I can't quite put my finger on it, but

I feel a shift happening...

I've had an app for awhile that allows me to set time limits on my social media apps, but never before have I taken them completely off my phone. 

This time, it felt different. The only way to truly tune in was from my desktop, and honestly... I just didn't really ever feel like making the effort. By midday, I'd be like, "Oh. I haven't even thought about Instagram or Facebook or what's going on. Not sure I care."

And that's the thing. I don't think I EVER really care, but since the apps are at my fingertips, the muscle memory is strong, and the mundane moments of motherhood can be a bit boring or frustrating at times, it's just such an easy escape. 

Just like that, I'm sucked into the world of news, information, parenting tips, health advice, vacation pictures, comparing myself with others, laughing at a cat video, becoming irritated by a certain post and fascinated with another, and watching way too many hilariously entertaining reels & then snapping at my children who dare to interrupt me.

Without it... here's what I've noticed. I'm including it all... the good, the bad, the ugly:

• Most surprising of all and already mentioned: I didn't really miss it or feel compelled to check it when it wasn't automatically available to me.

• I had SO much more time. To the point where I wondered how much time I was truly wasting on my phone. 

• I felt a little bored. Without my normal dose of entertainment at my fingertips, I found myself checking in on the weather 40x an hour & playing Wordle first thing in the morning. 

• I feel more content, centered, peaceful, and confident. 

• Life feels more mundane yet meaningful. I find myself in the moment much more than I was before. 

Currently, all social media remains off of my phone except Instagram (which I have strict parameters on (only 3 opens per day, which I rarely use before the evening hours, which at this point are set for "open.") 

I'm liking this setup for now, fully realizing different seasons may warrant different setups. But currently, and thankfully, with my updates shifting to a blog, that is done exclusively from my desktop. So there are very little "photography business" reasons to need access to via my phone, which is so nice!

spring Gift Idea + Recipe of the week

Our family is a bit crazy about gift-giving.

This year's gift was bought exclusively from the Aldi AOS (#IYKYK):

• Decorative ceramic egg bowl

• Vegetable seed packet

• Sparkly carrot decor

Recipe of the Week!

I'm going to try to share a favorite recipe weekly-ish. This week, I randomly ended up hosting our girl's bible study group, and helped provide part of the breakfast. I was reminded again how quick, easy & delightful this overnight creme brulee French Toast is. Recipe is below!