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The importance of self care.

Samantha Draper

Lately I’ve been feeling completely out of sorts. I’ve been feeling sad, exhausted and just plain worn out.

I’m not the only one to notice either. My kids have asked me this past week if I’m okay. They’ve asked why I’m so sleepy as well.

The answer is simple really but, most people don’t take the time to reflect and think about what has made them so run down. One of the major factors is lack of time for yourself i.e., lack of self care.

People tend to get distracted and busy with the usual day to day whether it be work, a houseful of screaming kids, social obligations or really anything that takes you away from yourself on a daily basis.

Not caring for yourself also affects people that care about you and depend on you as my children painfully reminded me.

If you or someone close to you notices that you’re not acting yourself take time to stop and assess the situation.

  • Am I eating well?
  • Have I taken my medications?
  • Am I drinking enough?
  • Am I sleeping enough? Too much?

Be sure to stop and take time for yourself and remember after the above the definition of self care can be anything you need it to be.

  • Take 15 minutes to yourself.
  • Soak in a nice bath.
  • Listen to a podcast that you like.
  • Take time to read a book or watch a movie.

Anything that makes you feel more.. well.. you.

[Be sure if you’re feelings surpass being rundown and you feel depressed or anxious to seek help from a professional. Self care is important but is not a cure-all or substitute for medical care.]

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Kitchen. Is. Closed.

Samantha Draper

I have somehow fallen into some sort of sick summertime trap with my kids. (Aged 7, 6, 4, and 1 just to give some perspective on the situation.)

They get up first thing wanting t.v., wanting books, video games, toys, etc. They get so distracted by all these things that when I call “breakfast is ready!” from the kitchen they will proceed to bum-rush me, eat 2 bites of their eggs and then disappear again, practically ignoring my pleas for them to come finish their food.

Then comes lunchtime and the cycle repeats itself with half eaten sandwiches and barely touched carrot sticks.

Dinner time hits and I will think, they have to be hungry by now! Nope. Mashed potatoes made into mountains, pushed around peas, and half eaten chicken are left cold on the plates.

We finish our days activities, take baths, read and I call for them to all potty and brush teeth. This is where the whining and begging comes in.

Mommy, I’m hungry. Mommy, can I have snacks? Can I finish my dinner? I didnt get to eat yet!

Whose fault is that? Certainly not the woman who spends a good 50% of the day in the kitchen.

Tonight when they started I gave them each a fruit cup and as calmly (because they had already worked my nerves for around 45 minutes) as I could explained starting tomorrow night the kitchen is closed at 7 p.m. No more snacks before bed.

(This rule does not apply to the baby)

I sincerely hope after a few days of the eat now or you’ll regret it later technique meal times will go a lot smoother.

If nothing else I bet they’ll eat in the mornings.

The “about me”.

Samantha Draper

Yes, I know its generic and played out but everyone has to do the typical “about me” post and I’m no different.

This is my first time ever doing anything like this and I’m very excited to share the craziness that is my every day life with all of you.

So, I figured we would start off by me telling you guys a little about me and what I would like to do with this blog. I’m a married mother of four (pictured above) trying to survive the day to day shenanigans of my rambunctious children on a day to day basis. So a lot of this blog will be about the daily things we go through. However it will also be fun recipes, some diy tutorials (as they come up), and my journey to attempt to better myself.

This is actually one of the things I am hoping will be a step in the right direction towards a better me. My whole life I’ve kept journals and wrote short stories and the like but I’ve never been brave enough to really put myself out there for everyone to see.

So here we are! Raw, un-cut, and only edited for some occasional language on my part. I hope you all enjoy everything that’s to come.