Recharge with a Momcation and the all-new Kindle

Thank you Amazon for sponsoring this post. Where will adventure take you and your Kindle device this summer?

Being a mom is hard. There’s no doubt about that. Sometimes you need to step away and recharge. One of my favorite ways to do that is with a great book. The all-new-Kindle makes it easy to enjoy a book, no matter where you are.

I have 6 kids and work from home full-time. That does not leave a lot of time for relaxing.

This year has been a hard one for my family. Our schedule has been nuts and as my kids have gotten older, they have been going a million different directions (and need me to drive them there).

Finding ways to relax has been a challenge.

Earlier this year I found myself worn-out and completely exhausted. I realized that I wasn’t using the downtime that I had in ways that recharged me. For me, a great book always helps me escape.

I’ve been making a point to use the time that I have more effectively and to make sure that I get at least a few minutes every day to escape and get lost in a great book. I’ve been making sure that my Kindle is always in my purse so it is ready and waiting for me when I get a few spare moments. Plus I don’t have to constantly carry a charger with me because the Kindle battery life last weeks.

The all-new Kindle is Amazon’s most affordable e-reader and the first Kindle with an adjustable front light for under $100. I LOVE how lightweight it is also. It makes it so much easier to hold during long reading sessions.

It even comes with three months of Kindle Unlimited included for free so you can enjoy unlimited access to millions of titles for your summer reading. With Kindle Unlimited, it’s easy to try out new genres and authors too.

As soon as my all-new Kindle showed up on my doorstep, I was dying to sneak away to read. The problem is … a crazy house with 6 kids makes it hard to find a quiet space to do anything.

How to plan the perfect a pretty great momcation

Life gets hectic and chaotic and being at my best means I need to take a breath every once in a while.

That’s where a momcation can come into play. You’ve heard of a staycation, right? A momcation is basically the same thing … except without kids. You can sneak away for the night, the day, or just a few hours.

I like to sneak away to a hotel by myself once a year to regroup, read in peace, and set some goals for the next few months. When that isn’t possible, I’ll sneak away for the afternoon.

There are some tricks for making sure your momcation leaves you feeling recharged:

Learn what recharges you. Sometimes the things we do to relax are not the things that help us regroup. My go-to is watching T.V. but that often leaves me feeling just as stressed out as when I started so that’s out. It takes some trial and error to figure out what really recharges you but once you know what those things are it makes it much easier to reset when you need to. For me, it’s reading, getting outside in nature, and goal setting ( … cause I’m a bit of a nerd). While someone else may feel relaxed after doing something active like boating, hanging out with friends, or running, I need the silence. And that’s okay.

Find what works for you. Be honest with yourself. Sometimes we want certain things to recharge us but they genuinely don’t. Go with what you need as an individual.

Pay attention to the signs that you need a break. Sometimes I can go weeks without setting aside time to recharge. Others, I struggle and need to practice a bit more self-care. If you catch yourself feeling grumpy with your kids, not being excited by work, or just feeling more tired than usual, you probably need to step away.

This month has been insanely busy for my family. School is ending for the summer, my daughter broke her leg, and work is crazy. I knew I was going to need a break by the end of the month. I’ve taken every opportunity I could to sneak away and catch my breath from all the crazy, and I have a trip planned with just my daughters as soon as school is out.

Give yourself a chance to look forward to it. I’ve found that half the fun of taking a break is looking forward to it. If I’m spending the night away at a hotel, I like to plan it long in advance so I can look forward to it. It makes getting through a hard stretch of chaos so much easier knowing that I have a moment to step away and breathe at the end of it.

Of course, this goes back to understanding what works for you. If you would rather sneak away for a spontaneous trip because the surprise is what helps you feel recharged, do that. For me, having that break to look forward to helps the weeks leading up to it go smoother.

Find a beautiful view. No matter what I am doing, I find that it is so much more relaxing if I have a beautiful view while doing it. I’m lucky to live somewhere that has beautiful views almost everywhere I turn. As a work at home mom, I spend so much of my time inside in front of my computer so just getting outside, getting some fresh air, and enjoying the view really helps me to feel more grounded.

Give yourself permission. So many of the things that dictate how we spend our time as moms come from outside of us. We have to pick up something for the school fundraiser. We have to get something finished for work. We have to make sure all the kids get fed before they raid the pantry for snacks. Taking a momcation means giving yourself permission … to do anything you want. If that means throwing the entire plan out the window, that’s fine. We can get out of practice listening to our own needs. Stepping away (for however long) gives you a chance to listen to what you really need without all the noise.

I may not be able to sneak away for an extended period of time right now, but I love the chance I get to sneak away for short breaks. My all-new Kindle helps me get out of my own head and get lost in a book and I am so looking forward to taking advantage of Kindle Unlimited that comes with it throughout the summer.

To learn more about the all-new Kindle go here.