Mamas

There are few things I consider myself an expert in, but truth be told: if recharging one’s energy with littles underfoot were an Olympic sport (missed opportunity, Greece), I like to think my sister Lara would take home a gold.

Whatever you call it: grandparenting, retiring, mama breaks, “GG” time — it can all feel so, so elusive when you’ve got young kids. More often than not, the moment you’ve found yourself sitting on the sofa with a good book is the moment your children have realized the kitchen faucet sprayer makes for an excellent fireman’s hose.

And so, if you’re in the trenches (or drenches, mothers of said firemen), here are a few photos of Lara with her newest grand-twins to infuse your day with a few exhales here and there.

Small Step No. 7

A Simple Trick

There’s a marketing rule that, to encourage impulse purchases in consumers, desirable products should be neatly organized at eye level, preferably of a toddler. Make it eye-catching, make it obvious. Make it impossible to ignore.

And this is why I’ve stopped placing my phone on the car console.

It was eye-catching. It was obvious. It was impossible to ignore, all too easy to impulse grab. My phone now happily sits in my purse, pinging and flashing to no one at all.

And so, a small reminder for myself, instead:

Place an open book on the kitchen counter.

I’ve been reading through books over and over and over again, and I’ve found that I’ll return to it more often throughout the day if it’s already open, already inviting — right there out in the open, right where my brain has trained itself to seek out my phone.

It’s the simplest shift that has proved to be a more useful, more productive resting place for my eyes – and my soul.