52 Weeks of Me!

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ME! Challenge; How Momma’s getting her Groove Back

It was the beginning of November 2010 and I was sweeping my kitchen floor, trying to figure out what to do with the next year of my life.  My twins were 6 months old and my son was 3.  Going back to work was not an option, but I needed something else to do, besides just being a mom.  I needed a project, a social outlet, something.

I decided to do something for an entire year and blog about it. You know, Julie and Julia style. After all, cooking her way through a cookbook launched Julie Powel out of a rut and into fame, so maybe a similar project could do wonders for me as well.

I brainstormed for weeks. Maybe I would do cleaning challenge and spend the next year cleaning out my house. Or a decorating challenge. I’m pretty terrible at decorating so that would work. I could do a date night challenge or a getting healthy challenge. But every time I would start to think of something I could challenge myself to do I would counter it with the same internal argument.

“How can I commit to doing (fill in the blank) for a whole year when I can even commit to taking a shower every day!”

That’s when it hit me. I needed to challenge myself to shower! Well, not just take a shower but do something specific and intentional for myself every week of the year.

Out of that AHA moment the 52 weeks of ME! Challenge was born. I spent the last 25 weeks doing one thing for myself each week and writing about it. I shared this journey with some amazing women who committed to doing something intentional every week as well.

I started this challenge with dreams of buying new shoes and make-up and taking a bubble bath. I was so excited about how many new things I would buy or do or try. I was so sure that doing one thing each week would change me drastically. I would be a more relaxed, more put together version of myself by the end of the year. I would start the year frazzled, but by the end I would be a fabulous, perfect me!

Reality Check! I’m still me, the same person who hates waking up to crying babies but refuses to set an alarm. Who dosen’t take a shower until the kids go down for their afternoon nap or after bedtime. I’m still the girl who would rather wear flip-flops than heals and flips out frequently. I’m not more put together, more relaxed, or more awesome than I was when I started this thing. I’m still the same person, who grumbles of boredom while she sweeps the floor. Nothing big has changed.

The thing is, life it still hard. With three children three and under, I never get ahead. I can feel relaxed one minute, and the next everything can go to Heck in a diaper bag. You just never know, and it never works out the way I want it to.

Ironically, the ME! Time challenge is probably the only project I could commit to this year, and I’m glad I did. Because doing one thing, taking just a few minutes for myself and writing it down helps me to be a better person and a better mother. I may not be more put-together, but I haven’t forgotten about myself either. I’m somewhere in the middle, and that’s good enough for me.

Tomorrow we are celebrating the Halfway point of or 52 Week Challenge with a giveaway link up! We would love for you to stop by and enter all the fabulous giveaways. If you would like to link up a giveway, check out the rules here and link it up tomorrow.

We?  Yes, that’s what I said.  Because somewhere along the way the 52 Weeks of ME! Challenge became less about ME and what I was doing and more about a community of women trying to raise children without loosing themselves in the process.  That’s the secret, the hidden jewel I had no idea would be there.  The friendships I have made with the other women in this challenge are priceless.  I am not alone in this journey, and every Friday I am reminded of that.  So if you ever need some encouragement, a friend or some motivation to do something for yourself come on over.  I promise, you’ll find all the motivation you need!