FTM Tip #2: Get Out NOW

First off, I have to clarify my usage of the term “full-time mom.” Whether you have a paying job, whether that job is 20, 40, or even 60 hours a week, we are all full-time moms. However if calling myself a stay-at-home mom even remotely subconsciously suggests to me that I should stay in my house, on my couch, in my sweats any more than I absolutely need to, then I just can’t use the term. We all know that getting out of the house with a baby can be a tall order. Some days it takes me all I’ve got to get it done and the whole time in my head, I am kicking, screaming, and shitting my pants as much as my kid is. Nevertheless, I still advise you to

Get The Fuck Out Of Your House

Like most things in motherhood, this too gets easier the more you do it. Every time you and baby bon voyage together, you learn how he copes in different settings at different times of day. You also quickly learn that over-packing will not help you avoid disaster, only strategy will and you can’t get that without practice.

As for motivation to get out, some days you will plain and simple not have it. Aside from it being a tad difficult, there tend to be limited actual reasons for me to leave the house. Walks are usually reason enough but like all good-for-you things, it gets old. So my favorite thing to do on the reg is

Mall Trips

Like many compulsive people, my first ideas when trying to find something to do often involve eating and shopping. Even though I tragically cannot afford all the clothes in the fucking universe as much as I can’t afford the extra calories of eating at Hot Dog On A Stick everyday just like in my dirtiest fantasies, I still really like taking a stroll through the mall. One, window shopping is a great way to take some style notes and get inspired to “shop” through my own closet when I get home. Two, you can easily walk a mile or two in a long, leisurely circle through the mall which is fabulous when the weather sucks. And three, Panda Express has low calorie options. Can’t go wrong.