I guess I should start this off with a Happy New Year! This is one of my favorite times of the year when I’m able to switch my focus from hosting and entertaining to reflecting on the year that is coming to an end. I look excitedly to starting a new chapter each new year.

Both of our girls were born in November and since it was our baby’s first birthday, that meant two birthday parties within two weeks of each other (blog posts about both of those parties are forthcoming). Oh, and we also hosted my family and my in-laws for Thanksgiving and then said goodbye to our oldest dog! My birthday was a few days later followed by my mom’s birthday, Christmas Eve (which we also hosted) and Christmas Day. By the 26th, I was flat out exhausted. 

Usually, my year-end prep includes massive amounts of cleaning and writing. This year? Not nearly as much. If I thought I was worn out after I became a mama the first time, now with a baby and toddler constantly at my heals exhaustion doesn’t even come close to the bone deep level of tired that I feel. Add to that years (YEARS!) of sleep deprivation and poor self-care and it is a recipe for disaster. So as 2016 came to a close, rather than scrubbing and purging into the wee hours every night, I did only a few things. I cleaned and organized a bit so that the level of clean in the house was good. Pinterest worthy? Nope! But good enough. I signed up for Lifetime Movie Club through Amazon so that I can stream glorious chick flicks whenever I have a free hour. And, most importantly, I sleep trained my kids! Thank you sweet baby Jesus for Moms on Call!! 

Now, I find myself grabbing my favorite blanket to cozy up on my couch during nap time or after the kids are down for the night. Are there other things I could do with that time? Of course! I could pack up my ornaments, purge all the closets, steam clean my rugs, etc. But is that what I should do after I have spent the better part of three years keeping two tiny humans alive and giving every ounce of myself in service to everyone else? No! The kids can watch an extra episode of Daniel Tiger and eat chicken nuggets for lunch every now and then and I’m finally giving myself permission to know that it’s okay! 

Long before I ever became a mom, I read a quote that said the best gift you can give your child is a happy mother. So will that extra 30 minutes of screen time harm them irreparably? No. How about a cranky, stressed out, sleep deprived caregiver? Absolutely! So my resolution this year is to model good self-care for my girls and to give from a cup that runneth over. I don’t have to be a picture perfect mom. But I will be so much better at it if I am able to bring my very best self to the role. There will be good days and bad ones. But if I take good care of myself then I can be sure that I’m always doing the very best that I can. And that is enough.