No, No, No November

That's ENOUGH!!  

As mother to four children, if I had a nickel for every time I have sternly reprimanded one of mine with the above phrase, well ..... I would have a lot of nickels.

That's enough ...

bickering

sugar 

roughhousing

mac-n-cheese 

lotion

ramen

complaining

salt

handfuls of candy

bathwater 

syrup

toilet paper sheets

Lucky Charms

backtalk

                                                                               ... the list goes on.   

Of course, I have a not infrequent need myself to be told when enough is enough.  And my mother is far away and much too busy with her own life to hover around monitoring mine.  That leaves it up to me. So this month I'm telling myself firmly that enough is enough. Enter Nothing New November.

Three years ago my son Matthew joined others in the fun of No-Shave November. For an entire month he did not shave, not even to trim a little here and there.  For a young twenty something year old, the boy can grow a gnarly beard in 30 days. Shaving it off bit by bit and sporting silly styles December 1 just added to the fun.  

This November Matt is taking an equally joyful but much more ambitious approach to the month with Nutritious November, exploiting the benefits of his newly acquired juicer to rev up his vitamin intake.   Feeling really inspired, he went on to devise a whole year full of fun monthly commitments which you can read about here on his sister's blog. (She's really impressed.)

My first attempt to do something special in the month of November was last year when I participated in No Dr. Pepper November --  30 days of abstaining from carbonated beverages. Talk about needing to hear "That's ENOUGH!!" I have a serious problem with consuming WAY too much Diet Dr. Pepper.

Inspired by Matt's excitement in challenging himself this year I am taking my No Dr. Pepper November experiment from last year several steps further in 2012.  Nothing New November.  On All Hallow's Eve I made sure the house was well stocked with canned goods, toilet paper, lotion, Lucky Charms and maple syrup as I made my last shopping run until December 1.  For a full month I am committed to buying nothing except gasoline for the van and paying my monthly bills. For the record, I didn't buy a single can of pop and came home to no Diet Dr. Pepper in the house, so this is already day 3 of No Dr. Pepper November.

I will admit my shopping cart on October 31 was a little ridiculous and may have raised some eyebrows, not to mention more than one woman the age of my mother who looked at me as I stood in line, clearly wanting to say, "Now that's ENOUGH!!!"

Enough Already?