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Feeling mom guilt???? Overtaxed by your obligations to others? Are you making time for yourself? Time to Rally!

You need to read the Fringe Hours by Jessica N. Turner

I had never heard of this book until CCC mentioned it on her podcast geekygirlsknit


This book reaffirms some of what I already felt and gave me food for thought (through a Christian lens).


I'm clearly not alone, as my friend Tracy recently blogged about finding margin here.


I listened to the audio book on hoopla(thanks chplnj!) And bookmarked a lot!

My takeaways:

Just because something is a good thing, doesn't mean it's good for you at this moment in your life.


Too many good things can be too much. Think about if something should be eliminated from your schedule.

'Change is hard, but good in the end'
Watch out when you're on the internet, simple browsing is a quick catalyst for the comparison game


Don't allow the sin of envy to come into your lives…remember that what you see isn't the 24hrs a day in someone's home - it's just a glimpse


Romans 2v1
Therefore you have no excuse, O man, whoever you are, when you judge another; for in passing judgment upon him you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. 


 Matthew 7 v1-2Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.

Turn your thoughts into something positive….commend rather than condemn!


'women may judge a lot of little things about each other, but that judgement is rarely remembered in the long run;

'we can do more thanwe can even imageine whe just need to do it"


Fear holds us captive


'Self care doesn't have to be complicated to promote healing'


Find opportunities to find time for you--those are the fringe hours: like lunch, late night or early morning.


An easy way I practice self care is to do Jamberry..it fits your schedule which was one of the many things that appealed to me…I do it on my own time…after kids are in bed or while they are occupied with something.

"'If it makes me yell at my kids, don' do it'"

Sometimes you have to say NO. I need to work on this! She gives you 9 ways to do it!
'9 creative wasy to say no;

Just no
Gracious no
I'm sorry no
It's someone else's decision no
My family is the reason no
I know someone else no
I'm already booked no
Setting boundaries no
Not no not yes no'


Create healthy boundaries to define how you spend your time and energy

Eliminate unreasonable expectations

When you add too many extras, things will go awry which sets us up for failures.


Think about commitments and skills before committing….so you can meet deadlines with grace and assurance


'Embrace your limitations as realistic opportunities to do what you can do.'


'our passions can sometimes be obstacles' Let go of self imposed have-tos and settle for good enough


Find a community, and if you can't start your own 'your boldness might be an answer to their prayers'

Going to work is not mommy nor daddy time….you need to talk with your spouse so you can have times to renew your spirt


People who are happy to help you, still need to be told you need it.Be speific about your needs; time/day/ how longs /wht do you need hep with/identifying passions/being consistent


'procrastination is never helpful'

Practicing Sabbath Exodus 20
⁸ “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; ¹¹ for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.
3rd commmandment. The sabbath is for us, for our need to feed the soul. 'If you don’t the time to be still and rest you will eventually suffer;


Marc 2 v 27 ²⁷ And he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; ²⁸ so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.”


Without rest we go into survival mode where everything seems important.

'How can you be more intentional with how you pray? There is always time for prayer…I listen to and pray the rosary on my commmute.

'we are our most real self when we pray'

Not getting enough sleep will eventually catch up with you

Trust in God, everything is an opportunity


Embrace joy in our everyday..

'Life's joys can be intensified when we invest in ourselves
 how are you intentional about choosing joy

Celebrate small victories: the act of acknowledging an accomplishment is a powerful statement' don't fail to  celebrate your own accomplishments…recognize the opportunities life gives you :) even successfully executing a new recipe (pin link)

'give thanks'


Pray and thank God for the blessings he has given you. Write your blessings in a journal, send a handwritten note to someone. Consider the gifts you receive each day and thank God for them.


'Taking care of ourselves is the critical part of living a healthy life'


Her closing prayer for us:


The glory of God is in all of us…let your light shine and help other's light shine too.



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all Biblical quotes are from the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition.