Making Time For Mommy Monday (Week 4)

March 7, 2011 by 2 Comments

(If you’d like to be featured on Making  Time For Mommy Monday in the future, please email me at [email protected])

Me (pre-kids)

Today I am going to be sharing a few ways that I make time for myself and would love for you to share in the comments below how you make time for “mommy” too!

1) In the early morning after the boys wake up I try to spend time doing my Bible reading and my devotions while they watch a short movie in their room.I would wake before the boys but their wake up time is usually around 5am so that’s just not possible for me at  this time. I lay in bed and read both the Bible and my devotional on my phone. On days I get to sleep in I spend part of naptime doing this but I  really like to do so in the morning before I get out of bed to start my day off right (see my post on Maximizing My Mornings for more info).

2) I paint my toenails every week. I literally put it on my to-do list once a week so I make sure to get it done. For some reason looking down at my painted toes makes me happy. I also try to start sandal-season with a pedicure.

3) I enjoy drinking iced mochas. I love Starbucks and McDonald’s Iced Mochas but more often than not I make my own at home. Any task is made more enjoyable if it’s accompanied with a sip of coffee!

4) I have a hobby I enjoy. You are reading the work of that hobby right now :)

5) I run errands solo. I love walking down every aisle at Target and not being rushed. This also means I get to explore every clearance endcap there is in the store which is something I like to do (even though I rarely end up buying anything anymore).

6) I talk to other moms. One of the most important things I have realized in the past couple of years is that I can’t do this thing called “motherhood” alone. I need to connect with other moms. Lately, this has been in the form of talking with moms via Twitter but I really need my in-real-life friends, too. Mom’s nights out are great as well. My goal at the beginning of the year was to go to at least one mom-only event per month. That hasn’t been possible but I am so excited to be going to one in a couple days and seeing my friends again!

***

What do you do to make time for yourself?

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Making Time For Mommy Monday (Week 3)

February 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Picture this: 2 screaming kids under the age of three running around the house from 7ish in the
morning till 8ish at night with a minimal break in the middle of the day from just one child. On
top of all this, a mom who is trying to run a successful business and keep order in the house
while juggling activities, grocery shopping, cleaning, vacuuming, dusting..

Do you see it? It can almost look chaotic. I live it every day so I'm pretty used to it.  Now the
question is where do I find time just for me. With kids this little in age, it's like being a magician
trying to fit in a little Mommy alone time. Each day, I make sure that I get a shower in, even if it's
1 or 2 in the afternoon.  

My husband and I also eat dinner together when he's not working late after the kids have gone to
sleep. The kids usually eat at 5 which is really early for us grownups so it's nice to be able to eat
whatever we want and not have to worry about cutting up food for someone else or clean up their
messes. It also allows us to decompress from the busyness of the day. 

I also DVR a lot of tv shows and watch them after the kids go to bed. It's my way of not having to
watch Olivia or Dora after 8pm. 

Another way that I make time for myself and this might seem a little counterproductive but I work on
my business (Living My MoMent). It brings me back into the adult world and allows me to interact
with people my own age and who have similar interests as me. Yes, I realize that working is not really
just mom time but I love what I do so much that it usually calms me down and brings me back to
reality. 

Being a work at home mom doesn't give me a whole lot of time to get out and get mani-pedi or
massages. I also have to work out from the comfort of my living room when I have time, but I'm
totally ok with all that. I cherish the time I have with my kids while they are little and know that I will
have plenty of me time from 8:30-3 every week day sooner than I hope.

Abbey Fatica is the owner and CEO of Living My MoMent. Created in April of 2009, Living My
MoMent is committed to being an affordable advertising agency for busy MoMs and DaDs owned
small businesses. Please visit us at Living My MoMent to see how Promoting YOUR MoMent is our
Passion, Purpose & Priority.

Twitter: @LivingMyMoMent
Facebook: Living My MoMent



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Making Time For Mommy Monday (Week 2)

February 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Today’s guest post is from Katie who shares how she makes time for mommy.

