An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess

So I started month 4 which is media. So I have a lot of time on my hands not being spent watching TV or on my phone. So I am going to take this time to blog like crazy. Now I have not written about any of the other months that I have done. So let me give you a recap. Here it goes

Before I begin let me explain what this whole things is. I had read a book way back that was called 7 An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker. Each month she limits herself from something and during that month she is stretched and challenged to live a simpler life. So a few friends and myself have decided to give it a try as well.

Month one was food. This was a hard month for me. I cut out seven foods, where as Jen Hatmaker only ate seven foods and I did not want to hate life that much. So the seven foods I cut out were bread, cheese, soda, alcohol, fried foods, desserts, coffee pretty much only water for a month.

Basically I ate a lot of salads, especially when I went out. I became a little irritable when all my friends were eating this cheesy fried goodness and I had to sip on my water, with lemon, and wait for my salad, which is just as expensive as a burger and fries mind you.

So that month was actually very difficult.

Then came the month of clothing. I limited myself to eight items of clothing, pajamas and workout clothes did not count. So I had 2 pairs of dress pants, a pair of jeans, 2 v-neck shirts, 2 cardigans, and a dress. Tights, scarves, and under garments also did not count. So this was actually not too bad. It made getting ready in the morning very easy and quick. And to my surprise no one even noticed that I was swapping the same articles of clothing week after week. I did this for three full weeks the last week I went to Haiti on a mission trip.

The third month is possessions. I was supposes to give 7 things away a day for a grand total of 210 items. I was really looking forward to this month because it would finally give me an excuse to go through my closet and my room and get rid of a bunch of stuff I had been hording. Now the key thing here was to give thoughtfully, not just to a middle man, Goodwill. I ended up giving away 148 things. So not quite the 210, but it averages to 21 days so not too bad. I did not do a good job with the thoughtful giving though, trying to find actual people who needed these items. I gave away 43 clothing items. 14 nail polish, 14 jewelry, 13 scarves, 34 books, 2 pieces of wall décor, 4 shoes, 11 purses and bags and a couple odds and ends.

 

So that brings me to month four, Media. This is meant to be giving up 7 forms of media. Mine are TV, Facebook/Twitter/Instagram, internet (within reason, I need to check my email, but I am not looking up things all of the time), texting (this is also within reason, only if it saves time, but not for frivolous-no meaning texting), radio, gaming/iphone apps (apps are within reason as well, I need the weather channel app but that is about it)

 

I have made one exception which some might think is a copout but I have to watch the Stanley Cup playoffs for my beloved Blackhawks. I just have to. You might say, “Well that is exactly why you are doing this right, because you actually do not HAVE to.” But I beg to differ, when I watch they win, when I do not they don’t. Simple as that. And stop judging me, I can sense it. Anyways.

Stay tuned for month 5-Waste

Month 6-Spending-going to be a hard one

Month 7-Stress