Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Tuesday Ten Linkup - Ten Things That Distract Me

Welcome to our 3rd Tuesday Ten Link Up party!

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Did you know that today is National Squirrel Day!!  Yep - No kidding!

Credit for Squirrel Photo
If you have children, and probably even if you don't, when you hear the word "squirrel" you will remember this scene from the Pixar movie Up!


Of course, Dug the dog, and some other dogs in the movie, are highly distracted by squirrels.  So, we thought it would be fun on National Squirrel Day, to talk about the things that are most distracting to us!

  1. Of course, #1 on the list is my kids.  It doesn't matter if I'm at my desk, cooking supper, or in the shower, if they need something, they will interrupt without a second thought.  "I need this," or "Can you help me with that" are words that are constantly pulling my attention away from doing other things.
  2. Not far behind the kids is my husband.  When he is traveling for work, he is gone 24/7.  But, when he is home, he works out of a home office and it is the complete opposite -he is home 24/7.  He isn't quite as needy as the kids (after all, he can scoop his own ice cream), but he frequently wants to ask me a question, or have me proofread an email, or asks me to make him some lunch.  He doesn't hesitate to come into the bathroom while I'm showering or "otherwise indisposed."  Sometimes, though, the distractions are good - like when we go out for a Friday lunch date.  (And, yes dear, I know you could say the same thing about me interrupting you!)  
  3. I can't put my kids and husband on the list without adding the dog as well!  Our border collie, Sophie, is a good dog most of the time.  However, especially this time of year, she wants in the house and then back out and then back in again.  If she's in, she will begin to pace until someone lets her out.  She barks at anything that moves in our front yard and stalks me when I'm in the kitchen just waiting for me to drop a morsel of food.
    "Me?  Distract you??  Never!  Squirrel!!!"

  4. My family would say that my blog is one GIANT distraction.  It is something that is extremely important to me, but I do admit that it is just an all-consuming hobby.  After all, I have yet to make one single dime from my blog or my writing, so I can't call it a "job."  I spend an enormous amount of time writing, reading, commenting, sharing on social media, and planning.  I suppose I could spend all those hours making my house completely spotless or at the gym making myself all skinny and buff, but I love my blog and the friendships it has helped me to make, so it is a distraction I don't mind.  (Just don't ask my hubby and kids how they feel about all of that!) 
  5. Another thing that distracts me is email.  I can be sitting at my desk typing a blog post and my phone or computer will "ding" with an email notification.  It's almost like an impulse to stop what I'm doing and check it.  I always have to check my phone one last time before I go to bed, too.
  6. Facebook is another big distraction.  Often, if I find I have just a couple minutes to spare I'll think, "I'm just going to check Facebook super quick" and then, several minutes later time has gotten away from me and I'm running late.  If I really need to focus on something, I have to make Facebook off limits.
  7. Music can also distract me.  Just this morning, I had showered and gotten dressed.  I had the TV on CMT (yes, I love country music - don't judge).  It took me far too long to throw my hair in a ponytail and slap on some mascara because I kept stopping to watch videos when I heard a song I liked.  I do the same thing when I'm cooking.  I turn Pandora on my iPhone and, if I hear a song I like, I'll stop to sing along or read the lyrics.  
  8. The phone can also be a distraction.  I'm not a big phone talker.  In fact, I don't call people as often as I should and actually avoid making phone calls sometimes.  However, I cannot control who calls my house.  A lot of times, it's a recording from the school or a telemarketer.  Still, I stop what I'm doing to answer it.  If it is a friend, I tend to lose all track of time.  Before I know it, we've been talking for an hour and I've gotten nothing else done!
  9. I tend to be a very distractible housekeeper, too.  For example, if I'm cleaning the den and I find something that belongs in one of my girls' rooms, I take it to that room.  When I'm in their room, I find another mess that needs to be cleaned up.  In that mess I find something that goes in the kitchen, so I take it to the kitchen and find something else that needs to be cleaned.  So on and so on.  All the while, the original mess in the den has never been completely cleaned up.    Yes, messes are very distracting!  (Did that paragraph make anybody else think of "If you Give A Mouse A Cookie?")
  10. Finally, I would have to sum up what distracts me by saying it is ALLTHEHTINGS!!!  Everything I have listed and more.  Motherhood is chock full of distractions!  Some are self-imposed (like blogging) and others are not (like the kids), but they all work together to make me a very distractible person.  On any given evening, you might find me cooking supper while listening to music.  Then, a child comes in needing help with homework, the phone rings, and the dog starts barking.  The phone call is my husband and, while I'm talking to him, I get an email that someone has left a new comment on my blog post.  Then, the oven timer goes off and one of the other kids comes in to ask when supper will be ready because she is apparently dying of starvation.  All of that occurs in a span of thirty seconds, maybe sixty.  Then, my head is spinning and I can't focus on anything because I am focusing on everything!  I am constantly pulled in many different directions and distracted by all the things and people around me.  Such is the life of a mom, right??!?
What are your biggest distractions??  Share in the comments or link up a post!!!
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Your Tuesday Ten hostesses are:

TheLiebersThe Teacher Wife


We hope you have enjoyed our Tuesday Ten Lists!  If so, please link up one of your own and share using #TuesdayTen!
Rules:
1) Link up a post, old or new, pertaining to the Tuesday Ten topic for this week and add our Tuesday Ten button to the post or to your sidebar.
2) Please do not link up contests, product reviews, or sponsored posts.
3) Visit your hostesses and follow them on social media.
4) Visit as many other linked posts as you can and show those bloggers some love by commenting and/or sharing!

