It’s been about two months since I traded in my smartphone for a modernized “dumb phone,” which I feel pretty much completes my transition to a lower-tech lifestyle for the moment. I won’t be getting rid of my laptop anytime soon—as I need it to navigate school work and communication for my older two—and I still have a Facebook profile, in order to post/browse our local Buy Nothing group and communicate with a few faraway friends and family members. But I’ve eliminated all other social media and screens–some simply by virtue of not having a phone with apps anymore (PixelFed and the social-y portion of Substack come to mind).
Overall, my life without a smartphone has been, well, great! I am not contemplating going back. However, there are a few effects of life without a smartphone that I didn’t anticipate.… Read More »

I know I said I was taking an indefinite break—and of course the second I felt like I’d have nothing to write about for the forseeable future, a long-awaited package arrived on my doorstep that also held a big life change inside.…
Oof. What a weekend. The past few days have been President’s Day weekend–no school but Eric still had work–so I haven’t had time to sit down with the blog or really, anything beyond dishes and laundry that’s needed my attention. (Our tax forms are screaming my name from the corner as their deadline approaches…)
This morning, we were at Target (where else does one find a midwestern family on Saturday mornings?). I don’t love shopping at Target, but we needed some household items–baby wipes, water softener salt, dishwasher detergent–and it’s by far the easiest place to buy them.
Well hellooooo friends. Somehow Halloween is done and dusted, the stores are full of Christmas decorations and I’m personally not quite ready for the holiday season! Let me have my cold, rainy November days for a few weeks first, please. I kind of love the bare-treed, gloomy-skied, icy aesthetic of this month. It creates a hyggeligt feeling inside 🙂