I suffer from a terrible affliction that many moms like me suffer from. The symptoms vary from woman to woman and can present themselves differently and at any given moment. This awful thing I suffer from is called...Mommy guilt.

Yes, Mommy guilt is a terrible, terrible thing to suffer from. I want to be with my toddler all the time. I don't ever like being away from her. I don't want to miss out on any moments of her life. I want to be there to soak up all those precious moments and keep them imprinted in my memory and on my heart.

Having to teach again poses a problem in this "wanting to be with my daughter all the time" thing. It means that I am not with her all the time. I  have to work. I have to prepare for lessons, plan, correct homework, etc. Then I have to come home and divide my time with toddler and household chores. The farm is demanding, the household chores are demanding, the toddler is demanding.

I get burnt out and need a few moments to myself to regroup and recharge my batteries. Like many moms know, this is a challenge. I go to Zumba classes and soon rehearsals for the play will resume. I try to do things for me every now and then. That's when the Mommy guilt hits.

However, the time has come that I now realize just how important time for myself is. One of my best friends told me, "All you need is once a month. Promise me that you will go out, do something for yourself, get your hair styled, get a manicure, go shopping for yourself...just once a month. That's all it takes. Once a month."

Thus came the birth of Girls' Night. My sista friend, Artsy Teacher Mom and I decided to plan a girls' night and invite all the moms we know who could use a break. We work hard, we take care of our families, we're exhausted, and some moms are at home with children all day and never get to leave the house.

We hosted our first Girls' Night at my house last night and it was a huge success! Artsy Teacher Mom also hosted a Silpada party since we had the girls there. We had two blenders going with Margaritas, Pina Coladas, and Strawberry Daiquiris. There was wine and non-alcoholic drinks as well. The spread was pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. Artsy Teacher Mom and I are all about serving our guests scrumptious and delectable food. I think the show stopper was the Ultimately Chocolate cake bombs!

It was a fabulous evening. The energy from the women in attendance was amazing. I haven't laughed so hard in ages! I can say that I felt recharged, rejuvenated, uplifted, and fantastic. The party was such a huge success, that Artsy Teacher Mom and I are planning on hosting a girls' night once a month. Each month will have a different theme. Next up is facials and the month after we'll be making our own bath bombs out of Epsom salt and essential oils!

When I opened my e-mail this morning, my inbox was inundated with an overwhelming number of messages thanking us for the amazing night. All the women said that it was something that they needed and were looking forward to the next get together.

I am so glad we did this! And, I don't feel the least bit guilty.

P.S. Hubby, my ESL student, and Little One were sent over to Artsy Teacher Mom's house for the evening. Along with The Carpenter's Wife's husband and Artsy Teacher Mom's husband, the men had their "men's night"... and took care of the kids!







No photos of the party, since I was too busy hosting! :)

This blog entry is cross-posted over here.