Consider a weekend without your phone
After reading this, obviously.
I’ve never felt dumber than I did yesterday, watching the USA vs. England Women’s Rugby World Cup match, because I know absolutely none of the rules nor what at all is going on. But I’ve got the basics down: celebrate when the Americans score, cheer for #13 Ilona Maher, repeatedly say out loud “holy shit they are so tough.” Rinse, repeat.
(Update: The American women lost their first match. But we will keep tuning in, gals!!!)
It’s Saturday, it’s the end of summer, and if you’re on the west coast, you’re facing a heatwave that doesn’t not have me wondering if we are just actively in hell (would explain a lot, tbh). So today we’re keeping it light(er) with a few headlines, weekend recos, and the Official Hot Tip Guide to Analog Hobbies Because Holy Shit My Screentime Notification Has Me Considering My Mortality And I Don’t Have The Headspace for That Right Now™️.
Donald Trump’s next move in Authoritarian Bingo appears to be an FBI raid of the home of his former national security adviser John Bolton, who is a regular critic of Trump and even wrote a book calling Trump “unfit” last year—nothing like waiting til you can make a lil cash to warn the world about the wannabe despot in the White House, but what else is new in D.C.? Other outspoken officials from the first Trump Admin. are worried they may be next. An important moment to remember that two things can be true at once: Going after your political enemies? Very bad indeed. Consciously working for a rapist racist and now worrying about the consequences? You made your beds, babes.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated a probable interest rate cut this fall, making it slightly more likely but still incredibly unlikely that millennials can soon buy homes. But at least we’ve got our fashion back.
The California legislature passed the bills necessary to set up a redistricting vote this fall (in response to Texas’ GOP gerrymandering). Meanwhile, Gavin Newsom’s social media presence is a wonder to behold, largely thanks to his brilliant Digital Director Camille Zapata, whose trolling work is—unlike the work of Donald Trump—actually Nobel Prize worthy.
For your weekend consideration:
Read “Please Lord, Help Jillian Michaels’ Black Child” by
right here on Substack (“Kevin O’Leary is what would happen if Daddy Warbucks never met Annie” had me almost spit out my coffee).If you’re traveling with a cordless curling iron, make sure it’s in your carry-on. Otherwise it’ll likely be confiscated by TSA. This story is how I learned they make cordless curling irons.
See The Naked Gun in a theater—I did last night and it was a (less than 90 minute!!!) blast.
Try EADEM Le Chouchou Lip Softening Balm if you’re a dehydrated gal like myself. Water, too.
Watch this video of Aubrey Plaza and Margaret Qualley making pizza, which, unlike most things on Al Gore’s internet, is well worth ten minutes of your life. Then dump the brain poison for the rest of the day.
DROP THE PHONE, BABE.
The jumpscare that is my weekly screentime notification and our rapid devolution into fascism are just two of the roughly 10k reasons I’ve been feeling a lot of phone fatigue lately. Reaching for it has become a creepily unconscious reflex, like breathing, or going into TJMaxx just to see. Since moving to California, my favorite way to disconnect has been gardening; I’ve even managed to plant fruit trees from the pits of fruits I ate, which will make my breakfast habits much cheaper in about ten years. But until then, I love watching the slow growth progress and getting my hands dirty every time the babies need a new pot.
Since not everyone has the climate for or interest in home-grown fruit, I also asked Hot Tip friends + readers about their analog hobbies:
Junk journaling. Basically you scrapbook with your trash, lol. I like it because I am bad at keeping a written journal, and because it gives me something creative to do with my hands that doesn’t involve my phone! — Ashley, Writer
I have found myself in the company of a piano this summer and it is single handedly rewiring my soggy brain to sit at it and parcel out little tunes from old sheet music. My dog hates it. — Jill, Film + TV Exec
Crossword puzzles. I buy the crossword books and bring one with me everywhere I go. So in a coffee shop, rather than be on my phone, I pull out the book. I do them at playgrounds, too. I also carry a deck of cards/a deck of kids’ card games with me everywhere, for restaurants and whatnot. — Halle, Ceramicist
Embroidery and jewelry making! I started crafting back in the former USSR and took the grandma hobbies with me when I emigrated. — Dasha, Product Manager
Hand crocheting purses! I got started because of a TikTok tutorial, but then friends started loving them, and I have even made some for bday presents!! It’s also really mindless to do once you start the stitch, so it just feels like muscle memory. Then you have a functional thing by the end, which is really cool! — Chelsea, Strategy Director
Sewing/quilting! My grandmother always made doll clothes for me and my sister, but she passed when we were little. I taught myself how to use a sewing machine in high school, then picked it up as a hobby a couple of years ago when I started doing alterations to thrifted clothes. Now I make garments from scratch and am working on a quilt! I love that it makes me sit down and think and practice patience. I also enjoy getting to see the whole thing coming together; it’s really gratifying. — Amelia, Communications Manager
Baking! So basic but it always is my go to. A classic Covid hobby that really took off once I got the Magnolia Bakery cookbook, and have been trying to work my way through it. Besides the reward of getting a sweet treat at the end of my efforts, I love that it’s an activity that can span multiple hours of the day, depending on how intensive the bake is (which makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something!) I also love getting to share with my friends and neighbors. — Brenna, Performer
