As most of my mum friends know, trying to get a little "me time" without the kids around seems almost impossible. This is only amplified when you're a stay at home mum. Especially over Summer break with three kids home full time. At least one of my kids is with me literally 24 hours a day - and by literally, I mean literally, not figuratively! I've got to tell you, it's making me pretty crazy. Well, crazier.
With all of my family living on the opposite side of the world this only makes things trickier. Back when we lived in Australia, in the same city as both sets of Grandparents, going out was easy. We had two sets of (free!) babysitters who actually wanted to babysit as often as possible. I kind of took it for granted at the time but now that we don't have this luxury it's definitely something I miss.
Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with my kids, but it can be pretty draining to hear "Mum, Mum, Muuuuum..." all day - and several times in the middle of the night from Mathilde. Sometimes we mums need a break to recharge. A break to do grown up things that don't revolve around our kids. The things that we took for granted before kids came along, or in my case, when I had access to free childcare at a moment's notice! Going to a non-animated movie with grown up friends, going out for dinner at a restaurant that doesn't have chicken strips or plain noodles on the menu, or even just a coffee date with someone who doesn't ask for a chocolate milk and a cake pop!
I've decided that I need to start making time to do things for myself every now and then a priority. Especially with my other mum friends who are in the same boat as me. When the opportunity to go to a preview screening of the new Absolutely Fabulous movie came up, I knew it was the perfect time to start. A girls' night out with Patsy and Eddie - and a little champagne? Perfect!
I've been a huge fan of Absolutely Fabulous since, well, forever! There's been talk of a movie coming out for years, so when I saw earlier this year that it had finally been made I couldn't wait to see it. Movies made from television shows can be pretty hit or miss (more often miss than hit, or so it seems) so I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I'm so happy to say that Absolutely Fabulous falls into the "hit" pile. It was like a hilarious walk down memory lane and brought back so many fun memories of watching Ab Fab with friends when I was younger. Years may have gone by, but Patsy, Eddie and the whole cast of characters were just as I remembered them. It was like spending time with old friends. Clearly the whole cinema felt the same way judging by the cheers every time a beloved character appeared on the screen for the first time, or a familiar line was spoken. And the cameos! Kate Moss, Dawn French, Jean Paul Gaultier, Rebel Wilson, Emma Bunton, Jerry Hall, Stella McCartney, Jon Hamm, Dame Edna! It really is such a fun movie, and the night out was just what I needed.
Absolutely Fabulous hits cinemas across the country tomorrow, July 22nd. If you're an Ab Fab fan like me, make sure to get yourself to a cinema. You're going to love it. If you're not familiar with the series, it's still a pretty funny movie, but a lot of it will be lost on you. Get online and watch the original shows first (I believe they're available on Hulu). Trust me, it's one of the funniest TV shows around.
I'd love to hear from other mums out there about how you take time out for yourself. Do you try and take "me time" without your kids regularly? What do you like to do when you're kid free and how do you make it happen? Any tips for making sure you don't slip back into neglecting your own needs? This is the trickiest part for me, but I'm going to try and make a conscience effort to put myself first every now and then. It's the best thing for me and for the kids. If I'm happy and rested I know I can do my job at parenting them better.
P.S. I'm on a roll with this whole "me-time" thing this week. Kim and I are going to a concert tomorrow night and I've got a (very overdue) appointment at the salon next week to get my hair done. Off to a good start!
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