Life Unplugged: 100 Ideas for Activities That Don’t Involve Social Media

Life Unplugged
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.

  1. 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!
  2. Baking Banana Bread– baking anything
  3. Making Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies, Christmas Cookies, Homemade Candy
  4. Playing orchestral masterpieces as a violinist in the Columbia Orchestra (Dvorak, Mahler, Beethoven, Verdi, Holst, Stravinsky, I could go on)
  5. Having friends over to play Loaded Questions
  6. Prayer– anytime, anywhere
  7. Adding entries into my Gratitude Jar
  8. Snuggling with my husband
  9. Snuggling with Sweet Pea
  10. Snuggling with our black lab Kelby
  11. Going to see live music– especially Pink Martini!
  12. Building block towers with Sweet Pea
  13. Reading books to Sweet Pea
  14. Blowing bubbles with Sweet Pea
  15. Playing outside with Sweet Pea– swinging, sand/water table play, going to a playground– any place that has a slide
  16. Going to a nice steak restaurant with my honeybear
  17. Going out for sushi with my girlfriends
  18. A Double Date with great friends to the Melting Pot
  19. Road Trips– really, any kind of road trip
  20. Making cards. Bonus if I am making them at a Stamp Camp with some of my girlfriends
  21. Cooking with Sweet Pea
  22. Calling my Mom just to chat
  23. Making music with Sweet Pea
  24. Teaching Sweet Pea new songs
  25. Singing– anytime, anywhere
  26. Dancing crazy with Sweet Pea
  27. Slow dancing with my honeybear
  28. Getting a massage– ahhhh
  29. Getting a pedicure– ahhhh. Bonus points if I get pedicures with a friend!
  30. Day trip to NYC: Art Museums, Broadway shows, Foodie heaven!
  31. A trip to the beach- closing my eyes and just listening to the sound of the waves and the seagulls
  32. Swimming in the ocean
  33. Building sandcastles
  34. Collecting seashells
  35. Go for a hike in the woods– breathe deeply
  36. Roasting smores over an open fire
  37. 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
  38. Learning a new recipe
  39. Learning a new cooking technique
  40. Inviting friends over for dinner
  41. Playing party games such as Taboo, Balderdash, Scattegories, Outburst
  42. Chess
  43. Snorkeling in tropical waters with lots of fishies
  44. Stargazing.. preferably while laying next to Honeybear
  45. A trip to the Zoo
  46. A trip to the Aquarium
  47. visiting the Air and Space Museum or going to an Air Show
  48. an afternoon at an art gallery
  49. an afternoon at a crafts festival
  50. The in-depth Bible study required to create lesson plans for Women’s Bible Studies
  51. Teaching– teaching anything really
  52. Rollerskating
  53. Bowling, Go-Carts, Batting Cages, Mini Golf
  54. Playing spades– a Spades tournament is even better!
  55. Planning and doing kid crafts with Sweet Pea
  56. Taking Sweet Pea to a Children’s Museum
  57. Taking Sweet Pea to a Science Center
  58. Taking Sweet Pea to a Bounce House or Trampoline Park
  59. Swimming with Sweet Pea
  60. Visiting a Botanical Garden
  61. Travel– especially travel to anywhere that is new
  62. Writing (ok, this is a gimme… I probably couldn’t succeed as a blogger if I didn’t like to write!)
  63. Gardening.. or at least attempting to garden
  64. Visiting an amusement park– avoiding the teacups at all costs
  65. A long lunch at a romantic bistro with Honeybear
  66. Making Garlic Lasagna/Meatloaf/Hamburger Soup/Mac ‘N Cheese– aka: our family’s comfort foods
  67. Making dinner for a friend in need
  68. Sending someone a card and note of encouragement
  69. Planning any type of party: Baby Shower, Wedding Shower, Birthday Party, Christmas Party, etc…
  70. Decorating the house for Christmas
  71. Decorating the front porch for autumn
  72. Apple picking
  73. Berry picking
  74. Visiting a pumpkin patch or fall festival
  75. Going on an Easter egg hunt
  76. Watching fireworks
  77. Exercise of any kind– running, weight lifting, a class (too bad I have yet to find the motivation to be consistent with this one!)
  78. Volunteer work– teach a class, work in a food pantry, anything service-oriented
  79. Cleaning and organizing the house, and folding laundry.. ok, I hate this.. but when I am doing it, it is kind of cathartic
  80. Canoeing, Kayaking, Tubing– anything involving having fun on the water
  81. Playing pretend with Sweet Pea
  82. Eating soft serve ice cream as soon as the weather turns warm
  83. The Cherry Blossom Festival
  84. Many of the Smithsonian Museums and non-Smithsonian Museums in DC
  85. Going to a professional hockey game with Honeybear
  86. Attending a live Shakespeare performance
  87. Attending a minor league baseball game
  88. The Renaissance Festival
  89. Visiting the County or State Fair
  90. Learning how to make jewelry
  91. Creating a new Shutterfly book or Scrapbook
  92. Go to a major kid event like the Circus, Disney on Ice, or Thomas the Train Day
  93. Sudoku
  94. Mom Crafts that don’t involve sewing (I can’t sew a stitch)
  95. Brushing up on the foreign languages I have learned and learning more about other cultures
  96. Anything related to the study of History and Anthropology
  97. Taking a nap/Taking a Bath
  98. Playing family games like Clue, Monopoly, Parcheesi,
  99. Taking Sweet Pea to hear any kind of live music
  100. 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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