Luxuries You Never Knew You Had!

Before having Little O I took a lot for granted. I thought I knew how my life would change when I had children but nothing quite prepares you for the change to pretty much every aspect of your life.

Normal, everyday things I used to do without thinking are now considered a luxury and can honestly make my day. Here’s my luxury list, if I can get at least one of these a day I’m happy.

  • Straightening my hair without a 2 year old hanging off my leg
  • Straightening my hair, full stop!
  • Watching any grown up television before 7pm
  • Driving without answering “what’s that mummy?” every 2 minutes
  • Being able to choose my clothes, O is obsessed with shutting doors so I have to grab what I can quickly before the door is banged shut.
  • Food shopping on my own, and being able to actually browse rather than it being like an episode of Supermarket Sweep to get out of there as quickly as possible
  • Having a meal out past 6pm
  • Knowing where my make up is, rather than having to hunt down my blusher because O thought it looked fun to play with.
  • Going to the toilet on my own
  • Having a shower on my own
  • Going out without a single toy/nappy/wipe in my bag
  • Knowing people’s names, rather than referring to them as Benjamin’s mummy
  • Having dessert, O has a 2 course attention span of we go out, a pudding is always out of the question πŸ™

I’m sure if I sit here any longer I could probably add another 20 or so things to the list, but I’d love to hear your thoughts. What would be on your Mummy/Daddy luxury list?

 

34 Comments

  1. January 9, 2014 / 4:15 pm

    Both me and my boyfriend being able to lay in at the same time would be high on my list – we take n turns to lay in on the rare occasions when it’s possible – I’d love if we could both lay in!
    And being able to just lay on the sofa and watch an adult film.
    Or reading a book quietly in the day (come 7pm when I can read I’m too tired to want to!)

    These are the things i miss most right now. Xxx

  2. notafrumpymum
    January 9, 2014 / 6:09 pm

    I miss reading too. I used to love heading off for a bath with a good book, but by the time little man is in bed if I head off for a bath it sends me straight to sleep! x

  3. January 9, 2014 / 8:03 pm

    I used to sleep in the bath!

    It used to be for me – eating anything from a noisy plastic wrapper without two saucer eyed tummies on legs appearing in front of me.

    • notafrumpymum
      January 14, 2014 / 11:12 pm

      I have been known to fall asleep in the bath before, it’s just too relaxing!

  4. January 9, 2014 / 10:53 pm

    I love your blog! It actually made me laugh out loud. Like actually belly laughs. I particularly like the supermarket point. I never thought id miss being able to leisurely walk around the supermarket, but I do!

    If I had to add to this list I would add:
    – being able to make a phone call without having to make funny faces at the same time
    – having the time to sit in a bath on my own
    – being able to nip or pop into the shops. There is no such thing as quickly nipping or popping into anywhere these days

  5. notafrumpymum
    January 9, 2014 / 11:03 pm

    I tried to pop into a card shop before Christmas, the result was O picking up handfuls of cards and throwing them in the air!
    Remember the days when food shopping was a pain, now it’s the highlight of my week on a Friday night when I get to go on my own for a big shop!
    Thanks for commenting xx

  6. January 10, 2014 / 11:34 am

    1. Having a conversation with an adult that isn’t interrupted every 2 words.
    2. Lounging around just because I want to
    3. Eating dinner all the way through, before it get’s cold

    • notafrumpymum
      January 14, 2014 / 11:14 pm

      How long does it take to eat with children. By the time you’ve cut up their food, blown it because it’s too hot, and got them eating your meal is still sitting there untouched and cold πŸ™

  7. January 10, 2014 / 6:18 pm

    I just want to have a handbag not full of cars! As well as ALL of your ones πŸ™‚ x

    • notafrumpymum
      January 10, 2014 / 6:23 pm

      Haha, can’t believe I missed that one. Every bag I own and most of my coat pockets contain at least one car or a helicopter!

  8. January 10, 2014 / 6:20 pm

    Not being woken up with a finger in the eye would probably feature on my list! It’s so true though, the things that don’t even occur when you first find out you are pregnant…if only we knew eh!

    • notafrumpymum
      January 10, 2014 / 6:25 pm

      I know. When I first find out I was expecting, I didn’t see myself 3 years down the line pleading with a toddler to please behave in the supermarket, just a little bit! Or at least stay in view!