Come link up again next Tuesday, January 28. 
 The topic will be "Things I Should Say More Often" based on this Kid President video!

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29 comments:

Janine Huldie said...

OMG, to all of the above and seriously as soon as I get comfortable to do something, my husband or kids need something. And the e-mail is always coming in too . Lastly, I seriously do have a mild addiction to social media, because I always check my phone right before I go to bed, too!! :)

Ginnymarie said...

My kids and my husband are a huge distraction! But I didn't add them to my list...I have way too many distractions! It's a wonder I get anything done!

The Dose of Reality said...

Great, great topic! I find that all of your distractions are distractions for me except switch FB with Pinterest. I think out of all of them, email is the worst for me. If I don't take care of it right away it builds up and is obnoxious, but if I handle it as it comes in I'm doing nothing else. Bah!
I had no idea it was National Squirrel Day. My own dog will happily chase our yard squirrels around today to celebrate. --Lisa

MamaRabia said...

I am always distracted!! Even this morning...I was trying to take a shower and then the boys both climbed in with me! LOL!! Then they said the water was too hot and not deep enough, so I just got out and let them have the tub.

Jen @ Real Life Parenting said...

Wow!! If I hadn't already written a post for today and have a million things to do, I would love this one ... I'm famously distracted!!! I'll be back for your link up sometime soon!

Marcia Shaw Wyatt said...

This list topic was a great idea, Lisa! So easy to come up with 10 things that distract me - because I see squirrels all the time! :) In reading your great list, I discovered that my squirrels are visiting your home as well on a regular basis. They're very busy little critters ... and so socially active! I saw a lot of similarities between your list and mine - especially where blogging is concerned. So glad I found this hop. I'm already looking forward to next Tuesday. :)

Teresa Danner Kander said...

Loved this topic....and our lists have a lot of similarities. Will be looking forward to doing this every Tuesday!!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Exactly! Not sure why I eve even bother to sit down. And the social media thing is an addiction for sure!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

It's a wonder any of us moms get anything done!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Yes, hate when email builds up so I check it all the time. Our dog chases squirrels, too, and occasionally catches them!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Ha! The things we sacrifice of our kids, right??

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks Jen! The linkup will be open until 9:00pm EST on Friday if you want to write a post. If not, feel free to come back another time- we'd love to have you!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I'm glad you found this hop, too! I have to give Rabia all the refit of this topic. It was a fun one!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Awesome! Looking forward to reading your post and see you again!

CocoaCali said...

This was a great topic! I can safely say that music is a distraction for me too... but in a good way, I think. My husband could stand to be more distracting. Most times I don't even know he is home. And FB -- I want to have a day where I unplug and don't do anything for a day. But I could NEVER not check Facebook! Gotta love it :)

Tamara Bowman said...

I was just telling Rabia how distracted I am by the internet, the kids and cleaning. And the worst is that I'm distracted by various parts of the internet. Facebook distracts me from email. Email distracts me from research. It's bad!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Catch 22 isn't it?? In someways, I wish technology would just go away, but if it did, I think I would lose my mind!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I am totally addicted to social media and email. Hey, they say the first step is admitting the problem, though - Right?? :-)

Susan Zutautas said...

Very cool blog hop! I'll try to remember to link up with a post myself next week.

Dana said...

Number 9 totally hit the mark for me - maybe that's why I don't get anything done! Actually, everything on your list distracts me too. I would add a good book as a distraction - I keep telling myself "one more chapter" and soon an hour has passed!

Kim said...

Yes - ALLTHETHINGS!!! I'm like you - I'm sure that my family views the whole blog thing as a distraction since I just do it because I love it but.....

Kenya G. Johnson said...

I do like everything to be clean and clutter free but I do tend to take one thing and put it where it belongs and clean back and forth. I am sure that makes it take much longer than it has to. I am bad about looking at my phone not just one more time, but in the middle of the night if I've turned over. Don't let there be a disqus notification - then I am reading a comment in the middle of the night. I have my phone set for DND at 8pm to 7am but that doesn't stop me from checking to see if I've missed anything.

Tarana said...

I could have written #4 word for word! Blogging has become a huge time-consuming activity for me, and I'm just doing it for the passion! As moms, we can rarely focus on one thing anyway, so there's nothing wrong with being distracted!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Agreed!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Ha! I have my phone set to DND from 10pmt to 7am, but I always check one last time before I go to bed and usually first thing in the morning!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Yes, I'm convinced that those who don't blog will never really get it. :(

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I wish I was distracted by books! they are usually last on my list. :-(

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks! We would love to have you join us!

Ashley Linder said...

Facebook is a HUGE distraction for me too!! That and Pinterest which for some reason I have self control over. Facebook not so much b/c I feel like I need to keep up with people, show support, help answer questions, etc etc. Anyways, this past week or so I have posted "Happy Birthdays" and read a couple updates and even made a few posts but have not read every post, liked pics and made comments. I do feel like I have missed out on some things or that people are going to wonder if I feel off the proverbial grid but the amount of stuff that I have gotten done in the meantime makes up for it. We have been super busy these past 2/3 weeks so staying focused has been important. Now if I could just figure out how to not be distracted by the kids and the honey. Hmmmm ;)

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