Friday, September 26, 2014

What You Need To Know

If you're reading this blog, there are probably a few things you'll want to know about me.

For starters, you can assume I'm typing this in my pajamas when it's no longer the time of day when pajamas are acceptable. Also assume that a toddler is climbing on my head and/or asking for water.


— 1 


I'm a perfectionist. Lots of people say they are, but seriously: I should probably be in therapy. In an effort to better myself recently, I went to the library and checked out a book called Never Good Enough. The book opens with a lengthy quiz to assess your level of perfectionism, and a score of 91 or higher "suggests a level of perfectionism that could cause you serious problems." I scored 101.

Now, if you know me personally and have ever seen my house, let me explain. Perfectionists are called that because they need everything they do to be done perfectly. In practical terms, what that means is: if I don't have time to deep-clean everything in the entire room, I will abandon it to disaster. (Later, I will flip out because of the mess and end up cleaning the grout between the tiles with a toothbrush.)

I'm very fortunate to have a husband who is extremely patient with me and kids who don't yet realize that their mother is insane.


— 2 


About that husband and those children. I married my high school sweetheart, and we have 5 kids together who are usually the reason I'm either laughing or crying.

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday, the "what you need to know" edition.  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday, the "what you need to know" edition.  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}


I think families are the bomb. I love having a big family. I love seeing all the relationships between different members of the family, and watching the kids play together and help each other and celebrate each others' successes. And then again, there are the messes. Lots of messes.

It can be hard because I like to be in control and I can't micromanage every detail of the lives of 7 people including myself (I know, I've tried.) But I wouldn't have it any other way.


— 3 


I think wet hair is the grossest. When it's attached to a scalp I am totally fine with it. I wash, brush, and style hair regularly in this house, both others' and my own. But a disembodied hair that has come loose in my hands when I shampoo gives me the willies. When there is a stray wet hair on the side of the kitchen sink, I throw up in my mouth a little.

I've become desensitized over the years, but I still think finding a hair in the shower has the freakiness equivalent of being covered in crawling ants while walking through a spiderweb in a deep dark forest.


— 4 


My faith is a huge part of my life. I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - you can call me Mormon if you want - and even though I converted to Mormonism as an adult, it colors pretty much every facet of my life and brings me a lot of joy.

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday, the "what you need to know" edition.  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}
Boston, MA temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

I have strong feelings about families, about God, and about his plan for the collective human race. There's lots to Mormon theology, but to sum it up I feel incredibly empowered and humbled at the same time by Christ's love and sacrifice — as a mother, as a woman, and as a person. Click the 'I Believe' button on your right if you want to know more about that.


— 5 


I live in New England, where strollers are "carriages" and purses are "pocketbooks." When someone has an "old house" it means it was built in 1870 instead of 1970. The roads are narrow and the sidewalks nonexistent, and the schools are awesome.

Unless you live here, you cannot believe the amount of conservation land there is, and everywhere is covered with trees so big and old and thick it can start to feel claustrophobic. I've come to love hiking and camping.

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday, the "what you need to know" edition.  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday, the "what you need to know" edition.  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday, the "what you need to know" edition.  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}


Other peoples' big vacations to Boston, New York City, Washington D.C., and Niagara Falls are an afternoon's drive for us. We feel lucky to live here, except when we get our mortgage bill. Really, the cost of living is ridiculous. For us, visiting anyplace else is like going to Mexico.


— 6 


When people tell me I'm the cheapest person they know, I always take it as a compliment. Even when it's not meant to be one. I get a high from doing/making/buying things on the cheap - as long as I need them. 

We make our own stuff, we don't eat out, we hit up free admission days at the museum. We coupon and use cashback credit cards and take advantage of special store promotions. I think our life is simple but pretty darn good. I call my daughters The Ingalls Girls because they can go outside and play with sticks and pinecones for an hour and have a grand old time.

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday, the "what you need to know" edition.  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}


Just don't hang around our family hoping for freebies: between the 7 of us and my "Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without" philosophy (I think I may want that on my tombstone, actually,) hardly anything makes it out of our family in a functional, donate-able condition. 



— 7 


You would think as a tired mom I would love to sleep, but you'd be wrong. I hate it. On my list of things I enjoy doing, sleeping is somewhere below taxes and just above root canal.

I think sleep is boring. I like to be productive and get things done, so lying there unconscious for 6-8 hours every night doesn't exactly appeal to me.

I know a rested person is a healthy, happy person. I know I should establish a relaxing routine involving chamomile tea and bubble baths and luxurious sheets to help me look forward to bedtime, but whatever. I sleep as much as is necessary to stay alive.

Click to Share:
Unremarkable Files

2 comments:

Martianne said...

The picture of the bridge through the marsh caught my eye in the 7 Quick takes link up so I clicked on over. I am in MA, too. Is that a MA location? I always love finding new beautiful spots. Please do share the name with me in a comment at Training Happy Hearts if you have a chance. Thank you.

Jenny Evans said...

Oh, you're good. The name is Grassy Pond in Acton, MA and it's beautiful! Love your blog.