Thoughts on my Instagram Break

These are the final photos I posted to my Instagram account in December 2018. On the 22nd to be precise. Later that afternoon I deleted the app from my phone.

WHY I TOOK A BREAK
I had been noticing for awhile that the time I spent on Instagram was becoming less enjoyable, and more stressful. The effects were especially noticeable on my mental health, and my already very well-developed FOMO. I was feeling a lot of negative emotions, and I felt kind of empty too. I want to feel joy and I want to be filled up, and Instagram was taking more than it was giving. So, something had to give. And since I don't run a business through IG, or need it for work (thanks Lauren!), it was actually an easy decision.

HOW I SPENT MY TIME INSTEAD

• I did go on Facebook more often than usual, but it still did not replace the amount of time I was spending on IG before
• My break started shortly after we got a new couch, and I really enjoyed just sitting on my couch, looking outside or enjoying our little festive tree
• I had a lot of stuff going on near the end of December - visiting family, my December Daily project, cooking and cleaning - so I was able to get a lot more of that done successfully
• I read more articles online
• I started on some house projects I've been wanting to tackle
• I started daily journaling during the time before bed that I normally would have been mindlessly scrolling (this habit is sooooo good for me for so many more reasons than I could post here, but I did post them here if you're interested.)
• January is one of my favourite months, because I love goal setting and a fresh year, so I was really able to dedicate a lot of mental space to that

THOUGHTS ON MY BREAK
First things first, I didn't miss it. I didn't realize until about 2 weeks into the break that being on IG was really taking me out of the current moment. Not only when I was mindlessly scrolling, but also when I was doing something and would stop to think "I should post this on IG". As soon as that thought enters your mind, you view the event differently, act differently interact differently.

There were many times early on in the break when I did something and immediately thought "I totally would have posted this..." It felt GOOD to get back to being fully present in the moment after I had that thought. And now I have even fallen out of that habit.

It's also kind of a relief to not perform for social media, or think of a caption, and hashtags and all the extra mental load that comes with it. Not only do I have more time, I have more mental space. I've got so many things I want to accomplish this year, and making a physical and mental break has shown me that I have all the time I need to get things done, as long as I purposefully use my time.

WHAT'S NEXT?
I'm so very pleased with how successful my break was for my productivity, cultivating other (healthy) habits, and (most importantly) my mental health, but I also really love seeing my what my nephews are up to across the world!!

I think my next steps are going to be to drastically cull my "Following" list. With all the added time I was spending on Facebook, I realized that a lot of the folks and organizations (but mostly organizations to be honest) were duplicating things I could either read online separately - directly on their websites for example - or were pissing me off in general because I hate mainstream media! I did a massive "unlike unfollow" on Facebook, and I think the time has come for me to do the same for IG.

On this episode of Crafty Ass Female the gals chatted with Nicole Reaves, who has deleted Instagram entirely and I definitely felt connections with her reasons. She mentioned that it was a long time coming, and while I might get there eventually, I don't know if I'm quite there yet.

FURTHER READING
If you are thinking that an IG break is right for you, you don't need anyone to give you permission. But if you are looking for more info, a quick google search shows that a lot of folks have done it, and all write of the immense benefits they discovered. For example:
Taking a Break from Instagram by Mike O'Leary on Fstoppers
5 Reasons you need to go an Instagram Break this instant by Shumaila Ahmed on Odyssey
Why I'm taking a break from Instagram and you should too by Kevin Smith on Elite Daily
Why I'm taking a break from Instagram by Olivia Katz on Medium
...and these are literally just the first four posts I found when I googled "Instagram Break".

I am currently reading this book - Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle - and it really fits this theme. I highly recommend it to anyone with a smart phone, and especially to parents whose kids (of any age) have smart phones.

You can find me on Instagram @sonotladylike...but maybe give it a couple of days!

xo

2016 - A Year in IG Posts

I haven't yet squished all my One Second Everyday clips together, but here is a fun video that they put together using my most popular Instgram posts from the year!

I also built the following #bestnine2016

I came across a lot of people on IG that didn't like their so-called "Best Nine", as it's determined by likes and comments and maybe doesn't accurately reflect their ACTUAL Best Nine. Meaning, the photos or memories or moments that they are the most proud of, the ones they feel show their year more accurately.

