My daughter Norah just turned 11 last week. Eleven! I can still hardly believe it. The days of doing her hair in pig tails and dressing her in dresses with ruffles and lace seem like they were just yesterday. Now she only likes pink if it's "hot pink" and tells me she is "dating" a boy in her class. Dating. Oh. My. God. While I know it's an innocent thing, merely a way of exploring roles and being like her friends, it really got me to thiking about the developmental milestones still to come.

Not long ago, I saw a photo going around on Facebook that read:

Give, but don't allow yourself to be used.

Love, but don't allow your heart to be abused.

Trust, but don't be naive.

Listen to others, but don't lose your own voice.

Rishi

I don't know who Rishi is, but the words are very wise. When I read them, I immediately thought, "This is advice I'd give to my Norah." She's a very trusting soul and such a giver. She hates to hurt anyone's feelings. I worry that she gives more than she receives in relationships with friends at school. I don't even want to think about her first "real" boyfriend. But I have to think about it because it'll be here before I know it. There's so much I want her to know, things I wish someone had told me. While I know the lessons of love must often be learned the hard way, there are a few things I think are important to share with her.

Trust Yourself

First and foremost, I want her to always trust her gut. I tell her that now, and it's definitely important advice in a relationship. Never do anything you're not comfortable doing. Don't worry about hurting anyone's feelings or being afraid that he won't like you anymore. If you like yourself enough, it doesn't matter. I do hope I instill in her the importance of loving and trusting yourself.

Don't Let Anyone Bring You Down

Significant others are meant to build us up and support us, never to bring us down. Never, ever allow someone to convince you you're not worthwhile. If he makes you feel bad in any way on a regular basis, it's time to get out of the relationship. Even something as seemingly harmless as always being in a bad mood is reason enough to move on. You don't want to be his mother or his dumpster. It's not your job to make someone else feel better or to take someone else's garbage.

Never Settle

Never be with someone just for the sake of being with someone or so that you're not alone. If your partner doesn't make you consistently happy or if it just doesn't feel right, it's probably time to evaluate your relationship. This goes hand in hand with trusting your gut. Yes, it's nice to have a boyfriend. It's great to have someone to hang out with on the weekends and to feel special by being part of a couple. But being alone and happy is SO much better than being with someone who doesn't make your heart soar. Truly, it is.

While I could go on and on, these are the most important things I want my daughter to know. Moms, what advice would you add. As we all know, sometimes our kids are more receptive to listening to others rather than their own parents. Feel free to chime in!

It's official - I accepted a new full-time job, and I will be taking over the role of primary wage earner in our family. This is something I've been considering for a while now, but I've been rather torn about the idea. Women today have so many choices about what they do for a living. At times those choices seem stressful and guilt inducing, rather than liberating. That's certainly been the case for me.

In our household, I hold the college degree. This is something I'm proud of. It's also something that's contributed a great deal to my sense of guilt over the years. As the degree holder, there is a wider availability of jobs out there for me. Jobs with potentially higher pay and better benefits. But as a woman and a mom, my heart has told me my place has been at home with my babies. So that's where I decided to place myself when I became pregnant with Brady. I was fortunate enough to be with my older two their first three years of life, and that's truly where I wanted to be with Brady. I was willing to make sacrifices to do that.

However, now the time has come that I am ready to get back to the workforce. To put my degrees to use and to stop feeling like a burden to my husband. In case you don't know, Bill is twenty years my senior. He's had more than his fair share of work over his lifetime. It's time for me to contribute financially to our family in a more significant way. Truthfully, though, I'm not sure that four years ago would have been the time for Bill to take on the role of stay at home daddy. Now that Brady's nearly four, he and his daddy are able to spend more fun times together, telling stories "out of their heads" or playing games, and the big kids are more independent as well. Now seems like a good time for us to switch roles. I'm ready to give up the chauffering and cleaning up the potty training accidents, and he's ready to give up some of the pressure associated with being the breadwinner. It's all good.

