Life is Better With A Little Me Time. Seriously!

Does this back to school thing have you as crazy as I am? With three kids getting older (all 5th to 8th grade!), it seems like things just get nuttier and busier with every passing day. You add to that my newly signed book contract (yay!), and you have an Anne that’s feeling a tad overwhelmed. Insert some Me Time, here! Please! I need to bring about a sense of calm and self-nourishment.

FYI, this is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of PEOPLE®, StyleWatch®, InStyle®, and Sunset®. The opinions and text is all my own. But seriously, I highly recommend you heed my advice written here as it has made a world of difference in my own life.

In the past, the way I handled any sense of overwhelm was to get out of bed at 5am and work harder. I would think: I can’t see friends, I can’t exercise, I can’t have fun, there’s just too much to do for all that. Maybe it is wisdom as I get older, but I’ve realized that that mentality just doesn’t work that well. When I run myself into the ground, I usually just get stuck, jammed into the morass and exhausted.

I’ve been trying to approach life with more balance this year and with the notion that I calmly have enough of myself to go around. Introduce a more balanced approach, where I take the time to eat well, hang out with my kids and have a little me time, too. Shockingly, I don’t seem to get less done, but seem to be more productive!

Since we moved to our new house, I’ve discovered our fabulous bath tub. Luxuriously big, it holds enough hot water to feel like a hot tub. Working on my latest knitting pattern while the kids are fighting around me doesn’t actually count as Me Time. Shocking, I know. After my weekly trip to Safeway, settling into my tub with the latest copy of Sunset or People, gives me a serious dose of calming. Yes, of course this involves a latte. What else!? Truly, there’s something about getting the pages of a magazine damp that makes me feel like I’m truly relaxing. Almost feels like I’m at a beach, or at least as close as it comes here in Colorado!

I love escaping into the beautiful places featured in Sunset, where I dream of our family’s next western adventure. I indulge in getting the latest bits of celebrity gossip in People magazine. Actually, I need People desperately to know who’s hot and who’s not. Teenagers require a lot of work to keep up with!

Seriously, if you are as crazed as I am, try a relaxing bath with a fun magazine or two. And, don’t forget to lock the door!

Finally, I have a coupon for you to help you along as well! Visit your local participating Safeway Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Tom Thumb, Randall’s, Shaw’s, Carr’s or Acme Market and get $1 off PEOPLE®, InStyle®, StyleWatch® or Sunset® magazine through Just for U or MyMixx, while supplies last through 10/18/16! I hope you enjoy some me time and give yourself a treat during the busy school year.