A LITTLE ME TIME...
Life is getting pretty crazy over here, and nothing in the world could prepare me to have 3 kids at my age in NYC. Sometimes when I look at them play or sleep I can't believe they are mine. Three kids!!! How crazy!
Yesterday, I had to give 3 baths to 3 screaming kids, and then make them dinner (while they were still screaming), and that was exactly the moment when you ask yourself: who needs to eat first, and then, where's my husband (lol)? I tried to explain to Ori (my big baby) that Romi (the real baby) was crying and needs to eat, and he can wait a couple more minutes. And then just after she passed out from a milk overdose, Yuli started screaming "Mommy, I'm hungry!” and woke her up... so I'm back to Square 1 again.
Motherhood isn't easy, but don't get me wrong... I love being a mom, and the kids are my life. I actually like myself better now I’ve become a mom. But one thing I've realized is that if I want to be a good mom for my kids, I have to find some time for myself. Simple.
I recently shared some ways that I find “me-time” as a mom of three with my friends over at
Well Rounded, in partnership with Mustela. But when I really thought about it, I realized that finding me-time was harder than I thought, especially since I’ve had my third child -- and it’s almost impossible during the daytime. I'm trying to make time for myself right before the kids come home from school, and after they go to sleep.
When Yuli, my first child, was born, every time he was napping, I was napping too. This time I'm trying to relax and to enjoy those moments as me-time. At night when the house is quiet, after I finish working again, I'll make a cup of coffee to myself. It's the first time during the day that I'll drink it hot! My husband has a pretty flexible schedule and I see him often during the day, but at night we will sit on the sofa and relax, and maybe watch movie together. I count it has me-time too.
Other ways I find me-time? By taking care of my skin. I love doing facials and I put a mask on my face twice a week. And I love taking a long bubbly bath when the kids are sleeping. I’ll sit there for 20 minutes, and I enjoy those quiet moments so much! Since I’ve had Romi, I’ve also become addicted to rubbing on Mustela Maternity Stretch Marks Recovery serum, so it goes on right after the bath, before I climb into bed. Sometimes (if I have time!) I’ll even use it in the morning, because taking those few minutes to take care of myself before I start my day is so important.
One of the strongest childhood memories I have is of me using my mom's skincare products. I've been using lotions since I’ve been around 10 years old, but when I’m pregnant or postpartum, I swap out my lotion for a good stretch mark recovery cream. Mustela's my favorite. It has no strong scent (so it doesn't bother baby Romi when I nurse her) and it’s free from harsh ingredients so I know it’s safe for nursing too. This serum is packed with Avocado peptides, which nourish the skin and help to reinforce elasticity -- which makes it one of my must-haves in my journey of getting my new mom skin back to normal.
We shouldn't give up on the things we did before we got pregnant. Those small things like exercise, having lunch with your besties or a date with your husband, those things we used to do so often, without even thinking, and now we "can't" find time for them.
Well, I think we should all put it on our top priority list and try to do it more often, as I said a happy mama = happy kid, right? Go check out more of the ways I make me time (even with 3 kids!) on Well Rounded, and leave a comment with your best tips for taking care of yourself even when you have kids!
Neshikot= Xx
