Slackin off like a boss - 101

So today's prompt over at nablopomo is to write a "how to" post on something that you're good at. And I sat and thought... and thought... and thought...

What am I good at that I can share with you? The fact that I failed in my quest for nablopomo on day one lit a light bulb above my head. Procrastination! It's definitely my strongest and most well honed skill.

So,  I've decided to share some tips for effective procrastination.

First, you'll need to make a to do list. It's got to be long and complex. And long. (Did I say that already? Long.) Number one should be 'make to do list'. This is an easy and empowering start. Now, walk through every room of your abode cataloging all of the projects - no matter how big or small they are - that you see. Or imagine that you see. Don't like the curtains in the bedroom? Why not learn to sew your own? Hate your stained carpet? You can definitely rip it up and install hardwood. Need more dragons around? Papier-mâché 'em! Don't forget to toss in, 'use the bathroom', 'eat Cheetos', 'watch real housewives'. Items that are easy to check off will build your sense of accomplishment and keep you going. Or derail you. You never know which.

Next, find a 'to do list organizational style' that works best for you. Some options include:

• highlighting your existing task list by location
• highlighting your existing task list by priority
• rewriting your list on paper by location
• rewriting your list on paper by priority
• writing each task on a post it and posting on a cork board; sort by location or priority. Try both ways and see which you like best. Then try the other again. Just to be sure.

If you really want to get fancy, you can spend an hour or two creating a spreadsheet to cross reference each task by location AND priority. Throw in potential return on investment and interest level if you want. Or start researching apps that will do it for you. I mean, why reinvent the wheel, right?

Go use the bathroom.

Check off 'use the bathroom' from your list. See? Motivational!

Now check your email to make sure nothing else needs to be added to your adequately organized to do list. Investigate the picture that facebook notifies you you've been tagged in. Fall down the facebook wormhole for at least an hour.

Use the bathroom again.

Make a mental note to include 'use the bathroom' at least twice on tomorrow's to do list.

Look at the clock and realized you've only got 20 minutes till dinner time.

Grab that bag of Cheetos, flop down on the couch and commence a real housewives marathon until you pass out drooling on your couch. Now that's what I call a productive day. Without children, of course. With kids around, the procrastination gets so much easier but the screaming can escalate a whole lost faster.

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

The other day I posted on facebook that I was confused about the holidays. A friend's comment about poor Thanksgiving not getting its month got me thinking and I have to agree with her. It's this lovely, warm, beautiful, earthy holiday that's all about family and togetherness. And of course food, which I love. But it's getting taken over by big, red, greedy, sparkly, bully Christmas who just keeps encroaching more and more every year. I see decorations on sale with the school supplies. 

I get that if you sell it, they will buy. I myself was tempted to buy limited edition Christmas ziplocs just 3 days after Halloween because what if I end up making cookies for friends and need something to put them in but all of the ziplocs are gone because they're LIMITED EDITION? And then I realized the ridiculousness of what was going through my brain. So what if the Christmas ziplocs are sold out? Will the world end? Because if I don't make the cookies, I'll be using Christmas ziplocs well past Easter with the rate that we use them. And honestly? Are my fiends going to realize that they could have had Christmas ziplocs if by some miracle I DO end up making cookies?

I find it's easier not to venture into stores more than necessary starting after Halloween. The merchandisers are on their a game at this time of the year. They put out all things sparkly and shiny and 'limited edition' knowing I have just so much willpower and this will likely be enough to toss me over the edge and begin a spending spree. All of those 'just so' displays make me feel 'just so' worthless. My mantle isn't that sparkly. My lights don't flash like that. And I'm sure that's what they're going for. Because if I just buy all of their sparkly and shiny things, my home will be as beautiful as everyone else's and I'll finally be enough. 

I feel like that's Thanksgivings biggest hurdle. There just isn't enough money in togetherness. Thoughtfulness doesn't leave you wanting to buy and put up a giant dancing inflatable turkey in your front yard. Thankfulness doesn't leave you searching for a way to cure your perceived inferiority with the use of your wallet. 

