How Basketball Is the Secret to a Happy Marriage
February 12, 2010 by Troy Pattee · 3 Comments
My close friend, Mike, married the woman of his dreams at a very young age. In fact, he was the first one married from our high school class. At the time, I thought he was an idiot for getting hitched so young, but now, 25 years later, he’s still happily married. The secret to his marital success dumbfounded me when I discovered it, because it was such a simple concept. Let me explain.
For the first few years after high school, our group of friends met weekly to play basketball, shoot the bull, and re-live the salad days of our youth. We would run, play, and talk well into the night. Our married friend Mike was there every week. And while I was glad he was there, I always wondered why Mike would choose to spend one night a week with a bunch of sweaty single guys if he was so in love with his beautiful wife.
Isn’t if funny how our perspectives change over the years? I’ve finally grown up and, as it turns out, Mike understood long before I did the importance of Me Time. Being the know-it-all teenager I thought I was at the time, I was completely overlooking the other six days and 20 hours of the week that Mike spent being a husband, employee, and later on, a father. Not only was the time he spent with us well deserved, it was actually healthy for his marriage (gasp!). At the time, it was something my young mind simply could not understand.
Yet even though I say that I now understand the concept of Me Time, it’s a lot harder to actually put it into practice. Can you relate? For some of us it’s a lot easier to “sacrifice” that time for the greater good of the family. The clothes must be washed. The mouths must be fed. The lawn must be mowed. The bacon must be brought home. We think we don’t have time for Me Time. But the truth is, when Me Time happens, everything else we do gets done better.
To this end, I’ve started skiing again this year. Park City Mountain Resort is my new BFF. And it is all because of my wife. She says it’s because I need to have more Me Time, but I’ve realized having me on the slopes a couple of times a week provides Me Time for both sides of our work-from-home marriage. Not only do I get the adrenaline rush from fresh powder and downhill adventures, but I am happier, healthier, and have more to give to my most important relationships.
What do you do for Me Time? And how does making Me Time positively impact your marriage?
Balancing Life 101 Part 3
February 4, 2010 by TiaHejny · 1 Comment
By Camille of www.makeitworkmom.com
Finally, the most important factor in the balancing act of motherhood and career is YOU! No pressure, but so much, and so many people, depend on you. Aside from trying to meet the expectations of your supervisor at work, you have your own expectations and responsibilities in your personal life that are demanding your attention. Bills need to be paid. Clothes need to be washed and folded. Meals need to be prepared. The house needs cleaning. You may have community or church responsibilities. And on top of everything, your children need you. Unless you take care of yourself, you will not perform at your highest level. And, if momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!
- Give health a priority. You need your body to function properly in order to accomplish so much! My back went out last month and I was reduced to lying flat on my back or walking doubled over. It slowed me down and frustrated me to no end because I could not function! You need your sleep. You need some exercise. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you need your fruits and vegetable and all other healthy foods that provide energy and a healthy body. Cupcakes are fine in moderation.
- Lower your standards. We all have good intentions of completing everything on our agenda. However, the reality is that sometimes we just won’t be able to accomplish everything we want to. Life doesn’t follow the same routine every day. There will be disruptions, distractions, and disappointments. Prioritize your agenda according to what absolutely needs to be done, and don’t punish yourself if the list isn’t checked off completely at the end of the day.
- It’s OK to say “no”. You know your abilities and limitations. Don’t be afraid to tell the PTA president you can’t make cookies for the meeting, or the neighbor that you aren’t able to help with a carpool. Stay focused on your own priorities and don’t overload your schedule. I found a great article the other day, sharing the secrets of multi-tasking. During your “me” time, you can check it out for more tips.
- Give yourself “me” time. You need time to unwind, and to focus on yourself and your own development. Maybe it’s spending time scrapbooking or baking. Maybe it’s shopping at an antique store or blogging. Maybe it’s just soaking in the tub. If time is so limited that your only time alone is on your commute, plug in an audio book, or your favorite CD and relish the moment. Get together with your girlfriends for dinner or a pedicure every once in a while, and remember to leave the guilt home!
