Personal Parenting Tale: Why We all Need Some Peace and Calming Moments (Giveaway)

As a parent, do you need some Peace and Calming? 

It's the end of the week and if you could look inside your computer and see me right now, you would think I've hit rock bottom. I began the week wearing designer boots, a cashmere sweater and sporting a polished Beautycounter face in public for a magnet school fair. As the week ends, I have wet hair in a plastic clip. I'm wearing ten-year-old worn-out sneakers, an elementary school hoodie sweatshirt that actually matches what my son wore to school today, and have on no make-up at all.  One of our service companies just rang my doorbell  and I had to answer my front door right looking kind of haggard. I was slightly embarrassed.

But, I got over it. Quickly. The lawn guy was young. He probably doesn't have children, but if he ever does in the future then he'll one day understand why I look the way I do today.  It's because I have children. I'm 47 years-old and I'm slam worn out by the end of the week. It also didn't help that this was the first week back in our routine after two weeks of being lazy.

Today, I got up on time, but I was like a turtle walking in slow motion.

By the time, I got my act together, I had about 20 minutes to make breakfast, pack snacks, and run out the door. My kids, of course, can never eat the same thing because they have so many different likes and well, that would just be too easy for Mom.  I put frozen waffles in a toaster oven for one, and cereal in a bowl for the other. One of the reasons I was late was because I had glanced at Facebook while drinking coffee, and of course, five minutes on Facebook turns into 15 minutes or more on Facebook unless you set a timer.

One article I read was posted by one of my 20-something babysitters who is single. The Buzzfeed article was titled, "19 Pictures That Perfectly Sum Up Becoming an Adult."  Number 5 gave me a chuckle. It was based on this tweet. I'm not going to write it out here because they are not my words and I also don't want profanity on my site. Google may not like that and I'm a family-friendly travel writer.

As parents, we know having children was absolutely the best decision of our lives, planned or not planned.  We love our children so much. On the flipside, when we learn someone else is expecting a baby, we also know those new parents will be dealing with a lot of s$%*t, too.

Today is just par for the course in our world of parenting.  I know it was my fault, but I only had one chocolate Horizon milk container cold in the outdoor fridge this morning. I served it with my son's cereal because when I typically ask my daughter what she would like to drink each school morning she usually says, "nothing". And when I give her a container of milk, it is usually opened, but still very full when she leaves the table and is then left for me to throw out or put back in the fridge. When I put it back in the fridge, it usually goes untouched because she is not certain it was hers and therefore, she doesn't want it and my son won't touch it either because it was his sister's milk. I end up wasting that container of milk.

My six-year-old, who already complained earlier that she didn't want to leave her "life-like, breathing cat" at home crossed her arms when she saw her brother's milk  at his place setting, "I don't have any chocolate milk. How rude!"

My apparent rudeness turned into her not taking one bite of her waffles because she was mad, her stomach apparently hurt, and she was also sad that she would have to leave her fake cat alone today.

The clock moved at an extraordinarily fast pace as usual on this morning. Not one child had on shoes, and I knew that if we didn't get in the car soon then the tardy sign would come out in the carpool line, and the unthinkable would happen. I would have to go into the school looking like I look today.

I looked at the plate of uneaten waffles left on the table.  I could not send my child to school with no food in her stomach. I grabbed the packet of saltines on the counter in hopes that she would eat some in the car during our 12-minute commute.

Meanwhile, the older one continued to call us idiots, which seems to be the only word in his vocabulary. If "idiot" is not coming out of his mouth then it is "I love you."  There's not much in between language these days.  And we're saying a lot of "Go to your room!"

As we rushed to the garage, we had a violin, which we remembered at school that we didn't need today, two backpacks, one lunchbox, one stuffed rainbow bunny, a mechanical breathing cat and two melancholy children in the backseat of my Audi. I left dirty dishes on the table for me to deal with later.

As we got half-way to school, and Liza ate her third saltine, the drama continued. Jack began to complain that the smell of saltines made him nauseous. Who knew saltines even had a smell? I sure didn't.

Luckily, we were almost at the finish line.  I yelled in a very calm voice.  Yeah, it was calm, "Put your window down and get some fresh air."

I'm sure I was also thinking that I would love to take a vacation and be by myself for 24 hours of peace and calming bliss.  I'm not even sure at this point if I wanted Will along. I longed for those single days where I was shut up in my little house, lonely and complaining that I wasn't married and didn't have kids.

Isn't that ironic?

We said our goodbyes. I waved. They ignored me.

I was alone in my car, finally. Peace and Calm, at last.

Once at home, I made another cup of coffee, and turned on my bamboo diffuser and diffused the Peace and Calming Essential Oil blend from Young Living.

Every parent needs a moment of Peace and Calming. I only have a few more hours before they are back.

Peace and Calming Giveaway

Unfortunately, I can't always take a vacation, and a trip to a relaxing spa is not always within reason either, but I've learned to seize some Peace and Calming moments at home. It's OK to take some time for yourself and read a magazine for twenty minutes. You deserve it.

To help you have some Peace and Calm at home, I'm giving away one bottle of Peace and Calming Essential Oil so you can see for yourself how it works.

Peace & Calming® essential oil is a gentle, sweet blend of Ylang Ylang, Orange, Tangerine, Patchouli, and Blue Tansy. This fragrant oil is a wonderful addition to your meditation, evening routine, or playtime with the kids. With a comforting, fresh aroma, Peace & Calming oil creates a relaxing environment that’s especially great for homes with children. You’ll love that you can use this oil for you children’s bedtime and then for yourself for a moment of quiet after the house has settled down.

Here are some ways to use Peace and Calming Essential Oil. 

Peace & Calming Essential Oil Uses

• Diffuse this oil to freshen the air, especially in rooms where children play or study.
• Combine with Citrus Fresh™ for a bright, invigorating scent that’s perfect for mornings before school or practice.
• Add 4–5 drops to 1 cup Epsom salt for a calming bath at the start of the day or as part of an evening routine.
• Add to Young Living Bath & Shower Gel Base for a cleanser your entire family will love.

Learn more about Young Living products through me and how you can get on the path of wellness and a holistic lifestyle. Sign up for my emails with ideas and wellness information.

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