Self Care For Moms

Have you seen any self care for moms tips that have rocked your world?

Last night, my son’s preschool hosted a Dad’s Night Out. That meant that the dads took the kids to the school for a couple of hours on a Thursday night to play games and have fun together.

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It was awesome.

But I was left here at home for some free time. Sounds amazing, right?

But if you’re anything like me, knowing what to do during mom “me time” can get tricky. Everything I could think of doing involved getting ahead on my chores, my work at home work, or taking care of my family in some way.

If it was summer, I totally would have been sitting out by the pool with a rum in hand, but since that’s not an option in March, I had to come up with something great to do for me without the summer fun.

I thought of the usual suspects (taking a bath, eating chocolate, reading a book, watching what I want to watch on tv), but the truth is sometimes those are boring or can be more work than they’re worth. Plus, I like to be productive with my time when possible.

How To Be Your Best Self As A Mom

And, I’ve been getting more intentional about crafting a life (and me) I love.

What are those things you would love to do if you had the skills?

I’ve always wanted to know how to sing (well) and play guitar.
I would love to know how to cook like a chef (getting closer!).
I love having a beautiful home (yikes! I need to get to decluttering for that to happen!!).
I love building furniture, even though I’m a beginner.
Having my own blog is so much fun!
Sewing is cool. You can make so much stuff.

But what I’m talking about is a little bit bigger than crafty skills. I’m talking about what kind of life would you love to make. You know. Those (albeit totally fake) tv mom moments when the sun shines down and all the world is happy.

So, I set out to create some of those moments I’ve always wanted to have. Let’s go back to #1 on my list.

When I was a little girl, my dad was a cowboy (like a real one). We would go on camping trips and ride horses up in the mountains all weekend long. And what do you think a cowboy does around a campfire at night? Um, yes. He plays the guitar.

So, I grew up in the guitar around a campfire scene. Or the huge house party “pickin'” where everyone brings over their guitar, banjo, tambourine and comes to jam at someone’s house all night on a Friday night.

I have always wished my kid(s) could grow up around music like that. Unfortunately, I am totally not a natural and could never get past the super-hard chords to make the guitar thing happen.

But, I haven’t given up. I found an adorable chick (on LinkedIn of all places!) jamming with her ukulele. It looks so fun and sounds even more fun. So, that very night my husband and I got a crazy hair and bought a ukulele!

Have Fun As A Mom

Now I’m committed to this little $80 prize and need to make some magic happen so I don’t have buyer’s remorse, right?

What’s a girl do who needs to learn some ukulele? Head to YouTube, of course. That’s where I met my new best friend Cynthia. Okay, so we aren’t best friends as far as she knows, but we spend lots of time together every day on YouTube.

And get this.

I’m totally learning the ukulele.

Learn To Play Ukulele

Why is the ukulele the perfect thing to get yourself back again? I’ll tell you why.

It’s really easy and fun to learn.
There are only 4 strings so it’s easier to learn than guitar. It’s just enough of a challenge to be fun, but not so much that it’s frustrating.
It’s compact and easy to bring along with you.
We keep our uke on the table behind the couch. Or by the bed. Or the dining table. It’s usually within arm’s reach to pick it up and strum for a few minutes while I play with my son or wait on dinner to finish cooking.
It doesn’t take much time.
Just 5-10 minutes a day will get you on your way to learning ukulele. Especially in the beginning while you build up your finger strength and callouses.
Kids love to get in on the fun.
While my 4-year-old isn’t wanting to learn to play yet, he is joining in on the fun by suggesting I try learning to play some songs and singing along with me. I’ve watched Cynthia sing & play Three Little Birds so much, my son won’t tolerate a version by anyone else. Hahaha. I hope to get good enough at strumming and singing at the same time soon so that I can learn some songs to play for my son.

If you want to learn uke along with me, here’s the kit I got. It’s a recommended brand and comes with the basics. I also got one of these so I can play lots more songs without having to learn a ton more chords. It matches the uke we have great!

I’m also going to get one of these soon so I can have a little home base for our uke and it’s few little supplies.

If you’re looking to put the fun back into being a mom (or your old fun self) and needing some self care for moms, the ukulele is a great place to start.

Pin this and save it for some of your mama friends who feel like their losing a piece of them in the hustle of momhood.