Stress Relief

Man, alive.  I've been stressed.  It seems to be coming from all angles.  Josh is extremely stressed and busy at work, which in turn tends to stress me out because I love him and want to make it all better.  My husband is an honest, upstanding man and I tend to forget not everyone is like that.  Most people only look out for themselves, and don't care if they throw people under the bus in order to advance.  Not my Joshie boy, and oh, how I love him!!

Anyway, so work is stressful.  The kids are stressful.  I know a huge part of their behavior issues stem from not seeing their dad.  He is gone more than he is home, which isn't uncommon for lots of families, I know.  It's not the 50's where the husbands came home at 6:00 for dinner every night and were home on weekends.  Times have changed.  But the kids are used to at least seeing him at dinner or before bed, and now that is only happening 2-3 times a week instead of 5-6.  So they are struggling.  And cranky.  And disrespectful.  And their attitudes, Oh My!

And then there's me. I'm a stress cadet, too. And when mama is stressed, the kiddies tend to feed off that and it's just a vicious circle of un-fun.  So I've decided to try to counteract that by finding some stress relief.  Now, if I had unlimited amounts of time and money I could do some retail therapy, but alas, that is not the case.  So I have to be creative.

I am going to list some simple things that give or bring me pleasure, little things I can do to make my home a brighter, happier place.  Little things that are bright spots of happiness in my day.  So here we go, as I hear my boys screaming at each other in the backyard: "You're a poopy diaper poopy head!"  Ah, real life.  :-P

1) Coffee.  This one is easy for me.  I have a programmable coffee maker so I can wake up to freshly brewed coffee.  It's so amazing how the simple smell of waking up to coffee can help my mornings get started on a better note.  I am loving Vanilla Nut creamer lately.

Of course, then I saw this image and I was all, "OOOOOHHH, yes.  Now THAT would be nice."

Coffee by the fire, with my love? Bring it on. =)

2) Pledge.  Now, this may seem odd, but in light of the recent dust mishap we've had in our house, being able to spray Pledge and have the house lest dusty and more lemony is definitely a bonus.

3) Max & Ruby.  They have kept my kids entertained and from bodily harming each other on several occasions in the last few weeks.  And I don't know what it is, but I am enamored with Ruby's voice.  And that Max is SUCH a character. ;-)

4) Nancy Thayer.  I have read several of her books these past few weeks and I just love her.  She is quite talented and I thoroughly enjoy her writing.  I just finished Belonging.  Love it.

5) Macy Grace.  Now, she is my niece and I won't put a real picture of her on here (unless Jen provides me with one, and wants one up) ;-) but she is SUCH a sweetie pie.  Of course, I'm just the aunt who gets to snuggle her and smell her head and cuddle with her and I don't have to deal with the poop and the crying and all that.  But babies in general; aren't they just grand?

6) Bubble Baths.  I love bubble baths.  Hot water, yummy scented bubbles, good book, sometimes a glass of wine.  They relax me so much and are cheap! Sometimes I'll light candles, but I've had more than one experience with catching my hair on fire while in the tub, so until we can afford a huge tub area like this, I refrain.

7) Vanilla Candles.  As you may or may not know, I love candles. I burn them often.  Year round.  They just make things cozy and they smell good.  My favorite vanilla candle is actually from Wal-Mart. You can get two big jar candles and 3 small ones for $10.  They aren't too overpowering; just warm and delicious and homey.

8) Sunshine.  My spirits do lift when the sun chooses to peek through the clouds, or to shine down full force.  This isn't one I can control, but I can wholeheartedly and consciously appreciate it when it does beam down on us!

9) Scones.  I've been making them quite often lately, and they don't disappoint.  They are slightly sweet and just perfect with a cup of coffee.  They are easy and quick, too.  BONUS!

 

10) A tidy, clean home.  It makes it so much more stressful when the laundry is piled everywhere, the dishes are piled in the sink, toys are strewn everywhere. I know it's not possible to keep my house spotless every single day, but it's so refreshing when everything works just right to make it possible! Even if it's only for a few hours.  ::This is not my real house:: ;-)

 

11) A good night's sleep.  My, oh my, how this changes things for me!  Getting good sleep is paramount and a huge factor in how I feel and cope the next day.

12) Fresh air.  Sometimes I don't even realize that I've been cooped up in the house all day, and that's part of the problem.  Opening the windows so the breeze can blow through, or taking a walk can help tremendously.

13) Date Nights.  Josh and I don't go out often, and we don't need big, fancy dates.  We like to do puzzles, play games or watch episodes on Netflix.  Just being together and reconnecting helps so much.  I hope this is us, years from now! =)

14) Hot Showers.  They are a luxury around here. Well, uninterrupted hot showers are.  Just being able to stand in the water and soak up the warmth and feel all the tension drain away. Ahhhhh. (EEEEK. Scary pictures come up when you google "hot shower".  Don't do it.)

15) Chocolate.  Sometimes, you just need some.

What do you find relieves your stress?