Guilty Pleasures

We’ve all got ’em.  Those things we do even though we know we should be tackling a To Do list or vacuuming or paying attention to the kids or whatever.

But all work and no play leaves this mama in an exhausted heap on the floor by Wednesday, so here are a few things I do to recharge.

1.  Take a long, hot shower.  I can’t tell you how many arguments have been stopped by their tracks by this escapist technique.

2.  Eat half a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.  Chubby Hubby is my first love, but in its absence (curse you, local QFC!) I’ll delve into Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch or Late Night Snack.

3.  Watch a marathon of a favorite show.  Oh, how I (still) love Netflix so I can watch five episodes of Grey’s Anatomy while in bed sick.  It was the only thing that could make my sinus headache bearable.

4.  Check Facebook, Twitter, or my Google Reader.  Extra guilty points for doing it on my iPhone while the boys are playing.

5.  Read, read, and read some more.  I’m still plugging away on my Newbery Project, because great children’s books are like ice cream for my soul, but I can get sucked into any fabulous novel.

6.  Go consignment store shopping.  I hate shopping for myself because it costs a fortune or it takes too long or I look hideous in the dressing rooms.  But shopping for the boys?  At crazy cheap prices?  Oh boy, am I ever in trouble.

7.  Leave for work.  I love having six days a week at home with my boys, but that seventh day contains one of the best moments of all:  when I walk out the door, wearing clean clothes and lovely shoes and get into the car, all alone.  (The other best moment is when I pick each boy up at the end of the day, of course!)

8.  Pause for a chai tea latte.  I survived college and grad school without any caffeine, but moving to the land of Starbucks did me in.  Instead of coffee, I fell madly in love with chai teas.  It’s a good thing, too, because I need the boost now as a mom of two munchkins more than I ever did when I was in school!

Those are not only my guilty pleasures, but what fuel everything else I have to do.  We all love our kids, our jobs, and having clean houses.  But without sneaking in a treat for ourselves now and then, we just can’t get it done.  And so, without further ado, I link you to more guilty pleasures and more of what fuels other lovely writers out there.