Recently I sat down, scrolled through my calendar and discovered something slightly shocking.
I have not been in my house alone since the 20th September.
Furthermore, thanks to Elfie and Hux’s dad working away for a few weeks (and Elfie’s various 2/4/5am antics) I haven’t had a full night’s sleep since 15th November. Factor in the long days and a manageable bit (A LOT) of work stress and I was, by the beginning of this week, about ready to go a bit bonkers.
The one shining beacon in the craziness of the bonkersness was this coming weekend. I’d (kind of) cleared the diary and decided to be as low key as possible. With nothing planned, this weekend was going to be all about ME.
It is now 4pm Saturday and so far today I have: had a lie-in (10am, BOOM), cooked a brilliant breakfast, had a shower, read the beginning chapters of two books, watched my first episode of Made in Chelsea, been invited to a party, baked banana bread, watched a film, done an hour’s work and spent 30 minutes looking at eyebrow shapes.
I’m bored.
I can’t go to the gym because I went last night- after a gin and tonic which was a massive rookie mistake – I don’t want to go swimming because I painstakingly blow dried my hair last night and I can’t clean because that was done on Thursday. I did my supermarket shop yesterday, I don’t want to work because I promised myself I wouldn’t, I refuse to go to the shops because it’s Saturday and I’m not mental and I can’t nap because I’m not tired.
I miss the kids.
Sidenote: why does Made In Chelsea have a weird yellowy filter on it, like Instagram? It’s really annoying me, real life doesn’t look like this. Or maybe it does when your bank account has lots more money in it? Maybe you just grow yellowy lenses over your retinas and everything literally looks more rosy?
I have three hours left until I leave for Bryony’s house to watch the X Factor and I’m not sure what I’m going to do with all this time… apart from eat Banana Bread and the block of Duchy Organics stilton I have in the fridge that’s been calling my name all morning. Or maybe I’ll spend those three hours trying to figure out the intricacies of the various relationships in Made in Chelsea? I could be here a while. But then what happens tomorrow?
Don’t get me wrong, I think that as a hard-working mother, or a someone who works hard, or is a mother, WHATEVER, time to yourself is so incredibly important. I sometimes feel like I spend so much of my time serving others – the children or those at work – that I forget about myself. I can go days and days and days without realising that I do exist to relax and spend time on my own and not just to be busy busy busy busy. I know I have my evenings after the kids go to bed at 7.30 but these are invariably spend working, cooking, bleaching or washing. SO BUSY.
Still bored.
What do you do with your alone time? I NEED INSPIRATION!
When I get time off I always believe that I need to make the most of it, but it’s such a short period that I stuff it full of stuff so it’s not reflaxing.. The only really relaxing time I’ve had this year is when I went to Ibiza for a week without my daughter!
This makes me laugh so much…. I am always desperate for a day on my own, but quite often then feel like I am missing out. I used to do alot of crafting, but now I find it hard to motivate myself! I do have a half day off work on Thursday and I am planning a 30 minute sit on a bench in nature to soak up the silence…. ha x
I am the same way. I was just saying the other day too that I really really need to have balance in my life. Last year, I was SOOO busy with the kids, house, partner, work, blog, vlog, and got so sick for so long because I had forgotten all about me. I wasn’t eating right, sleeping right or doing anything for me. Even just sitting down like you said and relaxing. It’s a new year and here I will try my best not to forget about me. I hope you get your me time too. And do the little relaxing things you love. You deserve it for working so hard for others. I think we are similar in always putting ourselves last. Nothing wrong with it just means we need to try harder to still remember ourselves from time to time. :) Inspiration for alone time: nature walk, flower gardena and cafe, window shopping, take yourself to lunch, go to the movies. All these I would love to do without two tots hanging off my shoulder and spilling things on me while they fight for the next toy. hahahah But I am ok to wait for them too. :)