Refocusing on Being a Mommy

Happy Valentine's Day!!! 💖

I finally did it! And I am so proud of  myself!

Do you ever make the decision to make the cutest holiday decoration, and then months after the said holiday, you find the decoration halfway done, just barely started, or worse, just the directions. 

I think this might be the worse feeling ever. I normally ask myself why I even attempt to do anything for the holidays when I never do anything I plan on doing. 

Well, not this time. I found THE cutest Valentine's Day garland, and it was going to be finished before Valentine's Day, gosh darn it!

And guess what? I actually finished it! And with plenty of time to spare to actually enjoy it! 
 

If you would like to make one too (for next year. Sorry guys 😕), click here to get the pattern! 

I spent all last week working on it, listening to audio-books and having a grand time. On Thursday, I hung it up with a good, warm, fuzzy feeling inside. That, my friends, is the feeling of accomplishment. Too bad it didn't last very long.

I sat down and looked at a list of things I needed to do for the busy weekend I had coming up. And then I realized something. I finished the garland. I got a lot of "me" time. BUT, it was all at the expense of my family. I was working on a decoration when I should have been playing or reading to the boys. Instead, I put on movies and t.v. shows. I could have been doing schoolwork so that I had nothing to do on Saturday. But I ended up having to cut into family time to get assignments done.

It is so important to do things that are relaxing, nurture the soul, and that I love, but when I shut out the boys and the hubby, or constantly distracted by the thought of sneaking in time to work on my craft or read my book, then I know I have had too much "me" time. 

What is it exactly that helps me know that I have taken too much time for myself? When my "break" from being a mommy and wife leave me feeling regret for how I spent my day. I shouldn't feel that way! That is seriously the worse thing ever. I know I could have done so much more! I had control over how I spent my time. And I chose to only focus on myself. That is just not okay. These "breaks" should leave me feeling energized, refreshed, and happy. 

I am a mommy. I have 3 other people in this house who need my love and attention. I can't push off those responsibilities whenever I feel like it. I wanted this, and it is about time to refocus! It is time to embrace cleaning, tantrums, and all the cuddles, because honestly... I miss them!

Of course I can't just say something like that without making goals. Because, well, nothing will change if I don't make some commitments. Setting goals is the key to change, after all!

I made 4 commitments to help me refocus on being a mommy and actually enjoying being with the boys.

1. Don't give up "me time"- I know, I know. Isn't "me time" what got me into the mess to begin with? No. It was the overabundance of it that got me into trouble. I have a schedule, calendar, and to-do list to keep me on track. I need to stick with it better. I have crafts scheduled to Tuesday's and Thursdays and any evening that the hubby and I aren't watching a movie or something. 

2. Plan fun activities with the boys- it is easier to have fun when there are new and exciting activities to look forward to. But of course it doesn't have to be expensive or new every time. Making sure I get in some reading time with them, or going for a walk around the neighborhood work well too.

3. Write about the positive things that happened in my journal instead of focusing on the negative- nothing gets me feeling more unsatisfied with my life than a bunch of days that are seemingly full of negativity. I love to read through past entries in my journal, so having more positive experiences that I can smile and laugh over help me to see the positive in the day I just experienced. 

4. Spend more time with the Lord- I know being a mommy is who I am. It is what Heavenly Father wants me to be. If I am honest with myself, I always notice that I have slacked off in my morning prayer or am not having a meaningful and insightful scripture study when I start to lose focus. It is even worse if I don't get up before everyone else to do these two things. I have to make sure that I am getting spiritually fed every day if I am to be the very best I can be. 

This is so easy for anyone to do who wants to refocus on what they find most important in their life. Look at what you want to do more of or less of, and make goals to meet these needs. You will wake up feeling more like yourself, and happy with how life is treating you!