How we have "Me Time" as Married Working Mothers

How?


Just do it!


1.  Get over the Guilt of wanting to have "me time"...

2.  Next, once you've convinced yourself that you absolutely deserve and NEED this time - PLAN.  This is one we can't escape.  Although I wish all of the planning would be done for me sometimes, the daily routine of life falls on us so it's imperative that we make the necessary steps to make "me time" happen. From deciding what to do and where to go to organising the children and husband.  So we Plan.

And that's it.  It's that simple.  In just two simple steps you could be on your way to enjoying "me time" by yourself or with your girlfriends.


Candilaria and Tiffany's "Me Time"...

Tiffany and I decided that we needed "me time".  We have no qualms about feeling that we deserve it. Nope.  None at all.

It's "Me O'clock"

We planned to become tourists in our own country and embarked on a journey to Blue Lagoon Island.  It had been years and years since either of us had visited the island and were super stoked.


At 8:30 a.m. on a beautiful day we boarded the Dolphin Encounter boat - with some challenges getting there of course but nonetheless we made it.

Top Left - Our view from the boat.;
Top Right - Our first "Usie" for the day
Bottom Left - Tiffany and I with our drinks and bartender, David;
Bottom Right - We rigged up a little morning drink. Nothing like a Mimosa to kick off the day!

Welcome to Blue Lagoon!  We picked an awesome spot to cop a squat.  We lounged, we explored, we talked, we laughed, we swam, we read, we slept.  It was a perfect day.

Our colourful cups that contained the right kind of drink we needed and allowed us to have those "sweet naps" throughout the day :) 

We were having such a great time, somehow we missed our boat back. Hmmmm...not sure how that happened.  So what did we do?  Nothing.  We hung out some more. We ended up hitching a ride on the boat that transports the employees back and forth!

We topped the day off by meeting up with another absolutely fabulous Married Working Mother and the day "me time" turned into night "me time".  When I arrived home, my children were tucked in bed and fast asleep and my husband was very thankful for the day I had (wink wink).  And so was I.

Before I end this post I must share a story.  

While swimming/floating in the crystal clear waters at Blue Lagoon the most terrifying thing that could ever happen to a married woman happened.  I lost my wedding band! I felt it slip from my finger as we were swimming back to shore.  The terror on my face signalled to Tiffany that something was wrong. I became paralysed. After my freak out session, bystanders made their way over to us to see if they could assist.  A gentleman with the use of a Lifeguard's goggles dove in search for Mr. Thompson's wife's ONE good ring. Like so many women who lost their rings to the ocean I was hoping that I was the exception.  That my ring would be found.  And....

He found it!!!!!!!  Eric (pictured below) found my ring.  All was right with the world once again and I resumed to my "me time".

"Me Time" has become our favourite topic because we know how much we need it.  How much women need it.  As we mentioned during our presentation at The Pretty Brown Girl Bahamas Conference in May, we consider ourselves experts on the subject matter and we are here to show you how you can do it too!  We are here to help you. :) :)


How important are you to yourself?!  

Where are you on your own priority list? 

Make the time for you. Everyone around you including YOU will thank you for it. 



Signed, 

I (Heart) "Me Time", Candilaria

       

I LIKE MY BRA THE WAY IT IS, UNBURNED!

It's Monday, I'm at work... 

and I'm in a funk....

Why you ask?  Read the first line again...LOL

Long gone are the days of very clear cut roles of men and women, more specifically husbands/wives and fathers/mothers.  The lines have become so blurred we really can't say if a task should fall under the role of the husband/wife or father/mother.  

Society is so far removed from the times when we had clear "boundaries" that matters between men and women become difficult. 

Once again, Tiffany and I would love to thank all the women who burned their bras for Woman's Rights...blank stare...we really showed the men how independent we could be! But for real, it's time to stop. LOL. This "going to work" is for the birds! 

Let me be a stay-at-home mother any day, with a housekeeper AND babysitter of course. LOL...I'm just joking...I'm just serious.

Look, have you ever been frustrated when your hubby always has something going on?  They always seem to have this meeting, that meeting, toastmasters, football practice, "oh a friend needs help with this" or "oh, I have to go take care of that".  The thing is YOU have the same kind of things going on too but the difference is, your stuff is ON TOP of managing the children and their activities! 

Do men still feel they ought to just be the providers and that's it?  Can we accept this mentality in today's society? Nope. We cannot.  

Not in a society where women have become financial contributors to the home, no?

How involved do you think husbands/fathers should be in the day-to-day operations of the home? How committed should women be to their jobs/careers? Or does this depend on the dynamics of the family?

Do you think men could handle a full day of work, running errands and other activities while managing the kids all by themselves AND be okay with that? What about multiple days?! Or indefinitely?!  Keep in mind, they are not stay-at-home dads!  My guess is, no! So here lies the problem.  We end up doing pretty much everything. LOL.

I know there are husbands out there that do just as much or, in a few rare cases, more than the wife. I know a few scenarios like the latter. A few. **Side Thought**It's funny though - people are more inclined to give praise to men for taking on the role of caretaker/homemaker while his wife who is the breadwinner and taking care of their family financially will not receive that same kind of praise. Hmmmm...that's deep.  Is it because it's not the "natural way"? 

So ladies, it seems as though burning our bras for equality may have caused us a little more work and a lot more headache!  On top of what we already were, Wives and Mothers, we've added Work. YAY!  Though I feel it is important and necessary for us to have the choice to work, it really isn't a choice anymore, but a necessity.  

So here we are Married, Mothers and Working!

What are the roles in your home? Is there total integration?  Or do you have a clear division? 

Husbands, I know you're reading....we would love for you to chime in on this discussion.  And of course Married WORKING Mothers feel free to express yourselves, bras were burnt so you could! LOL


HAPPY MONDAY! :)


Signed, 
I like my bra the way it is, unburned
Candilaria