March 2012 - SuperMom Decoded

7 Budget Friendly Breaks for Moms

Let’s face it– moms are busy. Managing our personal universe in 24 hour increments is no small job! The day to day activities can take a toll on even the most organized mom.

Sure, the family vacation is scheduled for this year, but what do you do when you need a break NOW and the annual family vacation is months away? You look in the mirror and unashamedly sing that old McDonalds jingle to yourself, “You deserve a break today!” I have learned by experience that taking mini breaks along the way help me maintain a sense of balance in my life. My motto is: Take MINI breaks to help prevent MAJOR breakdowns. Regardless of your income, you can have the break you deserve! Here are my 7 Budget Friendly Breaks for Moms.

Get Grounded– A coffee shop like Starbucks is a great place to chill out for a bit, get caught up on a book, or even do some light work on your laptop. Perhaps you can also enjoy your favorite coffee beverage while you’re there. The great thing about Starbucks is that it’s a huge chain, with locations everywhere. Chances are there is one near your house. That way, you don’t have to go very far to get away.
Heavenly Hands & Feet– Smart nail shop owners are answering the relaxation needs of their clients by adding a spa-like feel to their nail shops. To help clients relax, they have thrown out the blaring volume flat screen televisions, and traded them for mellow music and spa like décor in a kid-free environment. Forget about scheduling pricey spa treatments weeks in advance. The easy walk in policy has made it effortless for you to just drop in on the fly and get a manicure and/or pedicure for a decent price.
Walk It Out– Break out your gym shoes and take a stroll around your neighborhood or a nearby park alone. The fresh air and change of scenery can do wonders for clearing your mind. Take your iPod and listen to something inspiring, or simply enjoy the nature scene while walking or running in total peace and quiet.
Road Runner– Do you live near a scenic highway or country road? Get in the car and drive on it. Don’t cloud your mind with a specific destination or time to get there. You’re not playing taxi, you’re just driving off into the sunset (haven’t you always wanted to say you did that anyway?).Enjoy the ride.
Hotel California– Ok, so maybe you don’t live in California, but you can still go to a hotel. Staying 1-2 nights in a nearby hotel can provide relaxation wonders. Let the housekeeper clean your room, and be sure to take advantage of room service at least once. Consider using online bidding services like Hotwire or last minute deals at Hotels.com to find and book your room at an inexpensive price. It does not have to cost a fortune to live in luxury for a couple of nights. Sweet dreams!
Staycation– If you were headed to an event or had to travel out of town, you wouldn’t hesitate to locate a sitter for your kids. Have you ever considered getting a sitter just so you can stay home? Consider doing it, especially if you can sit at home without thinking of all the work you want to do to your home. Take that uninterrupted bubble bath, sleep in, work on your hobby, etc. It’s YOUR time. Use it on YOU.
Retail Therapy– No worries! I am not talking about going out and splurging, although that would be nice from time to time if it doesn’t set you back financially. If you love to shop like I do, set yourself a budget and buy yourself something. The only rule is that you have to spend the money on YOU! Even if you set aside $20 to spend, you can buy a new MAC lipstick, a fabulous pair of earrings, or maybe you catch an unbelievable clearance sale at your favorite store. It’s not really about what you get; it’s about putting YOU your mind. YOU MATTER!

These are just some of my favorite ideas. I hope you will be proactive about setting aside time to take a mini-break . Make these breaks happen for yourself. Don’t wait for someone else to do it for you.

Supermom Tip: An empty pitcher doesn’t help anyone in need of a drink. Fill yourself up first, and then pour out to others. Be good to yourself so that you can be good to those you serve.

The Making of a SUPERmom– How I Discovered My Cape

What makes a SUPER mom? I can’t say I know completely, but the perception is a woman who is able to do super human feats, above and beyond the norm. Ah, if that’s the case, I remember exactly when I discovered my “SUPER mom powers”.

Imagine this—I was a pregnant, twenty-one year old, recently married woman, enrolled as a full-time college student with my heaviest course load of 17 hours. Not a huge deal since my baby was due mid-May, just as the semester would be ending. Everything seemed to be in sync until one day I experienced unusual pain. Through a series of fast and traumatic events, my husband and I found ourselves at a hospital that night making serious life and death decisions over the future of our unborn daughter and me. Trying to stop my labor posed as a major health risk to me and her due to other complications. At the same time, our daughter was a few weeks shy of being in the “safety zone” if we allowed her to be born then. It seemed nothing was certain. Through a brief time alone together in prayer, we sensed the undeniable peace of God nudging us to allow her to be born right then. Fearlessly I went into surgery under a complete anesthesia. I awakened later and learned that our 3 pound baby girl was here, but not without some complications that would keep her hospitalized for several weeks.

Before I ever laid eyes on her in that hospital, I was forewarned by the doctors and my husband that she probably didn’t look like what I expected. I didn’t care. I had already set my heart to love her anyway. I just needed to see her. I made the slow walk down to the neo-natal ICU and there she was. I was so unprepared for what I saw. I broke down in tears at the sight of my tiny little baby with tubes disguising her face and body as she lay on her back…fighting for every breath. I wanted to stay by her side and help her get better any way I could.

After a day or so, I was released from the hospital, but my daughter was not. How was I supposed to leave my new baby in the care of nurses and doctors while I went back home? Was I supposed to resume life as usual? How could I continue my hefty class load, along with its assignments and tests while constantly pumping breast milk for storing up and making frequent trips to the hospital? How could I balance this with my “regular” home life of paying bills and cooking dinner? To be honest with you, I didn’t know how; and I never gave it much thought. I knew I didn’t want to quit college mid semester, and there was nothing else left to take off my plate. So I just did what I had to do. I believed if my baby girl could fight every breath in that hospital, surely I could fight to finish that semester by the grace of God.

God harmoniously worked everything out for our good. Our daughter got out the hospital a little earlier than we anticipated. Most importantly, she was discharged much healthier than expected! No major medications or surgeries were needed. My grade point average was the highest ever during my time in college, nearing close to a 4.0. Although we lived a few hours from our biological family, our local family which consisted of friends from church, work, and school all helped by giving their sincere prayers and precious time to us. Looking back, I can see how God put his SUPER on my natural MOM abilities. I stretched further, reached higher, dug deeper, and came out on top with His help. There is no way I could have done that on my own. Jesus Christ’s strength was made PERFECT in my weakness.

And that’s my SUPERmom story….well, part of it anyway. That experience changed my perception about what I could really handle. It would have been much easier just to quit school or at least drop some classes. By pressing in during that challenging time, I was able to graduate from college the next year. Oh, and today my oldest daughter is a smart and beautiful young lady.

I know that you have your own unique story. Many of you have so graciously shared them in the comment section of my previous blogs, and I love reading them! Some of you are single moms, others are married moms, some of you have children with health challenges, and others of you are overcoming your own challenges. Regardless of the circumstances, I think the lessons in this blog applies to us all. What are that lessons? They are simple— Don’t quit. Trust (lean, rely, depend on) God. You can’t be super and sane on your own. He is the SUPER in SUPERmom.

Do you know another mom that could use this encouragement? Maybe she has her hands in a lot of things right now. Maybe life has dealt her some unexpected circumstances. Maybe challenges have caused her to give up on pursuing some personal goals. If you think someone else could be encouraged by this blog, please share, post, or tweet it. Thank you. Also, please leave your comments about when you “discovered your cape.” Your comments are so helpful to me and everyone that reads them. God bless you!