Becoming the Happiest Mom: A great plan can be your best friend

Today was one of those days that as moms, we all dream about! About 6 month ago, I bought a spa deal from Living Social and I have spent the last 6 month plotting the right time to use it. I have made several attempts but with 3 boys, there was always something going on with them that felt more important than my own needs.  Finally, my mother announced that she was coming for a visit and my wishful thinking turned into a plan - one that I was actually able to effectuate to wonderful results; tonight, my body is celebrating.

Chapter 9 of the Happiest Mom is about having a plan - knowing where you are going and how you expect to get there. I don't have any trouble making a plan; I am a "to do list" girl.  I can follow through with even the loftiest goals, except when it comes to taking care of myself. The nail technician nicely commented that I needed to get a pedicure more often.  If like me, you
are having trouble either planning or following through with your plan, here are a few useful tips from the Happiest Mom:

• Identify your natural planning style, work with your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses.
• Your kids will be happy when they know what to expect; if things constantly change, they will think that everything is up for debate.
• If you come across a chore that takes less than two minutes, do it right away because it will leave you feeling satisfied.
• If an activity seems like a huge chore, consider that the time of day that you tackle it may be to blame. Ex. pay bills when you feel most mentally sharp.

"Have a plan" is a great chapter with more handy tips that I won't give away here but if you have trouble planning, it is well worth the read.  I often wonder why the kids are so well behaved at school but are "wild" at home. Well, at school their day is planned and every day, they know exactly what to expect. At home, it is the open range.  While we all like to be considered spontaneous, planning creates a roadmap for our lives, allows us to react better to emergencies and gives us the freedom to build in some much needed mommy time.

Once you have a great plan in place, it is smooth sailing ahead (most of the time). Happy Memorial Day to all who are serving or have served in the military. Blessings to you and your families.