Unplug Your Summer Challenge or Party Like it's 1949

I've recently become aware of the negative pull technology has on my time. Too often I realize I've been lost in looking at something on my phone or computer. I come back to life and wonder how long I've been flat lining. I imagine I have the same blank expression as my kids do when they are zoned out in front of the television.

My relationship with technology is love/hate at best. I am the first one to hop on the Internet but I often am upset with myself later about how disconnected I feel to real life. Although I am not often suckered into losing hours of my life in front of the TV, if you add up the minutes I spend in front of the computer, Ipad or on the Droid the number would make me cringe.

I have so many things I WANT to be doing and yet I'm wasting my time. My daughter Eliza is almost four and my son Jude is almost two. It happened in the blink of an eye and in another blink I'm afraid they will be grown and I will regret not soaking up every moment I have with them. I'll even miss those moments that make me want to get in my car, start driving and never turn around. Usually those moments happen when I am in some way disconnected from what is going on with them.

This summer I am going to party like it's 1949.

I'm going to unplug my summer and connect to my husband, my kids and my friends. I'm going to document my experiences and report back in September.

Some of you have chosen to participate in Screen Free Week, and others have Killed their TV for a month. This challenge is about 3 months/ 92 days screen free. It is about spending a summer unplugged.

How will you unplug yourself this summer. What are your favorite screen free summer activities?

Interested in joining me on my Unplug Your Summer Challenge- blog about it and drop me a line.

Minimalist at Heart

Clutter.

Stress.

Slow strangulation by stuff.

Our time was being dominated by our things and trying to figure out where to put them. I am the queen of moving things around. Unfortunately, no matter how I moved things around or tried to reorganize the problem still existed. We had too much stuff. Our condo in Jersey was approximately 1,800 square feet. We also had a storage unit in the basement. Of course we felt the need to fill all of our space so we had no space left. Our current apartment is about 1,000 square feet. When we tried to cram all our stuff into a smaller hole and it just about exploded. Seriously, you can actually see my closets exploding below.

How was it possible for someone who described herself as little-to-no no maintenance to have so much damn stuff to maintain?

It doesn't really matter how it happened. What does matter is that I have decided to make a change.

The first time I heard the word minimalism I thought it sounded wonderful. I do believe I am a minimalist at heart. It's getting my mind and my habits wrapped around the concept that has taken a bit longer.

On the day I discovered minimalism I was living like this...

and that is no way to live.

Let It Go

Dear Danielle,

You want to get rid of more stuff. You dream about tossing everything. You mentally go through your closets and cabinets donating items with ease. Nobody is listening but you talk anyway, " What's the big deal? This is a breeze. Who needs this stuff anyway?" You can't seem to figure out why all those people on hoarders are having so much trouble. Sissies.

Then you wake up and see your stuff in real life. YIKES! I know. You thought things were supposed to be scarier in your dreams.

It's usually at this point that you start having a conversation with yourself about your things. You talk to yourself because if you started talking to your possessions someone might finally come and take you away.

You hear your mom's voice explaining why you should hold onto things- like that banana slicer she gave the kids. Does it even matter that they will only eat bananas whole and completely unbroken? Or how about that turkey platter for when you might host Thanksgiving (not happening). Or even worse your own voice. You never know when you might need a mandolin slicer. You've been meaning to do some major slicing. And don't forget your Snoopy Snow Cone Machine. Do you really even have to discuss this one with yourself? Snoopy is awesome.

Sometimes you feel sad because a lot of your stuff was gifted to you. You don't want to hurt people's feelings by tossing stuff which is really kinda not your stuff but actually is your stuff. Right?

And then there is the sunk cost feeling. The lost money YOU spent on purchasing an item that you will never recoup. The realization that you overdid Christmas again and the kids aren't even playing with those AMAZING gifts you picked out. Instead they are playing with a container of colored rice.

Lastly, let's not dismiss those sentimental items. The unfinished baby book, the letters you wrote to Pete in college, pictures from before you had kids and aged 10 years. If you toss that stuff it might be like it never happened. You HAVE to keep that stuff. What would happen if you forgot you met and fell in love with Pete.

So that leaves you keeping...ummm...let's see...everything.

You've got to let it go.

LET IT GO...

Love,

Your future (less stressed more organized) minimalist self

Enjoy Less

"The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less."
— Socrates

I want less. I want to enjoy less debt. I want to enjoy less stress. I want to enjoy less clutter.

I want to live more. I want to spend more time doing the things I love. I want to spend more time with the people I love. I want to own fewer things and enjoy them more.

Peter and I have made some mistakes and now we are in a situation that is far from ideal. We thought we were doing everything right but it turns out we did it all wrong. It's easy to get caught up in nonsense, in consumerism and in Want.

And since I can't go back in time to make better choices - though I often wish I could-I have decided to work towards living a simpler life.

I am learning to enjoy less and live more

In what ways do you enjoy less?