I totally get that.

I also like all of the photos that you liked, so I'm okay with my "Best Nine". Are they the nine pics that I would have chosen? Not all of them. But I ain't got time to go through ALL the photos I posted to IG last year and narrow it down to 9.

Y'all saw how ridiculous that was when I tried to narrow down my 79 books...

Anyhoo, on wards and upwards to 2017.

xo

Currently...Early AM Run...

happy. very very happy.

date // June 3, pre-work workout
location // a couple blocks from my house
NOT loving // I hate running on sidewalks
feeling // energized!
wanting // I should do this every morning! (hahahahahahahahahaha)
enjoying // the beautiful weather, the smell of spring, my eclectic neighbourhood
thinking // I should have asked for that raise at my one-year anniversary...
wondering // how I'm doing for time...

inspired by Tina // some past "Currently" posts

Explore #yeg...March 8...Part One

Saturday, March 8th

Alberta Art Gallery

Photographers: Lisa & Dan

This photo makes me giggle so much. Dan asked if I would like a photo of myself in the gallery, y'know, with some art. And this is what I get. My giant head blocking the art. And I cropped this photo down a lot. Just imagine all the beige background that I got rid of. I need to give BFF some lessons in subject placement. He's actually a really good sport, so I can't rag on him too much.

This was part of the large sculptural installation by artist...umm...Leslie? Nope, Lyndal Osbourne! There we go! This particular sculpture (mixed media piece?!) is called Tides and incorporates objects she has (obviously) collected from the beach. So there are twigs, and rocks, and barnacles, and garbage. But it's been beautifully arranged on these little tables, and it was quite compelling actually. I told Dan to take a photo of me in between the two piles that matched my outfit. Well...one out of two ain't bad. Ha!

And last but not least, this amazing piece by Jill Stanton! It's so ME! I love all the little details on this grand scale. It looks almost like individual wall paper panels that have been applied on the three huge walls just beside the lobby. They usually use this space for weddings, and receptions, and the like. Unfortunately, by this point of the day I was getting light-headed and really needed to eat or else I would have loved to spend more time exploring all the creature and intricacies of this piece. Another time, perhaps...

Have you played the tourist in your own town lately?

What are you waiting for?!

later loves

Tell A Story - Teach Me

Hanging out with Dude on Monday night while Russ was at floor hockey. He had built a whole army of Bakugan out of his Lego (so impressive...you have no idea how creative this little Dude is!), and wanted to show me each one and help me learn their names. Keep in mind that Bakugan is a strange Japanese cartoon that has been translated into English for the western market and therefore makes absolutely no sense to adults. Well...most adults.

I wanted to watch a little Olympics (because I don't have cable at my place), so I turned the TV on, but Dude quickly commandeered it to watch a recorded Bakugan episode to better assist me with my studies. He would say the name of the Bakugan, and sometimes pause the show so I could get a really good look. We watched a whole episode, and I don't think I was any better off.

Then we "played" Bakugan for a little bit, which mostly just involves saying "Ability Activate" and then making up something that sounds like an ability one of these fine gentlemen (ladies? asexual beings? am I reading too much in to this?!) might possess. And then making some sort of boy sound effect, which I completely suck at, but always manages to get a smile out of the Dude.

He would point at one of his magnificent creations, and then look at me expectantly, waiting for me to correctly name it. And I usually (like 99% of the time, I'm sure) got it completely wrong, or I didn't even have a guess ready. But he was patient with me. And we were hanging out and having fun, so I think that counted more in his books.

They all have names like Mectagon, and Drago, and...well...I think I just proved that I failed the lesson because I don't remember anything else. And I'm not even sure I got those two right! HA!

I do however remember that they are all very awesome, and that I love the look in Dude's eyes as he's telling me their names and trying to teach me and help me remember.

Also, I have no idea how to work that fancy TV, and it was even more hilarious listening to Dude try and tell me which buttons to push. "Guide Mom, push Guide. Then OK. Yep, that's the right channel."

