As a stay-at-home mom, I stay incredibly busy during the day. Between chasing around my daughter and keeping her entertained, running errands, making sure the house is clean, preparing meals, and all other responsibilities, it’s hard to imagine there’s a minute to spare. I now balance my stay-at-home responsibilities with working from home as a freelancer writer, editor, and blogger. My days are pretty jam-packed, but before I worked from home, I often did have lots of time to spare…and a craving to have a little “me time” now and then. So what can a stay-at-home mom do with her free time that isn’t related to taking care of her children or the house? Here are five ways I spend my free time that aren’t related to responsibilities:
Read a book. We tend to make bi-weekly trips to the library, so I always have books lying around that I really want to read. I almost always read before bed, but when I have free time during the day, I like to do it then as well. I find new books and check out reviews on Goodreads. It’s also perfect for making lists of books you want to read and keeping track of books you’ve read. Another idea? Listening to audiobooks while cleaning, making meals, etc. Still counts as reading!
Take up gardening. I love seeing flowers come to life in my front yard and picking fresh vegetables from the backyard. During Isla’s naptimes, I often spend time outside weeding and taking care of our flowerbeds and raised vegetable garden. It’s a nice way to take advantage of beautiful weather, and it doesn’t feel like work.
Go for a walk. This is something you’d have to do when your child is awake, of course, but my daughter and I spend a lot of our free time going for long, three-to-four mile walks outside. We often go with friends and it serves as the perfect catch-up time. Plus, who wants to be indoors when it’s so nice outside?
Decorate your home. I really love decorating our home, and I spend a lot of time rearranging furniture, hanging pictures, or just perusing décor companies I love online. Short on cash? Have a décor swap with your other design-loving friends who have a similar style as you.
Shop online…and save money while doing it! Like most women, I love spending my time staring at beautiful clothes online. Unfortunately, we don’t often have extra money hanging out that I can blow at my favorite stores. The next best option? ThredUp (use this link for $10 off your first purchase!). This site is AMAZING. It’s basically an online consignment store but with brand-name items for women and kids, sizes 12 months and up. Another awesome thing about it? You can send in your old items and get cash back. Here is an example of how amazing it is: The other day I purchased six tops in brands like Gap, kate spade, Madewell, J. Crew, and New York and Company. Between coupon codes and credits from sending in my items, I only spend $24.54 total. Incredible, right?
What do you do for YOU while your kids nap? Let us know in the comments!