Today, I had a bunch of stuff on my “To Do” list. We’ve had a fair amount of company lately (which I love) but there is no denying the housework has taken a backseat to the hosting and entertaining side of summer life.
While sipping my morning coffee I couldn’t help but note all the the fingerprints and stickiness on our windows (inside and out). The floors are pretty crunchy (like a mini crumb festival is happening down there) and the laundry is piling up (even if it is hiding under the basket lid, I know it’s there…)
I also have an article due in a few days which requires me to sit down and transcribe a recorded phone interview that I, ever so professionally, conducted from inside my closet last week (no, I’m not kidding).
The truth is, it’s not always easy to get work done when everyone is home.
Don’t get me wrong, I ‘m aware of my privilege here. Working part-time from home enables me the flexibility to have the kids with me for the summer, which I do appreciate. It also makes hosting guests mid-week (and for extended periods) doable. I wouldn’t change my situation, but sometimes I feel like I need to get everyone OUT of the house in order to get things done!
So, with one daughter at gymnastics for the afternoon, and my husband away on business; I called in a favour from a friend and got the other two kids a play date.
With the house to myself, I would get soooo much done. I’d tackle that laundry pile. I’d scrub the floors. And I would get things in order once and for all! Then, I would sit down and listen to that interview and get started on my article. This was my plan, anyway.
To Do:
- laundry
- windows
- kitchen floor
- interview
But as soon as I dropped the kids off at their play date, I couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of excitement brewing from within. I was alone. I was free. And I was not at all interested in heading back home to deal with the mess.
So, I didn’t go home.
Instead, I pulled into the closest Tim’s and ordered myself a coffee. I sat on the outdoor patio in the sun, sipping my cup-a-joe leisurely while scrolling through my FB feed. Then, I drove over to the new Winners and indulged in, what I like to call, a “therapeutic browse” (whereby you take your sweet time, perusing all the clothes, accessories, housewares, and beauty products). No purchase is even necessary, the act of solo browsing itself is when the magic happens.
I tried on some dresses and ended up buying a cute handbag because it was a great deal and my birthday is coming up in a few days.
After my therapeutic browse, I drove home with only two hours of alone time left. And, do you know what happened? I was the most power-productive cleaner I’ve been in months and I even listened to my phone interview and selected some quotes to use. I got some serious stuff done in 120 minutes, let me tell you! (The laundry’s still in the basket, though, I have to admit).
But, oh well.
Sometimes we moms need to say: “Screw it! I’m doing what I want to do instead of what I should be doing.” In my opinion, that is what “self-care” looks like. All that stuff on our lists can wait while we stop and refuel for an hour or two. Enjoy that coffee, browse that clearance rack, go for a walk, do some yoga, read a book, do something just for you.
Because, quite frankly, you deserve it. We all do.
