* Massage therapy decreases stress (do we need more reasons?).

* Massage therapy reduces anxiety and tension leading to less headaches.

* Massage can treat certain forms of depression.

* Massage therapy has been proven to calm autistic children … if it works for them it can work for you too.

* Reduces muscle stiffness, aches and pains.

* Reduces blood pressure.

* Improves your posture.

* Strengthens the immune system.

* Creates body awareness.

* Promotes tissue regeneration (i.e. reduces stretch marks).

* Improves and encourages blood circulation.

* Boosts energy.

* Increases air flow and breathing (more oxygen going in).

* Relieves discomforts of pregnancy, arthritis, tendonitis and more.

* There’s no such thing as supermom.

* If you’re doing the best you can then you’ve done a good job.

* No one is perfect and neither are their kids.

* Everyone’s definition of happy is completely different, yours is what’s important.

* The house doesn’t have to be spotless 24 hours a day.

* Not everything has to be done by you.

* Kids of non-supermoms go to Harvard, Yale, Penn State and plenty of other great colleges and grow up to be doctors, scientists, engineers, firemen, police officers and savers of the world every day.

* What happens in other households isn’t nearly as important as what’s going on in yours.

* You are not alone! And you don’t have to do anything all by yourself, get help when needed.

* There’s nothing wrong with calling merry maids once in awhile and taking the credit for the shiny clean sink in the kitchen.

* It’s okay for Papa John and Pizza Hut to cook dinner once in awhile.

* Spending $5 on yourself for a coffee once a week instead of buying your kid a new video game isn’t the end of the world.

We all know exercise is good and healthy, but really, who has time for boring running? Try spicing up your exercise! Instead of the same old boring walks, try kick boxing. Below is a list of ideas that can get you going

* Curves.

* Zumba.

* Yoga.

* Pilates.

* Kickboxing.

* Tae-Bo.

* Salsa.

* Spark People (online personalized workouts and diets).

* Jazzercise (yup people still do this!).

* Walking videos.

* The Firm program.

* Water Workout / Water Aerobics.

* Resistance Bands.

* Balance Balls.

* Look both online and offline.

* Search coupon sites and check flyers, newspapers, and mailers for discounts.

* Ask around! See who has what you’re shopping for, ask them where they got theirs at. If they got a good deal, they’ll likely tell you all about without you have to ask further questions.

* Look for used or consignment shops, they have fantastic prices on name brand barely used items, especially business wear and dress clothes.

* Wait for a sale! Memorial Day, Labor Day, Presidents Day. Lots of big sales.

* Off-brands are not always cheaper, compare brands and prices to see the differences in both the product and the price to make sure you get all the features you want/need.

* Read reviews. Check out the product reviews first online, often times they will lead to a discount code, sale, or at the very least free shipping.

* Combine coupon codes when you can, a lot of shopping carts will let you stack deals and codes, get free shipping, 10% off, and a free gift all at the same time.

* Try a shopping bot like Shopzilla or Pricegrabber for a fast way to sift through shop results.

* Browse before you buy! Don’t jump on the first good deal you see. There might be a better one at the very next store. Check all your options. Keep a list.

* Check for mail in rebates for big purchases like electronics. Great way to save money, but takes awhile. Buy online, using coupon codes and deals then additional savings from the mail in rebates.

* There is nothing wrong with putting yourself first on occasion.

* You can’t help everyone no matter how hard you try.

* You need time for yourself.

* Don’t make excuses for it or rationalize it, just say “No, I can’t help with that.” Or “No, you can’t have that.”

* No applies to kids, friends, family members, schools, anyone that is asking you for something you don’t have time to do or can’t afford to do.

* If you’re not sure ask for time to think it over, if they refuse your request for time respond with a firm No I can’t help with that.

* Practice saying no … every day! No to kids, no to cashiers, no to telemarketers, no to your dog when she’s jumping on things.

* Remember your kids will grow up just fine without every cool toy on the market.

* Even if they’re mad now they’ll get over it, your kids will love you regardless, and your friends/family will understand if they truly care about you.

* No one will hold it against you that you are busy on the 7th at 7:00, it is not the end of the world.

* Saying no doesn’t mean that you’ll never help, or never buy the toy, it just means no not right this minute on this day when you are asking me to do so.

* Put needs before wants and only say yes if you really can.

* Don’t forget to consider your travel time, prep time, clean up time, waiting time.

* Make adjustments when you have to, you can’t be everywhere at once.

