MaryDean,
Some quick and cheap(ish) ideas to get your mo-jo back...
- Make Sunday afternoon's Mum's Day - sit on a rug in the shady back yard, get a new glossy mag and paint your toe-nails, and eat something really naughty. ($6-7?)
- At three in the afternoon, I treat myself to 'Tea-Time'. I bought a special cup that is all mine, and make either a nice tea or one of those mocha-cappa things. Just having that 15 minutes gives you a 'oomph' for the afternoon dinner-washing-bath times. ($2)
- Have a candlelit dinner for you and the kids - they will love it too. No lights, radio, telly, just candles. The kids think it's a birthday party! (free?)
- Even going into Gloria Jeans for one of those decadent OMG coffee's with the lot and just sitting, watching the other frazzled mums battle kids and grocery's can make you feel relaxed. ($4)
- Go to the video store and actually get something out that YOU like. I have a 'video' day once a week, where the housework goes up the creek and I watch vids. (($4)
- Have a look at FlyLady for some great ideas on how to cut down on your daily cleaning routines. She is a god-send for those SAHM who need a bit of guidance.

Sometimes its hard not to feel like it's groundhog day. We spend all day cleaning, wiping, washing, folding, clearing, and then hey presto - guess what? The very next morning is the same thing. My main frustrations are washing clothes, and dinners. So once I identified the things that make me frustrated, I decided to change it up a bit. Dinners - well, if I peel the spuds and get it ready in the morning, at 5 in the afternoon I have more motivation to just go up stairs and turn the knob on instead of doing the lot. Also with washing - I actually timed myself for each task - hanging, folding. And once I got it into my head that it only took 7 minutes to hang, 12 mintues to fold, 3 to put away. So when I am feeling really low, and not motivated, it helps to think - well, it's only 12 minutes....
Sometimes it is good to put your foot down and politely 'demand' a nap. Everyone in my family knows that on the weekends, no matter who is visiting, I usually have to go upstairs and 'supervise' my kids's nap time - hehehe!
Be kind to yourself. Don't feel like doing housework? Then either go on strike (as you did) and you'll get so ripped off about the mess a few days later you'll tear into it with relish, or see your day as employed work - if you were at full-time work, you'd take a morning tea break, lunch break, phone calls, trips to the postoffice. My DH says that 2 hours a day is sufficient to get the house organised and then the rest of the day is mine...
Anyways, time to go swish and swipe, hang and fold and the day is mine - with my shiny purple toenails thanks to Mum'sDay yesterday!