This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dixie. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you heard about the Dark for Dinner campaign from Dixie? As I shared with you guys in this blog post last week, my family pledged to go #DarkforDinner this weekend and Angeline and I sat down to an old fashioned family dinner without the distraction of cell phones, tablets, television...we sat at the table and just talked. We started with setting the table, which we rarely actually eat at, and then made one of our favorite dinners together: spaghetti! Spaghetti is one of those easy, throw-it-together recipes that doesn't require a lot of effort, so it was perfect for serving on our #DarkForDinner night. No hassle, less stress = an easy dinnertime together!

It's always important to spend time with your family, and while modern technology has allowed us to connect with family and friends near and far in a way that regular old phone calls just don't provide, it can also keep us disconnected when we allow it to infiltrate our family time. Angeline and I are dealing with a lot of changes in our life right now; between my divorce and her father moving out, her beginning to drive and buying her first car, her being busy with her friends and boyfriend this summer...well, we have a lot that we needed to sit down and talk about.

What Happened When We Went #DarkforDinner

On Sunday, June 14, Dixie, the trusted disposable tableware brand that our families have known and loved for 90 years, launched the #DarkForDinner campaign that is running for six Sundays. The movement aims to help families focus on being more present in the moments that matter and spend meaningful time together. Sure, we may not be able to disconnect completely - I know that I can't due to the nature of my blogging - and Angeline may not WANT to due to...well, her being a 17 year old girl! But we can all turn off the cell phones and other electronic devices for an hour at dinnertime, can't we?

Angeline and I sat down and the conversation began flowing towards the big issues going on right now...namely, the way our family dynamic is changing due to the divorce and her father moving out. We really couldn't have participated in this movement at a better time; we have so much to talk about because so much in our lives is changing! We talked about what it's going to be like being on our own now that her father isn't going to be physically involved in her everyday life, and then the conversation progressed to more upbeat things - like changing up our house! Now that it's just the two of us, we are cleaning out the house and completely redecorating. It's such a fun, uplifting subject to talk about and really helped to brighten our moods and give us something positive to focus on during a time that has us both feeling pretty sad.

Naturally, with Angeline having just bought her first car, our conversation turned into a very excited, happy conversation as we discussed fixing the old Firebird up, saving up for a paint job and a new convertible top, and then, of course, all of the fun she was going to have in her new car! Buying your first car is such a rite of passage for teenagers, and she is so excited about all of the adventures she is going to have in her car! I'm excited too because now I don't have to share MY car with her anymore...this new car means more freedom for both of us!

We also realized something very important during this conversation: she needs to begin earning money to pay for gas and going out and all of the things her car will need in the near future. So she's going to start working on the blog with me! She's pretty excited about the idea of skipping the usual high school jobs of working fast food and becoming involved in blogging and social media, and I really love the idea of having two chicks running The Rebel Chick! I hope that you guys enjoy having the voice of a millennial being added to the blog!

Having a nice family dinner without any distractions was just what Angeline and I needed this weekend, and not having to argue over who was going to wash the dishes afterwards was a huge benefit!

Tips for a Hassle-Free #DarkforDinner

Choose an Easy Recipe

Serve your family's go-to dish, much like our spaghetti. It's such an easy meal and who doesn't love pasta? It's the easiest recipe in the world: just buy one 28 ounce jar of marinara, one pound of lean ground beef and a box of whichever type of pasta you like. You can serve it with garlic bread and salad for a complete meal.

Make Clean Up a Breeze

Skip the fancy place settings and china and bring out the Dixie tableware! These pretty, sturdy plates and bowls can handle whatever recipe you've created and you can skip the tiresome cleanup afterwards!

Set the Mood

I like a cheerful table when we sit down to eat, so for this special occasion, I bought a simple bouquet of fresh flowers. You can also use a pretty candle or centerpiece for a more romantic touch!

Go #DarkforDinner

Join Dixie by participating in the #DarkForDinner movement. For one family dinner, make sure work calls, personal calls, social media or other distractions do not take away from time you can spend together. Go #DarkForDinner and enjoy great conversation and time with what really matters most in life, your family!