I know, I know… Some days you feel lucky if you make time for a fifteen-minute workout, or a shower, or things like eating and breathing. With all the day-to-day chores and responsibilities we have to keep, the slice of time we give ourselves for fun tends to be pretty slim. So, it’s no wonder most moms are suffering from a serious lack of friend time.

This is partly because girlfriends understand if you have to help your eight-year-old with his science project (especially if they’re moms), but eight-year-olds, on the other hand, tend to be less understanding, no matter how badly you need to sit at your best friend’s kitchen table and talk. But that’s all the more reason you have to insist on time for yourself. There’s nothing selfish about it. It just makes sense. If you’re not happy, how can you parent happily?

Maybe you’re convinced but still not sure how to squeeze quality time with your friends into your busy family life. Here are some ideas from your friends at Sacramento Parent:

• Get Cookin’
There are a plethora of new places that have opened up allowing you to come in and prepare healthy, to-order meals for your family. Then you take them home and pop them in the oven or into the freezer for one of those excruciatingly busy nights that are sure to come. The fun part though, is that you can gather a bunch of friends and go together to prepare your meals. Everyone can create meals that appeal to their different families, and you can hang out with your friends while you’re prepping. Many places encourage you to bring in a bottle of wine and snacks to truly make it a girls’ night/mom-get-away event. You feed your family; you have your fun—everybody wins!

• Let the Creative Juices Flow
Our area has several ceramic studios where you can choose a piece and then paint it any way, and any colors, you want. Our entire office staff went one afternoon and had a great time. Even those of us who swore there wasn’t a creative bone in our bodies walked away with beautifully painted pieces. They have everything from vases and plates, to bowls and figurines. You can create a gift for someone or a piece to match you newly decorated living room. Again, you can call ahead and make arrangements to bring your own refreshments and make a party of it.

• A Blast From the Past
Do you have a huge box of photos you’ve been meaning to scrapbook with since your teenager’s first day of school? Don’t feel bad. My box is still staring at me too. But since most of us share this lofty goal, why not get together and get going? Most scrapbooking stores have times when you can come in and use their equipment (you buy the paper, stickers, etc., but all their cool cutting gadgets and cute ideas are at your disposal). So, call your friends and hang out while you crop, paste and (finally) make that scrapbook you’ll share with your grandchildren some day.

• KISS (Keep It Simple Sisters)
Hanging out with your friends doesn’t have to take a huge effort. Share a sitter and go get your nails done together, or relax for a few at your local coffee shop. If you want to get a bunch of friends together, invite them over for a Clothes Swap: Everyone brings a bag of clothes they no longer wear (or fit into) to swap for something “new.” Or throw a “Bake and Burn” Party: Everyone brings a favorite new CD and a baking ingredient. You can listen to your tunes while you bake cookies (or brownies) together, then each burn a copy of the songs you like. Dancing is definitely allowed. And if you can’t remember the last time you watched a movie not produced by Disney or that didn’t have Bruce Willis dodging flying cars, you may be seriously overdue for a “chick flick” with the girls. Can’t spare two or three hours? How about a forty-five minute hike in the American River Canyon, or half an hour on side-by-side treadmills, or even a five-minute walk around the block?

Your girlfriends just get you in a way that makes their friendship something really special. And just like you crave their company, and the ways they make you laugh and let you vent and make you laugh some more, your friends crave the same quality time with you. So, treat yourselves. It’s good for you. And what’s good for mama is good for everybody!