Stay at Home Moms Should Invest in Themselves too!

As a stay at home mom I often find that I'm exhausted trying to do my best for everyone else, I am constantly trying to help my son, and take care of our home to help my husband have a good experience when he is home. Those are very taxing things, and sometimes you can lose yourself in all that devotion to another person. It is very important to then turn some attention to yourself! Whether this is teaching yourself some new skills, or taking time to read a book for you, it's very good for your mental health to set that time apart. Just focus and invest in yourself every now and then! It can be so stress-relieving I have found!

During my first trimester of this pregnancy, I wasn't really in the mood to do much. But being pregnant gets really emotional and just sitting felt like I was wasting time - see the conflict? My poor husband has had to deal with a wife who cries because she doesn't get anything done, who is at the same time too tired to get off the couch very much. Whew, I'm fun when I'm pregnant!

So I decided to pick up some crafts that I always wanted to try, or to get better at. I started knitting, crocheting, painting, cross stitching, and coming up with things to sew (haven't started those seriously, yet, but the plans are forming!).

I've done a small amount of knitting in the past, and less crocheting. But I like both. Honestly, they fascinate me - who came up with how to make a single strand of yarn do such beautiful things? If this is a skill you have wanted to try, or thought about trying I highly suggest either one! They are fun, and do not take a ton of equipment. They also are very rewarding - there are a ton of beginner's things out there! Like these crochet flowers I made for our wreath!
          
There are many tutorials out there as well, and you can find some very cool things to make! These are also crafts that travel easily!

If you don't want to make little flowers, you can knit or crochet blankets, scarves, and hats with varying levels of difficulty! Work your way up to harder things!

My cross stitching actually has a story. My sister-in-law made a beautiful counted cross stitch for my little Logan as a birth announcement! It is really adorable, and she spent a long time on it! She recently had her first baby too, though, and has said she won't have time to make ones for future kids (which I totally understand, newborns are such a handful). Well I love the birth announcement so much I want one for our baby coming in September. So I set out to find one to make. Instead I found some iron-on patterns, and the fabric (called Aida cloth) for much cheaper than a premade set, and set out to make a birth announcement for my baby number two. It will be a super simple cross stitch, but I'm excited for it!

So I was in the process of looking at craft stores and find myself in Michael's. Now I never took a painting class in high school, I spent my time in a jewelry class and then pottery. Things I definitely don't regret, but I have always thought painting seemed fun. I don't consider myself artsy, though and so I'm very intimidated by it. Plus it is a little more expensive of a hobby, but in Michael's I find the canvases on sale. Turns out they often have some pretty great sales. But I decide it's good enough for me to give painting a try.

And then I get home all set with some canvas and paints (acrylics for me!), and even a small plastic palatte! I already had some brushes. I look up some tips because I want to be all professional about it, and everyone says an easel is pretty much a must! So I found out how to make one out of a cardboard box! We always have diaper boxes going out of here, and so it was very handy! So I think it cost me $20, but I've experimented with painting acrylics!


What I like about painting is you don't have to follow what others do, you can experiment and try things for yourself. I like trying to recreate pictures, but then make them my own as well. I made a love bird painting for my bedroom (so romantic, right?), a fourth of July painting, and a nursery rhyme for the kid's room! It's fun and stress relieving to see them turn out!

I hope you can tell that I am not an expert on any of these skills, but I'm having fun trying! And I hope to inspire some of you to release some pressures of the day and start a new hobby, find something you can enjoy and take some time to invest in yourself! You deserve it!