[Note from the Young Mommy: My day job has been kicking my butt for the past month or so and will continue to do so until this major project is finished. I was contemplating taking a blog break, but I love my readers too much to do so. Luckily, I have great blogger friends who seem to know when my plate is heavy and could use a guest post or two. Today’s post comes courtesy of Danielle, who is single-handedly making it her mission to make the world a nicer place to live. Enjoy.]
By Danielle, from It’s So Nice to Be Nice
Recently, I tried to envision my living room with brighter colors.
I began thinking about new colors for my kitchen (I want yellow curtains by the way) and later planned a small household project that would brighten an empty area I’ve neglected for a while.
I’m not talking about major things either. I’m going to purchase three pillows (two orange and one blue), pull out a few items I’ve stored away, move a lamp from another room, and reposition my plants. I found a bamboo room divider on Craigslist and I’ve got some West African fabric that I’m going to intertwine as well.
What’s really interesting is that the more detailed I became, the more I could picture both it’s physical essence and relaxing comfort, which will make it easy to call this new space, home.
What are your thoughts? When did you last give yourself a gift (necessities don’t count!)? Do you find it easier to give to others than to give to yourself?
hmmmmmm, i love giving to others. i usually fall at the bottom of the list…if i even make the list at all, lol. but thats just me. somtimes hubby takes note and MAKES me do something for me. so when was the last time? geez…do professional pedicures count? with my hectic schedule, they are sooooooo hard to fit in, so i love when i can. that was abt 3 weeks ago (time for another…but who knows when i’ll get there). if that doesn’t count, i think i bought a shirt 2 weeks ago. i needed it for family pics…oh dang…this is hard-LOLOL!!
i am starting to think this comes part and parcel with motherhood. i actually never bought myself anything new,clothes or otherwise until last winter.i had extra money and more to spend and was the first time i had that luxury. it was awful. I couldnt buy myself anything without thinking of my daughter first.so in the end, i bought her a whack of new clothes and then and only then, did i buy myself some new threads.
@Erykah – I do find that I can only buy new clothes once I know the kids don’t need anything. We just stocked up for the kids’ fall/winter wardrobes, so I finally said, “Heck, I need to buy some winter clothes myself!” Can’t be running around in skirts for these Ohio winters….No ma’am!
I almost never treat myself. Anytime I get a lump sum of money, I plan out what I’m going to do with it. I always include the things I want, yet they never get bought because I always buy the things the kids need first. Or my husband asks me to pay a bill with it. I just got a bunch of money today (in my name). Is it wrong not to tell my husband until after I spend it? I’m so used to telling him everything, I feel like the worst wife when I even THINK about not sharing things with him, but if I tell him, then I already know he’ll be making plans in his head on what bills to pay with it or how we’ll split it in half, which is usually what we do. But this time, I just wanna spend it all on myself. Is that bad???
@Cee Cee – I think you should tell your husband about the money, BUT tell him, “Hey, honey, I got $200 today…I’m going to head about buy myself something nice….” Put yourself first, if just this once!
I am so quick to do something for someone else, before myself it is insane! I just got a lump sum of money as well and after making out this list of things I wanted for months, I’ve barely gotten anything on it! Instead, I’m trying to send this person some money for their bills, or buy a nice gift for that person. Over the weekend, I went to two different malls to find me some shoes since I was still wearing the same flip flops I got when I was pregnant with my 15 month old son. Well, yeah… that didn’t go quite as planned. Somehow I managed to buy him another pair of gymshoes (he’d just gotten a new pair 2 weeks ago), some house shoes, a Deigo blanket with his name stitched in it, a new outfit and a drum set! For me? I got myself a knock off purse and some $20 earrings. *sigh*
@Courtney – Girl, you have GOT to learn to take better care of yourself. I know I’m not one to talk but we’ve got to hold each other accountable or something. When’s the last time you bought something just for you and not lil’ man? If you don’t take care of you, how can you be the best for Jaedyn?
I remember having a conversation with one of my co-workers last year. She is a mother of five and strongly believed that she must take care of herself first. She said, if she’s not looking good, she can’t get a job, make money, and take care of her kids. I completely disagreed. My mom is like most of you, we always had before she did, but what do you think about my former co-workers philosophy: in order to take care of your kids, you must take care of yourself first?
@Danielle – I think moms do need to take care of themselves first. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that you get yourself a new outfit before you get your kids an outfit. It just means that you keep yourself at the top of the priority list. Don’t back out of a workout just because you’re tired – you deserve to be healthy and active. Don’t run around scheduling your kids’ doctors appointments and you haven’t been since your six-week checkup.
Yeah, Tara, I told him. I can’t keep stuff from my baby even when I want to. I also told him that I wanted to take myself on a shopping spree because I haven’t gotten a whole new wardrobe in well over a year. (yay, me!)
@Cee Cee – Oooh, congrats! Enjoy that new wardrobe! I think sometimes we forget how GOOD it feels when we do something for ourselves. Be selfish, if only for a moment!