Being okay with doing nothing- MIMM

Usually Mondays are not my favorite day of the week.  Maybe it’s the chill in the air, or the fact that it isn’t supposed to get out of the 70’s today that has me looking on the bright side.  I’ll enjoy it while it lasts because the temperature is just going to keep going up as the week goes on.  For the first time, I’m going to be linking up with Katie  and tell you all why I’m feeling Marvelous in My Monday.

 

Our life has been very busy for a very long time.  We like to get out and do as much as we can and feel as if not a day is wasted.  Especially over the last 5 months, we have wanted to make the most of any ‘free’ time we had get out and do things.  When Colin’s training schedule allowed for a free weekend we tried to make sure we had something, anything to do during that time.  This last weekend was the first weekend in a very long time that we did a whole lot of nothing and that was just fine with me.  Our original plans going in to the weekend were to just enjoy each other and the fact that we were home with nothing to do.  In typical busy life fashion, late Friday afternoon we decided we didn’t feel like staying in.  We made several phone calls to see what people were doing and what was going on that night.  A lot of people were heading downtown to a Battle of the Bands so we thought, sure why not.  We went and met some friends for dinner at the new Mellow Mushroom and ended up just hanging out and having a really great dinner.  No Battle of the Bands, no doing just to do, but instead sitting down and catching up with some friends.

I had BIIIG plans for us on Saturday.  I was going to wake up and run, then we’d quickly get ready and head over to a festival that was happening in town, we’d come home to watch the South Africa rugby game (which they beat New Zealand for the first time in forever!!!) then after nap time we were going to head in town and get all kinds of shopping done.  Some of it happened, some didn’t.  What did happen was that we decided not to be busy, just to be busy.  I ran, we relaxed, watched rugby, Brice napped, we did a little shopping, and then ate a delicious dinner at home.

I’ve gotten pretty bad at staying busy just to stay busy.  Maybe it’s the mom in me but I often feel guilty for just sitting around and doing nothing (and by nothing I mean reading, watching tv, playing online) when I know there is something I could be cleaning or organizing, food that could be getting prepped, etc.  During Brice’s nap on Saturday I was going to try to make some rice crackers and as I started to get up Colin said “why don’t you just sit here with me for a little bit.”   This weekend there were several times where I just did nothing and it felt amazing.  I’ve read several articles about how Pinterest makes you feel like a bad mom/wife/friend because you see these amazing projects people do and it makes you feel lesser for going and buying the finished product.  There have been times where I read someone’s blog and I’m like how do they do it??  They are always doing, taking their kids to fun places, prepping all their meals for the week, basically seeming like a supermom and making me feel like I need/should be making the most out of every second of the day.  Just last week I told Colin that I feel like I should be able to get so much more done with my time than I do.  Do I keep my child fed, clothed, and happy? Yes.  Do I go to work every day and get every thing done there that I am supposed to? Yes. Do we have clean dishes to eat from, clean clothes to wear, and a clean house?  Most days yes, sometimes the plates are paper and sometimes there are toys all over the place but it works.  Do I have a great relationship with my husband? Very much so.  So what more do I need to do?  This weekend I realized that I really don’t need to stay busy just for the sake of being busy, and it’s okay to just kick back and do nothing.

Colin had a fishing trip planned for Sunday afternoon so I knew that during Brice’s nap the house would be quiet and empty and I would be able to get SOOO much done.  I had grand plans of baking and writing the Ironman race recap.  Want to know what I did instead?  I made myself a cup of coffee, bought a new book, and went and sat in the rocking chair on my front porch and enjoyed myself.  I honestly cannot tell you the last time I did that.  The weather was perfect, the neighborhood was quiet, and it was just what I needed.  It allowed me to feel recharged and ready to tackle this new week ahead of me.  No one, other than myself, expects me to do the ever-growing list that is in my head.  No one else is putting that kind of pressure on me, so I shouldn’t put it on myself.

Are you guilty of over doing it? If not, how do you fit everything in??

What is your favorite way to kick back and relax?