Taking Care

Here I am relaxing on my sister's terrace in Barcelona. I did a good job of relaxing while I was there.

I'm exhausted. And I'm tired of being exhausted. I know I'm not unique. A lot of us - moms in particular - struggle to find balance in our everyday lives. I've reached a point where I wanted to spend a few minutes to create some goals for myself to help alleviate this problem. I know it's always important for me to take care of myself, and it's particularly important now, being pregnant.

All these goals are focused on now through the end of June, when my schedule will go away for a while. Thank goodness for summer babies!

1. Breakfast. I typically eat breakfast with my son in the morning, and in order to get out of the house in a reasonable timeframe, I stick to easy options: oatmeal, waffles, cereal. I do often add fruit, but I'm thinking I need to increase my non-carb consumption in the morning. I may not be able to change my first breakfast, but I can update my second breakfast, which occurs after I arrive at work. My current latte and bagel/croissant is not the right answer. Yogurt and fruit should be easy enough.

2. Exercise. I am currently not getting much, and I really struggle with the best way to fit it into my schedule. I get much more in the warmer months when I can take walks and there's more daylight to work with. My goal: 3 yoga/exercise videos per week. On nights when I've planned leftovers, I'm hoping I can squeeze one in after work. (That's of course dependent on the little boy's mood. I get up at 5:30AM as it is, so early morning doesn't seem feasible.) On weekends, I'll take advantage of naptime.

3. Bedtime. 5:30 comes fast. I need to be in bed by 9:30. Period. I'm going to focus on making that happen more often, allowing some time to read as well. That means watching less TV, and that's okay too.

4. Music. I know I need to inject some fun into my everyday life as well. Not much improves my mood like a really good song. I am on a mission to fill my car CD player with new music. Any suggestions?

5. Books. It's such a great thing when you find a book that you can immerse yourself in. I've read a lot of great books this year, but I have now run out and have nothing on my nightstand at the moment. Again, any suggestions? I'm actually thinking of going back and re-reading (or in some cases, reading for the first time) some classics. I read Wuthering Heights in the 7th grade but can't remember it at all. I remember adoring Gone with the Wind in the 8th grade. I bet I would still adore it now. What are your favorites?