Life Unplugged: 100 Ideas for Activities That Don’t Involve Social Media
After I put Sweet Pea to bed tonight, I was catching up on Facebook, etc.. and ran across this video about how even though social media is supposed to make us more connected, it actually makes us, well– more unsocial. Kids complain about parents who are too distracted with their cell phones to actually talk with them. The art of conversation has been reduced to BRB, LOL, and now– an entire menu of emoticons. The artist in the video talked about something he called, ‘the pageantry of vanity,’ a society that is obsessed with selfies, oversharing, and the ‘look at me and how awesome I am’ façade that drives much of social media.
‘Sigh’— guilty as charged. Granted, as a new blogger I am painfully aware that just about everything I do is a potential blog post. So, the camera is always out and I am constantly writing down ideas, even parts of ideas for future blog posts in Evernote… which is, of course, a social media app. However, blogging does not define my life. Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and Pinterest do not define my life either.. nor should they, right? I know I need to get those pictures for the blog taken and then just put the camera down and enjoy the moment. I know I don’t have to post every cute picture of Sweet Pea and our exploits for the world to see. Of course, I justify it by saying that the grandparents will want to see the cute pictures. That is true– but it is still vanity, isn’t it?
I am not going to pretend that watching one video is going to radically alter my online presence. Ha! However, there are many things I can do to ensure that my online presence does not define me. There are many things that I love to do that have absolutely nothing to do with being on a computer. I have a sneaking suspicion that if I spend more time in those pursuits, the relationships I have with my husband, my daughter, my family and friends, God, and myself will be strengthened and enriched. Actually, it isn’t a suspicion– I am sure of it. So, here it goes…
Sara Unplugged- 100 Awesome Activities that do not involve Online Social Media
Caveat: These are in no particular order.. so don’t read anything into the order.
- Reading a fantastic novel– bonus points if I am reading it with an actual book, as opposed to a Kindle. Extra bonus points if I discuss said book at Book Club!
- Baking Banana Bread– baking anything
- Making Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies, Christmas Cookies, Homemade Candy
- Playing orchestral masterpieces as a violinist in the Columbia Orchestra (Dvorak, Mahler, Beethoven, Verdi, Holst, Stravinsky, I could go on)
- Having friends over to play Loaded Questions
- Prayer– anytime, anywhere
- Adding entries into my Gratitude Jar
- Snuggling with my husband
- Snuggling with Sweet Pea
- Snuggling with our black lab Kelby
- Going to see live music– especially Pink Martini!
- Building block towers with Sweet Pea
- Reading books to Sweet Pea
- Blowing bubbles with Sweet Pea
- Playing outside with Sweet Pea– swinging, sand/water table play, going to a playground– any place that has a slide
- Going to a nice steak restaurant with my honeybear
- Going out for sushi with my girlfriends
- A Double Date with great friends to the Melting Pot
- Road Trips– really, any kind of road trip
- Making cards. Bonus if I am making them at a Stamp Camp with some of my girlfriends
- Cooking with Sweet Pea
- Calling my Mom just to chat
- Making music with Sweet Pea
- Teaching Sweet Pea new songs
- Singing– anytime, anywhere
- Dancing crazy with Sweet Pea
- Slow dancing with my honeybear
- Getting a massage– ahhhh
- Getting a pedicure– ahhhh. Bonus points if I get pedicures with a friend!
- Day trip to NYC: Art Museums, Broadway shows, Foodie heaven!
- A trip to the beach- closing my eyes and just listening to the sound of the waves and the seagulls
- Swimming in the ocean
- Building sandcastles
- Collecting seashells
- Go for a hike in the woods– breathe deeply
- Roasting smores over an open fire
- Campfires.. everything about campfires. The silly songs and games, watching the burning ashes float up into the night and disappear, the chill of the nighttime air on my back and the warmth of the fire on my face
- Learning a new recipe
- Learning a new cooking technique
- Inviting friends over for dinner
- Playing party games such as Taboo, Balderdash, Scattegories, Outburst
- Chess
- Snorkeling in tropical waters with lots of fishies
- Stargazing.. preferably while laying next to Honeybear
- A trip to the Zoo
- A trip to the Aquarium
- visiting the Air and Space Museum or going to an Air Show
- an afternoon at an art gallery
- an afternoon at a crafts festival
- The in-depth Bible study required to create lesson plans for Women’s Bible Studies
- Teaching– teaching anything really
- Rollerskating
- Bowling, Go-Carts, Batting Cages, Mini Golf
- Playing spades– a Spades tournament is even better!
- Planning and doing kid crafts with Sweet Pea
- Taking Sweet Pea to a Children’s Museum
- Taking Sweet Pea to a Science Center
- Taking Sweet Pea to a Bounce House or Trampoline Park
- Swimming with Sweet Pea
- Visiting a Botanical Garden
- Travel– especially travel to anywhere that is new
- Writing (ok, this is a gimme… I probably couldn’t succeed as a blogger if I didn’t like to write!)
- Gardening.. or at least attempting to garden
- Visiting an amusement park– avoiding the teacups at all costs
- A long lunch at a romantic bistro with Honeybear
- Making Garlic Lasagna/Meatloaf/Hamburger Soup/Mac ‘N Cheese– aka: our family’s comfort foods
- Making dinner for a friend in need
- Sending someone a card and note of encouragement
- Planning any type of party: Baby Shower, Wedding Shower, Birthday Party, Christmas Party, etc…
- Decorating the house for Christmas
- Decorating the front porch for autumn
- Apple picking
- Berry picking
- Visiting a pumpkin patch or fall festival
- Going on an Easter egg hunt
- Watching fireworks
- Exercise of any kind– running, weight lifting, a class (too bad I have yet to find the motivation to be consistent with this one!)
- Volunteer work– teach a class, work in a food pantry, anything service-oriented
- Cleaning and organizing the house, and folding laundry.. ok, I hate this.. but when I am doing it, it is kind of cathartic
- Canoeing, Kayaking, Tubing– anything involving having fun on the water
- Playing pretend with Sweet Pea
- Eating soft serve ice cream as soon as the weather turns warm
- The Cherry Blossom Festival
- Many of the Smithsonian Museums and non-Smithsonian Museums in DC
- Going to a professional hockey game with Honeybear
- Attending a live Shakespeare performance
- Attending a minor league baseball game
- The Renaissance Festival
- Visiting the County or State Fair
- Learning how to make jewelry
- Creating a new Shutterfly book or Scrapbook
- Go to a major kid event like the Circus, Disney on Ice, or Thomas the Train Day
- Sudoku
- Mom Crafts that don’t involve sewing (I can’t sew a stitch)
- Brushing up on the foreign languages I have learned and learning more about other cultures
- Anything related to the study of History and Anthropology
- Taking a nap/Taking a Bath
- Playing family games like Clue, Monopoly, Parcheesi,
- Taking Sweet Pea to hear any kind of live music
- Learning how to take really great pictures with an actual camera (not a smartphone camera) and then learning how to edit them so they are spectacular
It turns out there is a whole world out there that is unplugged. Pretty great, isn’t it?
Why don’t you come up with a list of your own! What would your life look like unplugged? What awesome activities would be on your list?
Thanks for reading!
Sara
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