My day without technology

Joanne Mallon was challenged by her daughter to attempt a day without technology. I really enjoyed reading her daughter's blog post (link no longer available) and her own blog post about the day, and so I gladly accepted the challenge to have a go myself. I'm afraid that I didn't completely pass, but considering that for most of the day I was at home alone with two young children unable to help me I don't think that I did too badly! I needed to keep my phone on in case my husband or the pre-school needed to contact me. Here's how I got on:

7am - I normally reach straight for my phone, today I got straight up and went in the shower. Hubby left for the gym and work.
7.30am - No toast for breakfast today. The children watched Mickey Mouse while I ate. Normally I would sit at the PC, today I finished and got on with the washing up.
8.55am - Hubby rang to tell me how he got on at the gym.
9.30am - I checked my text messages as we had a playdate and I wanted to make sure that we were still on. No messages but I couldn't help noticing 5 e-mails sat there...
10am - At our playdate, much too busy running after children to miss the phone.
11.45am - Back home. Normally a quick chance to check Facebook, but got on with lunch instead.
12pm - Lunch. Again a PC opportunity but instead I ate in peace and quiet (well as much as possible with two little ones). Fortunately the cooker is allowed so I could eat soup.
1pm - Having dropped Harry off at pre-school I normally push Mia home as quickly as possible so that I can try and get her down for a nap and have some computer time. No point today so I got her out to walk for a bit and she surprised me by walking all the way home (about a mile).
1.35pm - Time to try for a nap. Normally I sit outside the door on my phone, returning Mia to bed every couple of minutes. Instead I tidied our bedroom and packed my gym bag for tomorrow.
1.50pm - Asleep! And much quicker than normal, must be the extra exercise. I treated myself to a slice of cake in front of my jigsaw. It is so quiet, really noticable that the PC is not switched on.
2.25pm - Time for a bit of cross stitch. So peaceful.
3.35pm - Mia woke up. We made flapjacks by hand. Mia ate raisins and played with the scales. Whoops, I've just realised that the scales are electric.
4pm - I needed to make pizza dough for dinner. I'm afraid I cheated and used the mixer, Mia didn't have the patience for me to do it by hand. I did toy briefly with the idea of asking her to turn it on for me though.
4.10pm - Phone made a noise I've not heard before so thought I'd better check it. Something to do with eBay that hubby has set up.
4.15pm - Hubby rings to say when he'll be home (late).
4.30pm - Mia was happily occupied with toys in Harry's room. Normally I would be using the phone, today I started to clean the bathroom and then we played ambulances.
5.15pm - Out to collect Harry. I had to use the car as it was dark.
5.50pm - Both children were sitting on the sofa with books and looking adorable. I ran to get my phone to take a picture, then remembered that I couldn't so watched and enjoyed the moment instead.
6pm - I popped CBeebies on for a bit so that I could get on with dinner.
6.20pm - Children eating again, no PC though instead I tidied up the toys.
7.10pm - Husband home. Tried to talk to him but he was busy sending text messages.
7.30pm - Children in bed, time for us to eat. We ate in silence as he was busy on his phone.
8.15pm - Hubby put the dishwasher on. Suggestion that he could also put some washing in or run the hoover round met with a withering look.
8.20pm - Spent the evening doing my jigsaw with no TV. I did have to look at the computer briefly to help compare broadband deals.
10.30pm - Bedtime with a real, paper book.

Things that I have learned

My phone stays close by me during the day mainly so that I can keep in touch with my husband. Once he was home for the evening I didn't miss it at all.

It's really annoying when other people are playing on their phones all the time and you aren't.

When I don't enter my daily calories into my phone I eat more.

I missed taking photographs to share with my husband or on Facebook.

It's much easier to get on with housework when you are not distracted by the phone.

I get irritable when I am halfway through reading something and get disturbed, if I don't start reading it in the first place then I can't be disturbed and therefore won't be irritable.

I didn't miss out on anything online.

I use my phone for much more than I realised - it's my shopping list, to do list, housework routine manager, calorie counter and weight tracker, recipe book (via Pinterest or e-mails), camera, clock and child entertainer.

Are you up for the challenge? How would you manage? If you'd like to give it a go, let me know how you get on!