Rediscovery Mom 31 Day Challenge Archives - Page 5 of 11

Admit it. Hanging in your closet you have one nice dress, in black, that you pull out for weddings and funerals. The rest of the time you’re wearing leggings around the house only throwing on jeans when you have to leave. The rest of your clothes sit there waiting to be loved. When you’re on a journey to rediscovery you’re ditching the old. That’s why you should throw out your clothes.

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Moms are terrible about updating their wardrobe, myself included. I have a bra that the strap broke on while I was out one day. I rigged it with a hair tie with the full intention of sewing it when I got home. That was 6 months ago and I’m still wearing that bra and it’s still held together with a hair tie.

It often feels like that is just the status quo of being a stay-at-home mom. Of course, that’s exactly what we’re trying to change. At this point, you’ve set the foundation and started conscientiously taking care of yourself. (If you haven’t, go back and read those first.) Now it’s time to start representing your core self outwardly.

What’s that mean? It means ditching the leggings with holes in them. It means loving yourself enough to buy actual pajamas instead of wearing your husband’s boxers and an old t-shirt. To accomplish this I’m recommending something totally drastic:

Throw out all of your clothes!

I know, that sounds crazy. If it sounds too crazy, let’s simplify the process with some easy rules. These will help you ruthlessly chop down your clothes to make room for items you absolutely love and feel good in.

[bctt tweet=”You deserve to love all of the items in your life! That’s why you should throw out your clothes and make room for the ones that represent who you are now.” username=”diyadulation”]

The Guilty Items of Your Wardrobe

We all have those pieces that we keep out of guilt. These are the items that we got as gifts (pack on extra guilt if they’re pieces you asked for but then hated on your body). They are also the articles of clothing we bought but have never worn. We feel guilty because we paid good money for it so we feel obligated to wear it.

Guess what. You’re not wearing it. Instead, these items are taking up your time, energy, and space because of an emotional reaction. They need to go.

Clothing that Does Not Fit

These are your skinny clothes. The clothes that you keep around because you’re going to get down to your dream weight one day. They fit you 10 years ago and dangit, they’re going to fit you again.

Here’s my question to you: Why are you dressing a future you that you don’t even know yet? That future you is going to get vintage hand-me-downs as the reward for all of that hard work? No. Future you deserves new clothes that fit her body and make her feel beautiful.

Furthermore, current you deserves a closet full of clothing you love and feel good in as you are right now. That’s who deserves your love and attention right now, not some amorphous future of who you will be. Toss all of the clothes that don’t fit right now and make space for the present.

Accessories

I love jewelry. I love finding quirky pieces to add to my outfits. Of course, when it comes to getting dressed for the day-to-day, I literally never wear any of. When I do, it’s the same 3 pieces with every outfit. That’s insane and they needed to go. I pared down my jewelry drastically to a few pieces I absolutely love and now it all fits in one jewelry box.

The same goes for those accessories you have taking up space. Maybe your thing is high heels that you never wear. Do you have 50 purses only to use the same one every day? How many scarves do you actually wear regularly?

Ask yourself these questions and get rid of the excess. There is no right or wrong number of items to keep. It is about being honest with yourself about what you truly love and wear consistently.

Intimates

Remember that bra from above? Yeah, it needs to go (or get sewn). In fact, most of my bras need to go. The same for my underwear. I can promise you right now that I definitely don’t want to die in any of them. They’re not cute and most of them are in worse shape than I care to admit.

It’s time to let them go. Love yourself enough to get some bras that fit you properly and comfortably. Skip the 6 packs of Hanes and invest in some underwear that you don’t mind dying in a car crash with. If you’d be embarrassed for your husband to see your current undergarments back when you were dating then you need new ones.

Items You Are Crazy in Love With

These are the only items that should be left when your are done. If you don’t get crazy excited about a piece of clothing, it has to go. Why? Because that’s all you have room for in your life from here on out. You are getting rid of the dead weight in your life and that includes your stuff.

If you can’t honestly say that you love everything in your wardrobe then you have more to get rid of. If you truly, crazy love a piece then keep it even if you don’t wear it often. For example, I have a faux leather vest that I absolutely, hardcore love. I don’t wear it often but when I do I feel like a bada**. I’m not getting rid of it. Those are the items that should be left when you’re done with this process.

When you’ve put in all of the hard work that has gotten you here in rediscovering yourself after marriage and motherhood, you deserve to love all of the items in your life. That’s why you should throw out your clothes and make room for the ones that represent who you are now. Find clothes that fit your body as it is today so that you can show it the love it needs.

