My Sunshine: The "Me" in Mommy

Once again I am joining these fabulous ladies in their "Build Em Up" blog post series, today's topic is "Remembering You" taking care of yourself and keeping your identity. This topic couldn't have come at a better time....as a busy stay at home mom to 4 boys I have been totally immersed in motherhood for 10 years...I am very good at making sure everyone else is taken care of, not so much myself. Don't get me wrong, I cover the basics for myself, I shower,get dressed and eat everyday day but beyond that I have a hard time saying "yes" to myself and "no" to others and I realize that is not a healthy way to be or set as an example for my boys...so I am making some changes:

I joined a gym yesterday ( I belonged to one before #3 & #4 were born and I loved it) I need/want to get healthy so I can be around for many years for my boys and feel better about myself in general, I am also trying to make a more conscious effort to break free of my "mommyform" (aka mom uniform) of yoga pants/leggings and whatever baggy shirt is clean, hair in a pony, no makeup...to a more polished appearance-I am wearing "real clothes", makeup, doing my hair (and nails) and it makes me feel put together and pretty

mandatory date night once a month(we started doing this about 2 months ago) it's amazing what a few hours and a meal alone can do for our moods/relationship

girl time-also at least once a month I meet a friend/s (usually another mom!) for lunch, coffee, happy hour,shopping or whatever else appeals to us

alone time-I sometimes need just the "quiet" I will grab a Starbucks and just sit, sip and breathe, or browse/window shop Home Goods/Target/the local resale/thrift shops for clearance goodies.