I gave up shopping for lent.  This seems funny, until you consider Jon gave up hot sauce.  And our girls gave up cardboard boxes.  The impetus behind giving up shopping came from a couple of different directions.  One is that shopping is a form of therapy for me.  Since I am working on Weight Watchers pretty hard core to drop the remainder of my baby weight from Mercy & Z, I no longer can use food as a source of solace.  And exercise has never been an escape for me, and giving up exercise would be like Lucy giving up bananas (she doesn’t eat them anyway).  Shopping became the sand paper that made my life feel a little smoother.

So shopping it is.  Simplicity, organization, budgeting, sustainability. Unknowingly I am addressing all of this in my life.  It’s funny when one asks for the core issue, how sometimes it is actually revealed.  Shopping for me is shiny, happy, invigorating, a competition, a game.  Target is my drug, deals are my pride.

So I stopped it.  I stopped dreaming “researching” for the next greatest deal.  What I didn’t expect was the big void of space in my head, the massive amount of time I had left over.  I was too busy and overwhelmed, and discovered some of it was from “trying to save money” by finding deals.  I am a very frugal shopper, but like I said before, deals are like liquid ecstasy to me.

So it is done for at least 40 days.  Have I said how much I love the season of lent.  It is by far my favorite time of the year.  Creating voids in my life that can be filled up with Christ and the sacrifice he made for me, and my family, and our world.  My sacrifice, if you can even call it that, feels divinely inspired.

So it has been a week & 1/2 of no shopping, no on-line window shopping, no dreaming about what I want.  I have found myself kind of looking around at various times with nothing to do.  Wait, check that, plenty to do, but nothing that I really want to do.  So it is reading the daily emails from The Journey, thanks Michael, and letting myself be kind of at loose ends.  Sitting in that void and getting familiar with it, letting the echoes be loud and uncomfortable.

• phew. ear infections + altitude make for a non-sleeping baby & parents. rough weekend. good skiing though. #
• rather… chacos…RT @trishatakamai: CO Humor #2 – You'll wear flip flops every day of the year, regardless of temperature. #
• I hope I hope I hope! RT @birdbanter: Will Apple make the big announcement on Wed. ending exclusivity with AT&T? http://bit.ly/924FGo #
• 21 Things We're Learning to Live Without http://ow.ly/10zC5 #
• RT @twitstroll: @julzink We are going on a #Twitstroll at Berkley Park in #Denver here is a map http://bit.ly/4DegBV Bring the dogs10:30am! #
• RT @Cheaplikeme: Free air hockey for iPhone/iPod Touch TODAY only http://bit.ly/86IffS via @wisebread #
• eeee…. trying.. to wait.. patiently.. for tomorrow… apple, it better be good! #
• RT @mashable: Apple Tablet: All the Rumors in One Place – http://bit.ly/b3Ir0Z #
• RT @denverfoodguy: Salsa Recipe http://is.gd/4BBgt ^JD #
• I nominate @COLOURlovers for a Shorty Award in #apps because Themeleon rocks! It colored my twitter profile… Love it? http://ow.ly/VJ53 #
• just joined a video chat at http://tinychat.com/mashableprivate221 Make your own video chat at http://tinychat.com #tinychat #
• RT @maikelvdm: RT @kimgarretson: Denver Egoist launches hyperlocal blogs for other cities' creative communities. http://bit.ly/9Ymfv6 #
• RT @vococreative: Meeting with @vocojuli today to start brainstorming our upcoming series of social media chats. What topics do YOU crave? #
• RT @mashable: HOW TO: Build a More Beautiful Blog – http://bit.ly/c0vUVf #
• yummy chai, warm tomato soup on a cold, cold day = happy. and warmer. #
• RT @maikelvdm: RT @jaredroy: Your Brand and The Social Web an article I wrote for MN Business http://ow.ly/11s0I #
• RT @leplan: How Google Search Ads Work [Video] http://nxy.in/ddntl #Tech #

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• Going to New Tech Denver meetup tonight. Very excited! @BDNT spin #
• RT @kidecals: New blog post: Love for Haiti http://astickymommy.com/wpblog/?p=89 #
• RT @birdmaiden: Concert for Cash, Sat. in Denver! http://tr.im/L3CN $10 to c Railbenders benefiting Children's Hospital #Denver #SMA #