This is an ongoing process. As your tastes and style change, so should your wardrobe. One day, I may not love that faux leather vest in the crazy way I do now. When that happens, I’ll clear it away to make room for a piece I do love. That’s the joy of living in the present, not for some future self down the road.

See where I’m linking up!

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How to Rediscover Yourself After Marriage and Motherhood Series

How many times have you caught yourself saying, someday I want to *insert desire here* only to have years go by? This is a common form of procrastination that isn’t limited to moms. It is time to turn someday into today and live your best life now.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

[bctt tweet=”How many times have you said, ‘someday I want to…’ and years go by? Realize that you are procrastinating and it is more urgent to turn someday into today.” username=”diyadulation”]

My mom told me a story one day about realizing how she always said, “Someday I’m going to do that.” One day the realization hit her that “someday” never comes. She decided in that moment to turn someday into today and start doing the things she wanted.

I always think about that story when I find myself saying things like, “One day I’ll go to Hawaii” or “Someday I want to take the kids zip lining.” In those moments, I reflect on my mom’s words and think about the real reasons I’m saying someday.

For instance, a trip to Hawaii isn’t exactly in the budget while we’re paying off debt. So saying one day for this isn’t putting it off, it’s pragmatic and responsible.

Taking the kids zip lining on the other hand is an activity that we could totally make happen right now. Saying someday for this one is procrastination. This is an activity I should prioritize.

How to Turn Someday into Today

If you find yourself saying someday a lot, I have some tips to help you turn someday into today. Feel free to use one or all of them to help you live your best life now.

Be Cognizant

This is the easiest way to start being mindful about things you are putting off. Oftentimes this presents itself for moms in the form of saying, “Someday I’ll start going to the gym” or “Someday I’ll try that pottery class.”

When you catch yourself thinking or saying these things, pause and think about why. When you are cognizant about when you’re saying these things, it is easier to reflect.

Start Small

In the example I used above, the expensive vacation isn’t in the cards until we’ve paid off our debt. However, in the interim there are smaller “somedays” we can do.

The same goes for you. If you have always wanted to join an adult sports league but can’t work it into your schedule yet, find a pick-up game or volunteer to be an alternate for a team.

This lets you ease into the activity until you finish optimizing your schedule.

Bonus Example:

Another example is if you want to start going to crops. If you can’t devote a 9 hour day to scrapbooking, start small. Schedule an hour to scrapbook with a friend during your kids’ nap time. You can even alternate whose house you do it at each month to keep it fair.

Make a Yearly To-Do List

Moms know the importance of a to-do list to stay on top of daily tasks. However, what if you took that same approach to fun and trying new things? Imagine how much more fulfilled you will feel checking those things off of your list.

Learn more about how to Make Time for Fun with a Yearly To-Do List.

Essentially, this is a list of activities, events, and new experiences you want to complete throughout the year. When you put them on paper it forces you to notice when too many months go by without checking one off. Also, there is something so satisfying about completing tasks on a to-do list that you actually love and want to do.

Break Down a Long Term Plan

If you ever want to achieve the truly big things that you keep putting off until the amorphous someday, you need to create a broken down long term plan. Start with the end goal in mind and work your way back in steps you need to take to get there.

For example, if you want to travel the world, make a plan for it. Make a list of all of the places you want to see, then either gear your plan towards a retirement that accommodates those plans or break it down into mini trips that you will take throughout your lifetime.

Continue breaking the long term plan down until you have small, actionable steps you can start completing today. This can be as simple as saving $100 a month toward your next trip until you can afford it. It ensures that you are consistently working towards it and is small enough that it doesn’t impede your current lifestyle. That is the ultimate place you are trying to get to when it comes to breaking down your long term plan.

Once you realize that you are truly procrastinating when you say someday you will do something it makes it more urgent to turn someday into today. No more excuses and no more putting it off. It’s time to live your best life now and start truly making a dent in all of the many experiences you want to have in this life. Remember to be cognizant, start small, and make a yearly to-do list to motivate you to keep after it.

See where I’m linking up!

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How to Rediscover Yourself After Marriage and Motherhood Series

How much free time would you say that you have? If you’re like most moms, chances are you didn’t even answer with a time estimate. Instead, it is much more likely you answered with a half-cynical laugh. It’s time to change that answer and find out how to get your free time back as a SAHM.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

[bctt tweet=”Do you let out a half-cynical laugh when asked how much free time you have? It’s time to change that and find out how to get your free time back as a SAHM.” username=”diyadulation”]

Early this year, I did a time inventory. If you haven’t done one, I totally recommend it. A time inventory works much like tracking your spending only you note what you do with your time during the day.