About the Author: Camille is a thirty-something mommy with two beautiful daughters, Ad and C8, living in two worlds. By day, she works full-time as an employment recruiter/ staffing supervisor, with a 100-mile daily commute, living in a world governed by policies and professionalism. And by night, she transforms into a mother, living in a world where everything is governed by “Eenie-Meenie-Miney-Moe” and fun. Like so many other moms, she wishes she could stay at home with them, but certain situations require her to work full-time. To learn more about Camille visit www.makeitworkmom.com or contact her via twitter @makeitworkmom.
The Grand America Hotel & The Melting Pot Give Moms a Much Needed Time Out
December 10, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 1 Comment
When you think of taking a time out, do you think of a place children go or a space they take when they are in trouble? I know I do. But, isn’t the concept behind time outs more about kids needing a break from others, their surroundings, or even you, their mom?
Having some alone time gives perspective, breaks up the routine, and enables kids the opportunity to reflect before jumping back into a situation. And isn’t the same true for adults? The only difference is no one is there to force us to take these much needed breaks.
Last weekend, I experienced as close to that as it comes, but it wasn’t for being in trouble and it provided 100% of the break that I needed.
The Grand America Hotel and Spa offered me and four of my friends (Carina, Marie, Janet, and Allison) the opportunity to stay at their five-diamond hotel overnight to check out their digs and take advantage of their spa treatments. Then, The Melting Pot, which happened to be located right across the street, offered to treat us to dinner. I’d put myself in time out every day if this is what it would be like! And, the weekend put me just in the right spot to return to life in general better prepared to tackle the upcoming week, be a better mom, and deal with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
The Experience
Three things in particular made this the best time out evah: X
- Friends. Sharing common experiences makes life so much richer. When you do that with quality people—people who are uplifting, inspiring, and amazing individuals—it adds to the experience and makes you strive to be a better person as well. While the hotel and restaurant couldn’t have provided this element, they did provide an environment where friendship could flourish. The Melting Pot didn’t wince when our dinner turned into a 4-hour affair. The servers had personality, accommodated our many and varied requests, and didn’t make us feel like we had extended our welcome. The Grand America offered a generous suite and an extended check-out time so we could stay up all night talking and sleep in (and we did both!).
X 
Food/Drink. The Melting Pot’s Alpine Ridge dinner for two (drooling as I think of the cheese fondue!) and The Grand America Garden Restaurant’s buffet didn’t leave us hungry, but who were we to turn down the welcome basket of treats The Grand America left for us or the sparkling lemonade waiting as we exited our massages? What’s a girl to do, right?
X- Massage. I’ve had a lot of free massages in my life for one reason or another, so I am comparing apples to apples when I write this next statement. The duet massage at The Grand Spa was the BEST.MASSAGE.OF.MY.LIFE. I don’t even know how to put into words what this experience was like. To describe it briefly, two massage therapists work on your body in tandem. Some times, they are doing the exact techniques on opposite sides—one on the right arm, the other on the left, for example. And at other times, they are working together but on different parts of the body—one on the head, the other on the feet. It is a complete trip, a total escape, allowing you to deeply relax. Talk about stress reducing. Suffice it to say that the duet massage was worth every ounce of time spent this weekend and I’m plotting ways to cover the $210 for future appointments (yes! that was plural!).
How You Can Take an Amazing Time Out at a Discount
And right now for the Holidays, The Melting Pot in Salt Lake City, UT is offering an amazing dining deal. Guests who purchase $100 in Gift Cards get a Holiday Gift of four $25 cards that may be used quarterly throughout 2010. But you must come in to the restaurant for purchase, call 521-MELT or email tj@utahmeltingpot.com. (They have extended Holiday hours!)
And if that’s not enough to tempt you, check this out! Use this discount code for your next stay at The Grand America. Follow this link for and exclusive room rate of $100 off! Or mention “Social Media” at the Grand Spa and get 20% off your spa treatment. Hopefully this will help you enjoy a fabulous spa getaway without breaking the bank. Here’s to a much needed time out for all of you and a relaxing holiday season!
RSVP to Chat About Your Favorite Indulgences Tonight at #gno! Chocolate Anyone?
October 22, 2009 by Anna Gonzales · 63 Comments
Halloween is right around the corner! What treat are looking forward to? What is your favorite kind of chocolate?
