This post is inspired by Lee Tilghman’s Offline Time Substack. I don’t know much about her, from what I’ve gathered, I think she was a bigger influencer a few years ago and then tried to stop influencing? Anyhow, every week on her Substack, she posts 10 things she did that didn’t involve scrolling on her phone.
Over the past year, I’ve desperately tried to get rid of my phone addiction. I had an addiction to Instagram that honestly I don’t think was that toxic, but it was time-consuming to the point where my screen time stats were showing like 4 hours a day on Instagram (and therefore I never downloaded TikTok because I probably would never sleep). I wondered what else could I be doing with those 4 hours? And so since July of 2024, I delete the Instagram app off my phone Monday-Saturday and re-download to post content on Sundays only. I still access it through the web version, but Meta has made it such a horrible user experience that you don’t really get the same satisfying dopamine hit. It seems so silly to say, but I do feel like I’ve gotten my life back a little bit. I don’t get sucked into the screen and actually am able to be lively and live my life ya know? Now my most-used app is usually Messages, which is what a phone really should be used for.
- Ran 4 miles with my friend Steff. Last October, she posted in a neighborhood Facebook group that she was looking for a running buddy, and we started running together once a week. She’s just a gem, and it’s one of the highlights of my week every week! A reminder that social media can be social, and Facebook groups are certainly not dead!
- Finished watching season 3 of Love on the Spectrum. It’s a Netflix series where people on the autism spectrum date and look for love. I watched season 1 during the pandemic, but my roommate and I skipped to season 3, and it is so wholesome and heartwarming! It’s only 7 episodes, and I kind of wish there were more.
- Took my car in to get repaired (and suffered the financial consequences). I originally took my car into the Honda dealership to get my air conditioning fixed, and apparently the evaporator was leaking and needed to be replaced. It was over $2,000. Don’t @ me, it’s already done and I have found a neighborhood mechanic for future endeavors. However, Honda also told me I needed new tires so I scheduled an appointment at Firestone, where I subsequently learned I needed new brake fluid and a clean cabin filter. Hate that for me.
- Tried a new-to-me cafe. After dropping my car off at the shop, I walked home and stopped at Grand Casino Bakery & Cafe for breakfast, an Argentinian cafe in Culver City. I got a spinach and cheese empanada and a chai latte for under $8 which I feel is a steal in Los Angeles. All their pastries looked so good and I definitely want to go back.
- Went for a long walk and listened to Giada de Laurentiis’s podcast episode of The Skinny Confidential. I actually got to see Giada live at a cookbook event at Brentwood Country Mart a month ago, and she talked about very similar topics, but I still found the interview to be interesting and how she struggled to feel comfortable in front of a camera. Also, I learned you’re supposed to salt your pasta water enough so it “tastes like the Mediterranean.” I averaged 10k steps a day last year and have really taken a step back this year, but I need to get back into walking shape for my Europe trip this summer! The Skinny Confidential is one of my go-to podcasts, and I usually get 6,000 steps per episode.
- Hosted a bouquet brunch at my apartment. Last month, I watched With Love, Meghan on Netflix, and it was so aspirational and cute. I wanted to host something for spring, so I prepared a sweet and savory toast bar for brunch. Everyone brought bouquets of flowers to share, then we all mixed and matched to form our own unique bouquets! It was super fun, I would recommend!!
- Helped my friend design a tattoo. My friend wanted to Photoshop some words together for a tattoo that she’s getting as a law school graduation present to herself, so I sent her some mock-ups.
- Saw Pride & Prejudice in a movie theater. My friend is a huge Pride & Prejudice fan and booked us all tickets since it was playing in the nearby AMC for its 20th anniversary. She didn’t know that this particular screening would be followed by an interview with the director, Joe Wright. It was pretty awesome and one of those “only in LA” moments.
- Picked up Onyx Storm from the library. I was like 400th on the waitlist back in January! If you enjoyed the dystopian books of the 2010s like The Hunger Games and Divergent, you’ll like the Fourth Wing series by Rebecca Yarros. The plot feels very similar to Divergent, but add dragons and a lil smut lol. These books are hefty (think 500 pages), but I don’t read fantasy that often and enjoy the escapism. Of course, I have to track all my hobbies, so follow me on Goodreads here.
- Finally visited the Huntington Library and Botanical Garden. This place has been on my LA bucket list for probably five years at this point and it did not disappoint! It was massive and reminded me of the San Diego Zoo. Pro tip, bring water, a hat, good walking shoes, sunscreen, and a picnic blanket! We spent about 3 hours there and didn’t even see everything! I live too far away, but I’d probably get a membership if it was closer to me.
