Me time is always hard for me. I have always been so caught up with doing things with the girls or with Brady that sometimes, I push aside that much needed me time to continue the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Work, work, more work, and then sleep and get up and do it all again tomorrow.  I’d forgotten how to have fun in my regular day to day life.  I’m now on a mission to start bringing back fun into my life!

What did I even do for fun for me?  If I add more fun in my life, will it help me unwind easier?  Rest is important, but fun can be a part of that!

We all need to remember how to have fun again. Everyone can get so caught up in life and their to do lists that we forget about a to do list that is FUN!

For Brady and me, we needed dates nights that were not just going out to dinner.  We needed to go and be active, go out on the town, enjoy and make time for fun! One of the reasons we wanted to be healthier and feel good was to be able to have more fun and do more active things together.  It was not so we could just work. Rest and Fun are just as big a part of better health as exercise and nutrition.

It was time to start practicing what I was preaching.

The first step was to make a Top 10 List of things that bring me joy and do more of them.  (I told you I love my lists!)

My Top 10:

1. Dancing

Dancing brings me joy!  I wanted more dance in my life.

• Brady and I met on the dance floor in college and used to love going two-stepping. We are going to get our boots back on and go dancing!
• We also signed up for ballroom dance lessons through the parks and rec department. The next 8 weeks we get to dance together on Monday nights.  I plan to find places for us to use our skills once the class is over.  I love dancing with my guy.  It definitely brings me joy.
• I also love dance exercise classes. An hour in Zumba goes by so quickly.  I plan to go to more Zumba classes!

2. Cooking

I have loved to cook for as long as I remember.  I don’t like complicated recipes, but simple ones.  As we have learned more about what foods are inflammatory, I’ve enjoyed revamping some of our favorite recipes to make them healthier.  With a less hectic schedule, I have more time to experiment and try new recipes.  You can watch my weekly recipes HERE.

3. Reading

I LOVE to read!  I remember summers as a child.  One of my favorite things to do was sit on the porch swing at my great aunts and read.  I can’t go to sleep at night unless I read a chapter of a book.  Reading takes me on an adventure and brings me great joy.  I also love reading self-improvement books (but not before bed).

This year I want to read and savor the books more, so my goal is to read less business/ self-help and more books just for fun.

(One of my favorite authors is Robyn Carr.  Her Virgin River series is the what the Netflix series was based on.)

4. Spending time with my daughters

I dreaded my girls growing up and leaving the house.  Even though I miss them terribly, I’ve come to realize how fun adult kids can be too.  I enjoy doing things with the girls and laughing with them.  Over the last two years,  I’ve gotten to travel with each of them.  I enjoy shopping with them, taking exercise classes with them, playing games with them, and cooking with them.  I love spending time with them because they are all 3 amazing fun people.

5. Play cards and games

One thing we did in college a lot is play cards.  The last several nights the girls were home we played cards together.  I’d forgotten how much I enjoy the laughing and playing together.  We played NERTS which is a fast-paced game that you have to focus the whole time.  It helps me stay in the moment.  No one has a chance to look at their phones except between rounds.

Our family also loves a good active game like charades.  (Grandparents, aunts, uncles, & cousins too!) I hope we have more family game nights.  I also plan to make more time for Brady and me to play cards.

6. Live theater

I have a confession.  I’m not a big movie person.  If I see 5 movies at the theater in a year, that’s a lot.  I only like happy, funny, sweet, or rom-com movies.  That’s obviously not what sells so they’re not many of them.  I do love musicals and live theater.  I want to find chances to go see more live shows.  When I went to New York with Katelynn and our friends, we got to see Wicked and Mean Girls.  Both were so fun in different ways.  I come out excited and full of joy!  I want more of that!

7. Time with friends and family

I always enjoying catching up with friends and my family over a dinner or lunch.  So I making time for more lunches with my girlfriends, more dinner parties, and more traveling to visit friends. We have started a new church and hope to meet new friends there as well.  I plan for our social life to grow outside of just seeing our friends at kids’ events.

8. Running/ walking listening to podcasts.

I love podcasts.  I listen to a variety of them.  They help give me ideas, help me think of other things, and energize me.  If I’m stressed or even tired, walking or running with a good podcast can totally help me.  At the time it might be the last thing I want to do.  As soon as I’m out the door though, it starts to help and by the time I’m back home I feel so glad I did it.  It might sound weird, but it does bring me joy!

9. Serving

I also get fired up by helping people.  This year I hope to get the pleasure of coaching more people to find their path to better health and a more fulfilling life.  I love showing them how it’s not as hard as they thought.

 I also want to find ways to volunteer again.  (Starting slow, since I tend to end up in charge and quickly overloaded.) I still love mentoring teenagers even though I retired as youth director.  This summer I plan to go to church camp again with Taylor.  Brady is going to join us this time!

10. Finally, more laughter!

My family is a big source of laughter.  They can make me laugh.  Our extended family dinners are fun when we play games.  I want to find more things that make me let my guard down and Laugh!

Find what excites you and gives you energy and make more time for that!

Come up with a list of at least 10 things you could do that bring you joy.  When you’ve been busy with your head down raising kids and working, it might be hard at first to come up with a list.  Your focus has been just getting that to-do list done.  Your first instinct might be sleep.  Yes, sleep brings me joy. But it’s the awake hours that need incorporation of fun.

So, think back to your younger days.  What did you enjoy doing?  Was there a sport or a hobby you did that you’ve let drop for lack of time or energy?

What is your top ten list?  How often are you doing them?  Make time in your life for things that you enjoy and have fun doing! You are worth it!