I'm Drowning in Mommy Guilt

Last night I came home from work and dinner was ready. *Score*  I didn't even have to do the dishes.

While my dear husband was finishing up in the kitchen, I played with the kid, puttered around the house, and mostly did... nothing.  And that continued the rest of the evening.

Rationally I know that I should enjoy these rare moments of respite.  However, I can't help but feel bothered by the fact that I was doing nothing.

And those three hours I spent watching tv?  I'd never get that time back. 

photo credit

Time that I could've spent doing laundry, cleaning bathrooms, or organizing.  And it's not like they were even good shows.

As a working mom, I have approximately 60 hours a week to squeeze in a week's worth of life.  Dinners, dirty clothes, play dates, errands....  It's overwhelming.

And while I actually believe that I am much more productive now that I have a (paying) job, I am definitely still not making the most of my time. 

(And what was I doing before that made me even less productive, you ask?  Oh yeah, chasing a toddler for 8 hours a day and collapsing on the couch at 730p...)

So, I'm going to try an exercise that I've seen two of my favorite bloggers, Money Saving Mom and The Frugal Girl, put into practice.  Tell Your Time is an ebook written by Amy Andrews that claims to help you "manage your time so you accomplish your life goals and nothing important falls through the cracks."

My first thought?  "Why do I need to spend money on an ebook when I can just read about time management on MSM?"  Because I'm cheap.  And the quality of my efforts show it.  (That hurt to admit.)

But since I'm a big fan of Amy Andrews' blog Blogging With Amy, I thought, WTH, what do I have to lose...?

To be continued...

Flip Book: Peek-a-Boo

1 million 51 thousand 200 minutes

Two years ago, at 4 in the morning, my water broke.  6 1/2 weeks early.  Barely 4 hours later, at 7:49am, little Allison Grace was born a tiny 4lbs 2oz.

But she was tough.  Everyday she spent in the NICU she grew stronger.  And 12 days later, we brought her home.

And we couldn't imagine our lives without her.

Conversations of Futility

Me:  Do you have any cash left?

Matt:  A little, why?

Me:  I was just asking to see if that's enough of an allowance.

Matt:  Back up off my money.

Me:  I wasn't going to take your money...  I just wanted to see if it was enough, not enough, too much...

Matt:  No, it wasn't enough.  Gimme more.

Me:  You just said you still have some left.  Don't lie to your wife.  You're going to hell for that.

Matt:  But I paid cash for the milk, cheese, and tortillas I bought yesterday.

Me:  Why?

Matt:  Because I debited a carton of cigarettes.  I was trying to balance it out.

Me:  I told you that's what the cash was for.  It's coming out of next week's allowance.

Matt:  I'll go to the ATM and get more.

Me:  I'll take your debit card.  You'll never find it.

Matt:  I'll go to the bank and get a new one.

Me:  Not if I tell them not to.

The End.

Flip Book: Swinging

Black Friday Madness

Watch out.  I'm about to get on my soapbox.  And it ain't gonna be pretty.

Now, I've never been a big Black Friday shopper.  Years of working in retail has ruined it for me.  But every year, the stores get a little crazier.  I remember the first year that stores opened at 6am.  I remember it being a big deal.   Because in my personal experience, no one hit the mall until at least 8am.  Everyone was in a tryptophan hangover.  Who wanted to get up that early to go shopping??

And then there was the year that Walmart opened at 5am.  WHAT??  That's ridiculous!!  But apparently there were some people out there that thought it was pretty cool, so they kept doing it.  And every year it gets earlier and earlier.  And it's not just your major retailers anymore.  Places like Michael's and GNC are opening at the crack of dawn.

My thought was, "Whatever.  Let the crazy people get up at the un-godly hour of 3am to save $50 on a tv.  What do I care?"

But this year has officially crossed the line.  Stores are opening on Thanksgiving this year.  What do you absolutely need to buy so badly that you are willing to interrupt a holiday for?  Furry boots??  No thanks, Old Navy.

I guess I don't understand why people aren't more upset.  Thanksgiving is a day for family, not deal hunting.  Consumerism has completely taken over most other holidays, so I guess it was only a matter of time...

There is one place that is taking a stand this year.  Paramus, New Jersey has laid down the law and will not allow stores to be open ridiculously extended hours in their municipality.  Curfew is 10p and early risers won't find anything open until the respectable hour of 7a. 

I applaud their initiative and wish more cities would take a stand.  My heart goes out to all the poor souls that will have to work this holiday instead of enjoying time with their loved ones.  Not so long ago, retailers were closed on Sunday.  Every Sunday.  It was a day of rest.  A day for family.  Now we can't even get that on Thanksgiving.

What are your plans for the holiday weekend?  Will you be hitting the stores?  What deals are you ready to throw down for?