Be sure to read more about her at the bottom of this post!

***

Motherhood is exhausting. These days are filled with demands, pleasures, spills, adventure, tears, joy, failures, challenges, and (hopefully) naps.

As I stumble through motherhood I have found two practices that have breathed life into these long, tiring days of mothering.

1. Getting up early.

I am, by nature, a night-owl. I am most productive at night. With three kids, after bedtime seemed to be the only way to have an uninterrupted chunk of time to get anything done. Yet, after years of burning the night oil, something just didn’t sit well with me about how my days started. Most mornings the first words my kids would hear from me is “go back to bed” or on really bad mornings “leave me alone!” I hate that.

For years I had tried (unsuccessfully) to get up early before the kids. But, over time I had realized that the only way for me to really prepare for my day would be to get up early EVERY DAY. I really do LOVE being up before my kids now. It gives me a chance to get a few essential chores done, journal, study my Bible, and pray for my children. It takes some sacrifices and an earlier bedtime, but the rewards of this have been many. I love being able to hear their little footsteps down the hall, greet them with a “good morning!” laden with hugs and kisses, and start our day together on a positive note with a prepared mommy.

If you are interested, there is a challenge that just started, to Maximize Your Mornings this winter. There are hundreds of women saying “Hello Mornings!” together.

2. Regular time away.

I have the best husband EVER. Since Sunday is a work day for him, he gets Fridays off. He lets me get out of the house on Fridays. I go to a local restaurant and sit. I study my Bible, journal, read a book, blog, write thank-you notes, and do a bit of planning for the week; UNINTERRUPTED.

I love this time.

I come home refreshed, and ready for another week of whatever comes my way. The days differ in time, depending on the week. Sometimes it may only be for an hour, some I stay out most of the day. You can read here a bit about how I started this practice. There are other ways you can get away. You can start weekly or monthly, pick an evening to get away, enlist family members to help out, or even a kid-swap with another mom where you could take turns watching all the kids while the other gets away.

At the core of both of these practices is my relationship with God. I believe a relationship with God is the most important thing that you can pursue with your time. Motherhood is hard. God has strength to give to us as we attempt to care for our children. He knows our days. He sees us in our struggles, and he is an ever-present help. You can learn more about a relationship with God here. I firmly believe that it is through God alone we receive the refreshment we truly need.

***

Pastor’s wife and mother of three, Katie Orr loves to teach God’s Word. Longing to equip others to walk with the Lord for a lifetime, Katie has taught small group Bible studies for over thirteen years. She served on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ for seven years before God called their family to pastoral ministry. She blogs about life at www.katieorrblog.com and is the creator of www.donotdepart.com, where you can receive encouragement and tools to abide in God’s Word.

Find her on Twitter: @KatieOrr22

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Making Time For Mommy Monday (Week 1)

January 31, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Today’s featured mom is Emily who blogs at The Joyner Family and can be found on Twitter @joyneremily.

Here’s how she “makes time for mommy”:

As a current mom of one–with only a couple weeks until I’m a mom of two–it’s easy to completely laugh at the idea of “me” time. However, I know it’s important, and for each mom, “me” time could mean something different.

I absolutely love driving to and from work each morning. After I drop my daughter off at her babysitter’s house, some days I blast s the radio to sing and dance, other days I drive in peace and quiet to think and pray. I sometimes use that time to catch up on phone calls with friends. No matter what I do, that is time for me!

After my little one goes to bed for the night and the kitchen’s clean from dinner, sometimes I sit with my husband to watch TV or I head upstairs to read or watch my own shows. Regardless, almost every evening I have a good 30 minutes of relaxation time before my head hits the pillow. It’s amazing how wonderful that time can be!

I would love to see how other mommies spend find ways to make time for themselves!

*****

Would you like to be featured here? Email me at [email protected] :)

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