mommy underground (mu),
the bimonthly newsletter with the balls (err, should we say tits?) to give you motherhood in the real.
No fluff. No superficial expectations. Just raw truths to demystify what motherhood entails. Expect humor,
snark, and a little groveling.
Featured articles for each issue are posted online. Subscribers can receive the full newsletter via email by subscribing
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mu:: vol 1 :: issue 4 :: Stealing Time to Be Yourself
One of the biggest lessons I had to learn as a new mom was that I no longer had time to lay around in my pajamas, or watch movies in a leisurely relaxing fashion. And free time? It doesn't exist anymore. And that, my friends, almost drove me to insanity--until I started stealing time.
Yep--you heard me. I steal time for myself and I am not ashamed to admit it. How else am I going to have time to write this newsletter. Or like take a shower. Or stay sane. So, I developed a systematic approach to find time for myself. It's pretty simple and I am sure you could make it work for you too--so you could find a free moment to read a chapter of your favorite book. Watch that movie you are dying to see. Or, you never know, snuggle up to your significant other and get a little action going--one just doesn't know what can get done in 15 minutes until you try do you?
Here's the simple rules:
1) Steal time steal from your significant other--in my case my husband. Really--these others are grown adults. You don't need to spend every waking moment attending to them. So instead of washing their dirty underwear RIGHT NOW-- go enjoy something for yourself.
2.) Steal time from your urchins (i.e. children). Right now--I should be watching, interacting, or maybe even challenging my son in some educational or fun activity. But instead, I have water ready to boil on the stove for dinner, the television blaring The Little Mermaid, and my laptop open so I can write this. If I didn't steal this time--I would never write. And thus, not be trying to reach my dream of publishing a novel and honing my craft of writing.
3.) Steal time from ridiculous housework activities. How do you do this? Is there laundry that needs to be done? Put ONE load in the wash, and right when you press start, give yourself 5 - 10 minutes (or however long you can keep your kiddos occupied with art or playdough or books, or naptime, and paint your toenails--or some activity you love.
See, 3 steps, that is all it takes. If you do each of these once a day, you've gained 45 minutes (roughly) or YOU time. Some people call this time management--but it is more like juggling my needs versus everyone else's--so go for it. You deserve a bit of time to yourself!
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What's in Line?
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Ponderings for the next issue:
--Birthday Party Madness: Is it really a competitions [online]
--Surviving the Holidays, Mommy Style [subscription only]
--Blogging Mommies (running series) [running series, subscription only]
--Greener Grasses in the Workplace (or not)-- NOT QUITE [running series, subscription only]
--Books Even A Mom Would Love-- Review: LITTLE EARTHQUAKES by Jennifer Weiner [running series, subscription only]
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