Limit your children’s activities, sports, birthday parties and play dates.- Go through your mail once or twice a week. Shred the junk mail.
- Check your email, Facebook, twitter, etc. once or twice a day. Don’t look at it in between.
- Schedule a certain amount of time for email, Facebook, twitter, pinterest, etc. The rest can wait until tomorrow.
- Turn your phone OFF during hours when you are with family or at work.
- Limit your volunteering at school, church, etc.
- Say no to social engagements you don’t want or need to attend.
- Cancel newspapers or magazines you don’t read or love.
- Send holiday cards any time of the year. It doesn’t have to be in December.
The “just say no” check list suggests some little things you can say no to that make a big impact. Check off a few and add a few of your own to the list. If you start to panic and think “Oh, I have to do this, I can’t not do that,” then ask yourself, “What’s the worst that would happen if I don’t?” The answer is usually “not much!”
Random {but not so random when you see the relevance at the end} question: Have you seen the movie I am Number Four? One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when the Mom brings a basket to the dinner table and asks everyone to relinquish their cell phones into the basket before they eat. {I looked on the internet to see if I could find the scene to no avail.} What a great idea! I have written before about the importance of family dinner time. Dining together will strengthen and unify your family. Don’t let distractions interfere with precious TIME with your family.
I ran across a book today looking for a different book. I picked it up to thumb through and decided I had to share this part of it with my readers. The just say no check list comes from one of my favorite books, Happy Home: A Family’s Guide to Finding Balance in a DizzyBusy World by Lorle Campos. Happy Home gives simple solutions to ensure success of a happy family. The first step mentioned is saying no to activities that don’t add value.
Quote from Happy Home
Oh how I wish I could buy a copy of this book for every family. Reading Happy Home helps you put your family first so that you can have a happy home. You realize while reading, it’s not as difficult as we think it is. We let go of guilt and enjoy our families. You can do it!
Click on photo to get your copy
Because Happy Homes don’t just happen,
The book looks GORGEOUS but the link takes me to the main page and I can’t find it! Can you help?
the main page of the “Once Upon a Family” site, I mean.
Meagan @ The Happiest Mom recently posted..Sometimes “staying at home” is good enough
Go to search at the top of the page and type in Happy Home, it should come up. Once Upon A Family has their affiliate link go directly to their home page. I’m sorry about the confusion. You will absolutely LOVE Happy Home! It goes right along with your book The Happiest Mom, which I adore also!
Very excited you stopped by today Meagan! It’s not every day that a famous author visits and leaves a comment.
I can truly say that I limit things that are chaotic, overscheduled, or could make us crazy. To the chagrin of my close friends, I keep my phone downstairs and turn it off at bedtime (8:00). My family has gotten used to it, but I still get heck from my friends. I NEVER have phones around at the dinner table. Years ago, my husband took a call at the table when we were at a restaurant and let me just say that has never happened again!
Kristy @PampersandPinot recently posted..Open Heart
Kristy!!!! You and I are alike! I turn my phone off at bedtime as well. {Although my bedtime is NOT 8pm, I’m more of a night owl.} Let your family & friends deal. I’m beginning to think we might be a rare breed to not have our phones at the dinner table. I think there should be a limit; cell phones have become way too addictive to many people. Thank you for sharing. I wish more readers would share their thoughts about this as well. You are a good Mom, Kristy…keep up the good work!
Thanks for recommending this book. I just bought it. We have 3 kids playing on 6 soccer teams this fall and have found myself saying no to everything else so that we can still have some time at home as a family. It’s so important to allow my kids to flourish but also to make sure there is time for our family as well.
Mellisa recently posted..Gold Medal White Whole Wheat Flour Review and #Giveaway
6 Soccer teams! Is that 2 soccer teams each? Wow. I know you will really like Happy Home. So glad to know another blogger in this little town of ours.
Thanks for the blog love!