I’m thrilled to have my friend, Alicia of Project Alicia, here filling in for me today as I continue to recover from surgery.

Alicia and I have been friends for a couple of years now and boy am I glad that we met. She’s sweet, supportive and incredibly creative. She’s also a talented photographer, one of my fellow co-hosts in the Leap Into Spring! Photo Challenge and the amazing woman behind Project Alicia – a beautiful blog chock full of photographic inspiration, recipes, crafts, tutorials and more.

Alicia’s sharing a little about the importance of moms finding time for ourselves and she’s sharing what works for her as well. I don’t know about you, but I could certainly use more “me time”.

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Finding “Me Time”

Whether you’re extracting legos out of your kid’s nose, smiling through a world class toddler tantrum at the market, slumped over a whining child’s head picking nits til all hours of the night, or scraping fur off your tween’s teeth seconds before soccer pictures…

There is no denying the unconditional love.

But days and weeks of multi-tasking, humiliation, diaper blowouts and tears can certainly take it’s toll.

As four course meals are traded in for drive through with screaming kids and eight hours of sleep becomes something of a novelty…

It begins to manifest itself outwardly. Our former put-together, classy selves have been transformed into a hap-hazard scatterbrain. Matching clothes and lip gloss are rare. Carpool lines, PTA, and vaccinations are added to your vocabulary and regular routine.

Snakes and spiders become household pets…

And just. like. that… Poof. We have turned into mom. Those three little letters that will follow us the rest of our days… some days at alarming volumes.

An often thankless job with no special recognition or monetary rewards, except for those occasional once a year mom days you get a free pass from cooking.

But what are you doing regularly to fill your cups and maintain your sanity?

After shuttling kids to and from tumbling and piano, scouts, dinner, homework, and baths… we could drop. Then there’s unexpected forgotten projects, tooth fairy duties, and socks to match.

It may seem like there is not enough time left for anything else, but as mothers it is imperative we carve a few minutes out of the routine for ourselves. Whether we have toddlers, teens, or grown children, if we are on E, how will we keep the household running or heal broken hearts? Or even stay sane?

You can’t draw from an empty well.

I’m no expert on the matter, as I often find myself without the necessary physical and emotional energy required as those unexpected hiccups are thrown my way. But I do feel passionate about finding “me time”!

I’m pretty confident that I’m not alone, so I would like to issue a challenge…

I propose you sit down and draft a list of a few things that would help refill your cup. (Think, “me time minus kids”… ie. potty time, alone.)

Pink polka dotted toes.

A long, hot shower.

A cup of tea with a fav home magazine.

An organized pantry.

A bubble bath.

Lunch with a friend at a local coffee shop.

A new shade of lipstick.

A brisk walk outdoors.

Curling up in a comfy chair with a new book.

Freshly squeezed lemonade on the veranda.

Watching a DVR’d program.

A chocolate splurge.

An icee run.

Catching up with friends on facebook or skype.

Curling your hair and putting on make-up.

Listening to your favorite tunes.

Creating something beautiful.

A massage or foot rub.

Photographing the beauty around you.

A new pair of jeans.

Watching a sunset.

Soaking up some rays.

Putting pen to paper.

A successful new recipe.

Communing with nature.

These are just a few ideas that work for me. If I was a drinking girl this would be the perfect time for a strong cocktail. We are all uniquely different and what may work for me may not work for you and vise versa, but I’m confident we are the same in that we all require some kind of “me time”.

This may require hiring a sitter for a few hours a week or doing some creative kid swapping…

But I promise you that a mom with a partial or full cup is better than a mom on “E” anyday. This will make us happier and more successful- energized and ready to conquer most tasks at hand. But more importantly, this will make us better moms.

I for one don’t want to let these important, little people down. They are counting on me whether I’m up for it or not. I hope that you will take on my mom “me time” challenge so that you aren’t caught off guard and ill prepared for the onslaught of summer.

So, get out there and reconnect with you! “A quiet mind cureth all.” -Robert Burton

And don’t forget to call your mom to tell her how much you love her this Mother’s Day!

How do you fit “me time” into your busy life and what are some things you do to recharge?

Alicia is a late 30-something newbie southern belle and mom to two tweens who lives for a good project. Her blog, Project Alicia, is dedicated to projects of all kinds – crafts, recipes, travel adventures, tips and tutorials. Stop by and link up with Alicia on Wordless Wednesdays, join one of her seasonal photography challenges or take advantage of her freebie templates.

A few posts you’ll love from Project Alicia:

Photography: Passion - A post dedicated to Alicia’s love of all things photography.
Vintage Actions: Side-by-Side Comparison and Tutorial

Parenting: Hey You – A beautiful tribute to Alicia’s daughter, tackling the sensitive and often painful topic of self-esteem.
Celebrating My Little Man – Heartwarming post celebrating Alicia’s son who lives with NVLD (non-verbal learning disorder), a form of Autism in the Asperger’s family.

Freebie: Free Collage Template - Layered PSD file that works in Photoshop or PSE. Includes a short tutorial on photo clipping.