Q is for Quiet

I don't know about you but I need some quiet time in the afternoon. Ever since I was pregnant with my second blessing I would take an afternoon nap. Now I find that I still need that down time in the afternoons. It's not possible every day but it's nice to have some days. Most of the time I find myself sending the older three upstairs to watch movies. While that's ok I've been thinking about getting something else for them to do for some quiet time that may be fun and educational at the same time instead of giving them more screen time that they don't really need.

For the Kiddos

1. Quiet time boxes
Wildflower Ramblings has had a brilliant idea to get Rubbermaid style boxes. One for each week day. Inside them she has included puzzles, books, math manipulatives and a bunch of other fun ideas.




2. Sponge Blocks 
To me, this is just genius! I'm sure you are well aware how noisy Lego's can be. Valerie at Inner Child Fun has made blocks out of sponges! Cut them to various shapes, store in a container and let your kids create while you get some much needed quiet time.

3. Coloring Books and Crayons
Not all kids like to color but if they do, it can give you a good chunk of time that they are occupied, happy and creating at the same time. Dollar Tree has lots of coloring and activity books. Take your kiddos and let them pick out their own quiet time book and a box of crayons.

For Mom

Now that you've got some quiet time to yourself it's time to figure out what you want to do with your time. Yes chores are always there but right now, they can wait. Enjoy some time for yourself even if it's only for a few minutes. It's important to take care of yourself, do things you enjoy and most importantly, spend time with Jesus in prayer and reading.

1. Crafts
I enjoy things like crochet, knitting, scrap booking and sewing. Find something you like to do and have fun! If you want to learn a craft ask a friend or check out You Tube (that's where I learned crochet!)

2. A favorite show
We don't have cable but we do have Netflix. Often I'll grab my knitting or crochet and put something on Netflix to watch while I enjoy my time. If you don't want to work on a project though there's plenty of shows to keep you occupied without that. My husband says I always have to be doing something so I guess he's right!

3. Books
I love to read so I've always got books around that I can pick up. If you don't have a shelf of unread books waiting for you I've got the perfect solution. The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle! It's full of wonderful books that you can download to your Kindle or other table or read right on your computer. Take a look at this to learn more
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How do you spend your quiet time and how do you go about finding quiet time? 

Note: This post includes affiliate links. They do not affect the cost for you, only blesses my family with a small portion.