How to Have a Playdate and get some alone time without leaving the house

I just want to be alone is a phrase many moms (including myself) find themselves desperately crying at the end of a LONG week with their kiddos. It seems that even when daddy is home there is still incessant crying out for mommy mommy mommy – gotta go ask mommy’s opinion – only mommy can help with this – mommy mommy mommy – where are you mommy – what are you doing mommy – why is the door locked mommy – mommy mommy MOMMY!!! – I just want to be SO CLOSE TO YOU!

Sigh.

It’s adorable and amazing – and I’m sure I will miss my kids needing to be at my side 24-7, BUT mama needs a break sometimes. The hard part is that when I have slivers of time 100% to myself I am always torn on what to do because as much as I crave alone time, I also crave social time with good friends and conversation about things other than garbage trucks and superheroes.  Not to mention when I do have time to myself I often wish I could just stay at home and chill but kicking my husband the two kiddos out for several hours is often not an option (especially when alone time often is only realistic at night/bed/bath/dinner time.) So, this weekend I was inspired by the movie SING to take back the playdate and find a way get some in-home alone time.

Here’s how I did it…

I invited three of my son’s preschool buddies over with their moms for a movie playdate.  We spent the morning cleaning (which my son gladly helped with because he gets super excited having people over). Instead of treating it like a kids playdate I treated it like I was hosting a mom’s night (during the day).  I got some wine and snacks. The typical party fare – chips and salsa, cheese and crackers, veggies and hummus.  And some mini pizzas for the kiddos.

When the kids arrived we let them run around like crazy wild boys for about an hour, then wrangled them for mini pizzas.

At this point they were pretty tired from all their shenanigans and were ready to sit and watch SING the movie (out on DVD/Blu-ray/digital download on 3/21!)

We popped in the movie, I fed the baby and then sent him on his way with daddy for a nice daddy/baby day date, then we poured mimosas and sat in the dining room hanging out while the little monsters watched SING happily in the other room.

It was awesome!! Often our playdates consist of taking turns telling our kids not to jump off things, throw things, say inappropriate (often potty related) things and occasionally having a yell-talk conversation over their loud happy crazy play.  I often leave feeling exhausted and slightly overwhelmed at the chaos that just ensued.

Popping in a fun, age-appropriate movie like SING for part of the play date allowed us to actually have relaxed adult conversation.  We didn’t need to find babysitters or force ourselves out of the house half-awake after the kids went to bed.  We were able to just hang on a Sunday afternoon while the kids were entertained and calm right in the next room (a miraculous feat for four ‘boy moms’.)  And since we are a mostly screen free family with special movie night (aka tv time) once a week, it was an extra special treat for our son.

After the kiddos and mamas left, my hubby came back with the baby.  I fed him again and then retreated to my room for some alone time.  Our oldest was good and tired from his rowdy play with his friends before and after the movie.  I put a do not disturb sign on the door (locked it), put on a pair of noise canceling headphones, poured a glass of wine and curled up on the bed to read magazines and enjoy hearing music and not incessant crying or calling out for mommy mommy mommy.  I had a good hour of time doing NOTHING of importance and it was glorious!

I got the best of both worlds, fun social time with good friends AND some quiet time for myself all without leaving the house! Oh, and did I mention I also got the house clean?! This is one for the record books, for real.

Now I just need to find time to watch SING myself, because the clips I got to see were fun and funny…not to mention the music was great.

Lucky for me, Illumination Entertainment (the same folks that did THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS) sent me a copy of the SING Special Edition which is available with 3 New Mini-Movies on March 21 – just in time to host your own movie playdate/moms day in! 

AND they are partnering with me to give a copy away too!

SING is a super cute musical comedy starring Matthew McConaughey as Buster Moon, an optimistic koala who puts on an epic singing competition to save his theater; Reese Witherspoon as Rosita (my animated soul sister) an overworked and underappreciataed mama to 25 little piglets who desperately wants to unleash her superstar inner diva; Scarlett Johansson as Ash, an uber cool punk rocker porcupine; and Taron Egerton as Johnny, a young gangster gorilla trying to break out of his criminal family’s ways.

It truly is one of those movies that parents can enjoy with their kids.  It’s funny, there is great music (you will have to try to not get up and sing & dance), and there are no real scary parts.  Although I will admit you may have to explain that Sir Mix-a-lot’s “I like big butts” is not an appropriate thing to sing around the house or at school (no matter how funny it is!)

Enter my giveaway to win your own copy of SING Special Edition on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download here!

SING Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD Giveaway

*This post is sponsored.  All thoughts and ideas are 100% my own.