Come join us as we pamper ourselves through a chat about chocolate and indulgence at tonight’s girls’ night out (#gno) party on Twitter. We’ll be tweeting with terrific folks from the Zone Perfect team about their new product—Indulgence.
Tonight’s giveaway is a $250 Spafinder gift card! The 200th person to tweet the following wins:
200th person 2 follow @zoneperfect gets $250 Spafinder gc. Winner announced 2nite on #gno 9-11 ET RSVP http://bit.ly/1R1qHM PLS RT
- What: Zone Perfect is sponsoring this week’s #gno Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
- When: Thursday, October 22, 9-11 p.m. EST
- Where: Click here to party with us on our custom Tweetgrid. (Use hashtags #gno and #zoneperfect.)
- Topic: Your Personal Indulgence!
- Who: @craftymamaof4 @juliefisk @mommybrain @organizersandy @plussizemommy @savingmycents @stonerjj @zoneperfect
- Party Favors: Tonight’s giveaway is a $250 Spafinder gift card! The 200th person to tweet the following wins: 200th person 2 follow @zoneperfect gets $250 Spafinder gc. Winner announced 2nite on #gno 9-11 ET RSVP http://bit.ly/1R1qHM PLS RT
- RSVP: Please leave your Twitter ID in the comments to follow and be followed (on Twitter, of course!) by other #gno gals. The best format is as follows: http://twitter.com/jylmomIF.
Gal to Gal Foundation: Design & Donate
July 10, 2009 by Emily Hill · 1 Comment
I honestly believe the companies that give back to the community, whether through monetary donations, product, or time, are the ones that are most successful–and I’m not just talking about the bottom line. I find it much easier to spend money when I know some of that money is supporting a worthy cause. Take that worthy cause, add a really fun site, and throw in a fab line of personalized products and you now have the recipe for a perfectly “sweet” company Design-her Gals.
Design-her Gals is a site where you can create a “gal” who looks just like you (or in some cases just like you’d like to look!). Choose her eye and hair color, hair style, outfit, and accessories (wish I owned those shoes in real life!). You can then put your gal on a variety of products including business cards, notepads, to-do lists, luggage tags, and water bottles. But as fun as the designing is, the donating is even better because a percentage of all sales goes to the Gal to Gal Foundation.
The Gal to Gal Foundation was started by Jeanne Fitzmaurice, Design-her Gals’ Go-to Gal (i.e. owner). The foundation’s purpose is to help grant wishes and provide other important benefits for Stage IV breast cancer patients. The inspiration for G2G came when Jeanne learned through a friend’s experience with Stage IV breast cancer just how scarce funds are for those in this critical stage, a stage when health insurance benefits may be reduced or canceled and hospice care hard to find. “We want all Stage 4 patients to make the journey to their next destination with as much style and grace as they’ve shown traveling through this one.”
In October of last year Design-her Gals and FranklinCovey launched a collection of new products dedicated to help raise funds for the Gal to Gal Foundation. You can now carry your super cool Design-her Gals memo paper, calling cards, and perpetual calendar in a one-of-a-kind, super chic tote! Who knew you were choosing to make a difference to women with breast cancer while choosing which avatar to put on your coffee mug? Design-her Gals gives you a way to creatively express yourself and in turn you’ll be giving to the Gal to Gal Foundation. Design and donate, baby. Design and donate.
Making “You” Your Number One Priority!
July 8, 2009 by Emily Hill · 1 Comment
If I asked how many of you believe taking time for yourself is important, I’m pretty sure every woman reading this post would raise her hand. But if I asked how many of you actually find the time—and then take it—I’m sure many of your hands would remain sadly, dejectedly in your lap.
Why is it so many women know they desperately need “me time” yet so few actually make the time for it? For one, many of us have way too much going on in our busy lives. From children to businesses to laundry to volunteer work, who has time to shower and sleep let alone read a book or spend an hour at the salon? And that’s where I think the problem lies. Are you too busy adding things to your to-do list that you overlook the one person your family, co-workers, friends rely on to make sure those to-dos get done—YOU?
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying it isn’t important to forget yourself and serve others, but you can’t serve others very well if you have nothing left to give because you’re tired, stressed, and on the verge of going postal if one more person asks you to do one more thing. Remember the old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?” It totally applies to the subject of taking time for yourself. A 15-minute walk, a 30-minute Starbuck’s run with a girlfriend, or a 60-minute massage will prevent you from going insane in a world that is constantly demanding more of your time, energy, and talents.
