Some "Me" Time

Last night, I was listening to some excerpts from Tina Fey's Bossypants with a couple of friends...and I was literally crying.  I laughed so hard that I definitely had to wipe a few tears from my cheeks.  We listened to her suggestions on how to get some "me" time.  I think I laughed so hard because every single one of those suggestions had entered my mind.

The one I liked the most was to say you were going to get diaper cream and then just stand in your child's room alone as long as possible until your spouse comes and asks, "what are you doing?".  I also loved how she said to go to the bathroom as much as possible or stand at the kitchen sink and eat the rest of your child's meal while they pull on your leg and cry.

This got me thinking about how I try to carve out a little "me" time each day...okay, maybe not each day but as often as possible.  I realized that I do try to get some down time for myself quite often...and I might even venture to say that I do things without realizing it because of the possibility of being alone.

One thing I might do is purposely forget things at the store.  This guarantees another trip.  I also get things that I might not like thinking that I can just return it.  Again, this will mean another trip to the store, hopefully flying solo.

Sometimes I say I am going to put laundry away and then I just lay on my bed for about 10 minutes in silence. When I hear someone coming up the steps, I just jump up and get to work.   

Doctor appointments are another excellent way to get some "me" time.  I really enjoyed my doctor appointments when I was pregnant with my youngest daughter.  I would generally go to these appointments alone and I really didn't mind the ridiculously long wait.  Sometimes I would  get there and they would tell me that my doctor was running 45 minutes to an hour behind.  I would just grab a magazine and settle in for a blissful hour of mindless reading.

And a hospital stay is the jackpot.  I can't even tell you how excited I was to spend a 3 day "vacation" in the hospital after my 3rd c-section.  I bought new pajamas and packed for it with the enthusiasm of someone going on a 3 day cruise to the Bahamas.  By day 2, I was bored to tears and ready to come home...but man, that "me" time recovering from my 3rd major abdominal surgery with a newborn in tow was ultra relaxing. 

Of course, there are always the times that I just come right out and say I need to have some alone time.  I definitely cherish that time...and I love the time that I do spend with my kids.  But everyone needs to carve out some "me" time and I think however you need to make that happen, then go for it!

How do you make time for yourself?  Please give me some tricks ideas.