So far, I've resisted the pull of Christmas but it's only November 5th. I'm pretty sure I'll end up getting sucked in before Thanksgiving but I'd really like to keep our family's focus on this beautiful November holiday before the bully beats us down. There'll be enough of that in December. 

Why I almost didn't vote

Today is Election Day and as my girls - ages 6 and 4 - and I talked about what Election Day was and how women didn't always have the right to vote, I was surprised to find that I got a little teary while we were discussing it. 

I am not a political person and I've never been good at history; dates just don't stick in my brain. So the girls and I googled 'women's sufferage' and found out that the nineteenth amendment was finally ratified in 1920 after a hundred years (Or so I figured after my quick google skimming.) of women being denied. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.) Even if I am wrong, and it was only 50 years or 20 years of fighting it's still an amazing feat. Cue the teary eyes. I told the girls that women fought very long and very hard to change something that they didn't think was right and it filled me with pride and awe. I have to wonder if I would have done the same thing. Is there anything that I feel so strongly about that I would spend my entire life fighting for it? Obviously not because I'm not doing it. 

And I'll tell you a little secret. I really wasn't planning on voting today. Not until the girls and I talked at breakfast. And I realized that no excuse that I could come up with would be valid. There were women who fought, starved themselves and probably died for this cause and I'm gonna skip it because there might be a line? Um, yeah. Totally lame. So, the little one and I headed to the polls after dropping the big one at the bus and I cast my vote. And there was no line. 

I doubt I'll ever consider myself to be a political person. I won't be watching the returns come in live on TV (More like a DVR'd real housewives of something or other or poker if my husband has the remote) but I exercised my hard won right and apparently encouraged my friends to do the same by posting it on facebook. 

My friend Linda posted this on Facebook today and I thought it was just so perfect! 

Offering a moment of silence

With a busy weekend behind me, I'm always grateful to greet a Monday morning. Yes. I really wrote that. I actually enjoy Mondays. It's a time for me to get back to center and since today is a beautifully clear and blustery cold day, I've decided to take a little walk after the kiddos are at school. (Understandably another reason that I like Mondays. "Mommy time" is a highly valued commodity these days.)

There's something about sun and silence and the freedom to think that magically calms my brain, orders my thoughts and refills my heart. I spend my days being bombarded with information and requests - from TV, the internet, my children to name a few - and sometimes it's all just too much for me to hold on to. Walking outside alone, I hear the sound of my sneakers hitting the pavement; the crunch of the leaves under my feet; birdsong and wind chimes high in the trees and my thoughts are free to come and go. They are able to be explored. Or ignored as the case may be. To be acknowledged, processed. It's always amazing to me how patient a calm mind can be. It is able to focus and wait instead of scattering and panicking. 

So in exchange for half an hour in the cold, I get creativity, patience, exercise, freedom, invigoration, and joy. Not a bad deal. 

How do you get back to center when life scatters you?

Hello November you sexy beast.

November is here crisp and bright and I took the "day off" from some of my non-critical responsibilities yesterday to enjoy a lazy day around the house with my family. It was a nice break but today it's back to work! We've got an open house again today so there's massive cleaning going on and a little procrastination on my part too!

I'm challenging myself to be a part of nablopomo this month. I aspired to it last month and dropped the ball. I've done nanowrimo in the past but since I'm hoping to get serious about my blog, nablopomo seemed like a better fit this time around. Obviously, I've already missed day one but I'm letting go of my perfectionism and jumping in where I am. This could also be the worst month ever to start because of Thanksgiving and moving but a little personal challenge never killed anyone. Did it? No, seriously? Did it? I can't find any facts on this. So anyway...

This month, I'll be posting:

• A guide to preparing for an open house (since I've had so much practice lately!)
• An introduction to the remodel of my kitchen (which very well may kill me.)
• A post about me and why I've decided to start blogging
• The 39 ways I'm hoping to keep my holidays manageable and stress free 
• How Popsicle sticks have reduced my screaming
• Love. And why it needs to be my new mantra.
• Assertiveness
• How things seemed to get crazy busy when the littlest stopped napping.

You probably noticed that there are not 28 posts listed there. You'll have to check back (or sign up for email updates!) so that you find out what the others are going to be. And of course, I'm always open to suggestions too.