I find—and my husband is now a firm believer—that I am a much better wife, mother, and friend when I can sweat out my stress at the gym for an hour or participate in some “retail therapy” with a couple girlfriends. I return rejuvenated and recharged and HAPPY. That last part is the most important because when I’m happy, EVERYONE is happy. Trite but oh, so true!
Whether you have to schedule a pedi on the family calendar with permanent marker or find it easier to leave the house last minute for a walk around the neighborhood with your BFF, make sure that to-do list has “me time” on it, preferably near the top. Hot stone massage at the local spa? $65. Avoiding a straightjacket and padded room? Priceless.
Image by Dennis Wong, shared via Flickr.
Take Care of Your Most Important Asset This Week—Yourself!
July 5, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 32 Comments
10 Ways to Make a Difference This Week By Giving to Others
Sometimes, one of the most important ways to Mom It Forward is to put ourselves as a priority and take time for our most important asset—Ourselves! Week 6’s Summer of Service challenge, sponsored by Design-her Gals, is to Make Some “Me” Time. This means identifying what re-energizes, revitalizes, and renews you; putting yourself as a priority; and taking time for yourself!
This list below identifies 10 possible ways to give back to yourself. Remember, this is “Me” time—things you would enjoy and can do alone or with friends that build, not drain, your energy. For more ideas, join #gno this Tuesday night. And, please share a comment with other ideas you have or things that have worked for you.
- Read a good book.
- Take a bubble bath.
- Get a spa treatment, even if that means giving yourself a pedicure!
- Write in your journal or on your blog… just for fun.
- Play a musical instrument.
- Take on a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) project like scrapbooking, jewelry making, quilting, knitting, sewing, or another craft.
- Exercise.
- Take a really long shower and sing at the top of your lungs!
- Go to the park by yourself, lay in the grass, and just be.
- Schedule a girl’s night out where you can relax and be with friends or family, but where you are not the hostess.
How Will You Give to Others This Week?
- What other ideas do you have for “Me” time?
- How has taking time for yourself made a meaningful difference this week?
- What happens when you don’t make “me” time?
How Else Can You Make a Difference This Summer?
Make a meaningful difference this summer by taking the Summer of Service (SOS) Challenge. Here’s how you can participate:
- Commit to do one act of kindness/service based on the week’s challenge.
- Leave a comment with ideas relating to the week’s challenge as well as your experience(s) performing it.
- Grab the SOS button in the sidebar and put it on your blog or social networking site.
- Enter to win each week’s giveaway. Check out this week’s prizes from Design-her Gals by clicking here.
- Join #gno this Tuesday on Twitter to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge.
RSVP—#GNO Talks About Ways to Balance Your Life by Making Some “Me” Time!
July 5, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 14 Comments
Most of us have some assets. If you’re like me, sometimes you forget that your most important asset stares you right back in the mirror every day, because your most important asset is You! And, if you’re like me, making time for yourself often gets put on the back burner. But, when we make a little “me” time, we’re better able to balance all of our roles not to mention being in a much better position to Mom It Forward.
Join #GNO here this Tuesday where Jeanne from the fabulous Design-her Gals, along with many other amazing women, will be sharing their tips and tricks for taking “me” time along with what gets in the way. We’d love to hear what has worked for you as well. So, come share and be part of the #gno crowd! Hopefully, we’ll all walk away from this virtual party a little more inspired and encouraged to take care of our most important asset—Ourselves!
- What: Girl’s Night Out (What’s GNO? Click here to find out!)
- When: Tuesday, July 7, 9-11 p.m. EDT
- Where: Click here to check out where we party! (Use hashtags #gno and #designhergals.)
- Topic: “Me” time: Ways to take time for your most important asset—you!
- Who: @designhergal, @emihill, @girlfriendology, @missusp, @momfluential @rolemommy
- Party Favors: Remember to check out this week’s giveaway sponsored by Design-her Gals.
- RSVP: Enter your twitter URL/ID in the list below (e.g., http://twitter.com/jylmomIF).