I love you Bestest Best.

later loves

p.s. TREMBLAR! He has some sort of orb thing that hovers and then blasts the enemy with some kind of energy beam. Dude! I remembered!!

Currently...

doing...blogging in bed

listening...20th Century Radio

drinking...an ice cold Pilsner, aka "Prairie Champagne"

planning...next week's blog posts

wishing...I had enough energy to get up and find a sweater, I'm chilly!

loving...that I have the Internet again!

thinking...I LOVE pillows!!

I'm really quite happy right now! I know I promised to share my news today, but I am too content just laying here, blogging, drinking and listening to old-timey radio. Maybe I'll do some more crafting. Maybe not.

What a perfect start to the weekend...

later loves

I miss you!

I have discovered something in my life. Perhaps disconcerting, but it's the truth nonetheless. I need the internet. I need my blog. I need you guys!

I have been without internet at home for the past five days! (It's a long story, that I will try to explain tomorrow...) The WiFi at work is turrible, so I can't keep up on my Instagram feed on my iPad. The computer here won't read my SD card, so I can't even upload my photos. And I can't really catch up while at work because we are super busy right now, and transitioning into busier times ahead. #firstworldproblems

Long story short, I hope to be back here in full force next week. Because for whatever reason, I really miss this.

Until then...

later loves

Look Back: January

Yep. This was the best idea ever.

Still working on the formatting though. Hmmm...
later loves

Currently...Red Lips

listening to > I hit "shuffle" on my iPad. Right now, it's Buffalo Soldier. Next...who knows!

eating > Nothing. I want this "clean teeth" feeling to last as long as possible!

drinking > cold tea, my favourite

thinking > about my to-do list for today...yuck

looking forward to > symphony tonight!

wondering > if I am meeting who I think I am meeting for coffee this afternoon...damn new phone and anonymous texts from people who are actually friends whose numbers I forgot to transfer. Ha!

hoping > I get the hang of this putting on bright red lipstick with a tiny wand thing. It's tougher than it looks! #practicemakesperfect

wishing > for nothing...I had a fucking great week!

believing > that my good mojo is getting out there into the Universe and to the people who need it most...

feeling > strong, courageous, beautiful, fit, smart, fucking awesome

(sorry for the narcissist's delight. I just really LOVE my new red lips! And it doesn't look like a drunken clown applied them this time! YES!!)

Last night Dude & I went to the mall to pick up some bright red lipstick for Mom and take a peek at the Lego store. Dude hummed and sang to himself the whole time we were in Sephora, and was quite interested in all the samples. And we picked out a lovely Chima Hero Factory for him, and a mystery mini figure for me at the Lego store. I got Mad Boss! He held my hand walking through the mall. My hand, and my shopping bag!

And this morning he & I had side-by-side dental appointments. It was nice to see Betty again (we used to chat everyday in my past life), and it was funny to be able to listen to all of Dude's answers to the hygenist's questions two doors down. Among other things, he doesn't want to try to brush his teeth twice a day, and he really likes school. One of my new year's intentions is to go on more "dates" with Dude. A dental appointment counts, right?

How does today look in your world friends?

later loves

So I made this video...

And it didn't work on Instagram because I got greedy and made it too long. HA! And then Blogger couldn't upload it, so I had to resort to Vimeo. And that means waiting. Why does technology hate me so?

Oh December, I forgot how so fucking awesome you were. I might do one of these every month...

Happy New Year!

later loves

Happy Holidays! I need a vacation!!

I am taking a self-imposed break from the blog. Because even though I haven't been here, I think about this space on a daily basis. And it mostly just drags me down. So for the next week I am going to focus on writing and doodling and enjoying time with my family, and recharge my blogger batteries. And come back in the new year with a renewed outlook on this space! And maybe I'll kick this writer's block...

Have a safe and wonderful holiday! See you in the new year...with all the standard blogger "Reflections On The Year That Was And Resolutions For The Year To Come" posts! HA!

Peace...I'm out...

later loves

Tell A Story - Life Lesson

I think it is important to teach children how to feel comfortable in the kitchen. Cooking, cleaning, shopping, all of those things. It goes hand in hand with teaching kids about what is good for their bodies, what kind of fuel will make them healthy and strong, and what isn't & won't.

