The busy woman's mocha latte

I've already mentioned my insatiable love of coffee drinks. To say I'm a coffee purist would be a lie. I used to be until my love of coffee was soiled by the extras the coffee shops push on you—chocolate, milk, whipped cream ... syrup.

So now that I've ruined my taste for the bean as it was meant to be consumed, it's harder to satisfy my craving. I'm a little embarrassed by the number of times I do manage to make it to the coffee shop each week. But here's a quick cheat for the morning where that doesn't happen.

I take a bottle of Starbucks frapuccino (mocha flavored)—the kind that's meant to be consumed cold—and nuke the heck out of it. (I'm not so far down the road that I can enjoy cold coffee, whether or not you dress it up with fancy labels, like "iced.") Then I add whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

It ain't fancy, but it works.

And, voila! First thing for me I've done today.

How are you doing on your list?

Three things for you

I've got a fierce mocha latte habit. Every morning, the craving starts as soon as the light filters through the blinds in my bedroom. In fact, sometimes the scheming begins the night before. What errands can I rearrange to swing by the coffee shop?

Yes, I've been a sucker for stopping by certain grocery stores because they feature coffee bars. My husband will tell you it's an addiction to the bean. But it's really much more, though it took me while to realize it. Sometimes that swing by the coffee shop is the one thing I do for myself all day.

In between diapers, feedings, cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, and freelance gigs, it's easy to lose yourself. That's when the resentment creeps in. Not far behind is a sense of hopelessness. And finally, anger. Yes. Anger.

Why are the kids so demanding? Why can't the spouse get home earlier, and why doesn't he understand I need him to take over the kids so I can finish the 16 chores I started in the midst of all of the chaos of the day? There's a simple answer. Too often we don't ask. And we get so busy giving, we don't give to ourselves.

Ladies, let's face it. Whether you work inside or outside the home, work doesn't stop at 5 p.m. And there's always one more thing.

Today, make sure that one more thing you do is for YOU. That's why I'm making a commitment to three for me. That's three things I'll do every day just for me.

My daily three for me:

1. Paint my toenails.

2. Enjoy a cup of tea.

3. Read for 15 minutes.

Will you take the three for me pledge?