Do you have specific activities or ways you spend time to relax or reduce stress? To just step away from your daily activities and take your mind off of everyday life? For me I like to wash the dishes, cook and try new baking recipes with of course indulging in my creations after! They offer a chance for me to clear my mind and take a few minutes for myself to relax. These are my go to activities, but just recently I added a new one to my list. Gardening. I never thought taking on more work would actually be helpful and calming, but there is just something about the garden that is so peaceful.
I have been wanting to plant a garden in our front yard since we moved in 3 years ago. The previous garden consisted of 2 trees and one large bush, all of which were pretty much dead. I don’t know why it took so long to do, but I am glad I finally made the plans to get it done.
My original plan was to complete the garden last summer and silly me thought I would have all the free time in the world to do it after the triplets were born. I was surprisingly mistaken. This year I had no excuse and I knew it had to get done.
I went shopping with my mom and she helped me pick out the flowers and little trees for the garden. It was more work than I originally expected, but I enjoyed it and it was a new experience for me.
Now that my garden is complete I have to keep up with watering and maintaining everything. I water the garden first thing in the morning and later in the evening. The work itself is easy, but it does take dedication and commitment. I will admit there are a few days when I think to myself, I don’t want to go out and water, but I know if I don’t the flowers would just wilt away and it wouldn’t look as spectacular as I imagined.
Last night when I was outside, we had the front windows open and Emily, Jackson, Olivia and Levi all stood at the window watching me. It was the cutest thing and they were so fascinated to see what I was doing. They were each in one window pane laughing and smiling and I wish I could have grabbed a picture, it would have been adorable!
It is nice to step away from everything for a few minutes in the morning and evening. My life is constantly on the go, so to have a moment where I can stop and clear my thoughts helps tremendously. I even love to just stop and stare at the garden. It is so great to go outside, look at our front yard and enjoy the view. Finishing the garden adds so much more color to our front yard and we can have a little more pride in our home. I will continue to keep up the the garden and enjoy the few little moments I have to myself throughout the summer!
What have you found that works to help relax during or after your busy days?
The Baby Gang 