As a mom of four kiddos and a homeschoolers, I was skeptical of being able to find any fringe hours in my schedule. But after reading this book by Jessica Turner, I realized that there were some changes I could make in my daily schedule in order to refresh and be creative.
First of all, I spend probably three hours a week in the car or waiting at practices with my kids' activities. That's a lot of time wasted on Facebook! So I packed a bag that I now keep in the car. It has an extra bible, devotional, two books, a knitting project, and an embroidery project. There may or may not also be chocolate.
One of my favorite quotes is where she writes, "you are never too busy to make time for what you love." And then she goes on to say, "if something is really important to you, you will find a way to fit it into your life." I completely agree! You can do it if you really want to! And it's ok if you don't want to, but there is time in the day for the "fringe."
One thing I am learning though when it comes to the fringe part of my life, (the decorative, the creative, the renewing moments) is that I often need to include my kids. This may seem counter productive,but I promise you it can work. I love to read and it's hard when your have four little people in the house all having their own demands, all day long. So we have "room time" at our house. Every day at 3pm for an entire hour they are in their rooms. And as long as they are quiet they can do anything during this time. My oldest daughter usually reads. My son builds Legos and my third loves barbies and dolls. This is also when the baby is sleeping so no interruptions there! So they see that I value books and they are given the time and materials to try it too.
Another way that I use my fringe hours with my kiddos is teaching them to do what I love. My daughter Avery is learning to sew and craft which is fun for me to do with her. It has renewed my love of quilting and knitting. My husband often includes my son on home projects and has him swinging a hammer or designing home improvements. And Ellie is spending more and more time in the kitchen helping to measure and stir during our baking time. It's not always quiet,but it's an amazing way to spend time with your kids while still being creative!
And just to clarify, FRINGE hours are always best when paired with Starbucks!
****disclaimer**** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review but all opinions and photos are mine.