But I haven't even told you about my job yet! I have two pretty spiffy titles - Behavior Specialist Consultant and Mobile Therapist. Basically, what I'll be doing is helping families to learn more productive behavioral techniques in dealing with the day to day things life throws our way. It's a challenging job, but I know that it will be rewarding as well. I've done this kind of a position in the past, and there's lots of flexibility and creativity involved in the position. I love that. Did I mention the benefits are amazing AND affordable? I couldn't pass any of this up.

Am I nervous though? Oh, hell yeah! Now it's my turn to take on that pressure of bringing in the income. It's been a while since I was in that position. Truthfully, though, I miss the sense of autonomy that comes with earning a full time income. It will also be nice to derive the sense of identity that comes with working a full time job.

I'm not giving up my blogger identity, though. I love it too much. Being a blogger also allows me creativity and lets me connect with like-minded people in a way I never have. It's fun and exciting, and I'm simply too damn addicted to the lifestyle and the community to ever give it up. I'm kind of selfish. I want it all. I want my fun side gig AND the responsible day job. I know so many people who are working their asses off to make blogging that full-time gig, but for me, I really struggled with that. I think I finally realized the reason. Like the person who loves to cook, but doesn't want to be a professional chef for fear of no longer loving it, I do think that blogging was a bit like that for me. The pressure of making it my full time gig and HAVING to earn a living from my writing was too much pressure. I found it hard to love the writing process. I truly think I've made the decision that will work best for me and for my family. I sure hope I have.

On a side note, this whole post reminds me of the book Good Enough is the New Perfect by my friends Becky and Hollee. Check out this guest post they wrote for me on reinventing your career. I guess that's really what I'm doing now.

I wrote a couple weeks ago about starting the Special K Challenge. Even if you didn't read my post, I'm sure you've all heard of the challenge, right? This year, Special K wants to take the negative connotations away from the idea of approaching weight loss by asking women to consider what they will gain by losing weight. I think that is the best way to look at things ever! Simply reframing the question and putting a positive spin on things can really change a person's mindset. I'd say it definitely did for me.

I had lost weight through the hCG diet last spring, but I gained a good bit of it back. I took some time to reflect on how I felt when I lost those nearly 25 pounds. According to a study by Special K, the top three emotional benefits women hope to achieve by reaching their weight loss goal are happiness, confidece and a sense of achievement. I would definitely say that I felt all of those with my weight loss, and I wanted to feel those things again. So I jumped right on board with the two-week Special K Challenge. If you're looking to try the challenge too, find Special K with promotional codes here.

Program Overview

Have you visited the Special K website? If not, you'll want to go take a look. Special K has so much more than cereal now. Their line of products is extensive. They have salty snacks like cracker chips, protein meal replacement bars and shakes, just to name a few. I recommend taking a look. They have all their products listed on the site, and you can even browse by craving. The website is where you'll want to start if you decide to take the challenge or would like inspiration on beginning a long-term weight loss plan.

This is one of the most thorough websites i've encountered from a brand, I must say. There is a social component where you can connect with others looking for a healthy way of life. I have to confess that I didn't use this part much, as I had my fellow challenge blog participants to lean on, as well as my other online networks. But it's so cool to offer a place for people who are specifically interested in the Special K Challenge. When you've decided to take the challenge or look into a longer-term plan, you can choose your goals and find a daily meal plan tailored specifically for your choice. You'll find sample meals and recipes to try based on your plan. So helpful for busy women on the go! Seriosly, there's just too much to list here. Check out the website for recipe ideas, tips for success, Special K yummy ideas and even a mobile app with shopping lists.

