Dress Beautifully: Behind the Screens

Good Monday morning gals! This weekend was a scorcher but we stayed cool splashing in our backyard, playing in the shade and giving thanks for the AC blowing through our home!

Time spent behind a screen isn't a new thing for our society but I do feel that the past several months with our country sheltering at home it has increased to an all time high. I'm grateful for blessing of technology. It allowed me to communicate with Ryan when he was in DC studying medicine our first few years of marriage & while he was deployed in the Middle East. I use it to stay in touch with my gal pals local and those from military that are scattered across the country, our family so they can virtually see Vivian grow, contribute to volunteer organizations like the Junior League and teach my Sunday School Class.
I use it to write this blog and post my outfits but the best posts are those of my precious, darling Vivian Louise!

Technology has the weather, news, shopping and the highlights of people's lives in pictures.
We Netflix and chill, click add to cart, Pinterest our way through rabbit holes and stare at the lives of strangers on IG etc .....

But it's a slippery slope. It can create a world of comparison, lies and addiction. It can creep its way in and take hold as a priority over edifying things.

New Phone Who Dis?

Gracious my old phone was bustled RIP

It crazy the fancy things this thing can do! Not complaining about the fab photos of Vivian I'm taking.

Our phones have basically become an appendage of our bodies. If they're not in our hands they're within reach. We spend a lot of money on these handy dandy devices that bring so much to our finger tips so let's use the investment for good.

We set boundaries and limits for our children because we know it's good for them and guess what?? It's good for us too!

I'm still working on creating the scope of what my screen time looks like but I do know I want it to be less scrolling and more time spent in the Word, present with others and appreciating the joys of life that only looking up and around me can bring.

Here is some screen time encouragement and best practices to incorporate...

A gal pal introduced this IG account, Shield and Portion with me and it has encouraged me and this blog post. Here's what they shared on screen time:

We crave the dopamine hit we receive from opening up Instagram and being flooded by delicate beauty and perfect color palettes and honestly, it frightens me. It frightens me how dearly I cling on to this tiny device. How much it calls my name, and how much I give in. ⁣⁣
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My phone and I have been in a back and forth debate the last couple of weeks. I shun it for hours at a time, mad at how it dictates my behavior. At other times I look forward to connecting with friends through it. It is a tension that I am aware will never go away, but during this time I have determined to set myself up for success. To set up my phone in a way that it becomes a tool I control, not the other way around. So here’s what I’m doing: ⁣⁣
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📱I treat my phone like a little child. This idea is from JMC’s book, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”. At night, I try to put my phone to sleep outside my bedroom and I don’t wake it up/pick it up until I’ve gone through my morning quiet time. ⁣⁣
📱I hide my social media apps in folders, hidden far away so it becomes a nuisance for me to find them. If it’s less accessible, I’ll open it less. ⁣⁣
📱I created a shortcut so when I press the power button 3x, it turns my screen to black and white mode. Our brains releases dopamine with the vibrant colors of our phone screens. Shut that down by making your phone boring. ⁣⁣

📱I check my email at specific times of the day, not whenever I feel like it. I check it once at 10am and again at 4pm. Don’t let emails control you. Who decided that was okay?⁣⁣⁣⁣
📱My home screen is filled with Christ centered apps. More on that in my stories! ⁣⁣⁣⁣
📱Set time limits of how long you’ll be on a social media app and only check it once a day. Regularly go through who you’re following and unfollow any accounts that are unnecessary. ⁣⁣⁣
📱Take your Bible with you everywhere, and have it open next to you. This is one of my favorite tricks. When I feel myself grabbing my phone, I instead create opportunity for me to open my Bible and dig in there. I’ll either go to the passage I’m memorizing or have fun with cross-references. (Yes, fun!)

I also received an email from MOPS International with this advise:

Creating healthy social media boundaries: