Coffee Break #53
Happy April and Happy Spring! In this month’s behind-the-blog break, I’m sharing what I gave up for Lent this year, my streamlined method for celebrating my kiddos’ birthdays, a “new” hobby, and some recent favorite finds! Let’s take a break and catch up!
Social-Free Lent
Every year, when Lent comes around, I see it an opportunity to rein something in that’s gotten away from me, almost like a New Year’s Resolution 2.0. I’ve shared a few times lately that, despite feeling busy, scattered, and generally overwhelmed, I was spending too much time (that I didn’t really have) down the social media void.
So this year, I chose to give up both Facebook and Instagram in an effort to re-focus my attention, gain some time back in my day, and quite frankly: quiet the noise that just seems so…well…noisy!
Deleting the apps and re-training my finger muscle memory from their old locations wasn’t nearly as hard as I expected it to be. But what I didn’t expect? How truly quiet life got. In both good ways and bad.
Even though we all consciously know that social media posts are highlight reels, it’s still so easy to get caught in the spiral of being “not enough.” It creeps in (fairly pervasively) as I watch/follow other Moms, friends, family members…and most definitely, creators. So much of being on Instagram reinforces the person I’m not…the projects I’m not making, the success I’m not having, the books I’m not reading, the friends I’m not keeping in touch with, and on and on and on. No doubt, cutting out that particular noise was a welcome and very-much-needed relief.
But what I didn’t quite expect was how lonely the quiet felt. The other aspect of social media is that it’s…well…social. It’s how you learn about engagements, deaths, and new babies; what companies are releasing new products; which bloggers have published new posts; which stores are having big sales; and of course…if there are any Taylor/Travis updates. When you are reliant on social media to “stay connected,” erasing it…while good for the self worth…can also be a bit isolating.
Now almost a week after Easter (and the end of Lent), I still haven’t re-installed either app on my phone. Because at the heart of it, I really do feel that my time spent on social media doesn’t do me much good. But I now also realize that the void needs to be (at least partly) filled with with more meaningful and constructive means (e.g., books, audiobooks, podcasts, magazines, newspaper articles, blogs) to help maintain some of that lost connectedness, awareness, inspiration, and entertainment. This will take more effort than simply scrolling through a social media app that seemingly has it all in one spot, but I suspect this shift in consumption will be well worth it in the long run!
My Latest “Picture Perfect” Party Formula
Just this week, my oldest son turned 13 (13!!!!) And beyond coming to terms with 1) how fast time is flying and 2) that I now have a teenager…I was also reflecting on how differently I prepared for his first birthday party versus the one we held just this week.
Thirteen years ago, I spent 2 months (2 months!!!) preparing for his monster-themed first birthday party. This year? I spent a little over an hour.
You know that parenting adage of “Don’t do something once if you’re not willing to do it over and over again”? Usually it applies to throwing kids gleefully up in the air or making silly sounds…but I’d caution that it also applies to birthday parties. Proceed with caution!
For the first few (formative) years of all my kids’ lives, I took immense pride in delivering adorable party displays that perfectly matched their current interests. I’d spend hours at my Cricut machine, shop for perfectly-coordinating supplies, and consider every detail from decor to snacks. I documented much of it over the years here.
Not only did I genuinely love pulling everything together, but it was just as thrilling for the kids. Without fail, they always rushed down the stairs on their birthday morning (like it was Christmas!) to see what fun and creative display Mom came up with this time.
But here’s the thing.
My joy of pulling together “Pinterest-perfect” parties hasn’t decreased over the years…but my available time to pull off said party has! And in complete honesty, I’ve started to regret these ambitious festive undertakings as our lives have gotten progressively busier (nothing like making a 3 ft Captain Underpants with my Cricut after midnight!)
But when I attempted to shift to simpler traditions like just a cake and some streamers, the kids’ disappointment (and Mom guilt!) was real.
But in recent years, I discovered the balloon arch…or as I like to refer to it, the instant party…and I’m back on the party wagon (so to speak)!
I realize balloon arches/garlands are everywhere right now, but I’d argue for really good reason! They can be a bit tricky to assemble at first; but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can turn a plain room into the ultimate party space. They come in about every color scheme and theme you can think of; and both assembly and cost are just a fraction of making/buying other decor options. Put simply: balloon garlands give you so much “bang for your buck” that you really don’t need much else!
So now…instead of frantically crafting up garlands, table centerpieces, extra-large character cutouts (and more!) all out of paper, I spend about an hour or so assembling a fantastic balloon garland, hanging one of my pre-made “Happy Birthday” banners, and making coordinating cake/cupcake topper(s) in their theme of choice.
This “whittled down” formula still gives my kids the exciting “themed” birthday experience they’re used to but in a MUCH more manageable way!
A Few Extra Balloon Tips!
- Most popular party themes (e.g., dinosaurs, cars, mermaids, unicorns, and even most licensed characters) can be found in big balloons now too. No more having to painstakingly make large characters out of paper.
- Mylar balloons can be filled with air (instead of helium) and then deflated and saved. Keeping stars, balls, cubes, clovers, numbers, and popular characters on hand makes pulling quick parties together even easier.
- After you purchase a few balloon arch kits, you’ll likely end up with a lot of extras, which means you can pull together a garland or arch using what you already have on hand.
- Oh…and this is a must!
