Hello mamas and papas and Happy Holidays. From the onset, our focus here at CloudMom has been on taking care of babies and kids. For sure, we parents need to do right by our kids. Yet when we concentrate solely on our children’s needs, we neglect our own well-being. This year’s Holiday Giveaway centers on the topic of self-care. First, we’ll discuss how to take care of ourselves. Then, we present a package of luxurious gifts that will pamper, re-energize, beautify (both body and home) and adorn one very special mama. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that mama is YOU.

Why taking care of yourself is important?

Taking care of yourself matters since when you’re feeling rested, healthy, strong and embraced by a larger community of friends and family, you’re a better parent. When you’re tired, worn-out, and feeling gross and lonely, you simply can’t emit the abundant amounts of loving, tender, patience that children require.

Drained and depleted, we snap, we growl, and we lament. None of these actions will help you out during a day with your kids; in fact, they’ll only bring the energy in your home down. If, instead, you’re enlivened, inspired, refreshed and nourished by time spent eating healthy food, reading, listening to music, or chatting with close family members and good friends, you have a storehouse of goodness to tap into and delve out to your kiddos.

So with all that said, here are ten tips for the Holidays (yes, for the holidays, not for New Year’s) and then on to our fabulous prizes.

Ten Ways to Take Care of Yourself as a Mom

Exercise. Exercising is crucial for your physical and mental health. The problem is finding time for it, especially when you have a young child and work within or outside the home. So how do you fit exercise in? When walking down the street or up the stairs is an option, grab that choice. Invest in a yoga mat and while watching TV, get down there and do some sit-ups, downward dog, stretches and push ups. If possible, make a “walk date” with a friend or hit a class together. Every little bit counts and each time you find the time for exercise, you are investing in your long term health as well as in your parenting. See your Friends. We all tend to isolate ourselves when kids come around, especially since getting out for meals or movies requires so much organization and expense. Nevertheless, find a way to see your friends, whether that be with or without kids in tow. Aim low and suggest a meet-up in the park or a local coffee house, a “stop by” when you can’t think about serving more mouths for dinner, or a picnic lunch. It’s not the food, it’s the time spent connecting, sharing and supporting that will keep your spirits high. See the Right Friends. Avoid anyone negative, passive-agressive, or competitive — those who make you question yourself or feel insecure. Seek out positive, optimistic, warm, kind and funny friends who lift you up. Call family members. As moms, things tend to pile up and overwhelm us, making us feel stressed. Try to call one family member per day, even when you only have five minutes. You’ll feel more connected and fewer guilt-trips will be swung back at you. Eat well. Eating well should not be a resolution but rather a way of life. Fill your fridge and cupboards with healthy things: nuts, low sugar granola bars, dried or fresh fruit, whole grain crackers, raw vegetables, and lean fish and meats. Consider making fresh sauces and soups that you can serve for a few later days to make week-day eating simpler. Watch the drinking. There is no more seductive habit than downing a few glasses of wine each night, especially when you’re celebrating your kids being snuggled in their beds. Yet you want to watch this. Drinking will dehydrate you, awaken you in the night, and leave you less fulfilled because time you can spend reading and catching up on things at night won’t be as productive. Aim for one glass a day and if that’s challenging, try to get into a good pattern such as drinking a glass or two every other day or only on weekends. Plan fun things with your kids. Too often, we fall into the routine of homework and activities and we stop making the memories. Years later, you’ll remember movies you saw, special meals you concocted, or adventures you planned. Make time for this. You won’t remember the daily grind, but you’ll remember the moments during which you stepped off this treadmill. Plan fun things with a sweetie. Whether this be your husband, partner or a special friend, get some quality adult time into the picture whether by way of a home movie, meal, or coffee, tea or drink out on the town. Get gussied up. Moms tend to resort to the quickest, easiest attire, with hair in a ponytail and make-up zipped away into the toiletry bag rather than applied. That’s fine when you’re in the trenches, but the longer this goes on, the yickier you feel. Even if it’s only several times a week, take the time to do your hair, put some lipstick on, and get dressed! You won’t believe how much better your day goes when you invest in your appearance. Read the paper. One of my biggest failings as a parent is my tendency to get so absorbed in what I am doing that I stop learning about current events. If I can manage to take even ten minutes a day to read about what’s going down in Washington, with the environment or abroad, I feel stimulated, more connected to the world, and frankly, I feel like a more interesting person to talk to. Reading the paper also leads to cool chats with your pals. Once your kids are old enough, start retelling the bits you can so that they grow into concerned citizens.

So, mamas, how’s that for taking care of YOU. Enter, share, breathe, enjoy, live and never forget to take care of yourself.

Happy Holidays from CloudMom!

Love,

Melissa

The 2018 CloudMom Holiday

Voilá! Ten tips and now our amazing prizes — which total (YES!) $1315 in retail value.

Prizes: The One thousand, three hundred and fifteen dollar prize package includes:

Helen Ficalora Sterling Silver Alphabet Charm with letter of YOUR choice on a Sterling Silver 18″ Fine Chain. (ARV $120). I adore the personal charm of Helen Ficolara. This initial can be your child’s.

Onzie Yoga Wear $200 gift card. Our lovely, loyal sponsor Onzie is offering a $200 gift card. Onzie’s modern, comfortable, sleek and funky clothes will take you from a morning workout through the rest of your day.

Frames by Tara Wilson Designs. Frames sized at 8 x 10, 8 x 8, 4 x 6, and 2.5 x 3.5 (Combined ARV $295). These high-quality lucite frames will present your photos in a classic yet modern look that goes well with any decor./

Amazon $50 gift card. And finally, for that little something that still hovers on your shopping list, an oh-so-usable Amazon gift card.

Givont hat (ARV $650)



Rules:

Enter using the Gleam widget below.

Open to U.S readers.

You must be 18 or older to enter.

You have multiple ways you can enter to increase your chances of winning.

ways you can enter to increase your chances of winning. The giveaway ends on Tuesday, January 1, 2019, at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time).

Winner will be announced on the widget below within 48 hours after the giveaway has ended.

2018 Holiday Giveaway