My Experience

Yeah, I know - you just want to know how much weight I lost. I'll get to that. I will. First, i want to talk about how YUMMY these Special K products are. Before starting the plan, I was a self-proclaimed Special K Chocolately Delight addict. Have you ever tried that stuff? Let me just warn you, once you do, you may never stop. It's that good. So I had high expectations for their other products, though I had never tried any of them.

Let me just tell you that I was not disappointed. They were all so good, that I truly didn't have much trouble staying with the program. I followed the meal plan and ate Special K products for breakfast, lunch and snacks, along with a sensible dinner. The website offered a recipe each day for the dinner meal. While I didn't follow each one to the letter, I've added some fabulous new items to my regular meal planning!

Back to the breakfasts and snacks. My very favorite was the Chocolatey Pretzel cereal bar. I am a sucker for anything sweet and salty, and the crunchy texture of this bar just made it even better. What a great snack to just grab and go. I always had one in my purse for those moments I was out and just had to have something quick. I also loved the Multi-Grain Oats and Honey ceral. I am a cereal person. It's one of my favorite breakfasts. This one was crunchy with just the right hint of sweetness. Loved it. Even the shakes were good. I was a bit apprehensive about those and will say that the French vanilla was not my favorite. I found a suggestion on the website, though, for a French vanilla espresso shake and enjoyed that quite a bit. I also made smoothies with them, adding frozen strawberries, bananas, yogurt and orange juice. Yum! And my 13-year old son stole the chocolate shakes - they're that good.

My Results

Drumroll please...But first a little claim language from Special K: Consult your physician before starting any diet or exercise program. Average weight loss when replacing meals with two cereal meals is 4.8 pounds. Weight loss may vary. Average waist circumference when replacing two meals with cereal meals is 1.3 inches. Weight loss may vary.

Okay, here goes. I must first apologize and let you know that I forgot to take my waist measurements. Sorry. However, I did notice that my jeans fit a bit looser, so I'm confident there was definitely a loss. As far as pounds lost, I lost about 3 pounds in two weeks. That's not too darn bad. Especially considering that I cheated a bit on the weekends. I'm a notorious cheater when it comes to diet plans, however, keeping my baby steps philosophy in mind, I usually allow myself a few slips. Even my husband noticed a change and asked just the other day, "Have you lost weight?" Woo hoo! For Bill to notice, there definitely had to be a change.

What have I noticed? What did I gain by losing? I feel so much more in control when I know I'm making choices that are good for me. That's important to me. Making proactive choices is empowering. And, truthfully, the changes weren't that difficult. The products taste good, and they're convenient. It wasn't hard to incorporate them into my lifestyle. I know I will continue to be a Special K lover. Do you think you'll consider taking the Special K Challenge? I highly recommend it. The changes are gradual, and the results go beyond weight loss. Baby steps. Give it a try!

I participated in this program through a partnership with TheMotherhood on behalf of Special K. I received product and supplies to complete the plan. All opinions and statements are based on my own opinion and experience.

I've found myself feeling some pretty negative emotions lately in response to actions by people close to me. Feelings like hurt, anger, sadness, frustration, contempt and even hate. These are all normal emotions. Part of life. I know. What I also know is that you can't change other people, only how you react to them. Let me repeat that. You can only change the way you react to others.

You've probably heard this before. It makes sense, theoretically, but how do you stop yourself in the middle of negative feelings and turn your emotions around? It takes conscious effort, but it is possible. You can take your life back, get control of your emotions and move past the destructive path we often allow ourselves to go down when dealing with toxic people in our lives.

Understand That Their Issues Are Their Own

When people lash out at you, say things that are hurtful or push your buttons, consider the reasons behind their behavior. In my personal situation, I had a recent online, public dispute with someone close to me. Immediately, I let old instincts kick in. I felt furious that this person couldn't just leave well enough alone and had to push her ideas and opinions on me. After some time, I put things into perspective. Yes, these are old patterns, I realized. It's not likely that this person's views and actions will change, so I took some time to consider why she took the steps she did. I can see that she felt the issue was an important one to push. I decided to appreciate her passion for her stance, but not to let it affect me. If anything, I've decided to look more into why I took the position that I did.

