Say Goodbye to Survival Mode

For Christmas, my mom pre-ordered for me Crystal Paine's new book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 simple strategies to stress less, sleep more, and restore your passion for life. When I was still newly married, expecting a baby, and living on very little income, her blog, MoneySavingMom, was a true inspiration! I have been following ever since. Her insight into saving money while living on a tight budget and trying to manage a home has been incredibly helpful and encouraging. I was so excited to read her new book because I have always felt like I was living in survival mode, especially after my second baby was born in August.

I couldn't wait to get my pre-ordered copy! I just knew that I would sit down and read the entire book in one day. Yeah, that didn't happen. I got the book at the end of January and it has been sitting on my night stand, mocking me, for almost two months. Until last night, when I finally opened that pretty turquoise, goldenrod, and pink cover. I read the first chapter and had just started the second when my husband came to bed and turned on Star Trek Voyager. Sorry, Mrs. Paine, but my self-discipline goes out the window when I hear that beautiful, whimsical music. I'm such a Voyager nerd (not so crazy about all the other Star Treks, just Voyager) that I can't resist! We were watching the episode when Species 8472 and The Borg are at war and Captain Janeway offers to share their technology with The Borg to defeat the common enemy of Species 8472 in exchange for safe passage through Borg space... *ahem* Pardon me for the digression. I'm such a nerd. Anyway, chapter one and two were about finding what really matters most to you (God, family, health, friends, etc) and setting priorities based on those ideals. It is too easy to get caught up in commitments that you just don't know how to say "no" to or that you offer to do because you are worried about what others think of you that we can lose sight of our priorities.

I was agreeing in my head and thinking that it was all true but that it didn't really apply to me because I'm not that busy. Yes, I spend most of my day caring for my children and sometimes barely get a chance to breathe, but as far as commitments and engagements go, I don't usually have a lot going on. I mean, I have a couple weeks here and there that can get pretty hectic but I felt like I could just skip that part because it didn't really apply to me. Then this morning happened. Baby wouldn't nap, son wanted to read books, I had a long list of things to do this morning, and NOTHING was getting done. I looked at my to-do list at 11:30 and realized that I hadn't even had an opportunity to get one thing crossed off yet! I was just about ready to head to the store when I decided to stay home instead. It was cold outside and we only needed a few things. Was it really worth bundling the children up and rushing in and out of the store for milk, cheese, bananas, bread, borax, and aluminum foil? Sure, my son would have to live without his normal sandwich, banana, and two slices of cheese for lunch, but having something different will help him build character. I realized that even if I am not a super busy supermom, these chapters applied to me. I had to realign my priorities and think about what mattered most, and on this day it was to stay calm and avoid getting overwhelmed.

So now I am really excited to continue this book. I will do a recap/review when I finish!