We like to play board games as a family and with other couples. We don’t do it nearly as much as we would like to. Our favorite resource for games is

MindwareOnline.org
1-800-999-0398
Request a free catalog.
They let you know what won the following awards:
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio (and Platinum) Awards
Dr. Toy Top 10 Game Awards
Mensa Select/Mensa Top 5 Best Games Awards
Parents Choice (Gold and Silver) Awards
Learning Magazine Teacher’s Choice Award
Creative Child Magazine Top Educational Toy Award
iParenting Media Award
National Association of Parenting Publications Award
National Parenting Center Seal of Approval
Toy Testing Council U.S. Game of the Year Award
Games Magazine Best Game Award

The list is endless.

Walmart, Toys R Us, and Rainbow Resource Center have some of the games at lower prices, but others are difficult to find elsewhere. For the games we can’t find cheaper anywhere else, we buy from Mindware.

We enjoy Blokus, Davinci Challenge, Sequence, Quarto!, Ingenious, Quoridor. We also enjoy the old favorites like Battleship, Mastermind, Monopoly, and Clue.

We always hear about how much we need to take care of ourselves by eating right, getting plenty of rest, water and exercise, etc. Taking time just for me is what I consider pampering myself. In my younger, single years, it was just a way of life. Now I plan for, long for and sneak those moments into my schedule whenever I can.

On a cold night, after the kids have gone to bed I love a hot bath. No music. I’m tired of listening to people all day long. No books. I never could figure out how people read in the tub without ruining their books. No candles, just complete darkness and quiet. I stay in there until the water starts to get cold or my insides start to hard boil. Then I get out, get in comfy PJ’s and go directly to bed. I sleep like a baby.

On a cold day I love a cup of hot chocolate.

Sundays after church we go out to eat lunch after church and I look forward to the long, uninterrupted (now that my children are getting older) nap I get to take. I don’t cook dinner. It’s usually something like popcorn and apples if we’re not still stuffed from gorging at lunch.

Occasionally, when my husband or daughter can watch the boys, I’ll head off to Half Price Books with my list and browse until my cell phone rings and someone is pleading for me to return.

On those rare days when I’m the only one home for any length of time I don’t do anything productive. Sometimes I just crank up the stereo and play 70’s music and make a big batch of chocolate chip cookies to eat until I get a migraine.

I might break out my Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain DVD and work on my talentless passion. Yes, I try to draw. It’s more like a struggle than a try. Still, the exercise of it all is something I consider fun.

What do you do? I’m always up for new ways to pamper myself.

Everyone knows about FlyLady.com, but do you use it? I have taken what they’ve taught me and I have altered it to fit our own home management schedule (doesn’t that sound grand? “Home Management Schedule”). Chores are done all throughout the week so that the house is clean by Friday afternoon – the day I teach piano. Then we can actually have company over the weekend without going into freak-out, cleaning-frenzy mode. I love her definition of chaos – “Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome”. Admittedly our house is usually in a state of chaos, but people come and go anyway. Just hope they’re not judging me too harshly. I guess they’re not. We actually do get repeat visitors and people do let their children come over – probably crossing their fingers in hopes they won’t catch a disease while at our house.

Just scheduling in the weekly/monthly/biannual chores keeps me from going nuts. Even if I don’t get to everything in my weekly zone, I get more than nothing done. It really helps since we don’t have a maid. Ah, to be wealthy.

Do you fly? What are the nuggets of cleaning wisdom you’ve gotten from FlyLady or anywhere else? I’m always looking for help.