* The goal is to get it done, not make it perfect.

* Keep it simple, give two choices instead of asking “what do you want ____”.

* Set limits on things like television, video games, and phone chatter … for everyone in the household. Eliminates arguing and gets everyone doing other things.

* Deal with things as they happen, (the mail came, sort it now instead of waiting until later - also eliminates clutter that you would have to clean up later).

* Follow routines and schedules, such as getting up at the same time and leaving at the same time daily…create a pattern/routine get home, do your homework, 30 minutes to watch tv/play game/read, dinner, get a bath, quiet time, bedtime.

* Plan ahead for holidays and weekends with activities and things to do. These are the most chaotic times, even if you do something spontaneous instead at least you had a plan ready! You can always use the plan for the following weekend.

* Get involved in a car pool to get kids where they need to go, school, soccer, baseball, football … sharing these tasks save you and someone else time and gas money!

* Give everyone their own alarm clock instead of being the “mom clock” and explain the consequences of not being up and ready to leave on time.

* Minimize distractions (putting video games and televisions in cabinets that close does wonders in a household).

* Hot Stone Massage (coat river stones in olive oil, put them in hot water for a bit, then massage with them).

* Pedicure, exfoliate, moisturize, polish, clear coat.

* Manicure, shape nails, file, polish, clear coat.

* Make your own spa salts (sea salt, fragrance, etc mixed together).

* Apple cucumber facial with stuff you have in the kitchen.

* Avocado skin mask.

* Pore cleansing strips (mix gelatin and milk).

* Sugar scrub all over exfoliation.

* Foot soak (can be as simple as Epsom salt and warm water in a basin).

* Aromatherapy room (pick up some aroma oils, a burner, and relax in a tub of hot water while your oil disperses).

* Conditioning hair rinse.

* Milk bath.

* Talk about organizing with your household, make sure everyone agrees where things should go.

* Use two boxes, one for trash, one for donations.

* If it hasn’t been used in 6 months consider donation or trash.

* Use baskets, bins, or other containers in clutter spots to control piles.

* Use under bed bins to store seasonal items like wrapping paper and sweaters out of sight.

* Color coding (example: each family member has a different color hanger for clothes).

* Designate areas (mail area, clothes area, game area, bill writing area, canned good area, use bins or boxes for visual if needed).

* Use cups or baskets for small items like hair clips or pens to avoid clutter.

* Stick on hooks are inexpensive an help get jackets and towels off the floor.

* Consider moving things for better “flow” of a room.

* Get a big calendar for assignments, appointments, and keep a pen nearby so everyone knows who needs to be where and when, some families assign each family member a color of pen (back to color coding).

* Your desk is your work hub.

* Have separate cups or holders for pens and pencils … keep them there and not strewn about the desk and drawers.

* Mail baskets keep paper clutter from accumulating.

* Use a planner or a desk calendar (real or virtual) to keep lists and tasks organized.

* Do a daily 5 minute tidy up … throw out anything you don’t need and straighten out papers and put away anything that might have gathered itself on the desk during the day.

* Use “areas” on your desk, supply area for pens and paper, file area, mail sorting area, group like items together.

* If you don’t need it, toss it.

* Be creative, organization doesn’t have to be boring you can use creative and crafty ways to be more organized and even make new things to help consolidate the space on your desk.

* Identify the problem areas, everyone’s are different. Do you have piles of mail? Do people drop things off on your desk daily that just add to the clutter? Etc…

* Make use of what you have. Does your desk have pre-installed CD holders, use them. And you don’t have to put CDs in them, they’ll also hold post-it notepads and other items off the main part of the desk to give you more space.

* Contain it, baskets, cups, buckets, tins, jars, putting like object together in a container frees up loads of desk space.

* Avoid distractions throughout your day.

* Don’t use the snooze button.

* Schedule it as part of your day! 15 minutes in the morning or after the kids go to bed, even during your lunch break. Make it part of the to-do list so it doesn’t get skipped.

* Make it easier by having relaxing things nearby, a book in the car, your knitting in a tote bag, your ipod or headphones in your bag, whatever is you need to help you relax when a free moment arises.

* Give yourself permission to relax, often we think we can’t relax because things need to get done.

* Go to bed early, a good nights sleep makes everything easier.

* Don’t take on more work than you can handle, a lot of moms are guilty of doing this thinking they can squeeze it in.

* Keep a time log, or a journal to archive your daily tasks and then you can go back and find spots in your daily routine to save time, incorporate relaxing, and improve the routine in general.

