I have been compensated as part of a social campaign for Stouffer’s with The Motherhood. The opinions are completely my own.

Raise your hands if you are in serious need of a break. The holidays are such a magical time, but it’s also a time that will wear. you. out. I’m a really big online shopper, which means it is total crunch time for me to get my holiday shopping done. This is also the busiest time of the year with my job, which leaves me feeling more than a little bit behind in every other facet of my life. I’m getting up roughly 3 1/2 hours BEFORE the sun rises so that I can put a dent in my “to do” list before the kiddos wake up.

While you are hopefully not having to get up as early as me, I have no doubts that you are having to make your own sacrifices this time of year just to get it all done. And I can almost guarantee that the big loser in the equation is YOU. I know it is for me. Most parents give self-care last priority, and where there’s simply too much to accomplish in a day’s time than is possible without finding that elusive 25th hour, we strike the stuff that we want to get to do off the list (if they were even there in the first place!).

Mamas, I want to encourage you to take 30 minutes today during the kids nap time, or even during their screen time, and treat yourself to something simple but really rejuvenating. I know you don’t have that 30 minutes to spare. I don’t have it, either. But the truth is, I really need to take care of myself a little bit in order to recharge my batteries and to have more to give to others. I need to be operating at full steam, and I know I’m not doing that right now. It’s because I’m not taking care of myself! So think of this as in investment in efficiency and effectiveness for the rest of the week! 🙂

I took a break just for myself yesterday during my daughter’s afternoon nap. I got things started by breaking out my Stouffer’s Mac Cups and choosing the one I wanted.

You can find these mac cups in the freezer section. But don’t worry…you won’t find any preservatives in them, which I really appreciate because I try to avoid preservatives as much as possible.

The servings are on the small side if you are trying to make a full meal out of it, but if you are like me, you often don’t get to eat an entire meal at one sitting. I’m usually spending most of lunch preparing, encouraging/begging my kids to eat what I made, and even feeding them myself (sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!). I usually get a few bites in here and there (or I eat the kids’ leftovers) but am hungry again within an hour. That’s when Layah is usually napping, and it’s the perfect time to grab my Stouffer’s Mac Cup!

Y’all, that me time was SO NICE. I did an Epsom salt foot soak, I painted my toes, and I watched Once Upon a Time, which is a guilty pleasure of mine (Anna and Elsa are in this season! So fun!). While my feet were soaking, I enjoyed my yummy mini meal!

I ate the classic version, and it was really creamy. I thought it tasted quite a bit like homemade mac and cheese. Turns out, the product contains cheddar that has been aged 6 months. No wonder it tastes so good! It was perfectly full by the time it was finished, but even so, I might have licked the bowl (just a little bit…).

I’ve also split one of these Mac Cups between my kids and served it with a big helping of broccoli or peas for a lighter lunch. It has been a hit, and I have LOVED having something that is totally ready in just 3 minutes!

Twitter Party!

Mark your calendars for December 16th at 2pm ET for a Virtual Snack Time Gathering on Twitter. I’ll be hanging out with Stouffer’s and The Motherhood, talking about mini meal moments and giving out sweet prizes. I hope you’ll come hang out! Details coming soon!