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• Trying to pull myself out of the blahs of motherhood. Any ideas for today? #
• My favorite Paul Frank little boy clothes are on sale at Target!!! I totally stocked up. #
• was just told a mani and pedi are the best cure for the mommy blah's. now to find a babysitter, and the money… #
• RT @milehighmamas: Moms Blog: Daily Deal-Free Einstein Bagel http://bit.ly/8Olxwb #
• RT @2010Shift: What words are you focusing on for 2010? Intention, discipline, freedom #
• RT @successful_mom: God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. ~Jewish Proverb #
• RT @laurencook: Love this quote: “Anything I’ve ever done that ultimately was worthwhile…initially scared me to death.” #
• RT @savvysassymoms: My 3 hidden Travel Gems (with Kids) http://havekidsstilltravel.com Check out my Family Friendly Destinations! #
• So nice to start the day off with yoga, and 1 task at a time. 2010 is the year I say no to multi-tasking… when possible. #
• RT @birdmaiden: Dear Denverites, come to Concert for Cash http://tr.im/K87y and please RT – you could win tix! #
• on not multi-tasking. excellent. here's my inspiration http://ow.ly/VMJL RT @thillerson: @vocojuli me too. I'm using pomodorotechnique.com #
• Love it: caffeine chart graphs your morning buzz http://ow.ly/W1xd #
• RT @milehighmamas: Moms Blog: Daily Deal-Cheap Admission to Butterfly Pavilion http://bit.ly/6tJujy #
• entreprenuerial biz ladies surround yourself with: trendsetters, influencers, and connectorshttp://ow.ly/WuBf #
• speaking of connectors: @jenniferegbert @trishatakamai @MrktFrsh #
• What is your favorite webinar software? Why? #
• So into monsters this year: RT @coolmompicks: Adorable monsters, for your adorable monster. http://ow.ly/WpQ0 #
• What are your home cures for the common cold? #
• RT @trishatakamai: A beautiful, raw and very brave blog post by my shrinking sister… http://seesarashrink.wordpress.com/ #
• Anyone have a home office shed in their back yard? @vococreative and I want one badly! #

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• Ugh, back to real life. The break has been blissful, but so is sending my kids off to school. #
• What are your fav Wii fitness games? Or other good games to use to get in shape for the Wii? #
• Avatar is my top movie for 2009. Any other favs I should see? I didn't get out much. #
• Love it! great idea RT @themomblog: giving up one thing per month as a New Year's Resolution. calls it "Rotating Lent." http://ow.ly/SN6c #
• 90 day healthy habits challenge Day 2: compliments of @restorefitness http://ow.ly/T2C5 #
• 10 Ways to get serious about social media http://ow.ly/T1Dv #

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• Sheesh, managed a cross country plane trip with 3 kids, one being a 1 year old. Ugh! #
• RT @milehighmamas: Moms Blog: Daily Deal-Free Aveda Sample Pack http://bit.ly/7r4Oga #
• RT @birdmaiden: happy winter! get a little something for the shortest day of the year: http://tr.im/IiGf #
• Christmas, travel, birthdays. Phew, I am whooped. #

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• RT @BridgetAyers: RT @andysowards: Twitter Tip: U can now google twitter handles for latest tweets http://bit.ly/6EpByJ #
• Packing tips for the holidays http://ow.ly/MK4V #
• FABULOUS BLOG: Flying with children http://ow.ly/N8Se #
• RT @milehighmamas: Moms Blog: Daily Daily-Safeway Holiday Menu http://bit.ly/6EwIgO #
• I have started using this threat! gr8! RT @kidecals: Does anyone else feel bad using the "Santa will put you on the naughty list!" threat?? #
• Packing tips for the holidays http://ow.ly/MK8N #
• Packing tips for the holidays http://ow.ly/MK7L #

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• A good gift for all those crafty women out there, this looks amazing Bauhaus Women: Art, Handicraft, Design http://ow.ly/JUzm #

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With my birthday and all three of my kids birthdays in the last part of November/Early December, around September I start getting hives thinking about birthdays & holidays looming on the horizon.  So I take a deep breath, remind myself of 2 things.  One, this time with the kids is going to be gone in a flash, so enjoy the chaos while they still live with us (granted they are 7, 5, 1), and two keep breathing.

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