Is it just me, or is the only "me time" a mom gets just before the household rises and just after the "kids" go to sleep!?!
I truly appreciate everything my mom did for us ten fold now!
I always appreciated her, however, once you have your own child, nothing else can quite explain the feeling it can give you once you look into those beautiful eyes!!
I have never been so tired, yet so fulfilled in my whole life!!
It can be quite a transition though, going from the independant career woman to a stay at home mom who works from home.  No more flying out every week to a new lecture, consulting job or even time to get a manicure... What is that again?!?  Ha!HA!
I would NEVER trade the rewards for ANYTHING in the whole world though!!!!!  I am just kinda at the point of gettin it all in true perspective, if you know what I mean!!
Now that my son is 2 yr. old, I have made it through the trenches (I hope, so far anyway!) and have realized the best way for me to be a role model for him is to be true to myself.  If my Joey sees mommmy doing things that are not totally revolving around him, I hope he will take interest in them and have it open some new doors for him.  I really felt guilty at the thought of taking a few hours a week to meet w/my friend to do scrapping but, then the first time I went, I realized that nurturing MY soul by doing a hobby that I enjoyed and it was just what I needed.  If you have had kids, you know what I mean...ADULT CONVERSATION!!!  My husband works about 60 hr. a week and it is just too easy to get lost in the "day to day" stuff.  Especially considering he comes home after 10pm most eves!  It can be overwhelming at times!  
Scrapping is the first thing that has given me a sense of myself back if you can understand that...  I sometimes have felt like I totally put myself on the backburner and put my son and husband first.  It is ok, except for the fact I feel like I have forgotten that I am still on the "backburner" too often!
I needed an outlet, so to speak, and I hope that scrapping can give me that lil extra "me time" that we ALL need.  Not to mention I feel the memories I am preserving for my family are priceless!  I believe that would be called a "win win" situation in the corporate world-ha!ha!
Am I the only one who feels this way, or is scrapping your way to find yourself again too, while doing something that can carry on for generations (hopefully!)?!?  The pictures of our life are some of our MOST precious possesions, and I can think of no better way to preserve them than scrapping for MYSELF & MY FAMILY!!!
Thanks for reading, I would love to know why YOU started to scrap...
Maria   :0)

My me time is in the morning before my husband rises. LOL.  I know I have it all day while he too, works on average 60-75 hours per week but those hours are spent working Simply Scrapping.  I feel so blessed in how this has blossomed and expanded.
Working from home has its perks and of course its down sides. Like today is the first time at 2m I was able to get on line. Our modem was down. I was so frustrated as I have to rely on that machine that sits underneath my desk.  I kept looking for the green steady light that was to appear, meaning I could get on line and all I say was black.  
I did made my goal list for the day and I am going to have to work extremely hard if I can accomplish all 5 things on my list.
I understand about me time.  Over 10 years ago, I was given a gentleness project to do for myself.  It was during a time when I was not feeling like there was anytime for me.  Single parent, 3 jobs, and on and on.  I manage to take an hour if not 3 on each Friday for myself.  I have too, or I would be drained with nothing left to give.  I think spending time with your friend scrapping is the perfect Gentleness project for yourself.  Since I work from home the interaction with women/friends is so minimal. I have lived here in DC 5 years now and can count to two of the ladies that I have lunch with.  The internet serves as my social circle and I know I am not alone in this one.   I met Aldean this way and we have become good friends like all of you.  Well now that I see the steady green light and my computer is still up and running I better take advantage of the time and get to my customers. (I started to scrap because I have a love for crafts, a passion for design (Interior Dceorating)which I can use here and wanting to have something that my daughters can have as a memory of my time with our grandchildren and them.  Have a super day!  

--Last edited by simplyscrapping on 2007-03-28 08:02:46 --

My family is also why I started scrapping. I was helping put together a big family reunion and I kept running across pictures that were just not taken care of. I was determined to not let mine become that way. I am still so far behind but I will prevail.
Judy I love ya girl!!

