much easier for me to continue living the life of an introvert. While I'm OK with being introverted, I realize people I love may need that person-to-person contact, and what kind of friend would I be if I just took what I needed without reciprocation?

Who has the time? 

Me. I literally have the time. I'm just filling my time with unproductive activities, and losing out on all the greatness productively using my time could bring! I've unplugged from the internet before. However, I've never really gone longer than a week. I've decided to unplug from social networking for 30 days or more. I haven't announced my intentions to anyone I know as of yet. I don't even think I'm going to tell anyone. I really just want to unplug and start to work on improving my time management skills. 

What I hope to gain:

• Finding the good in non-electronic daily activities;
• Better communication with those I love, and with my kid;
• Teaching my kid how to enjoy herself without electronics; and
• Improving my time management skills personally AND professionally.

I plan to blog here once a week, throughout the year to talk about my progress. In time, I'm sure I will gain some followers. That's not really my goal here, unless it helps someone else in my shoes. Then, I'm all for it! So, here it is...

RESOLUTION #1: 30-Day Absence from ALL social media and news articles.