Cultivating a rooted life.

I’ve been exhausted these last several months.

Not just physically exhausted from lack of sleep and chasing around two small children. But mentally wiped out. Any downtime I had was spent mindlessly scrolling, consuming a cocktail of memes, terrible news, and 10-second videos. You know the ones.

I took a break from the internet last spring, but that didn’t even seem to touch the fatigue. My screen time was creeping up as I was scrolling more, struggling to focus for even a few minutes. I felt myself fraying in all the usual ways: too many tabs open, too many notifications, too much noise. When I turned to something analog, like a book, my brain was stuck in scroll mode.

Last spring, I found a book that put a name to what I was going through: Stolen Focus by Johann Hari. It was a startling look at why I wasn’t able to pay attention and how to think deeply again.

As much as it helped initially, it only scratched the surface of a much deeper problem.

I started craving slowness. Pen and paper. Time away from screens. Systems that didn’t require an internet connection. Working and crafting with my hands, not my laptop.

I knew something had to shift. Not just in how I read, but in how I lived.

I'm exploring an idea I call Rooted. I will be writing more about slow living, mindful consumption, and my journey toward a more analog lifestyle. In a world that thrives on distraction, I’m learning how to reclaim my attention — through reading for pleasure, choosing what I consume with intention, and building rhythms that make space for presence.

This space is where I will share:

• What I’m reading — novels, nonfiction, and the ideas I’m learning from books. Reading not as a productivity goal, but as a lifestyle.
• Slow living practices — journaling, gentle decluttering, seasonal resets, and simple analog routines that build resilience and create calm in a noisy world.
• Mindful consumption — untangling from social media and internet dopamine, curating what truly matters, and enjoying analog media over digital. 

In the coming months, you’ll find articles and resources on rebuilding your attention, curating a meaningful library, reading more mindfully offline, thoughtful book-keeping, and learning what to keep and what to let go of. I’ll also share guidance on slow rituals, home and idea organization, and analog routines that support a life of focus, depth, and intentionality.

Who am I? I’m Amanda. I’m an avid book collector and mood reader extraordinaire. Self-proclaimed family historian. Amateur baker and aspiring gardener. Exhausted mama of two. And a recovering digital native trying to live with more focus, depth, and intention.

If you’re feeling scattered, digitally exhausted, or unsure where your attention even is, you’re not alone. This space is for you — a place to slow down, read more, reconnect with our analog selves.