I myself am NOT an expert in these areas. I don't have a meal planner, I plan meals the day before. I don't try fancy recipes, I make the same 7 meals over and over again. And I struggled for a long time before I got in the habit of eating food that made me feel great.

And I laboured for a long time under the belief that cooking meals needed to be inventive and varied. And it always frustrated me. Until I had a mental shift. Cooking for your family does not have to be complicated! It can be simple and easy, and fresh and whole. I don't use packaged sauces, I don't buy frozen dinners, I don't buy strange crackers with 30 ingredients. But I do buy ice cream and my weight in smoked salmon and coconut shrimp. And I do make a home-cooked meal almost every weeknight. And I enjoy it now! And I hope that Dude picks up on that, and in turn benefits from it.

We made Rice Krispies on Grey Cup Sunday, two batches! And took them over to Gran & Grandpa's house to share with everyone. I let him measure the ingredients, dump them in the pot, and stir. Lots of stirring. And his attention lasted the whole time, and he was engaged and excited. We did fractions! Ha!

And then we made some more a couple days later, and he remembered his measurements. And he was still happy and excited. He was getting too close to the hot burner for my comfort level, but he's learning. He'll make mistakes I am sure, but at least he is trying. And I got to teach him how to make the easiest dessert ever, a lesson he will hopefully carry into adulthood which will come in handy when he is a bachelor and needs to bring something to work for a potluck, or BBQ to impress someone he likes.

That's me...always thinking ahead.

Rice Krispies Life Lesson...

later loves

Grateful for a Little Bliss

I won't have my What to Wear post ready until tonight...after I've done a little Trick or Treating with the Dude! Go figure that the two Halloween parties I've been invited to are both this coming Saturday. Geeze whiz people!

Until then, you can get your Lisa-fix at Bliss-ologie, where I am writing about being grateful and expressing my gratitude.

And don't you worry. There are totally photos of my feet. Enjoy!

later loves

I've Found The Connector > It's A Reflektor

today I am grateful for

watching the sunrise over the prairies

waking up slowly to Dude stroking my arm and my face and giving me tiny kisses

my sister and her boys

hot beverages

homemade cookies

strong arms, and legs, and mind

fresh air and the changing season

sexy shoes, laughter, gin + beer, perfect silences

those extra 2 seconds

the strong men in my life

heated seats, warm mittens, thick socks and homemade quilts

Jane Austen

loving and feeling loved

knowing that dreams do come true

Happy Thanksgiving

later loves

August Break

6 // diagonals                                              8 //selfie

7 // skyline                                               9 // taste

10 // red                                      11 // play

Pinterest in Action

So I almost quit Pinterest awhile back. And you may remember an "editorial" or two (cough*rant*cough) in which I dissed Pinterest to the maximum capabilities of my vocabulary. Well, I have sort of changed my tune. No, that's an incorrect statement. I have changed my attitude and I have started using Pinterest for good. I use it as a place to collect my limited loves on the Internet. Sometimes I catch myself browsing Pinterest for the sake of browsing, and I STOP MYSELF almost IMMEDIATELY! I do NOT want to lose myself in the vast basement full of junk drawer items that is Pinterest.

Although, I have noticed the content has vastly improved compared to the conditions in which I originally left it. So, there's that.

Anyhoo, "what is the post really about Lisa?" is something you might be asking yourself at this point. Far be it for me to get so off topic that I can't get back on. But I have been getting on with putting some of my Pinterest pins into action. SEGUE!

I can handle that!

I used a nail instead of a fancy/nice-looking hook. And I found this wire in my junk drawer of a room studio. The entire project maybe took me two minutes to complete. It's not entirely sturdy...but...

This next one is about equally easy, but more time consuming. i.e. you have to wait for the paint to dry.

They look lovely on my revised mantle....but they were only on there for this photo op! HA! I leave them on my dining room table, which I have managed to keep clean for most of the month as per my March goals. Success breeds success...I mean, the rest of those goals are fading fast, but shut up!

And last but not least...

Did you know that a boombox can change the world?

 HA! I only wish that the canvas was BIGGER, but it's all I had on hand at the time. (And it already cost an arm and a leg, so I can only imagine what the super big ones would set me back. Yeesh!)

