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Quiet Time Before Bed

Day 16-9:35 pm: Bedtime is something that is kind of crazy in our house. We always have good intentions. You know, bath, brush your teeth, read stories, and go to bed. Seems simple, right? Not to a toddler! There’s excuses for everything. I need water. I need to go to the bathroom. I need my doll. I just want to run around the house a be silly. And before we know it, it is 10:00 p.m. We are all exhausted.

I thought there has to be a better way.

So this evening, we tried something different. After dinner, we had “quiet time”. I read a book, my toddler had some screen time, and my hubby watched basketball. We all sat on the couch together for 20 minutes. It was so nice. It was great to be together. We all snuggled up and it was peaceful. I gave us all a chance to relax before bedtime.

I know screen time isn’t good before bed, but after the quiet time we still had our bedtime routine.

So, instead of running around the house, we are chill and relaxed.

You don’t have to let your kid have screen time, but just do an activity that is calm. My little one likes puzzles, or coloring, or play-doh. Anything where they are just sitting and being mellow. That doesn’t mean playing chase, or jumping on the bed!

This was just the first day we tried it, but I think we might continue to do it. I have to say she was still a little hyped up a bedtime, but she’s asleep before 10:00 p.m. So that’s great! Win for everyone involved!

What is your bedtime routine? Do you have any tips to calm your little ones down? Let me know if you have any ideas in the comments below!

     

Do you Really Need “Sleep”?

Day 15-11:58 pm: Well, it’s late. That’s because my toddler would not go to sleep! Seriously, it was close to 11:30 before she actually was asleep! What?! Maybe it had to do with the fact that she slept in this morning until 9:45. Or she woke up from her nap at 6:00. Regardless, as I lay in bed with her trying to get her to fall asleep, I actually fell asleep while she climbed all over me, and it got me thinking, do you really need “sleep”?

YES! You do need sleep!

It may feel like you are superwoman, from another planet, who doesn’t need to sleep. Or maybe you feel like you just don’t have time to sleep (that’s my excuse). But, let’s be real. You need sleep. And your kids need sleep.

It is so important for you, as a mother, to get sleep. It’s not only beneficial to your health, but it’ll make you a better mama. When I don’t get enough sleep, I am so much more irritable, I can’t focus, and I lack so much energy that is required to chase after a toddler. It’s not fair to me, and it’s not fair to her.

I want to be the mommy that rolls around on the floor with her, or chases her around the house as a “tiger”, or sits and does a puzzle without falling asleep.

And not only that, your body needs sleep to be healthy. If your body doesn’t get enough rest it can contribute to high blood pressure, or a weak immune system. So you’ll be catching every flu out there. No!!

Ok, enough with the lecture.

Mama, I just want you to remember that you are important too. And, you need to take care of yourself so that you can be the best mom, wife, and person you can be. Without sleep, you will not be your best self.

So please, put down the laptop, the phone, and the tablet. And get some rest! Because, you are worth it.

Ok, I’m going to take my own advice and put down the laptop and get some sleep!

More Job Search Websites

Day 14-11:28 pm: It has been two weeks since I started my job search. I feel like I’ve been on every website imaginable. But, somehow, I keep finding new job search sites. There are so many out there that can be really useful to a stay at home mom.

Here are more job search websites that will help you on your job hunt.

  1. LinkedIn– This is such a valuable site for networking. It’s social media for businesses, basically. You can connect with past co-workers and recruiters can find you and contact you. You can also search for jobs. Make sure you have a strong profile and work history because a lot of employers will look here (along with Facebook). Really valuable for for finding a job!
  2.  Idealist– This website is for the philanthropist. Non-profits post here and companies that do work that benefits others. You will find large non-profits like ACLU, to smaller local non-profits like local church groups. You can look for part-time or remote jobs and can apply directly to the site.
  3.  Media Bistro– Here you will find jobs related to media and media companies. If you are looking to get into writing, freelancing, digital marketing, or anything related to media. This includes a lot of remote jobs and contract jobs, but can also give you some more stable and high up jobs.
  4. Glassdoor– If you haven’t been on Glassdoor then you need to be! This site allows you to look up companies to see how they ranked with employees, look up salaries for particular jobs, search for jobs, and post your own reviews of companies. Whenever I find a job I’m interested in, I look on Glassdoor for the company’s rating and for the salary of the job I’m applying for. It also gives you that information if you search for jobs on the site. Really valuable tool!

So, while you are job hunting, check out these great sites!

 

Stay Sane as a SAHM: Interview with Sam Palmer of Modern Day Hippie Mama

Day 13-10:16 pm: Well folks, I have something really special for you! I have decided to start a whole new series of interviews with Stay at Home Moms who also blog. Every Friday I will interview another SAHM and share it here with you. I absolutely love getting the insights and perspectives of other stay at home moms.

I’m calling it my Stay Sane as a SAHM Series.

It makes me feel like we are all in a community together.

Being a stay at home mom (aka Millennial Housewife) can be isolating and hard at times. It’s not easy to navigate the waters of being home, changing diapers, cleaning up spills, and doing laundry without any adult contact until your hubby comes home.

That’s why I wanted to give you the chance to see how other Millennial Housewives do it.

You are not alone. There are so many of us out there. WE can form a community to support and trust one another.

I had the immense pleasure to talk to Sam Palmer with Modern Day Hippie Mama (I love that blog name!). Sam has four beautiful daughters, a dog, and a guy she lives with. She has a passion for organic wine, profanities, and being a mom.

What is really amazing to me is that she has been a stay at home mom for 6 years with her 4 daughters. She really knows what she is talking about. Something I took away from the interview was that she is really big into self care. So many times busy Stay at Home Moms forget to take care of themselves. Sam stresses how important it is to and your family to take the time to practice self care. Sam has written several blog posts about this which is great.

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