When I did mine, I was more than a little shock at the time I spent watching television. The reason I never noticed was because I never simply sit and watch TV. Instead, I was always doing other tasks while watching it. Maybe I was folding laundry or trying to write a post. Either way, it seemed the TV was consuming a lot more of my time than I wanted.

So I made a promise with myself that I would only watch things once my important tasks for the day were done. Do you know what I found? The tasks that usually took me hours could be accomplished in closer to 20-30 minutes when my attention wasn’t divided. That’s an extra hour and a half to devote to other tasks and activities in my day!

Imagine what you could get done with an extra hour or 2 in your day! If this seems like a pipe dream, keep reading to find out tactics to get your free time back as a SAHM.

Let Go of Perfection

Too often we can get caught up in trying to do things perfectly. Letting go of that perfection is the perfect starting point when you’re trying to find extra time in your day. For example, getting the laundry folded quickly is more important than double folding then rolling all of those bath towels. (By the way, this is something that I struggle with so don’t feel bad if you do too.)

You can pick and choose the areas where imperfection is acceptable for you, but it is a fast and easy way to start finding extra time in your day.

Delegate Chores

Chances are that your family isn’t doing as much as they could/should to help you keep up with the household responsibilities. Delegating chores to your family is another way to get your free time back.

Grab free printable chore charts for kids in the free DIY VIP Library of Resources when you sign up for the newsletter today!

Be sure to let your husband know exactly what he can do to help you out as well. Chances are he simply doesn’t know what you need. When you let him know clearly how he can help you, it will also allow you to find more free time.

Note:

This also ties in with letting go of perfection. Your kids may not vacuum or wash the dishes as well as you would, but in many cases done is better than procrastination.

Give Up Control

This is the hardest one for control freaks like me. If you want your free time back, though, you need to learn to give up some of the control. This takes many forms:

If you overly involved in your child’s extra curricular activities you may need to pull back. Use the time to take care of yourself more.

If you spend hours in the kitchen every night to make dinner, let your husband take over one night a week. Yes, it may mean your kids get mac-n-cheese for dinner that night but I promise you that it will be okay.

Don’t Waste It

Another tip to get your free time back is to be cognizant of time wasters. Have you ever pulled out your phone and hopped on Facebook only to realize you wasted an hour of your time? This is only one of the ways that moms waste their free time. In fact, sometimes it is not even free time that they are wasting. It is time that you meant to be cleaning or playing with the kids.

This is another great reason to do a time inventory. It will help you determine those time wasters. Then, redirect those time wasters to activities that either free up time for you later or ones that recharge you during the day. This is one of the absolute easiest ways to find free time for better things in your life.

Create Systems

The final way to get your free time back as a SAHM is to create systems that save you time in your daily life. When you get daily chores or activities down to a science it will free up a ton of free time for you in the long run. In case you need help, here are a few examples of systems that you can implement in your life:

Meal Planning – I seriously love making freezer slow cooker meals that I can dump in the Crock Pot in the morning and serve effortlessly at dinner.
Cleaning Schedule – Even if this simply means spending 10 minutes every night before bed picking up from the day, it will save you a ton of time in the long run.
Get Ready the Night Before – There is nothing worse than trying to find homework, pack lunches, serve breakfast, and search for socks when you’re groggy in the morning. Make your life a million times easier by taking a few minutes in the evening to get ready for the next day.

Now that you know how to get your free time back as a SAHM, it’s time to mindfully enforce these. Again, the hardest thing for most moms is giving up that control and the quest for perfection. If you need additional ideas, be sure to check out The Hard Truth About Carving Out Me Time. One last straight-forward tip to get free time is to embrace door locks. When you are enforcing some time alone that you fought so hard, protect it by simply flipping that little tab on the door.

See where I’m linking up!

Don’t Forget to Pin It!

Why You Should Throw Out Your Clothes + Tips to Do It

Throw out all of your clothes!

The Guilty Items of Your Wardrobe

Clothing that Does Not Fit

Accessories

Intimates

Items You Are Crazy in Love With

How to Rediscover Yourself After Marriage and Motherhood Series

Turn Someday into Today – Live Your Best Life Now

How to Turn Someday into Today

Be Cognizant

Start Small

Bonus Example:

Make a Yearly To-Do List

Learn more about how to Make Time for Fun with a Yearly To-Do List.

Break Down a Long Term Plan

How to Rediscover Yourself After Marriage and Motherhood Series

How to Get Your Free Time Back as a SAHM

Let Go of Perfection

Delegate Chores

Grab free printable chore charts for kids in the free DIY VIP Library of Resources when you sign up for the newsletter today!

Note:

Give Up Control

Don’t Waste It

Create Systems

How to Rediscover Yourself After Marriage and Motherhood Series