5 Reasons to Have More Fun With Your Mom Friends
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Dr Pepper®. The opinions and text are all mine. #PickYourPepper #Walmart
Last summer, just before we left on our 6-month sabbatical, my friends threw a little good-bye party for me on the lake. We had so much fun together that night! It not only made me realize how much I was going to miss them while I was gone for half a year, it made me realize how much we busy moms need our friends. It’s so important to make time for having fun with those friends!
Now that I’m back and summer is here again, I am looking forward to having as much fun as possible with my friends! In my months away, I again realized the importance of spending time with your mom friends. I made a few new friends and occasionally saw old friends, but mostly I really missed my friends here at home and the fun things we do together.
As a busy mom, it’s easy to get caught up in the busy mom life and forget to make time for friends. I don’t know how many times I have said “No, I don’t have time to go out on the lake today” and then kicked myself later because I really could have used a break and it’s okay to let the laundry go every once in a while. I’ve learned that I am a better mom all around—laundry included—when I take care of my social side and have fun with my friends.
5 reasons to have more fun with your mom friends
1. Being a mom is stressful
At least, it’s stressful for me. I often look at my long to-do lists and get so overwhelmed I want to cry. Moms are the CEOs of their households and it’s a big job keeping everyone organized, bathed, happy, and where they are supposed to be.
There is something magical in knowing you’re going to get to go to book club or out to the lake or even on a weekend getaway with just your girlfriends. It makes those afternoons when you’re stuck in the car for hours shuttling kids all over town a little more bearable! And once you’re there with friends, you’re free to relax and destress, and that’s important!
2. Other moms understand
Sometimes you just need to get together with other people who totally get it. I love my husband, but he doesn’t always understand why things stress me out as a mom. One thing he does get is that I am a lot happier after spending an evening out with my mom friends, so he encourages it often!
It’s funny to me that when I’m spending time out with my mom friends that we talk about our kids an awful lot. We need a break from the little people we love, but we love talking together and helping each other through the parenting stuff.
3. Adult conversation is good
We may love talking about our kids, but sometimes we just want to talk about anything BUT our kids. I’m pretty sure my friends and I have discussed just about every topic under the sun and we still have more to say about all of them. When you spend your days talking to toddlers or teenagers you know that you need the kind of brain stimulation being with a group of mom friends can provide!
4. It keeps us healthier
I don’t know about you, but much of the fun I spend with my friends also comes with a good amount of exercise. A day at the lake, fitness classes, hiking, biking, walking…I’ve done all of these things with my friends and more! Not only am I getting more physical exercise, my soul is healthier because we aren’t meant to do this life all alone.
5. It’s easier to mom when you come home
After a few hours away, I’m always refreshed and ready to face the difficulties and joys of motherhood. You know what they say about putting your oxygen mask on first in airplanes? That’s exactly what having fun with your friends does—it fills your own oxygen tank so you can then turn around and fill your children’s.
My friends and I love heading to the beach (we live on Lake Superior) whenever we can. Sometimes we bring all of our kids, but it’s important to us to go as just moms, too. This summer Dr Pepper is helping us have even more fun at the beach with great prizes you can earn just by purchasing Dr Pepper products at Walmart.
How fun is the above inflatable unicorn beverage holder? And have you ever seen such an awesome pool float as the Dr Pepper bottle? When you buy any Dr Pepper this summer (6/15-8/15) at Walmart, you can upload your receipt at https://bit.ly/2pts8Qo to get the unicorn beverage holder, the Dr Pepper bottle pool float, or other great prizes!
- Spend $5, get a unicorn beverage holder inflatable
- Spend $10, get a Walmart e-Gift Card worth $5
- Spend $20, get a 6 pack can/bottle holder with ice pack
- Spend $40, get a Dr Pepper bottle shaped pool float
Note: This promotion ended August 2017
What are you going to do with all that Dr Pepper you buy at Walmart, though? (Besides drinking it, of course!) If you love Dr Pepper, you’ll love these fun Dr Pepper Jell-O shots (non-alcoholic).
How to make non-alcoholic Dr Pepper shots
Ingredients:
- 6 ounce box of cherry Jell-O
- 1/4 cup Dr Pepper (any kind!)
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 3/4 cup cold sparkling water
Directions:
Add boiling water to Jell-O powder. Whisk until dissolved. Add Dr Pepper and sparkling water. Using a turkey baster, add the Jell-O mixture to small containers and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Take them out on the lake with your friends and have a great time—it’s good for your health!
