Broke-Ass Mom “Me” Time

Every parent needs a break, and Broke-Ass Moms are no exception. The question is what to do, and where to go…well, and how much time do you have? I love fantasizing about a weekend away when I can sit on the beach in my bikini lookin’ fine (this is my dream, don’t ruin it), reading a book and sipping margaritas.  Every couple of hours a hot sun kissed man comes by to offer me refills and moves my umbrella so I don’t get too much sun.  After spending all day at the beach, I go back to my hotel room, take a long uninterrupted shower, put on a nice dress, actually fix my hair for once, maybe even put on some lipstick, and enjoy a quiet,  not rushed meal with my favorite person: me.

Unfortunately, this weekend is not likely to happen anytime soon.  Most likely a mom will have at most one day, and not a whole weekend.  With that day here’s what you could do:

11:00 am – wake up

12 pm – wait in line at a breakfast spot I’ve been dying to try but didn’t want to wait with a toddler

3 pm –catch a mid-afternoon matinee and have candy and a soda for lunch

6 pm – meet up with a friend, have a burrito and super cheap drinks that will make you just plastered enough to remember life before your child, but not so plastered that you’ll hate yourself at 7am the next day when your baby wakes you up

12 am – home to get at least a few good hours of sleep

Sometimes we don’t have the luxury of all day, though.  So what can we do with a few good hours?

 One Hour:

1. Go to a coffee shop and read a book
2. Get your nails done
3. Go for a quickie massage
4. Go shopping at a local shop
5. Take a walk
6. Go out for breakfast
7. Go to a bookstore and peruse

Three hours:

1. Go for a run and come home and enjoy a nice shower
2. Clean the house (I know this sounds lame, but uninterrupted cleaning is like heaven, I swear)
3. Go see the first movie of the day (sure it may be at 10:30 am, but at $6 a pop do you really care?)
4. Watch some bad mindless TV
5. Catch up with a friend
6. Go to the grocery store (taking your time while grocery shopping can be pretty damn awesome)

Five hours:

1. Go for a drive (if you have a car)
2. Find the cheapest bar with the best happy hour, and have some drinks (just don’t come home drunk unless the kid’s in bed)
3. Visit a museum and enjoy the exhibit in your own time
4. Finish some things on your to-do list (you know you have one!)

You’ll be amazed at how much you can get done and how much fun you can still have without some small person clinging to your leg.  It’s good to remind yourself what you used to be like pre-baby.  Every hour counts. 

Photo by: Istockphoto parema