Tuesday, July 14, 2015

A busy mummy's me-time indulgences

Reading for the whole day or night, watching so many movies that it's easy to run out, going for long dips in the pool, enjoying drinks with friends. Oh, how I miss the days before mummyhood. 

Yes, that's something I honestly admit to. I'm not afraid of doing so, and I'm not about to lie to myself that I do not miss my single days. Being a mummy meant that I had to give up much of my previous lifestyle. Of course, I can definitely continue to do what I used to do, but honestly, as many mummies can identify with, it's not easy to do so. It's no longer possible to just go out, just like that. There are many things, many responsibilities to consider, the most important of which is to ensure that the kids are looked after. Even if it's just some personal quiet time to read, it's not that easy anymore because the kids are just too energetic and demanding. Even my escapade to the toilet is rather tough; somehow, the kids refuse to give me any peace even when I'm in the shower, despite telling them before hand that mummy needs to clean up.

Despite the busy-ness of being a mummy, as I've shared in two Day In The Life posts here and here, I do try to squeeze in some mummy me-time here and there. It's part of the 15 things I told myself I'd do differently this year. Whenever I can enjoy any precious mummy me-time, these are the activities that I like to do.

- Read. I enjoy being transported into a different world, even if it's just for a few minutes. My favourite author these couple of years is Clive Cussler, and it's easy to get lost in the thrilling adventures of Dirk Pitt, the Fargoes and Juan Carbillo. Other thrilling reads I love include Haruki Murakami, Laura Joh Rowland and Barry Eisler. Recently, I’m hooked on to this very engaging two-part book about a young boy named Vango. 


- Play the piano. Listening to music has a captivating and relaxing effect; playing music can be liberating. Besides music that I personally like, I also make sure that I have enough me-time to practice my exam pieces.

- Writing. I like writing about my day, my feelings, writing peoms and so on. I admit that I don't do enough and I should do more. I'm now embarking on a journey to set aside 15 minutes to write about anything that comes to my mind. I hope that this will help me re-connect with my creative self.

- Writing for the blog. When I have a few hours in the day, I like to go somewhere quiet, have a drink and some food, and write posts or edit photos for the blog. 

- Yoga & swimming. My only way to stay active, other than chasing after the kids. Listening to the lapping of the pool water and slowing down my breathing are quite therapeutic, and calms me down before I face my boisterous kids.

- Rock wall climbing. This is something that I just picked up, so I'm still at the beginner's wall.  I'm not taking any course, but am just going whenever I have the time. Extreme? Yeah, kind of. Let's just say I wanted to do something out of the ordinary after my freak accident, I guess to prove myself that I can do it, despite the injury. I hope to go more often, sometimes by myself, sometimes with the kids.

- Watch Hong Kong drama. In the middle of the night, when the kids and  DaddySay are asleep, it's 'bou ket' (literally, 'cook drama' in Cantonese). My record? Watching till 4am, and then waking up 3 hours later to bring the kids out. I was a zombie!

- Watch a movie, go for a concert. I don't do this enough, and I would like to do more. I sometimes like to watch a movie or go for a concert myself. It's rather therapeutic, and lets me be by myself for a short while to recharge.

Like now, I’m stealing a little me-time after putting AA to sleep, to write and upload this post, and just take a short breather. It’s one of those quiet times that I love and treasure most. 

What do you do during your me-time? 

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This post is part of the Mummy's Me-Time blog train, hosted by Danessa of Prayerfull Mum.

Tomorrow, Cheryl of Privikids will share her me-time indulgences. Taking a bold step in running PriviKids, a multi-brand kids apparel and lifestyle store founded by her husband & herself, Cheryl juggles her role as mummy to 4 year old Aiden and 1.5 year old Ava and all aspects of the business. Thanks to her supportive & super husband as well as support from her parents as caretakers of the kids, she is able to take on her passion in life. Find out more about their family and experiences at PriviKids.

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Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on FacebookInstagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you. 

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