Tonight, we had our monthly MOPs meeting. We meet on the first Thursday of every month at a local church. I've missed the past two meetings because of being out of town during one and being sick during the other. I was looking forward to going to this one all month, and then during the day, I start dreading having that committment. I started thinking of having to get the boys to bed a little earlier so I could leave on time, I thought about not getting my "down" time in the evening after the boys went to bed, I thought about not getting to spend time with Greg after the boys went to sleep, etc. I started thinking of a million reasons why it would just be easier to stay in. I always have a great time and really enjoy going, so I'm not sure why I get in that mindset. The meetings always either start off or end with a devotional and today's devotional was about getting rid of those things in your life that bring you down. Some examples brought up were smart phones, email, Facebook, internet. Things that you feel that you "need" and end up taking up more time or becoming a higher priority than they should be. It was a nice thing to discuss before the meeting and really hit home with me. Here, I had been not wanting to go to my meeting all day because I wanted my evening to do what? Check Facebook? Watch TV? These things are not priorities and are not important, getting out of the house and taking a break for myself is important. It's important to talk to other moms and not just during playdates while chasing after kids. It's important to sit down, eat, talk, laugh with other adults without having to worry about watching two active boys the whole time. The boys are asleep when I leave and Greg gets a night to himself, it's a win win for both of us. I remembered while I was driving home from the meeting that I felt this same way last time I went. I remember being exhausted and just wanting to lay on the couch instead of getting out and when I got there, I felt so much better and had a great time. Being a mom can be so exhausting, and sometimes it's easy to be lazy and lay on the couch after the kids go to bed instead of doing something that's good for you whether it's getting dressed and going to meet a friend, go to the gym, getting your hair done, etc. I need to remember this when I start getting into this mindset again and start looking forward to things even when they require a little more work and effort on my part to make happen. I guess I'm still trying to find a balance between my life at home and the other parts of my life.
Tonight's MOPs meeting was so informative. It was all about couponing and saving money. I've never been big on clipping coupons or searching through sales ads. I've wanted to start (it's on my 30 before 30 list) but it just seems so overwhelming and like it'd take up more time than it's worth. I left with a handout that broke down everything you need to know, every great website on couponing, saving money, the low down on our local stores and which ones that have the best deals. It could not be easier. There's so many different things like swagbucks, Extra Care bucks, e-coupons, etc. You can decide to do it all or just do one or two of the programs she talked about and at least save a little money. Everybody shared a tip they had on how they save money. It was such a great meeting and I'm really excited about getting more into couponing. Now that I know I don't have to spend 30 hours a week like they do on those crazy shows and I can spend 15-20 minutes a week and save a lot of money, I'm definitely on board with that. We played a Price is Right game where three people guessed how much an item was, after coupons. It was so much fun. All the prizes were items that were free or really cheap due to sales and coupons. Here's all the fun things I came home with.
I can't wait to sit down and review the handouts and get started. I'm really looking forward to our next meeting and wanted to write down all my feelings from today so when I have something scheduled and I'm exhausted, the boys decide napping is for the birds, the house is a mess, and I start feeling overwhelmed. I wanted to have something to look back on and see that doing something is a much better mood booster than laying around on the couch watching tv (or whatever other mindless activites I do after the boys go to bed)
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