Do you observe Lent?

(This post ended up being a lot longer than I had anticipated. I guess I always have too much to say...)

I have never observed Lent.

Obviously I'm not Catholic so it makes sense,

 but I'm noticing more and more people giving something up for 40 days just to see if they can do it.

Today I've been thinking about things I could possibly give up if I were to join in the challenge. My first few ideas were all food related:

Sweets 

(done that already several times)

Second helpings

 (like my friend Christy...that's a really good one)

White flour 

(ohhhh I don't know if I could do that, so that's a good one too)  

But then I thought that maybe I could do something that wasn't food related. Something in my daily routine that is keeping me from being a better wife, mommy and me. I don't know if Lent is supposed to be strictly geared around food, but hey, I'm not Catholic. According to Wikipedia it's just luxuries...? Anyway, some of my ideas were:

Sleeping in 

(I usually sleep till Jaden wakes up, but I've already been getting better at that lately)

TV and movies

(We don't watch TV and I only put on occasional movies, unless we have a rainy/sick/mega laundry day and then it seems like Netflix plays in the background all day long)

Internet

(let's be real, people)

And then finally I thought of the perfect thing. Something so perfect that when I thought of it, my mind immediately groaned, "Noooo... for 40 days? Nooo..."

That's exactly the kind of thing you should give up, right?

Something that's hard, you're not sure you can do, but you know it will make you better?

I have to admit that as soon as I thought of this perfect thing, I made the decision that I wouldn't observe Lent this year. Ha!

And then a bigger part of me (the competitive part) knew I had to try it.

So here it is people. 

My 40 day sacrifice.

FACEBOOK.

Let me just say, I know different people will have different reactions about this. Maybe you're a person who maybe gets on once a week. Or month. Or maybe you don't even have an account. I say props to you. Please don't judge me :). 

Maybe you're a person who has your phone attached to your hand, constantly having a conversation, and you're addicted to likes. I say that's cool.

Please don't judge me :). 

I'm somewhere in the middle. This is embarrassing to admit, like it's a drug or something :) but I'm just going to lay it out there. I get on Facebook probably more than 2-3 times a day, except on weekends when it's maybe once a day, or maybe I don't get on at all. I honestly don't even know exactly how many times I get on during the week, but I know that my fingers can type those letters to the link, username, and password faster than any other words I could type in this world. I actually had a Facebook-capable smartphone for about six months until it went flying out of my jogging stroller one winter morning. That cracked screen was actually a good step for me to make Facebook less of an influence in my life and I'm looking forward to taking another one. At least for 40 days. Again, this is ME. I'm not judging you for whatever you think is fine. I've just noticed that whenever I'm on FB, whether it's on my phone or the computer, I CANNOT multitask. Meaning I'm not listening to my husband or giving my child the attention he wants. Even though I think I am doing both, I'm not.

Anyway, I know I'm getting on a soapbox, but it's directed to myself, so I'm quickly jumping off. :) So there you have it. My commitment to myself for Lent this year. Starting tomorrow I will have a Facebook fast for 40 days. (Sorry it's not food.) So if any of you have any pregnancy announcements, new babies, hilarious or tear jerking videos, amusing eecards, rough days or announcements related to my ward :), please write about it on your blogs. Thanks! I'll see you on Facebook after Easter!

Oh and I want to hear what you're giving up, if anything! Do you celebrate this tradition each year?