I had this crazy idea just now to document my summer. Essentially using this like the journal it was meant to be, except I won't tell mom if you read it. So hold on to your shorts and get ready to follow me and my family on our daily adventures and hopefully you'll find some useful information on things to do and where to go when you find yourself with a little extra time.
Today is Sunday. In our house that means I get myself and our girls ready for church. No, I am not religious. Yes, I understand the irony. There is obviously a bit more to it than that but I'll save that for another post. The fact of the matter is that the particular church I attend I also once worked for. So when I left my position I found my children asking me every Sunday why they no longer got to attend their Sunday school. I eventually decided that my personal religious beliefs, or lack thereof, didn't seem like a good enough reason to deprive my children of the routine they had become accustomed to for over a year and a half. On my first day at the church I stayed with my girls in Sunday school visiting with old co-workers. I quickly decided that unless I was on payroll I was really just a distraction to the lovely ladies working. This is how you'll now find me in a pew every Sunday singing songs, taking communuion, and even making my donations. My girls are quite content playing with their friends and they enjoy the activities and play time that they get during my time in mass. So if you are someone who is of any kind of faith and you have a church that you have thought about attending go ahead and look into it. And be sure to check out their services for children. It has been in my experience that nowadays almost every church has someplace for the little ones to go. It gives them a place to continue working on their socialization skills and gives both you and your child a break to focus on your own development as a person.
After church we headed home and got ourselves ready to visit my parents. My family and I all live very close together but since I am incredibly fortunate to also have extended family living in my house and helping me with watching the girls my daughters rarely get to see my parents during the week. That means grandma and grandpa are thrilled to see them on Sundays from around lunchtime to bedtime. If you have family nearby, and you like them, see if they can babysit now and again. Maybe just a few hours a week. Or one day a month, whatever works. Again, give you and your little one that time to recharge. You'll all be better off for it.
While my girls were at my parents swimming and causing a general rucus I was out with my husband and father-in-law watching Snow White and the Huntsman for only $5 a person. Not a bad deal if you ask me. It was a good movie and you can rarely beat the price. And don't think that this was a special summer deal. Our theatre offers discount movies twice a week for the whole day. Save yourself a little money and if you really want to go out for a movie find out what the deals are at your local theatre. Whether it's a matinee, a summer deal, or an AARP discount, every place has something to offer. And don't feel like you have to trek to the dollar theatre if it's 3 cities over. It's not really worth the gas, money and time. Of course if you happen to be very fond of said theatre then drive away. I personally want to save in every way I can meaning time, money, and gas.
Oh, I almost forgot our lunch date as well. Holidays and birthdays are a great time to remind people of places you like to shop or eat at. My husband received a gift card for the Olive Garden and we all ate there. Lunch was great and we got it at a discount, in a way, thanks to the generosity of the gift giver.
After the movie our night out was just about wrapped up so we headed over to Trader Joe's and did a little shopping for a fun evening at home. I also decided to surprise my husband by running off and buying flowers and a card when he wasn't looking. Yes ladies, your husband will appreciate flowers even if you don't think so. Who says the woman can't be the romantic? Besides the flowers, wine, meats and cheeses were purchased for the intent of waiting till the kids went to sleep then bringing them all out for snacks, drinks, and good music. Since our television is out of comission this seems like a wonderful alternative.
So my message for today is this: find a weekly habit that allows you to be more introspective i.e. church, yoga, etc. Let your kids be without you and vice versa for a few hours because we all need a break from one another. Make sure you've done a little research on the places you frequent and see if there's a way to save money there. And lastly, turn off the tv. It's amazing how capable we are at real conversation (says the woman blogging).
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