Connection, Not WiFi

I didn’t plan a family retreat, but that’s what a few unplugged hours turned into.

On a recent Saturday, I set an intention to be more present with my family.

To accomplish that, I pulled out an “unplug” box we bought earlier this year on Etsy.
We had come up with the tagline together: Connection, not Wi-Fi.

It’s been sitting on a shelf most of the year, but that phrase has become a family code for “Put down the device and be present with us.”

After a full morning of commitments, we gathered our phones and tablets into the box for an impromptu digital detox.

And something magical happened.

My daughters made cupcakes while my husband and I tackled a long-standing house project. Two of us read books. I wrote a few handwritten notes I’d been meaning to send. We planned a family outing. We shared dinner, a movie, and a lot of laughs, fully present with one another.

But what stood out wasn’t just the connection. It was the focus. We were productive, calm, and energized, and each of us found flow in something screen-free.

Technology makes life easier in countless ways, but there’s power in stepping away, not as rejection, but as a way to reset.

Our Saturday was a reminder that connection and focus don’t always require more time — just more intention.

What helps you unplug and reconnect with others, or with yourself?