Becoming a mommy is one of my best accomplishments. My life was definitely rocked when that cute little eight pound six ounce bundle of joy came home with us from the hospital. Our little family of three couldn’t be happier and a majority of my favorite memories include silly things my daughter has said or done. My husband and I are a super parenting team and I’m so proud of our daughter. But I will be the first to admit it’s not all pretty in our home every single day. My four year old daughter is a perfect reflection of me as a child – sassy, stubborn, and super manipulative. She also just happens to be the smartest and cutest little four year old I know. At the end of a long day playing mommy and wife, keeping up your home, running a bazillion errands, and working sometimes you need a breather. I talked to my best mommy friends to find out the best ways to end a challenging mommy day. I learned sugar, caffeine, and NickMom might just be the magical combination to feeling like a refreshed mommy in the morning.
There are many moments each day that make me feel like the best mommy ever. I love so much about my days with my daughter. Our favorite things to do together are baking cookies, having tea parties, and walking to the park. I feel so fortunate for all the great memories we get to create together.
And then there are those things that make you feel not so great about being a mommy. My husband and I have been sharing a bed with our daughter for over four years. We are exhausted every single day. I listen to kid music in the car everywhere we go. New tunes sound foreign to me. My favorite ‘not so favorite’ thing about being a mommy is having to hunt down the shopping cart with the racing car steering wheel each time I take my daughter grocery shopping with me. You know the one – it’s huge, doesn’t have a cart big enough for all of your groceries, won’t fit down most aisles, and can’t turn corners. The best part of that experience is when my daughter decides she no longer wants to drive the super awesome car right after I’ve loaded up the back with groceries. Really, I’m not complaining but yes, some days are better than others.
When asking some of my best mommy friends their favorite ways to end a stressful day, I heard many different answers.
- “relaxing in a bubble bath with a drink and my favorite magazine”
- “curled up with a hot chocolate getting caught up with a good book or TV show”
- “grab my iPod and my running shoes to go running”
- “a quiet house, hot tea or coffee, and chocolate with some TV just for me”
- “wine, cake, and TV”
My very favorite response was “put my feet up with a large glass of Moscato and go on Facebook to secretly mock other’s statuses.”
The consensus seemed to be chocolate, wine, and TV. My ideal evening after my daughter is sound asleep in my bed is relaxing on the couch with snacks, chocolate, wine or coffee. If I’m going straight to bed after this little minute of downtime, I’d prefer a glass of wine. But if I have a couple of hours of work to do in my office while everyone else is sleeping, a hot cup of tea or coffee sounds perfect.
I invited one of my mommy friends over to wind down together and share an episode of Instant Mom, NickMom’s new show. The funny show is about about a 25 year old party girl that marries a man with three children. The show follows how she instantly became a mom and is learning to navigate her way through her new role. Popcorn, chocolate, and coffee were great additions to our fun.
Instant Mom stars Tia Mowry-Hardrict. I grew up watching her on TV and have enjoyed see her in this new role.
New episodes of Instant Mom airs on the Nick Jr. channel every Sunday at 10:00 pm EST. Check your local listings to make sure you don’t miss this funny show. Instant Mom is also on every night during NickMom programming. Learn more about Instant Mom by following the show on Twitter.
Connect with NickMom on Facebook and Twitter for laughs about parenting everyday.
What’s your favorite way to end a challenging mommy day?
Hi Heather, thanks for posting this!!! I can totally relate to you. I’m a busy stay at home mama of 3 under 5. Charlotte just turned 5 and I enjoy sharing some the same mommy daughter things you share with your daughter!! Thanks for sharing about the show, I loved Sister Sister back in the day!!! Lol
My favorite end to a challenging mommy day is a throat lozenge for my yelled-out throat (my kids don’t listen to nice,calm mommy – EVER – we’re a loud bunch), an enormous glass of wine, and some humorous TV. Sometimes a good book, but only if I don’t have work to do because I’m an obsessive reader. I cannot do anything until I’ve finished whatever book it is that I’m reading. Books are my addiction, it’s horrifying really. Good thing they can’t kill me. Also, have I ever told you that you are my high school best friend’s twin sister? It’s true. I’ll show you sometime. #client