SAY GOODBYE TO STRESS WITH THE HAPPY HOUR EFFECT

I am in desperate need of The Happy Hour Effect!
My family drives me nuts.
Most evenings I wish my toddler would just go away.
I sometimes wish my husband wasn’t so needy.
I have lost track of me and what makes me tick.
The evenings when Daddy Michael doesn’t come straight home from work are painful; so, so painful.

As I sit here and reflect on The Happy Hour Effect, at 7:30PM, Michael is stressing me out as he fusses up a storm. Daddy Michael is indulging in ‘him time’, as he should, and I am trying my hardest to remain calm towards my child. You see, working at home while playing mom is a lot of work. Daddy Michael thinks it is all sunshines and rainbows when he plays mom… once a month, but doing it every day will wear down your soul. Of course, until you find your balance, your homeostasis, as Kristen Brown puts it.

You have no idea Some of you might know how difficult it is to admit you need to GET AWAY from your child. I have tears in my eyes I write so don’t take this as a confession of not wanting to be a mom. Take it more as an admission that I am far from Wonderwoman and I have faults. Sure my site is called is called Horrible Housewife, but there are many more layers to this stinky onion. (I totally need to take a shower right now.)

“ADMIT YOUR OWN FAULTS AND WEAKNESSES AND MOVE FORWARD WITH A FRESH START.” THE HAPPY HOUR EFFECT

It is now 8:15PM, Daddy Michael is home demanding dinner that hasn’t fully thawed out while Michael is whining because Daddy Michael set him down. This is a perfect example of my breaking point. I have little to no desire to talk to anyone when I get to this point, I just shut down. He went to get a pizza for dinner because I wouldn’t answer him. I need The Happy Hour Effect in the worst way. 

Reading The Happy Hour Effect has made me realize just how much I need ‘me time’, I need to get out of the house and be alone. I need to let go of the resentment I have because he isn’t stuck, yes I said stuck, at home with a toddler all day, without an escape. He goes to school, goes to work, talks to adults, and even is part of groups. I need to find MY balance. I need The Happy Hour Effect so I can be happy.

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“IT ISN’T A BOOK YOU READ ONCE AND THEN PUT ON THE SHELF. LIFE IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION.” THE HAPPY HOUR EFFECT

Today I spent my time reading The Happy Hour Effect WHILE playing with Michael. (You know a mom is experienced when she can read a book and play with her child at the same time. ;)) Then I used his naptime to fill out my Stress Turnaround Life Map and the 12 secrets that were associated with The Happy Hour Effect.

I will succeed at this New Year’s resolution.
I will find my balance.
I will be a better wife.
I will be a better mom.
I will be a better blogger.
I am determined.

I could seriously go on and on about each detail I took away from The Happy Hour Effect, but this post would end up being a mile long and I know you don’t want that. I should be able to sum up what I learned and still keep your attention, I hope. (I promise this housewife isn’t typically this serious.)

The top 5 things I feel the most inspired/energized by are:

1. Blogging for Horrible Housewife.
2. Being a Campaing Leader for Collective Bias®.
3. Going to the gym.
4. My online BFFs.
5. Knowing that I am getting a new camera and going to conferences this year.

The top 5 things that stress me out the most are:

1. Having Multiple Sclerosis.
2. Lack of time.
3. My student loan debt.
4. Needing a new computer.
5. Maintaining Mallery’s Deals.

What did I learn from The Happy Hour Effect?

• My only favorite hobby is going to the gym.
  • When I get busy I don’t go to the gym because it is the easiest thing to cut out of my day. Then I become bloated and unhappy with my body because I stress eat. Which leads to more stress because I am stressed that I’m not going to the gym and getting fat. The bottom line… the gym is going in my calendar and isn’t leaving because I am too busy.
• My top financial goals are getting a new camera and attending two conferences this year.
  • This is a double edged sword for a couple of reasons. My top financial goals are included in the top 5 things that energize me so you know they mean a lot to me. These goals are also very expensive, therefore, doubling as a stressor. Accomplishing my financial goals will make me a better blogger, strengthen the relationships with my online BFFs, etc. These goals HAVE TO HAPPEN for my peace of mind.
• The part of the day I feel is the most chaotic is the evening.
  • Michael starts to get bored playing with me in the evening. I start to feel the pressure that comes with my daily deadlines and don’t want to pay attention to Michael anymore. Daddy Michael comes home wanting attention and dinner. I definitely feel like I am spread too thin at the end of the day.
• I have to disagree with the job portion of this book because I LOVE MY JOB.
  • I love everything about blogging, leading/helping others, building relationships, etc. I adore the friends I have made. I enjoy the companies I work for. I wouldn’t trade my job for anything in the world! Kristen Brown asks what my dream job is and to that I answer, blogging with the opportunity to eventually work for the company I hold so dear to my heart. (Shush! You have to let me be serious and sappy in this post!)

The Happy Hour Effect has opened my eyes and answered my questions to the struggles I have been dealing with on a daily basis. I am handing The Happy Hour Effect off to Michael so he can complete all of the tasks and we can talk about what we learned. I predict that we will come out of this with a much stronger relationship…

“I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  I received a copy of The Happy Hour Effect in order to facilitate my review. All opinions and pictures are my own. #cbias #SocialFabric”

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