Momniscient Musings Blog

Where’s The Time For Me?

So many of my friends who are Moms seem to be lamenting over this particular question. Time seems to evaporate during the day. Between work; seemingly endless loads of laundry; trips to the dry cleaners; grocery shopping; car pool runs; cooking dinner and assisting with homework there seems to be no time left for good ‘ol Mom. Time is a commodity more valuable than gold. So, how do we get some for ourselves?

Nike had it right when they said, “Just Do It.” Just as you would schedule any other errand or responsibility, you have to schedule time for yourself. Setting aside time for you is not selfish; it is self-preservation. It is essential to your well- being and, in turn, fosters the positive growth of your family. When you are recharged and reenergized, you are better equipped to be a nurturing Mom and spouse. You’ve heard of trickle down economics? Well, this is trickle down family dynamics.

So, drop the guilt and allow yourself a minimum of twenty minutes a day to do something for you and only you. I know what you are thinking, “Twenty minutes? I can’t seem to have five minutes to go to the bathroom without children or pets pawing at the door!” The funny thing is, when you schedule the time, just as you would a doctor’s appointment or a teacher’s conference, it becomes a priority and you shift your other items in order to accommodate the additional “Me-Time.” In your calendar, block off twenty minutes for a  walk, a relaxing bubble bath; reading a mystery novel; making yourself a Momosa (my version of the traditional Mimosa) ; doing yoga…whatever it is that will help you unwind and reconnect with your inner spirit.

“Beginners” should shoot for twenty minutes per day. Then, when you become better at me-time management, you can expand the blocks of time to an hour. For the very adept, these hour blocks can occasionally grow to include Mom’s Night Out with girlfriends or a weekend escape.

Moms, the time has come to make sure you land somewhere near the top of our own “To-Do” list!

Images: Getty Images

Bridging Make Believe With The Real World

Mattel’s new “We Believe In Girls” campaign is brilliant. Leave it to Barbie, our most beloved childhood friend, to be a pioneer for empowering this generation of young girls. It shouldn’t surprise me. Besides our parents, Barbie was one of the first to tell us we could be anything we wanted to be when we grew up. Oh, how I remember Barbie as a doctor and as an airline pilot. She was helping to break down the glass ceiling well before she         was even unwrapped from her cellophane box. 

Now, Mattel delivers an inspiring message about every girl’s potential to change the world at www.WeBelieveInGirls.com. In a time when young girls are faced with so much peer pressur surrounding drugs, drinking and sex, it’s nice to know there are some positive influences to help combat the struggles our young girls have to deal with on a daily basis. This message is essential for our kids to hear. As parents, our daughters need to hear it from us, but it  certainly helps to have other members of our community reinforcing the belief!

Image: We Believe in Girls

Rachel Hamman Enters the Blogosphere!

Rachel Hamman is not your ordinary soccer mom. She has been named one of the   “Most Remarkable Women” on The View and has been featured as an expert on the Today Show, sharing her sage advice with millions of Moms. Rachel has been highlighted in Glamour magazine for her philanthropic advances and was recognized for her ongoing community endeavors as one of the “Eckerd 100 Outstanding National Volunteers.” Her versatile background has made her a go- to Mom expert, where she has been quoted in publications running the gamut from The Wall Street Journal to American Baby Magazine. In the spring of 2007 Rachel founded National Mom’s Night Out, an extremely successful campaign, to encourage Moms to take time off from the kids and celebrate who they are besides being a Mom. Rachel is the author of     Bye-Bye Boardroom: Confessions from a New Breed of Stay-at-Home Moms   and is currently working on her next book Mom's Night Out: Even Inmates Get Time Off for Good Behavior.

Armed with a B.S. degree in communications from Florida State University, she embarked on a career filled with a myriad of experiences. Rachel’s initial position was as a program coordinator for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. It was here that her passion for helping others was cultivated. She then worked as a field marketing manager for consumer goods giant, E. & J. Gallo Winery. Rachel was in charge of recruiting, training, and marketing for five Gallo distributors in the state of Florida. From the world of wine, she moved to the financial services arena, where she was an assistant vice president with Merrill Lynch in the Private Client Group. She managed investment portfolios for corporations and affluent individuals with combined assets totaling more than $250 million and helped her clients successfully reach their financial goals. While achieving a burgeoning bank account, Rachel felt something was missing in her life. Recognizing the profound impact her non-profit experience had provided and lessons it had taught her, she co-founded The Golden Rule Foundation, a children’s charity dedicated to inspiring children to give to others. She spearheaded a movement that provided elementary school children with hands-on community service projects so they could realize the pivotal role they are capable of playing in our society. She spent the next five years at the helm of The Golden Rule Foundation as the executive director.