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!

I ran away from home last night.  For three glorious hours.  Christmas Break had gotten to me, and I was at my breaking point.  Thank goodness I have a wonderful husband who encouraged me to just go.  Forget the meatloaf I was going to make for dinner.  Forget the dishes in the sink.  Go.

And that's what I did.  Wish I could say I did something exciting and fun.  I didn't.  I went to Target and to TJMaxx.  Not thrilling, but oh so necessary.  I had Pizza Hut for dinner and leisurely strolled around the stores.  I bought socks for the kids and took the Christmas money my father-in-law gave me and bought a beautiful red leather laptop bag for myself.  I guess that's pretty exciting.

Also exciting is that fact that I won a new Toshiba laptop!  I can't believe I forgot to blog about it.  I won it in a fabulous contest from Family Eden, the social networking site for families I blog for.  It hasn't arrived yet, but I'm waiting with baited breath.

Not a bad start to the new year, I'd say.  I've got some more good news, that I will share in an upcoming post.  It has to do with a couple of blogging jobs I've recently received.  Things are really moving along for me.

Despite the good things that are happening in my life, and despite the fact that I love my little angels, I still needed to get away for a bit.  I'm usually the evangelist for mommy "me time" and for pampering ourselves.  I'm not sure why I've neglected taking my own advice, but I intend to work on that in the upcoming year.  Have you ever "run away from home"?