*Huge thanks to Yoplait for sponsoring this post!
While I type this I am in my bathing suit, laying out on our deck, getting a suntan. Not joking at all – I am on my stomach with my arms above my head, face flat on the ground and my eyes closed. It is the most comfortable way to type and I wish I had discovered it earlier. It is a pretty great depiction of my energy level after two days straight without any help from Kris with the kids. He is doing an emergency medicine rotation right now which can be long, weird hours. If the neighbors looked out right now from their balcony (which is right beside ours) they would probably think I was typing in my sleep. I type a lot. I don’t need to look at the keyboard, and this is super comfy. One thing I don’t get to do a lot is just lay around and relax. Which brings me to my topic of the day which is finding ME TIME when you are a mom.
I am basically a single mom at the moment, so when the kids go down to bed I loooove a few minutes to just sit and unwind, in silence. But I also have found ways to take a little time for myself during the day. I have mini mom breaks whenever I need to, which between toddler tantrums and teething, is pretty often. I am a much better mom (which usually equals happier kids) when I take little breaks for myself throughout the day.
My favorite way to take a break is grab a yummy snack from the fridge and treat myself while the kids play with toys. I just discovered Oui by Yoplait at Walmart and I can’t get enough… But here are some of the other things I do throughout the day to get some me time (and stay sane).
1. Massage!
I have a massage chair and foot massager and they are heaven… I have talked about them a lot on my blog because they are amazing. The perfect way to take a little break and feel pampered. There is nothing better than sitting on the couch and getting a mini back and foot massage while the kids play. It is such a relief!
2. Laugh
It is easy to spend all my time getting caught up on work, cleaning the house, making food, setting up doctors appointments for kids, etc., without ever taking a breather to just sit and not think of anything. I use a little bit of nap time to watch a short episode of something that makes me laugh. Laughing can really change your mood. I love watching random episodes of The Office. No one can make me laugh like Michael Scott. I also love laughing with my kids when we play, if I can get Zoey to laugh by doing something dumb, it can dispel a tantrum in seconds and really lighten the stress.
3. Snacks
Like I said at the beginning, I think it is really important to take time to enjoy delicious snacks throughout the day. As a busy mom I forget to eat breakfast and/or lunch alllll the time. Being a mom is hard work physically, so it is important to remember to feed yourself. Recently I have been eating a lot of the new yogurt Oui by Yoplait. It is a French yogurt and comes in the cutest little glass pots. Most importantly it is DELICIOUS. Way more creamy and smooth than your average yogurt. It is one of the first things I grab when I put my kids down to bed.
4. Hobbies
Keep up with your hobby. This one can be hard with kids, but with a little practice you can get into great ‘hobby time’ habits. Zoey knows that at least once a day I get to sing for about half hour and she can play with toys by herself till I am done. If she tells me to stop singing and play, I remind her that just like she loves coloring, mommy loves singing, so I get to have special time to sing, but when I am done I will play with her. It actually works surprisingly well and she has learned to be pretty patient (for a three year old;).
When I get a little time for myself I am a WAY better mom. Some days I don’t take that time and it is crazy how much more tired I am by the end of the day! As moms we are so busy taking care of other people, we often forget to take care of ourselves. But it is soooo important to say ‘Oui‘ 😜to me time.