  9. Jenny
    January 10, 2014 / 6:52 pm

    Love love your post. You had me belly laughing and shaking my head in agreement with all of it. So true!!!! I would have all those on my list and add:
    – carrying a handbag (two diapers bags do not classify as handbags)
    – wearing heels everyday (I am clumsy carrying a car seat, diaper bag while my toddler pulls on my leg just about counts me out of heels unless I want a broken neck)
    – answering the doorbell without both kids screaming in the background like I beat them. They were fine before it rang. ??
    – cooking dinner with one on the hip and the other between my feet playing cars.
    – definitely running errands. Takes less time to pop as one. I sell on eBay and when I go to the post office with three bags full of parcels and two babies in tow it’s not pretty.
    – being able to write a blog post without pausing to come back to on the next naptime.
    – reading not only in the bath. Anywhere before 7pm. I like reading during the day when I am not exhausted and wanting to put my feet up.
    I could go on all night. It’s the small things we never saw being taken away covered up by these fantasy of holding our new baby and kisses their cute cheeks and dressing them up. Lol

    • notafrumpymum
      January 14, 2014 / 11:17 pm

      I’ve given up taking O to our local post office. They’ve filled it with toys and sweets and a million signs telling you to keep your children away from them unless you plan on buying. It’s like Mission Impossible to keep a little boy away from a wall of toys so lots of crying and tantrums and a very stressed mummy!

  10. January 10, 2014 / 7:35 pm

    Agree with all of the above! I take great pleasure in leisurely wandering round the supermarket on my own of an evening – how sad lol

    • notafrumpymum
      January 14, 2014 / 11:18 pm

      Not sad at all. I love a wander round tesco on my own looking at food! I need to get out more x

  11. January 10, 2014 / 8:35 pm

    Read the Sunday papers. In silence. All day.

    • notafrumpymum
      January 14, 2014 / 11:19 pm

      Definitely! I don’t even buy them anymore as they sit there all day and never get read x

      • January 15, 2014 / 1:42 pm

        Yep- and make you want to weep!!!

  12. January 11, 2014 / 12:10 pm

    Very true! I would add watching more than 10 seconds of the news and putting my hand into a coat pocket without discovering a half-eaten biscuit or snotty tissue! Oh well, one day …

    • notafrumpymum
      January 14, 2014 / 11:20 pm

      If we put something on the tele that O doesn’t want to watch he points and shouts “not that” and gets louder the longer it takes us to change the channel!

  13. grumpyishmum
    January 11, 2014 / 12:22 pm

    Oh I am so with you on the going to the loo thing! If it’s not the kids that follow me it’s the dog!

    I think what I miss most is stress free weekday mornings. BC I never had to say ‘where’s you other shoe?’ or ‘I don’t care which chair you sit on, just eat your breakfast!’ 20 times a day …

    • notafrumpymum
      January 14, 2014 / 11:21 pm

      I hate weekday mornings, trying to get us all out the house for ten to 8 is bloody hard work. Sometimes I’m ashamed of myself of the state the house is left in!

  14. January 11, 2014 / 12:46 pm

    Now that my kiddies are all 9+ these luxuries have returned….obviously having an evening to myself has disappeared but hey, we can’t have everything!

    • notafrumpymum
      January 14, 2014 / 11:22 pm

      I’ll probably be nostalgic for these times when they’re gone, although a part of me is really looking forward to ordinary things like watching tele with O of an evening when he’s a bit older.

  15. January 12, 2014 / 8:33 am

    I really miss reading too and being spontaneous. I always have to think about packing a baby bag etc so then don’t bother!!!! X

    • notafrumpymum
      January 14, 2014 / 11:23 pm

      Being spontaneous, what’s that? I really miss doing things on the spur of the moment x

  16. January 12, 2014 / 4:20 pm

    I can tell you that you’ll get it back πŸ™‚ All of it, in little bits will come back, and now when my youngest is almost 5 your list looks like a distant memory, so I guess it’s good news πŸ™‚ I do remember that it was exactly like that though, so you made me a bit nostalgic!
    #MBPW

    • notafrumpymum
      January 14, 2014 / 11:25 pm

      It’s hard to think of the relative normality returning, but like you say it will. In a few years time the thought of following his mum to the toilet will be mortifying!

  17. franglaisemummy
    January 14, 2014 / 7:07 pm

    What a great post – a luxury these days is both lying in at the same time or having time to read a book in peace and quiet. *sighs at the memory*
    Popping over from #MBPW

  18. notafrumpymum
    January 14, 2014 / 11:25 pm

    I’m definitely missing a lie in at the min, especially after a 5 am get up on Saturday πŸ™

  19. February 15, 2014 / 7:50 am

    This is my list too! Funny how your horizons shrink – I don’t want a day at a spa, I just want to cut my nails in peace!

  20. February 16, 2014 / 12:26 am

    It’s all about the lack of reading and weekend lie-ins for me. Our oldest (6) always has us awake by 6am, and our other two often finish the night in our bed. Grrr.

  21. Izzie Anderton
    December 31, 2014 / 12:29 pm

    Couldn’t help giggling while I read this… my daughters are all grown up now, but I remember all of the above as though it were yesterday x
    Izzie Anderton recently posted…Weird Stuff I Used to Believe…My Profile

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