Media Fast

I'm faced with insomnia daily.  Not my own, but of many if the patients I see in the office. Men, women, teens and children who aren't getting enough sleep.  Some having trouble falling asleep, others waking several times each night, even some waking feeling exhausted.  While there are cases tested and treated for a true medical etiology, some undergo every test available without a diagnosis.  So I've been researching and looking into my own healthy sleep to help these people. Because a life without adequate sleep is one I would have trouble finding joy in.  

It seems like all of my research ends with media fasting. And while other longstanding tips such as adequate daily physical activity, decrease in caffeine consumption, and darkening room shades all hold true, media fasting is a newer treatment.  

Media is at our fingertips. 

Media is constantly stimulating our brains. Brains which, a short 100 years ago, had only dim light and quiet reading/ talking to stimulate us. They're kept awake and alert by push notifications from social media, calendar alerts and reminders, group text messages, and weather alerts- it's snowing outside!

But the real reason I'm addressing this issue today- I'm all too familiar to these disruptions. And although I do not struggle wih insomnia, I struggle from mental disruption. I'm excited to see comments to my Instagram post, text messages and new emails just as much as the next person. And I regret that I'm pulled away from the dollhouse with my toddler, and quiet morning time over coffee with my husband. 

Which brings me to media fasts. A new staple in my life, and hopefully yours, alomg with a suggestion I'm making to many of my patients each day. Because God gave you a mind to dream and contemplate alone, or to focus and enjoy time with those we love. I can't imagine He expected the disruption of a push notification during story time. 

And because I've vowed to make this happen. I'm starting with this weekend, and all weekends.  Media fasts. Because the weather will tell itself, and the Instagram feed will be there in two days. Because I need to enjoy every second I have with my family. 

I'll keep you posted, after my fast is over ;)

In the meantime, here are a few pre-iPhone distraction moments. My heart is overflowing!

Just wondering how many more pics I would have from the original Starbucks in Seattle had I owned an iPhone in 2010?! 

TGIF.

Lisa

Our Weekend

 

The Polar Vortex is here to stay for a while, apparently.  I can't remember temperatures below zero on this many occasions during the winter- ever.   Temperatures of 4degrees are severely limiting our outdoor play this winter.  (Although they seem to be increasing the indoor time- including record breaking time holding a toddler under a blanket!)

We had our nephew this weekend for a sleepover.  This 4-year-old is well versed in spending the night at Nee Nee's, but I was a little worried about him staying here.  But that boy knows his bed in our house, and is seriously the best sleeper ever.  He told me when he was tired, climbed in bed and the snoring commenced. Makes me wonder where we went wrong with our little sleeper?  Is it just the difference in personality? Hmm.  Molly, at age 2.5 still wants rocked to sleep (not that I argue), and cries many nights when I put her down, requiring me to pat her back until she's asleep.  It doesn't feel like a big deal, those 20 minutes, until I have Quinton here.  That boy loves to sleep. 

Either way, these two played so well together, and loved having each other's company.  This weekend also really opened my eyes to the maturing that my Molly has done over the past few months.  Don't get me wrong, she's still able to throw quite the tantrum and doesn't always want to share, but she's starting to consider other's feelings.  And she loves having her cousin here to play.  That girl is going to be a great big sister one day ;)

My husband starting grabbing my camera sometimes, as an attempt to include me in more pictures, and I was so proud of this moment.  I didn't think of getting this shot, but I love it so much. It's so real- Quinton grabbed this book and they crawled up beside me to read it.  And after reading it for the 10th time, they basically had it memorized, when this photo was taken.  We were really enjoying this time together, and I'm so glad I'll have this photo.  This book and this book, you guys, I'm not kidding- every kid LOVES them.  Can't get enough.  They're really interactive and just so cute.

And lastly, that meal fit for the carb lover in all of us.  Lasagna and honey whole wheat bread.  A perfect ending to a weekend day.  Especially a weekend day during the Polar Vortex.  Seriously- these kids' faces tell it perfectly.  That wind was COLD.

So we're back to bundling up this week, I think it's supposed to be -7 tomorrow?
Spring, hurry up!
We're excitedly awaiting my sister's baby shower this weekend, and I really hope it's at least 10 degrees? Sheesh.

xx,

Lisa

Weekend Housework

 

A little over two years ago, we moved into our house- a sweet country home seated at the end of a little dirt lane, surrounded by a lot of land and a few quiet neighbors.  We love it here.  I'm probably most excited about the land- my daughter loves to run, and this place allows her to go.  And I'm getting more and more excited each year about our garden. 
But then there are always the less exciting pieces of a big country home down a dirt lane- like snow plowing and grass mowing.  And my ever evolving interior design ideas. 
When we moved it, I chose the most neutral shade I could find, bought a five gallon bucket and pretty much painted every wall the same color.  But now, two years later, I'm already vying for some change.   It's like I get an itch to paint or something.  I'm not sure why- we painted for months.  We moved here with a nearly three-month-old baby, so I'd wake up really early and paint before she woke up and before work, then I'd paint when she went to bed each night.  We refinished all the trim (I longed for white trim- think: 2 coats of primer, 2 coats of paint everywhere), and nearly all the walls.  We rearranged the kitchen, added new appliances and counters, changed a few windows and extended our porch.  So after about a year of quiet around here, I felt the need to paint again.  My husband couldn't believe me.

This weekend we completed our laundry room/entry.  I wanted to brighten it up, and (because I never remember to take a before picture) I wanted to remove the folding doors on the closet for two reasons: they didn't work well and got stuck frequently, and the front door hit them when it opened.  It was a frustration I dealt with each morning.  I was over those doors.  Our project looked a lot like this one and this one, although those were way more labor intensive.

And during this project, as you can see, we had a helper.  Unlike previous painting projects, she'd lay and coo in her swing, this time she was up and "helping"- running barbie's hair through wet paint, picking up the paintbrush as I turned my head to "paint" the dryer, making fingerprints on the walls, etc.  You know, helping the way only a toddler can ;)

As you can see in the top picture, that area was once covered by two annoying folding doors (one with a giant hole from where it was repeatedly smacked by the front door handle), and once they came down, it opened that tiny room so well.  We painted the inside of the closet, added some wood trim for coat hooks and a shelf for more storage (all with minimal cost).  And after a long week of waiting and painting, it's finished.   So my husband made me stand and get a photo in front, because I was really, really glad to see this project complete.

And in an effort to minimize clutter,  we added a couple of white cabinets (ie shoe storage) that were left over from our previous apartment and a chair- a place to put Molly's shoes on!  I couldn't get many other pictures, because the room is small, but I promise, it's much, much better in there ;) 

Happy Monday-
I'm in the process of rearranging my work schedule, so here's to a productive week!

Lisa