Take the High Road

It's so tempting to let your emotions get the better of you when dealing with negative people. However, the consequences of doing so can be steep. If your instigator is a co-worker, you could lose your job. If you allow a loved one to bait you on a regular basis, you could lose your sanity or your sense of self. It's just not worth it. Take a moment to consider the worst case scenario of walking away from the situation or simply relenting and allowing the person to believe their behavior is right. I'm not saying it's good to constantly give in, but it can be the best decision to make until you can get some distance to think. Sometimes, however, you have to take a stand.

Stand Up for Yourself

Taking a stand for your position and letting the other person know the reasons for your actions can be very empowering. Sometimes we get in a pattern of allowing others to tell us who we are or have their say simply to avoid confrontation. We may let our wants and desires to take a back burner to those of someone else for any variety of reasons. If you're starting to feel that you've given too much, take a moment to contemplate what might happen if you stop giving in and start standing up for what you want and for your own rights. It's okay to do so, as long as you're not infringing on the rights of others or letting yourself feel out of control. No one likes to get to the point where they snap and say things out of frustration or anger. That's not helpful for you or for the other person involved. But it's more than okay to tell someone why you feel the way you do. It's good to set limits and inform them of what you'll tolerate and what you won't. Put some of the power back in your hands, and you'll feel worlds better. And stronger.

Live Your Life

If you've tried everything, and your interactions with the negative person haven't changed, try just living your life despite their influence. At least to the best of your ability. If the person causing you strife is your boss or someone else of heavy influence in your life, it's probably not feasible to just do what you want. However, you can move forward with your life in many ways and make proactive decisions that work for you and make you feel good. Let the other person have their feelings, do what they want. For lack of a better phrase, you just do you. Give it a try. I bet it'll feel great!

Know When to Let Them Go

All the self-help experts say get rid of toxic people. Purge them from your life. Sometimes that's just not very realistic. It's unlikely you can just quit your job on a whim, get a divorce without a thought about it or just cut a familly member out of your life for good. I get it. That's why I always try to implement the above strategies. But if you're hurting, really hurting. Or if your health is suffering or you just can't take anymore...You know what that last straw may be. Only you know. If you've determined that it's time, let that person go or at least take a break. Sometimes we have to do it for our own good. Sometimes we have to do it for those we love most.

I hope these tips have been helpful. I've learned some the hard way through personal experience. Others I've learned through my professional counseling background. Please feel free to share your best strategies for dealing with toxic, negative people in your life. Let's share, so we can live less stressful lives.

I love all things beauty related. Ever since I started wearing makeup in sixth grade, I've been a cosmetics addict. I write a lot about beauty here at Everyday Baby Steps. I've written beauty articles for other sites around the web. And one of my best gigs is blogging for a local salon where I receive salon services in exchange for my writing and social media management. Great trade, right?

I've often thought about going to beauty school. When I was younger, though, it wouldn't have been seen as a wise decision by my family. Not to mention the fact that I just don't think I'd be very gifted with a pair of shears. What I didn't know back then is there are so many different options in the cosmetology industry.

Nail artistry is a big one that really catches my interest. I love the creativity involved in choosing length, shape, colors and styles. The possibilities are endless. An option I was actually considering recently is becoming an esthetician. These beauty professionals do things like skin care, hair removal and massage. What an amazing job it would be to make people feel good for a living!

One day, when my kids are older and I have fewer responsibilities, I think my next career move may be in the field of beauty. Someday, I may even look into escuelas de cosmetologia en Miami. Did you know I was a Spanish major in college? I'd love to live in the warm, vibrant culture of Miami. Have you ever considered a career like cosmetology? What's your dream job, and where would you live?