* Delegate! At home or at work when you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed delegate a task or two out to a co-worker, one of the kids, or a spouse.

* Saying no is okay, don’t get pressured into extras. You need to take care of yourself too.

* Get up before everyone else to give yourself 15 minutes to read, have a cup of coffee, or anything you want to do.

* Think of things that interest you.

* There are different types of hobbies, doing hobbies, collecting hobbies, watching hobbies - some are indoors and some outdoors.

* Consider the cost involved with the potential hobby.

* Consider any space and storage of supplies needed for the hobby.

* Don’t be afraid to learn something new.

* A hobby can reduce daily stress and help you relax.

* Know the difference between a hobby, an obsession, and an addiction.

* A hobby can keep you physically or mentally active at times when you normally might not be, and prevent boredom.

* People that practice a hobby generally are less stressed about things like work and finances.

* You can use your hobby to meet new people by joining hobby and discussion groups, and in some cases local classes or get together for hobbyists.

* Some hobbies include ~ stamp collecting, sports watching, merchandise collectors (action figures, brand themes, etc), sewing, quilting, knitting, crochet, scrap booking, photography, calligraphy, baking, soap making, herbalism, blogging, drawing, painting.

* Almost anything can be turned into a hobby in some way.

* If you work at home make a schedule and stick to it! From x:xx to x:xx you are “at work”.

* Likewise for the family time, set aside 30 minutes each day that everyone is focused on doing something together … anything at all.

* Set your priorities and adjust as needed, they can change monthly, weekly, daily.

* Keep a to-do list, things that need to be done, including time for yourself.

* Have a family/household meeting to communicate each others goals and needs for the current timeframe (once a month?).

* Follow a daily pattern or routine so that everyone is on the same page and knows what to expect.

* Have a menu plan to save loads of kitchen and shopping time and leave more time for talking and enjoying the evening together.

* Make room in the family budget for small outings like a trip to the movies, or a day at the zoo once a month to get everyone out and about and having fun together.

* Multi-task, put away the dishes while you’re on the phone, or dust the electronics while you’re waiting for a file to download.

* Bedtime, and not just for the kids, set one for yourself too so you can get a good nights sleep.

* Light a candle and take a hot bubble bath

* Read a book

* Pop some popcorn and watch a “girls only” movie

* have a cup of herbal tea

* Meditate

* Play your favorite song

* Knit, crochet, sew, scrapbook, do something creative and crafty

* Write a story

* Blog!

* Play a video game (you’d be surprised how fast it takes your mind off things)

* Take a walk

* Maintain a healthy diet, even if you feed everyone else first don’t forget to feed yourself and don’t deprive yourself of food groups.

* Make time for yourself, 15 minutes each day to relax and distress.

* Get enough sleep each night, don’t stay up all night doing dishes and scrubbing floors they can wait until tomorrow.

* Go to the doctor and get a regular check up as well as when your sick, moms tend to not get their own medical care.

* Go out and make friends! Mom needs a social life too.

* Don’t lead a guilty life, you can’t do everything for everybody all the time, and it’s not your fault.

* Doing things for yourself will improve not only your mood but your overall health and wellness.

* Feed your brain, take a class, pick up a how to book, learning something new prevents that burnt out “just mom” feeling.

* Pamper your body, feeling good on the outside helps us feel more confident. The kids got cool hair gel, why shouldn’t you?

* Make a date, if you can get a sitter or send the kids to grandmas once a month having a date night is a great way to treat yourself and your other half at the same time.

* Neglecting yourself only leads to things like depression and illness. You can take care of others and yourself at the same time.

* Caring for yourself shows your family that you care about them to because you want to be with them for a long time!

* Inspiration doesn’t have to be a revelation or a light that comes on inside your mind.

* Make it part of your journaling to write down one thing during your day that inspired you.

* Take pictures, lots of pictures of lots of things. Pictures can be a great inspiration later on.

* Play music daily, sound is a great inspiration sparker.

* Read updated media, not just local news, world news, business news, trade news, blogs, hobby sites, any media you can grab that’s fresh.

* People watch, the tiniest thing can inspire you to change or do something.

* Breathe. Breathing techniques can make your thoughts flow more clearly.

* Reminisce. Past memories can inspire future plans.

* Volunteer. Helping others can be the biggest inspiration of all.

* Talk. Talking to peers about daily life can lead to bigger, better, ideas.

* Art. Don’t worry about understanding it or interpreting it, just look at it and think whatever you think.