What I did on my Blog Break

I really enjoyed unplugging from my computer and social media over the holidays.  I had this fear people would stop reading my blog (out of sight, out of mind) and that I might be missing out on some important update on facebook or blogs. I felt a self-inflicted pressure of keeping up the pace.  For those of you that follow any type of social media I think you can relate to the whole fear of missing out syndrome.  However, I found my break to be a refreshing change of pace.

I spent time with my family visiting my parents in Florida and enjoyed temperatures in the upper 60’s and lower 70’s.  We spent an afternoon at Honeymoon Beach, but we mostly just relaxed, played our favorite card game Five Crowns which you can purchase here and saw a few movies.   We saw Thor, Philomena and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a great family movie and I love the overall message of stepping out of your comfort zone and being brave.  Philomena stars Dame Judi Dench and is based on a true story.  A woman goes in search of her son 50 years after he was taken from her while staying at a convent in Ireland.  It’s a little teary, but has a lot of dry British humor from the male lead, Steve Coogan.   I didn’t think Thor:The Dark World was as good as the first movie, but my mother and I conferred that Chris Hemsworth is awfully nice on the eyes.

I also read the book Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters.  It started off a little slow for me, but then I became intrigued by the characters and how their stories connected.  They are stories of love, hope, lies and courage. Part of the story takes place on the coast of Italy which is what initially drew me to the book.  My friend Anne also recommended it.  The beginning of the novel is set in 1962 during the filming of Cleopatra and touches on the scandalous love affair between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.  Although it’s fictional, Beautiful Ruins gives you an inside glimpse into the mind of a Hollywood publicist.  I drew a lot of connections between how negative publicity worked in their favor and how it currently works to many actor’s advantage.  It was on New Year’s Eve that I heard Miley Cyrus was the most googled celebrity in 2013 followed by Kim Kardashian. Need I say more!

Netflix is very popular in our home.  We mainly watch TV series we’ve missed out on.  I’m not as impressed with their movie selections.    My daughter has been known to watch an entire series in a weekend.  My parents started my husband and I on the TV series Arrow. The show sort of reminds me of a guy’s version of the show Revenge with a little of Lost thrown in.  I  half watched the show while pinning things on pinterest.  I didn’t totally give up all social media during my break.  Pinterest comes in handy after all while waiting at an airport.

Playing games, spending time outdoors, reading and watching movies and television shows are all simple joys for me.  It important to take a break from our phones and computers and actually spend time with the people we love.  I’ve vowed not to be on my computer after 8:00 p.m. from now on. I’m a much happier person when I have balance in my life. If I don’t set some boundaries I become distracted and my time is consumed by the computer.

Another thing I did was select a word for the year.  I’ve done this for several years now and came across the concept from Ali Edwards.  I wrote about it here. You can also read Ali’s description of the One Little Word concept here. This year’s word is RECEIVE.  When I looked up the definition of receive I found many meanings: to assimilate through the mind or sense, to permit to enter, welcome, greet, to accept as authoritative, believe, and to acquire.  Receive seems like a strange choice of words, but it chose me.  It was the first word that popped into my head and I’ve already been aware of how it’s made itself known in my life. Sometimes I can be hesitant about receiving things and messages, by choosing a word I’m more apt to pay attention and apply it to my life.

Read any good books or see any good movies over the holiday season?  Do you have a word for the year?  Please share in the comments.