Over the summer, I wrote a post about wanting a camera. Actually, the post was about a loved one who shot down my dream of owning a nice camera one day. It's been six months, and I still don't have that camera. But, truly, this has been a rough year financially. It doesn't mean I won't get that camera or that I'll give up on the idea of having that nice camera. What I realized is that I don't have to sacrifice my dreams, sacrifice living simply because something isn't attainable for me right now.

This realization hit me while scrolling the internet and seeing all the photographs my online friends were posting. I started seeing various hashtags and buzzwords that I was only vaguely familiar with. So I took some time to do a little research, ask around and lose myself in some fabulous blogs. I saw that people all over the world are participating in various online photo projects to share and document their lives, and I knew I wanted to get involved. Except I don't have that nice camera. Yeah, so what? I just upgraded my old iPhone to the iPhone 4, which has a pretty damn nice camera on it. Why shouldn't I be using that handy, convenient camera every chance I get? By the way, the phone cost me $20.51. Yep. I traded in my old phone at Target. If you're due for a new phone, I suggest checking their program out; they offer all the major carriers.

Back to my story, I have this awesome phone, and there are apps out there that will help transform your photos into works of art. There are also a number of blogs who have set up fun photo sharing projects for the year or by the month. I figured why not get involved? I did a bit more resarch and discovered some great tutorials and a free class that can help me use that iPhone camera to its fullest potential. For time's sake, I'm just going to list out the resources I've found so that you can get started on your photo journal project as well. By the way, here's my first picture of the year. They're cute when they're sleeping, aren't they?

Photo Journaling Projects

Photo a Day Challenge - I noticed on Instagram that many people were using the hashtag #JANphotoaday. So I had to check it out. What I found was the blog Fat Mum Slim, where Chantelle was issuing the challenge to photograph a different subject each day in January. I joined in a couple days late, but I'm loving the sharing that's going on. It's so fun to see what others are having for breakfast or what they adore in their lives.

Project 365 - This is the daily photo journaling and sharing project that, I believe, started it all. The site, in conjunction with the iPhone app, allow you to go back and see just what you did each day of the year. I'm not sure if I'll have the dedication to take part each and every day, but I sure intend to try!

Photo Apps

Instagram - This app makes taking photos fun and easy. You can transform your pictures by adding various filters and edits. Then share them with other Instagram users. I love it!

Project 365 - This app goes along with the daily photo journaling project of the same name. I just bought the pro version for .99. What's really cool about it is that it places your daily photos on a calendar that you can then print out or add to a website or blog. You can also send your photos instantly to flickr or other sharing site.

My January Project 365 so far

Classes/Tutorials

iPhone Photography Workshop through CreativeLIVE - Sign up here and sign up now because this class is tomorrow. So sorry for the short notice. This is a two-day workshop that's free to attend. They'll be discussing and demonstrating the best apps for iPhonoegraphy and teaching techniques to help you make the very most of your iPhone camera.Video will be available for purchase. It's $59 dollars pre-purchase, $79 after tomorrow.

How Did I Do That? Step by Step Solutions for Creative iPhone Photography - This PDF document by Cynthia Louden is so in-depth, but she gives screen shots and how to's that make it all doable. She really does show you step by step! I am amazed by the amount of information provided in this tutorial for free. I haven't read it all yet, but I will!

How to Organize Project 365 by Angry Julie Monday - Apparently, Julie tackled Project 365 last year and almost let her perfectionism take her over the edge. She gives great tips in this blog post on how to handle the daily task of documenting, storing and sharing photos without losing your mind. Thanks, Julie!

Top 7 Must-Have iPhoneography Apps - Zina of the blog, Develop, offers this fantastic post of what other apps will help to make your iPhone photography outstanding.

So what do you think? Have you taken part in any of these projects or used the tools mentioned here? Do you plan to jump on board this year? I'd love to hear your thoughts and tips. Happy photo taking!

