I am a working mamma who, like most mammas multitasks endlessly – sometimes to the point of collapse. I usually wake up between 4-5 am to prep meals and take care of a few household chores before starting the workday. Exhausting, but necessary to ensure that the puzzle pieces of the day all fit into place.
Most days are like clockwork – alarm goes off, hubs unloads the dishwasher, I mosey on in the kitchen to make the lunch and get dinner ready. The kids are in a million after school activities, so prepping dinner after work is nearly impossible. This means that I am chopping veggies, cooking meat, or tempering spices for a lentil dish well before 6am most mornings.
Most mornings, I successfully maneuver through this insane schedule. Most mornings the meals cooked are edible and even tasty. Most mornings the kitchen is cleaned from backsplash to floor. And most mornings I start my workday with most of the evening chores completed.
Today, however, was a rough one. First, I cut my finger while chopping veggies. Then I accidentally poured too much oil when cooking the veggies. Next, I managed to burn the ginger and garlic base as I was fixing a school lunch. A part of me wanted to wave the white flag on the day. Another part of me wanted to re-do everything to ensure perfection. I mean who wants greasy veggies and near burnt ginger and garlic in their fried rice?!?
However, neither quitting nor re-doing were options. The kids still have their evening activities, and I still needed to feed them. As for re-doing everything, well the reality was that there was no additional time to spare for re-dos in the morning. I just had to figure it out and make do with what I had. So, I hesitantly moved forward and decided to do so with deep breaths and a promise to treat myself to at least five minutes of TLC.
So, here I am at 7am, meals are prepped, kitchen is cleaned, laundry is hung, and I am ready to start my workday. However, rather than just logging on and getting right to work I take a moment to light my favorite Wild Herb Tonic candle from P.F. Candle Co. and turn on some of my favorite tunes from Getz/ Gilberto. I take five minutes to just breathe and embrace the relaxing scents and sounds of my surroundings. And then I start my workday.
As a working mamma any setback in the day’s routine and chores can feel like an avalanche. It can feel overwhelming and exhausting. And as hard as it is, it is so important to take a moment for ourselves. I strive to care for myself for more than five minutes here and there. For now, however, I will relish those five minutes as a start in the right direction. So what are you five minutes of TLC going to include today?
White bowl of chicken fried rice topped with bok choy.
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Life Happens
Designed by a working parent for a working parent. The reality is that stuff happens, balls get dropped and things just splatter. This design is a friendly reminder that life happens!