It's Over

Our one week Tech Fast officially ends today. 
Which means I can now blog from home...which I am doing

Some lessons learned  ( from my perspective)
 I check email a lot. 
I check it because I can not because I need to. Really, any time there was a pause in my life, I reached for my phone.    And, once I am on email, I often get sucked into other things.  I'm considering scheduling time to check my email. 

Limiting access frustrated some people. 
I was surprised and uncomfortable by this.  I don't like to upset people. Next time I will do a better job of letting people know when I'm available and how to contact me if you REALLY need a response quickly.  And, I want to experiment with how to use technology in ways that support my life...so I may have to get more comfortable with people being frustrated with me ( this may include my kids.)

It was challenging business-wise
Technology takes some bandwidth for me. I am learning a lot related to how to run a small business...including quite a bit of online learning.  I do have easy access to the library and there were times when it was not convenient.  And I lived through it. 

I liked my off line time
I read, drew, talked with people, went on my walks, went to bed early.  It was healthy to have protected off line time.  I would do it again.

Blogging at the Library

Blogging about a tech fast when you work from home presents a bit of a challenge.

So, I am at our local library...which lucky for me is a short walk from our home, is beautiful and has free internet. 

Three benefits to blogging from the library:

- I am making good use of a local resource.  Hopefully they get to count my presence as support and proof of a good investment of tax dollars.  ( I love libraries!)

-I schedule my time and set limits....this is something I need to do as newly self employed.

-Exercise:  I have to walk to get here...it's a short walk but it is a walk!

More benefits to a tech fast..

I got home yesterday (Sunday.) 

 Usually after being on the road , I would have booted up my laptop to catch up on email.

But, that was not an option.  So I chatted with family, took at walk and visited a friend, broke a string trying to tune my new used guitar ( which I bought from my niece, Maddy!), did some drawing and went to bed early!  And when I got on today to catch up on email...the world was still there!

I really appreciated not having the choice yesterday!  Because when I do have the choice...I almost always go on line.

Tech Fast: First Impressions

Julie- I'm feeling guilty because I'm not home experiencing our experiment.  I am staying at places with internet.  Do I use it? Is that fair?  My compromise- set limits.  I'm on this morning to check email and blog and going to try staying off the rest of the day.

My mom-  I was surprised by her reaction.  She sounded ( via email) mad.  "I'm ticked."  ( that sounds mad doesn't it)  Her perspective: email is how she communicates...will she be cut off from us?

I've emailed to explain that we are an easy 10 minute walk from our awesome public library that has free internet access from 9-9 weekdays and 9-5 Saturday.

My sister-  Sent a link to Camp Grounded...a summer camp experience that is tech free for adults.  It looks fun. You can check it out here  http://campgrounded.org/about

Mark:  When I checked in with Mark this morning (via email) here is what he said

"It has been going well.  We just hung in the kitchen chatting last night.  I like it much better than being in our separate rooms looking into light boxes.

 

Really it has been going well.  Nate and I are making dinner tonight.  Hamburgers on the grill.  Wouldn’t happen if we had the modem on.

 

Being bored is a lost art."

Logistical note: There has been a change in the "rules"  Two weeks sounded too long...we are going to try one week 4 times a year.

I don't have the boys' perspective.  They are not big email users when they do have access to internet...so I'm going to wait until I am back home to interview them.

Stay tuned...more to come

Taking a Break from Technology

The idea: What if we turned off the internet for two weeks?

Take a technological fast....a digital sabbatical.....


This is not the most popular challenge we have ever done...

in fact...it is quite possibly the least popular ( at least with our sons)

Mark and I have talked about the impact of technology on our family many times.

The amount of time playing video games is a hot topic....but we also notice that at night we are most likely to all be on separate devices.  I know I check my email more times than I need to....because I can.  And I turn on my lap top whenever I am bored.

We have tried setting limits...one internet free day a week, no internet after 9pm.   This has its merits, though it also makes either Mark or I feel like the internet police.  Who gets the popular job of reminding people it's time to get off?

Mark's suggestion was to try a complete fast.  Go cold turkey for long enough that we get our technology habits out of our systems.  

One week?  Mark thought..not long enough...so we ( meaning Mark and I ) decided to try two weeks for the first experiment.

I've been doing some checking...there are people "in this sandbox"

The Creative Benefits of taking Mini-Sabbaticals from all your Various Screens

Traveling Vegan

Lessons learned from my first experience away from home

I was visiting my son Ben at Conserve School in northern Wisconsin.

We stopped at a restaurant on the way up...I picked it because I liked the name  "Shady Sue's"
There was one "vegan friendly" item on the menu ...the dinner side salad.  It certainly made choosing dinner easy.   At least it was a good salad.  ( I did have some of my friend Mary's french fries!)

At Conserve School, it was very easy to eat vegan.  They eat healthy and plant strong in general...there is always a vegan option and an amazing salad bar ( the photo does not do it justice...sorry Scott)

I will be more prepared next time I am on the road.  I will pack snacks...healthy,  fun and easy to get to.   I used to pack snacks all the time when the boys were little...so this is returning to a habit not starting a new one.

 I am paying attention to food in a different way!  I am much more appreciative of healthy, beautifully prepared food.

Yes!

After a few disappointing meals from vegan cookbooks..we decided to change our strategy.

Why not start with Rip's recipes that have all been vetted by Texas fire fighters. (Engine 2 Diet)

Here is Mark making Rip's sweet potato lasagna.
(official name Raise the Roof Lasagna)



 As he made it he announced..."I'm not making this again...this is a lot of work."












However when eating Rip's lasagna he said

 " I will make this again...

 I would serve this to company."

Yes!

Happiness is...

soy milk creamer and a Mighty Muffin!

Who would have thought I'd be happy about soy milk creamer :)

 I really like coffee with cream. I tried almond milk and it just didn't cut it so I was getting ready to go with out coffee ( gasp from coffee drinkers).

Turns out there must be quite a few vegan coffee lovers who don't drink black coffee.  There are multiple kinds of creamers to try.

Breakfast has been a ho hum granola... fine but not very filling. So we checked out Rip's online recipes and chose the Mighty Muffin.   To say these are filling is an understatement.  You make them with 3 cups of oat bran and 6 bananas.  These things are  meal.

Our first dinners were disappointing.  We tried a chili and a Hunan hotpot.  Both C-...not awful but certainly not anything exciting.  We were not looking forward to dinner.   Mark said " We can do better than this!"

So we went online.  Rip, who inspired this whole adventure has recipes that look amazing (hoping it isn't just that he as an awesome photographer.)  And so does Fork Over Knives and my sister suggested Whole Foods  (which has a getting started vegan section with recipes)

We love food and this challenge was not about deprivation.  We knew we might need to "educate our palate: ( pretty sure Rip said something like that) but we are pretty sure there are recipes we will be excited about...and that is part of why we are doing this challenge.  We want to widen our food horizons...and ramp up the plants.

The next adventure...I visit my son Ben at Conserve school this weekend where he has quite a few vegan friends so I am going to try my hand at baking vegan cookies.

photo source:  Engine2Diet