how does a 24/7 SAHM take a week off?
So I took a week off. It happened last week, kicking off with a day out to the Northern Voice blogging conference last Saturday, ran thru Mother's Day, and ended with a family excursion to Capilano Suspension Bridge.
Northern Voice was incredible fun. I got to put faces to a lot of online avatars and listen to helpful advice re: blogging, podcasting and managing social media. Meeting IRL was strange but delightful - I waved at fellow tweeters in the seminars as I twittered my way thru the seminars.
But a whole week off? How can that be? and why?
Well, April was Incredibly Busy for me and close to the end of the month I was feeling the burn so I decided to make a little vacation time for myself. With some planning I cleared my schedule of all the tedium and priority stuff then populated my planner (aka scrap of paper) with fun things to do. Since I'm such a clutterhead these days I started a writing down Good Ideas for free time a week ahead and had a list to keep me busy in my leisure. OK, the list ran a little odd; knickers, sunglasses and Hat Shop were entries. I cleared my housework duties, made sure the freezer was stocked and put my feet up for hedonism.
Did I manage it? Despite a setback regarding playdates (a mum 'forgot' the tell me her son was now in after school care!) at the beginning of the week yes, I think it went well. I feel that I had "time off" though it was difficult to demarcate what "time off" would look like. It was a great reminder that, when I'm working at or from home all the time, I forget to reward myself with treats. And that these treats don't have to be large and expensive; something as simple as coffee out will do. In fact it became apparent to me that the simple act of leaving the house to relax was a and should be a vital part of each day for me, or at least something to be planned once per week! I shopped till I dropped, I had coffee in regular coffee shops every day, I had lunch with my husband (and he was v sweet re: the playdate fiasco). I did a lot of the things I had forgotten how to do since becoming a SAHM. It took planning but it felt good. I even managed to ignore housework on the whole.....
and I.bought.shoes.
Oh yes :)