It's a new year. Can you believe it? Where has the time gone? Seems like just yesterday that I was telling you all about the weight I lost - 23 pounds. However, it's been about 8 months, and I'm embarrassed to say that I put a great deal of that weight right back on. So when I was asked to participate in a project with Special K to get healthy for the new year, I didn't hesitate.

Weighing In

Special K has designated today National Weigh-In Day, a day to jump start positive conversation about weight loss for the coming year. Special K asks the question, "What will you gain when you lose?" I love that! What an amazing way to view the prospect of losing weight. While it true that losing weight is hard and takes a great deal of will power, I can tell you from experience that you gain a great deal from all the sacrifices. I gained a sense of accomplishment and pride, self-confidence, energy and the knowledge that I was modeling positive behavior for my kids. I hope to take this opportunity to start the year off right and gain back some of those things.

Special K Chocolatey Chip Cereal Bar - My morning snack today!

The Special K Challenge

While I hope to make 2012 the year I make healthy eating a priority and a way of life, I plan to use my "babysteps" philosophy by starting off small. I am going to take the Special K Challenge to jumpstart healthy eating habits and get the year started right. The Special K Challenge is a two-week program that can help you lose up to 6 pounds in two weeks.Consult your physician before starting any diet or exercise program.  Average weight loss when replacing meals with two cereal meals is 4.8 pounds.  Weight loss may vary. Average waist circumference reduction when replacing meals with two cereal meals is 1.3 inches. Weight loss may vary.

Special K has set up a special community on their website called My Special K where women can connect and encourage each other toward their goals. You can go here to get recipes and suggestions for your daily meals on the plan as well. There is a suggested meal plan each day, but easy swap suggestions are also given, so there's always variety and choice on the plan. The majority of the plan consists of Special K products with a sensible dinner suggested. This is great for me, as I have been a long-time Special K fan. Their Chocolatey Delight cereal is my very favorite. I love the idea of being able to eat healthy on the go with bars, shakes and snacks. I'm really looking forward to the next two weeks!

Looking Ahead

What are your goals for 2012? So many of us want to get healthy and lose weight. Let's work together to make it happen and to gain so many good things in our lives! I encourage you to join me or just feel free to check in with me and help keep me on track. Feel free to follow Special K on Facebook or Twitter if you'd like to follow the conversation.

I participated in this program through a partnership with TheMotherhood on behalf of Special K. I received product and supplies to complete the plan. All opinions and statements are based on my own opinion and experience.

Whew! Christmas is over. What takes such a big toll on your budget, you sanity and your time is blown away in a matter of minutes while the kids rip open their presents, scurry around searching madly for batteries and try to figure out their new toys without bothering to look at the damn book. All this with barely a "Thanks, Santa." But you know what? It's worth it. We had a very nice, small Christmas at home. The kids got what they wanted (Thank you, Grandma!), and I loved watching their faces light up and spending the morning just watching their excitement as they played with their new stuff.

That being said, I must confess that for the last couple months that I've been trying to work from home without the help of part-time daycare, I've nearly pulled my hair out on a daily basis. I gave up my two day a week sitter in an attempt to save money, and I'm beginning to wonder if I gave up my sanity with that decision. If you have kids, you know how expensive daycare can be. If you don't, you might be interested in this information on the costs or raising children. Playing blocks, watching endless pre-school TV and BEGGING Brady to, "Please, go potty." have just about sent me over the edge. Add that that the chaos that comes when the 10 and 13-year olds come home, and I'm usually ready for a drink by the time they're in bed. Except I'm too tired to get up and open the bottle. You see, Bil's started a new job. The pay is actually a bit less, but the benefits are better. The hours keep him away from afternoon until late. So this change in routine has taken a bit of a toll on mama.

