We all pay lip-service, at least, to the idea of “me time”: put on your own oxygen mask first, “if mama’s not happy, ain’t nobody happy,” and so on. How many of us with young children really take the time to take care of ourselves?
I know that when the baby goes for a nap, I am usually working. When the kids play quietly by themselves, I am trying to catch up on the never-ending piles of dishes and laundry.
Getting out of the house without my mini-entourage requires military invasion-levels of advanced planning so impromptu mani-pedis or peacefully sipping Chai at a cafe are probably off the menu for now.
Taking a break from a private shopping event and make-over at Lord & Taylor to hang out with a Project Runner winner and finalist? Yeah. That’s so not my usual day.
Still, I do manage to carve out a little time for myself. I’m not above taking a little extra time “getting ready to go into the shower” or continuing to sooth the baby to sleep after he’s already snoring so I can finish a chapter in a book (preferably something NOT work or parenting-related!).
After the kids are all tucked in bed, I usually play a game or watch a little television with my husband. We have our “critically acclaimed” favorites like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Sherlock, Boardwalk Empire, and Downton Abbey…but I also like my Project Runway, True Blood, and Dance Moms, too! While we’re watching, I like to break out the good cheese and chocolate…and a glass of wine, too, if I am not pregnant.
Even if it is hard to carve out time alone as a parent of a young family, I still try to find small ways to treat myself throughout the day and relax and unwind.
Quaker® Chocolate Chip Cookies allow me to be indulgent while still providing the power of Quaker® oats to fuel me for whatever the rest of the day might hold.
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Quaker®. The opinions and text are all mine.