I just went to my first crop last night and it was GREAT!!!!
I am hooked already!  Everyone loved all of the new goodies I had, so I passed out a few cards for them to check out your lots!
Thank you so much for doing what you do!!!!! I needed an outlet, as I too work at home and have minimal "adult" contact.  My 2 year old is awesome but he just can't take the place of friends and plain old girl talk!  I can also relate to having technical problems with all of this computer stuff nowadays!  I actually tried to go online to  balance our bank account and it said the service was under repair... I didn't realize how much I rely on the online banking until a lil bit ago I hope I saved all my receipts! (ha!ha!)
 I have so many ideas now,  and a lot of great materials to work with, now it is just a matter of taking the ME time I so desperately need.  I like what you said about your Fri. time, I think I will do the same as my husband is off Fri. and it is a good day to break away... Not to mention that is the crop night at our local store!!!
Take Care!
Maria   :0)

I soooo hear you girls!  I also was a "working" mom the first 3 years of my oldest son's life.  Then I met my husband, now we have 3 kids and i've been home for almost 7 years.  My husband also works a lot and is also trying to get his own business started at the same time, so that mabey he won't have to work so much forever!
I can really relate to scrapping to find yourself and your time.  It's really the only time I do something for myself, even though I also see it as being done for my family.  Being at home for so long I really don't have any girlfriends that I hang out with so it is nice to chat with girls that share a passion for scrapbooking and creating.  I too sometimes feel like I haven't spoken with an adult in years!  But, my youngest is turning 2 this summer and my daughter starts kindergarten in the fall and my oldest will be in 5th grade!  It does go by fast, even though sometimes it doesn't seem fast enough...when it goes you wish it was back
I just want to enjoy the next 3 years I have at home with my little guy before everyone's at school and work again and we can only hang out after 3pm!

Judy, I am already incredibly greatful for the many services you are providing. When my son was born, my circle of friends changed. The fun Married/Dating couples we were once close with started to pull away from us. They just didn't understand what it was like to be a mom. They tried but grew impatient because the relationships no longer revolved around us but my son. And there wasn't anything we could do about it. I had to try to find some new friends. Baby group was okay but i found that your financial status determined where you fit in in the group. I was the youngest and the wealthiest and the women CLUNG to me and it drove me crazy. I eventually befriended the oldest mother there. She showed me a scrapbook of her wedding and asked if i had ever done it. Thus my little little light bulb lit up. I then met another woman who's parenting skills and kids i did not like, but as a woman i relly enjoyed her. She was selling Close To My Heart at the time. So we would get together and scrap a lot. She taught me some awesome techniques. She stopped selling and moved away. She gave me a ton of her stuff before she left so i could keep going. I didn't do any scrapboking for quite some time. Then i was fooling around on ebay and found one of Judy's lots. Then I checked out the store, and joined the forum. I then scrapped 40 pages and had to order my first lot which will be here any day now. I feel so blessed to have found this community. I love me time, however, i get a lot. I need it but i get lonely and find myself starved for real converstion. My son is 22 months old and talks better than most girls do at 2 and a half. His vocabulary skills are out of this world advanced. But he still throws a little alien into his sentences here and there. My circle of friends is very small and consists mainly of family. I am not going back to work. I dont think anyone is good enough to raise my kids other than myself. But we can also afford it. My husband has two jobs that dont even allow "Date Time". He is a realtor, a very passionate and devoted one, and a financial planner. So, needless to say, he gives everything to his clients to protect them and to keep them stable. His phone never stops. So, i get a lot done around the house. I couldn't be happier but i still miss that conversation.
Wow...listen to me go...can you tell im starved for conversation? lol... look at me look at me !!
Well i will stop there for right now. But thank you Judy. And thank you to all who are involved in this community .
Cheers!
Cassandra