But just the other day, I saw a post on Facebook that led me to a blog I had never visited before, Girl on Saturday. The post was about how poor Karen is now known as "Penis Mom" by the parents and teachers at her kids' school, but that it's okay because she took a stand against ridiculous gender stereotypes and was a role model for her kids. Karen is pretty cool. So cool, in fact, that I took a look at her other posts. Each one spoke to me and conveyed a lesson that I needed to learn or to be reminded of. I was especially moved by this post that gave life-changing advice on surviving the first few years of raising kids. Karen reminded me that, though parenting can certainly be mind-numbing, it can also be some of the best moments of your life. She emphasized what's important, and I intend to keep those things in mind when I'm thisclose to having my next breakdown. If you feel like you just can't take one more second of the mind-numbing routine that has become your life, please head over to read Karen's advice. I guarantee it will help you out.

A sorority sister of mine recently brought this young boy's story to my attention, and I just had to pass it along. Max is a 13-year old boy who is currently in the hospital fighting leukemia. When asked by a nurse what he wanted for Christmas, Max told her "I want to get 1 million Christmas cards." One million cards is an awful lot, but it's not a lot when you consider that it only takes a moment to drop a card in the mail.

My kids' grandparents lost a daughter to leukemia at the age of 5. She also wished to receive cards. Of course, there was no internet then. An aritcle was published in the local paper, and Valerie soon received an outpouring of cards. This kind of outreach means so much to a child who is ill and is separated from the outside world in the confines of a hospital. I know it made Valerie very happy.

So let's all pitch in and help Max get his Christmas wish. Just send your card to:

Mighty Max Low

c/o Greg and Bambi Low

P.O. Box 111

Neola, IA 51559

Visit the Facebook page set up for Max and send a wish as well. Happy holidays to you and yours!

Recently, I wrote about ways to treat yourself for free or inexpensively. I'd like to expand upon those ideas with some more suggestions because it truly is the main purpose of this blog to encourage moms to give as much to themselves as they do to their familieis. One of the quickest ways to begin to feel stressed and overwhelmed is to neglect yourself. Because it's in our nature to take care of those around us, it's easy for women to forget to take time for themselves. Here are some more ideas for ways you can pamper yourself without spending a lot of money.

Ways to Find Free Time and Enhance Your Life

We are all unique individuals with interests and activities that are separate from our families and our work. But in order to tend to our own identities, we need to find some time. That can be the most difficult thing of all to do. Whether it's time to hang out with friends, engage in a hobby, read a book or just take a bubble bath, alone time is an absolute necessity when it comes to finding fulfillment. Try these strategies to carve out a little "me time."

• Make "me time" a priority. The first thing you have to do in order to carve out some time for yourself is to make a commitment to yourself. If you don't feel you deserve the time, it will never happen. Give yourself permission to take some time just for you.
• Communicate your needs. You'll want to be sure to tell your loved ones that you need time for yourself and explain to them why it's important to you. If they are aware of your needs, they will be more likely to give you some alone time.
• Put it in your scheudle. Actually write down time in your planner each day or throughout the week to increase the likelihood that you'll take the time for you. Treat these moments as you would any other appointment or obligation.
• There are tons of things you can do for yourself that cost little or no money at all. Here are some ideas: wake up early to enjoy your coffee or tea in silence, take a bubble bath with a magazine and a glass of wine, put your headphones on and just chill, call a friend to chat, take a walk to clear your head, read a book to unwind before bed, watch a chick flick, exercise to a video or Wii game, schedule a girls' get together. The possibilities are endless. You just have to allow yourself to commit, then sit down and figure out how to enjoy your time.
• Take a class or just learn something new. One of the best ways to get back to you is to focus on intellectual or spiritual development. Take a class at your local college. Many offer low-cost adult ed courses that cover a variety of topics. You can even learn something new online without leaving your home. Top colleges and universities even offer free courses online. A little research and due diligence is all it takes to find just the right learning opportunity for you.

So what are your ideas for making time for yourself? I'd love to hear them. Let's brainstorm together!