NeedLess Challenge: Make a Life Priority List

Repeat after me...We cannot be all things to all people.

We cannot be all things to all people, we cannot be all things to all people...keep repeating until you convince yourself of that truth.

I used to live my life for others. Trying to do everything I could for my mom, my sister, my brother, my grandparents, my husband, my kids, my friends, the PTA committee, the homeroom mom, the preschool board, my church, my clients, my MOPS group, my bible study...and on and on and on.

And it all came crashing down last fall. I could no longer do it all and I was in a debilitating depression for months because of it. Over and over in my head I would say, "You are lazy, unorganized, and not good enough."

Why are we so tough on ourselves? I have always expected more from myself than anyone else ever has. Everyone would say. "I don't know how you do it all."...and I would just smile. But inside I was yelling "HELP! I can't do this anymore." Someone save me from myself. I brought it on by saying yes to everything I was asked to do. I thought, "No one else can do it as good as I can."

If this sounds familiar than I encourage you to slowly get out of any commitments that are stealing your joy. And only keep the ones that feed your soul. I know half of you are yelling at your computer screen, "but if we all do that, then nothing will get done." Or "one person will be stuck with it all!" Not likely. The world won't come crashing down, I promise. We are all energized by different things. And so what if we don't have a committee on every single decision or project that needs to be done.

So start saying, "No" without apology. I learned several great ways to say no from a wonderful mom at the MOPS convention. Her name is Julie Barnhill and I love her outlook on life. These are what she suggested...

Thank you for sharing that idea with me, and no.
I hear what you are saying, and no.
I understand that you would really like that, and no.
I hear you, you could be right, and no.
Thank you for asking me, and no.
I hear you, I care about you and no.
Let me tell you a little story about a man named...no.


Isn't she funny? Alright so here is my challenge. Make a list (mental or physical) of what is truly important to you so you can know when to say yes and no, thanks.

I'm Back!

Convention was amazing! I learned so much about how to be a better mom and wife and woman. It was great! And what I liked best was that most of the advise was to simply prioritize what is truly important to you. And to STOP COMPETING...for heaven's sake parenting is not a competition.

Think about it...how will you ever win? What is the evidence? I know some amazing people who had terribly absent parents and then I know some people who had very involved and caring parents and they are miserably negative and exhausting to be around.

So in the coming days I will be blogging about some great resources I found out about and how to manage our expectations of ourselves and our families.

If I met you at convention and you are just now joining us then welcome! I hope to start a movement of slowing down and loving life!

Off to Convention!

In a few minutes I will be dashing out the door leaving my sweet husband with our three children alone on our anniversary. I know, I know...but he knows I love him and sometimes you just got to get out of town. At least to Grapevine!

I am headed off to my very first MOPS convention. I am so excited to meet new mommy friends and gab with my girlfriends who are also going. There are ten of us in all! Yeah, so fun!

Keep watching because I will be blogging from the convention and maybe I will have some cool new ideas or some funny stories to share. Who, me? Stories? Never...

Happy Anniversary Boos! Yeah for nine years!

Deal of the Week (October 1 - October 6)

I have found it!

Albertson's won again...

They are having a mix and match extravaganza!

I bought ten packs of frozen Steam Fresh veggies for 5 bucks! Seriously. The catch is that they are on sale for $1 but if you buy ten then you get an instant savings of $5. And it's just not veggies. They have Steam Fresh rice as well.

So now I have two weeks worth of quick and easy dinner vegetables. (We have fruit with lunch and veggies with dinner. I know 5 a day...but I am doing the best I can with my picky little eaters.)

Check out their ad for details and I am so sorry if there is not an Albertson's in your area...next week I will do an online "Deal of the Week!"

Laundry...enemy number one!

I can't stand it...dirty clothes everywhere. Before I had children Sunday was our laundry day. We were able to wash, dry, fold and put away every single dirty piece of laundry in our house. But now the hamper has a revolving door and I feel like there is never a time when laundry is "done."

So what to do? Even when I had Maria, Maria, as amazing as she is, we still couldn't get it all done.

This makes me draw one of two conclusions.
1. We have too many clothes or 2. I am going about it the wrong way.

I was chatting about this very perplexing situation with one of my girlfriends and she had an interesting suggestion. Each person in the house should have their own laundry basket. Then do one basket of laundry per day. If it doesn't get folded just put the basket back in their room and have them either fold it or hang it or wear it.

That makes since...there are five of us and on Saturday I could wash towels and sheets. Rest on Sunday. "You know... because of God." (Twenty NeedLess points to anyone who can name that quote about a pair of missing "Sunday" panties...probably just gave it away.)

Anyway...chime in. How do you do laundry?

Warning...no comparing my life to a hamster in a wheel...I am very sensitive about that. I am not a rodent!

New Domain Name

Hi all!

I changed my domain name to http://beneedless.blogspot.com/

Mostly because when you put together the words "needless experiment" it looks like "need less sex experiment." Not quite what I am going for.

Hopefully this won't be an issue for any of my readers...if you really need a support group for the "oversexed" I am sure there is one out there. But this blog is for us ol' married folks.


ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Mommy School

Pictures from Mommy school. It only lasts an hour and a half an we do it Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The best part is we can learn and play in our jammies!


This is our schedule...
9:00 am - Free draw on dry erase board
9:15am - Circle time (days of the week, weather, songs about our theme, shapes, letters, etc)
9:30am - Dance time (turn on the music and rock out while I get our activity ready)
9:45am - Activity/Craft time (usually very simple stuff...art caddy anyone?)
10:15am - Clean up and have snack
10:30am - Put on a video or tv show that can teach them something while I blog :)



After that I try to get them outside and playing.

That reminds me I need to check Craig's List for a swing set.

This is a picture of Papa. (my grandpa, her great-grandpa)
Check out the eyebrow...that's singular...eyebrow.




Why I do Mommy School


I used to have this list of questions that I would casually work into a conversation with moms at the park/mall/preschool to see if we could be friends. You know things like..."Did you see Oprah yesterday?" and "How old are your children?" and most importantly, "Where do they go to school?"

With most of my questions there wasn't a right or wrong answer. I was listening for how they answered it. Except for one question..."Where do your children go to school?" If they answered, "Oh, I home school." Then I would discreetly pinch one of my kids to make them scream and then we would run for the car.


Seriously? I can't be friends with someone who home schools. She is probably amazingly organized and patient and brilliant and disciplined and all of those other things that I am not.

But here I am teaching my two little ones at home because sending them both part-time to preschool would:

• cost $600 a month in tuition, and $150 in supply fees each semester
• plus gas to get there and back twice a day, which means that we would have to keep both cars (My goal is to become a one car family.)
• plus the stress of getting them up and dressed and there on time
• plus packing a "peanut-free" lunch
• plus buying teacher gifts, director gifts, party favors, and treats for every holiday

Too much!

So I have decided to teach them at home and socialize them by being involved with my awesome MOPS group each week on Tuesdays. Which by the way is the only day I am allowing myself to use the car. We'll see how that goes once it gets cold. I am a wienie in the cold weather.

Bottom line? I am LOVING it!!! We have so much fun and are closer than ever. I don't answer the phone or check my e-mail. It is just an hour and a half of undivided attention for them. They love it too.