I’ve been spending my Saturdays alternating between hosting my friends and going to their place for a pool and board/card game day. We take turns cooking or ordering out for each other (the lower cost the day, the better), lie in the sun, and play whatever games we’ve collected over the years. It’s not necessarily a phone-free ordeal, but I find that I end up leaving my phone in my bag and not touching it for eight or nine hours—and my chest and cheeks hurt so much from laughing afterwards. Jenna, Nonprofit Worker
I’m big into writing haikus! I love the fact that is outward-focused poetry that touches on issues of humanity without being me-focused. I got started this April because I wanted to write, but I didn’t want to spiral into the self-absorption that my anxiety makes me prone to do. It provides me creative expression and a deeper focus on the world around me. I’ve even gotten published in the newspaper! — Rachel, Registered Dietitian
I literally FORCED myself into analog hobbies this year (with a gentle push from The Artist's Way). After 10+ years working in social media, I found myself addicted to my phone, so started needlepoint and cross-stitch as a way to keep myself from scrolling while watching TV. Turns out, I love it. My husband and I have also started swimming at the local pool on Fridays—so meditative and a way to force myself off my devices. Helping my brain break up with tech has provided so much calm. — Lia, Writer
Puzzling! My girlfriend and I got two beautiful thousand-piece puzzles from a garden nursery of all places, and we’re finally starting puzzle 1/2, which is of course flower-themed. It gives me something to do with my restless hands while occupying my mind with a soft hum. — Aaron, Energy Markets Manager
I have a friend who has a workshop and knows a lot about carpentry. I asked to join him, and over time we made a few things together: a couple of picture frames, a set of shelves for my turntable/audio equipment, a garden box for kale + hangers for vines—so it helps with other hobbies, too. Time flies once we are there and learning about it gave me a greater respect for the trade, plus I get to have exclusive (and super useful) furniture while everyone else has Ikea. — Edmilson, Social Innovation Specialist
Running and playing drums! Been running forever, and got the idea to start drums on a run. They both give my mind a technology break while allowing me to think freely and creatively (running) and working out my brain in new ways (drumming). I also love watercolor & held a few girls watercolor nights this past winter—we all loved them. This is a good reminder to get back into it! — Emma, HR Analytics
Jigsaw puzzles! Great for unwinding and getting your mind off other things—and saves me from doom scrolling. Alyssa, Architect
Paint by numbers. I am not artistic by any means and this keeps me focused in the best way; half the time I forget where my phone is. Perfect for half-watching shows like The Hunting Wives or listening to music and disconnecting at the end of the day. — Rachel, Nurse Anesthesiologist
Reading books. I've always been a pretty voracious reader. My parents instilled in me early on that the only way to get smart and funny was to read, and I've always enjoyed it. I spent the last 15 years or so working in libraries, which encourages reading widely across as many genres as possible. I try to focus my reading on curiosity and pleasure. Really, I love all facets of reading: Researching what to add to my list, visiting new (and old) bookstores, thinking of to whom I will recommend a book I've just finished and why, what I'd like to share about what I've read and what I'd like to keep to myself. Truly a very fulfilling hobby and burying my face in a book is a perfect antidote to screens for me. — Alli, Librarian
Writing with pencil and paper. I journal, I make notes, I even write some drafts. I got fancy Blackwing pencils as a gift, and I wasn't sure I would like it. I hadn't written with a pencil for years. Now I appreciate the way it helps me slow down and think as I write things down. — Hayden, Writer
As a Korean-American adoptee, I make art related to South Korean culture, e.g., fabric dolls of South Koreans and characters. My favorites are flip dolls where one side is one character, and the other a different one. — Elissa, Legal Services Attorney
Mending! As a family of four there's always some article of clothing that has a hole or tear in it. In the evening, after my daughters are asleep, I grab one or two things and mend them by hand. I have a sewing machine, but right now I love the slow focus of hand stitching; it relaxes and grounds me after hectic days. I love that it's not a big project; I can usually start and finish in one sitting. And of course I love taking care of what we own rather than throwing it out and getting something new. I've started getting into visible mending such as Sashiko and I love the creative possibilities. — Ray, Writer
I started cooking dinner every night during the pandemic because it was my one time a day where I was guaranteed to not be on a screen. Between online college classes, homework, facetiming my friends, and doomscrolling the news, it was hard for me to set boundaries around my screen time, but making dinner was one time a day I knew I wouldn't be looking at a screen (save for checking my recipe periodically). I'd always been into cooking as a kid, but that time in lockdown really helped build my skills and establish a repertoire of recipes I was good at. Now, I love getting to plan my meals for the week and finding new recipes I get to try, and I love coming home from work to the comfort of my kitchen where I can meditatively chop veggies and transform ingredients into a meal. — Hannah Grace, Paralegal
Feel free to drop your fav analog hobby in the comments, and have a great analog weekend.
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