December 4, 2008 2 Comments

Today I bring to you a guest post from Angie of My Junk Drawer, which is part of the TwitterMoms Blog Swap.  She’s got plenty of great tips that we can all use to help keep the day to day grind from getting us down!  Please visit my guest post over at My Junk Drawer.

Make breakfast, clean it up, let the dogs out, let the dogs in, make bottles, change diapers, kiss a boo-boo, make lunch, clean it up, vacuum, break up a fight, pay a few bills, force someone to do their homework, let the dogs out, let the dogs in, run to the store, make dinner, clean it up, pick up toys, give baths, read stories, pray that everyone sleeps a few hours.

Ever feel like you’re on a merry-go-round that just won’t stop?  My son is in his teens now, which has its own set of challenges.  What kid of friends does he have, where will he go to college, will he drive safely?  But it’s not the kind of ciaos that seems to cause your life to go by in a blur, like when they are little.

Above all else, and as hard as it may be, you must take at least a little time for yourself, preferably each day.  I have always stayed up after everyone else has gone to bed, just so I could do whatever I wanted. 

Not sure what it is that you want to do?  Well, what will make your spirits soar?  A candlelight bath?  Exercising?  Here is a list I put together with a 10 things that I have done, and still do today, to keep my sanity during those days that seem to never end.  –I actually came up with a few more, but melded them all into #1.

1. Find a hobby.  Whether it’s scrap booking or blogging, reading, photography, or gardening, (all my hobbies!) doing something that you love and that allows the creative juices to flow is what’s important.
2. Realize you can’t control everything.  This one was hard for me.  I want everything to go a certain way.  Coming to terms and letting go of the fact that things won’t always turn out the way I want is very liberating.
3. Hang Out With Your Girlfriends.  Talking to other moms and seeing you’re not alone makes it so much easier to deal with your day-to-day problems.
4. Go On A Date. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to spend time with your spouse.  A picnic or just taking the kids to a babysitter and having dinner alone, can help you remember why you started your family in the first and bring you closer together.
5. Read The Bible.  For me, knowing there is something more powerful than me and my problems is very comforting.
6. Family Fun Time.  Constantly going, going, doing, and doing, can take a toll on the entire family.  Schedule some time for the entire family to play games together, go to a park together, or have everyone write down suggestions of activities that can be done as a family and draw a different one each week.  The important thing here is to have fun and laugh together.
7. Shop. Some days after work even though I don’t need anything, instead of going straight home, I’ll run to the mall for a half hour or so.  I don’t have to buy anything, window shopping just helps me unwind and feel like I’m doing something for me alone! (But don’t do this if you are the type that has to buy something when you shop — you’ll be broke in no time!)
8. Surf the Net.  OK, I confess, I’m an internet junkie. I find reading blogs and looking at photography and learning new things exhilarating.  The problem here is you need to set a time limit.  Trust me on this!  I could get lost on the net and not come out for days.
9. Have A Glass Of Wine.  This one is self-explanatory!
10. Pamper Yourself. Three of my friends gathered at one of our homes and had someone come in and give us reflexology massages.  It was so relaxing. And with the girl talk and wine, I was ready to face the world again! Even if you can’t afford to have a manicure, pedicure or massage, spend some time doing it yourself. 

One more that should be added is exercise.  A good walk or run gives you time to be alone, think, de-stress and makes you feel better about yourself.  I just need to practice what I preach when it comes to this one!

Please visit Angie’s blog today, and show her some love!

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