Tip # 2- Find Your Happy Place

           Remember the movie Finding Nemo, where the terrifying little girl taps on the fish tank and the little starfish tells herself, "Find a happy place! Find a happy place!"?  Oh, how many days do I feel like that poor little starfish stuck in a glass box getting tortured repeatedly by small children!

           Before writing this, I was convinced my one and only happy place was my garden, but that's not entirely true.  The happy place is a state of mind, reached through things like the garden, and writing, and consuming obscene amounts of baked goods.  In the wee hours of the morning, the happy place is snuggling the baby on my chest while I burp her, fuzzy warm head nestled under my chin.  Sometimes it's my kitchen, particularly when I'm joined by my husband and the girls and we're all in a relatively good mood. 

           There's certain times when I've been in such moments and taken a step back in my own head, looking upon the scene and realizing it's one of those I'd thought about way back in my single days.  Just being present in the moment with my family has brought me tremendous joy.  Of course, it also brings me tremendous stress when Mommy is due for some alone time.  That comes with the package of Mommyhood.  But to be present in the moment, it means letting go of preconceived ideas, or worries over how your hair and clothes look, or the never-ending list of chores in your head. 

          It's about not worrying over the mess when you're baking with your kid and the two of you wind up getting flour everywhere.  It's piling on the couch watching Tom and Jerry cartoons while the baby drools on your arm and the older child insists on taking pictures of you with her toy camera.  It's reading stories for the hell of it, not just at bedtime. 

          I understand so well how important it is to have Mommy time, to have something to do that doesn't involve snotty noses and poopy butts.  But I'm finding more and more that the key to the happy place is to relax and enjoy the ride sometimes.  In fact, it's part of why I named this blog.  Just by doing our best to do right by our families, we've already won.  So whether it's snuggle time, movie night, a private bubble bath, or a coffee-fueled shopping trip, find your happy place and visit often.