I actually have some fun balloon projects (including some organization ideas!) coming up soon!
Color(ing) Crazy
My youngest guy (now 4.5 years old) loves to color. And when I say loves…I mean LOVES. I’ve never seen a kid drain markers like he does, not from leaving caps off but from literally using up every last drop of ink.
Since he’s rarely found without a marker in hand, I’ve started joining him; and it recently rekindled my love for this easy, hassle-free, and relaxing pastime.
As you might expect, I’m not one to sit around idle. I like to be busy and have a hard time relaxing…even when I really need it. Mindless scrolling on my phone is usually enough to get me to sit still for a while, but with my aforementioned social media break during Lent, I didn’t quite know what to do with myself.
So I hunted down a pack of “old school” geometric coloring pages (I used to do these all the time as a kid), and I’ve been keeping them near the couch with our marker caddie. When I just don’t know what to do with myself, it’s been the perfect (technology-free!) way to decompress!
Recent Favorite Finds
PSA: While I like to share items I truly, genuinely love (because they make my life/home/family better, easier, or prettier), I also do not want to promote or urge unnecessary consumption. Know that I’ve done my own reflections before purchasing the items below and always recommend doing your own want/need check-in before clicking “buy” 🙂
Pig Balloon Pump
This little guy is the how I quickly fill up balloons for our balloon arches. If you do lots of parties and/or want to try my balloon trick too, it’s a must!
Suction People Family
We had a bunch of these in our behavior prize buckets and they somehow made their way to the bathtub. Ummmm….best bath toys ever! They are so fun to stick together/on the tile/faucet, etc; throw on the walls; and even string together to make a “human chain” across the tub.
Stanley Pint Stacking Cups
I’m not into Stanley cups (I’m too much of a sucker for the Swig patterns), but the Easter Bunny put these in our baskets this year, and I’m kind of obsessed. The happy colors, drinkable size, stickability, and stainless steel surface, make them perfect for kids and adults alike. I’m about to replace all our plastic drinking cups with a few more!
Kid Waterproof Camera
We just bought these cameras for our recent vacation which included lots of outdoor time like hiking and kayaking. We were really impressed with the air-tight cases, and they were the perfect way to keep little hands occupied. (Just be warned that they do have the game of Tetris on them, which can be quite the tempting distraction from nature!)
Women’s Knit Jumpsuit
I went down a rabbit hole of Spring wardrobe items you “must” have and fell hard for this adorable romper. Since I’m on the shorter side, I tend to stay away from one pieces; but I couldn’t love this jumpsuit more. The fit is flattering and comfortable. And as a self-described wardrobe minimalist, I love how instantly I look complete and chic by just adding a cute pair of earrings!
Crayola Super Tips Markers
No fancy markers for me when I do my coloring! This is the set we bought our son, and we BOTH love the saturated color, hue variety, and precision tips. I might have just bought myself a box so I don’t have to share!
Ask Megan
You guys always ask the greatest questions, and I love answering them! If you have any topics or questions you’d love to see me cover, submit them via the (anonymous) form below.
Thanks for catching up with me this month!
Megan
2 Comments on “Coffee Break #53”
I used to give up Instagram every April and would get back on May 1 to enjoy Me-Made-May (someday I will have enough me-mades to participate!) In the last couple years, I was finding myself less able to pull myself away and I really didn’t like how it made me fee (both in comparison and the waste of time). I was spending a lot of time “resisting” so I gave it up (which meant un-installing from my phone) I’ve done the same for Facebook. I still check occasionally from a browser, but it’s less satisfying (IG doesn’t work as well!) and a lot of the pull is gone and sometimes I wonder how I wasted so much time! I do miss seeing the updates from people I know in real life, but there is too much to be tempted by. What I have “replaced” (but not nearly as addicting) is old-fashioned blogs! They are slower and more in-depth and people often leave thoughtful comments. And once I read all the posts for a day, that’s it! A natural end. I also subscribed to the New York Times and enjoy reading some of their more indepth articles. Like you, I feel like overall there is less noise in my head. I wish you luck in figuring our your path forward!
Aside from first birthdays, our decorations are pretty basic. I do a birthday banner with their name and toss some balloons around. Maybe a table cloth or some decor if they have an available theme (My April birthday request was Battlebots, so it looks like homemade it is!) I love the balloon garland idea and will have to look into trying one myself. My Dad made a birthday poster every year until I was 18 and on my 40th birthday, they decorated my house with many of them and made me a 40th one! It was such a surprise! He always included little pictures of my interests and things I was doing, which is so fun to look back on. I left them up for 5 months and just took them down. And now I have 20ish posters stored under my bed 🙂
So in my house, with my husband, social media is a divorceable offense. And I have to tell you, I don’t miss anything about it. I have been off it for at least 10 years. And I don’t miss it. While I understand the alone feeling that comes with not being connected. I have tried to make more meaningful connections. I call and talk to people. Sometimes I send a text or an email. But I try to keep up in real ways, actually in real life. 🙂
And since I am a terrible mom, I have never done a birthday party like you. I don’t want the pressure to keep it up every year. Sad as that is. I would also rather spend the money from a party on my kids, a better gift, or a dinner out that they want because mom guilt is real.
And SuperTips are the best markers. I have found 5 packs at the Dollar Store. So I will grab them.
I love these posts. They are like the connection, the conversation, without having to call. Thanks for spending time to just chat.