Even Dude helped me out with that ampersand. And the K? Inspired by that little Polyvore set I posted the other day!

Now if only I could figure out how and where to hang them...geeze Lisa. That's just wrong.

I am very super proud of myself for actually accomplishing some of my Pins! I have felt very inspired to DO STUFF lately. I thank the change of season and that extra hour of usable sunshine we've been getting! I also made a skirt, from a pattern! And fancied-up a black cloth grocery bag. I'll post those here as well, since I need a little public pat-on-the-back every now and again.

If you are at ALL interested in following me on Pinterest (if you are so inclined), you can find me here. I'm trying not to be a completely obnoxious "over-pinner", but the jury's still out on that one! And as for my Instagram friends who have already discovered the Insta-Spammer that I am...I apologize.

later loves

p.s. I hope I didn't turn you off from following me on Instagram now! HA! I am a "private user", but that's because the trolls creep me out. I would love to be friends with people who are actually known to me!

Embrace your inner dork...

Remember how I'm kind of a dork...

Well, some things never change.

photos taken September 20, 2007...that's three days before my 27th birthday.

I bought two of these shirts in two different colours because I liked them so much. I wore the teal one on Lucas' first birthday. I still have these glasses, but one of the arms has since come off. Now I wear them when I dye my hair. I did a layout using some of these photos, featuring lyrics from my favourite song at the time. But I can't remember what prompted taking them. Flashback Fridays are fun!

later loves

I have the best friends! (and) Who Needs A Silhouette?

I was cleaning off my desk the other day (cleaning off does not mean clean, by the way) and I found this photo of Nadine taken at Kara's surprise birthday evening back in September. You see, we made a stop in a fun antique/second hand store on Whyte Ave and while wandering through the book corner Nadine noticed this book. This Vampire Diaries book. "Don't make fun of me Lisa" were the words that came out of her mouth immediately after the squeal of joy directed at KC & myself & any one else who would share in her joy.

I can't remember what was so awesome about the book - next in the series, couldn't find it at the library, fills in some blanks of the tv series - but it was a completely awesome find.

I only made fun of her a little.

Ah BFF. Thanks for being my forever symphony date. And thanks for putting up with my shutter-happy ways. You're the bestest!

Layout details: The "friend" heart and "BFF" circle were hand drawn and hand-cut by me and my trusty tiny scissors. Hence the "who needs a Silhouette?" portion of my title. With more practice (ie. more than twice) I hope to do more intricate designs. But I really just hope to not fuck up as much! HA!

later loves

Technique Tuesday is BACK!

Well....for now. I've got another technique post going up on the TM Inspiration Blog today, so I thought I would share those layouts with you here, and maybe inspire you to head over there to check things out.

This set of layouts demonstrate how to paint on vellum, thereby creating patterned vellum in whatever colour & design you choose! Yay! I'm all about custom embellishments...

I think these are my two most favourite layouts right now. Yeppers. Pretty proud of myself with these ones...pat on the back proud!

And finally, I used gold paint AND gold glitter to create some fabulous polka dotty vellum.

So, are you headed off to paint on some vellum yet? Go get 'em Tiger!

later loves

A Technique for Your Tuesday

So, in case you haven't been paying attention, I work at a scrapbook store. I also create content for their blogs, and post on said blogs. Sometimes I really impress myself with the cool techniques I share on the TM Inspiration Blog, so I am going to share a couple of those layouts here today! If you want to learn how I made the various elements on them, you'll have to check out the TM Blog! HA! Self-promotion!!

This layout shows off some sweet sweet GLITTER, and how to embellish your embellishments with the stuff. Now, you may not have guessed that I kind of love glitter. I know! Weird eh, being "not ladylike" and not. I kind of totally dig sparkles. Go figure.

Oh, and there is a sweet story on this layout as well. Because for me, scrapbooking is the way I tell my story. And connect my past to my future. And remember all those amazing moments that make life glow.

You might have to wait about 45 minutes for the TM post to go live, depending on when you are reading this. First thing? Yep, you're gonna have to wait. But it's worth it....

later loves