So where do you get your small pleasures from when things are tough?

[MannyMoeAndJack]

Whenever I have free time (not often) I like to read. I also like to have a look around the shops, try new clothes/shoes on and sometimes buy new things too. I then get pleasure from wearing those new things. I also take great pleasure in being able to eat in peace (only happens when ds is at school) and I look forward to my daily bath.

In our busy lives, what do you find gives you pleasure?

sounds really silly,... but i like to cut up bits of paper and sticking lots back together in a different shape i think its technical name is scrapbooking, card making, and ATC - but essentially its cutting up bits of paper...

Sex is always therapeutic.
On my own, peeling mushrooms is very satisfying (in a different way LOL).

You are looking for a more imaginative answer than "alcohol and chocolate", aren't you?

Can't help you there, I'm afraid.

music. i get in the car and put AX7 or mettalica on loud it really helps release the tension.
sex helps and a cuddle from dd well that is heaven.

reading crime books. amazing how relaxing reading about murder can be .

Has anyone played Peggle? V. addictive PC game.

I like shopping on my own, and I have a game on my phone called quadropop which I am addicted to. Sad I know, but it works for me!

I keep tropical fish. Lots of them. And when I can, I like to escape for a walk in the park on my own.

5 mins internet shopping (lurking not necessarily buying)

reading psychological crime novels (but tend to fall asleep)

having a bath in the dark (or by candle-light)

listening to music at high (all-enveloping) volume alone

sewing

drawing a tree

and I have been known to lock myself in the bathroom to eat a gooey chocolate muffin in solitary splendour

I like knitting when DS2 is asleep and can't mangle my yarn and I do like to escape onto the Internet. DS1 sits with me on his own computer, these days, so I only have the one kid trying to pull the laptop apart.

And nothing comes between me and my bath!

Drawing a tree?? lol

Reading Heat, watching old films on TV on my own, reading books when I find one that takes my fancy quickly enough, swimming, stroking the cat, having a laugh with DH (and other things!), yakking to friends and esp my sister, going out to museums and sites with DD when DS is busy. I enjoy driving believe it or not, esp in central London where you can feel King of the World if you know where you are going!

I love driving in Central London too - sometimes when DH comes home from work and I've had a crap day, I get in the car, put a CD on and just drive around eating chocolate or hula hoops, the mess drives DH nuts.

otherwise, a beach - it's impossible to be stressed out or depressed on a beach.

reading, sewing, wandering the shops for an hour or so, cross stitch, family history research.

I am so lucky( as a 40th birthday present)- I am flying off for the weekend minus dh and children to do some research at the national archives here in Aus. Two whole days by myself.

When things are really crappy it helps me to look back a year and remind myself how far ds has come in that time. It makes all the hard work worthwhile and puts a smile on my face.

Can't remember the last time I read a book all the way through, though I used to love reading.

Seuss, I LOVE Peggle, but daren't open it because I'll be there all day. Very addictive!

Sudoku does it for me too, I rarely have time to get into something that takes too long so a couple of sudokus is an ideal short break for me.

When things get tough... pure dark chocolate (no orange on it please!!!), loud salsa music that I can dance and sing to (always gets me happy), giving DSs a tickle and just giving myself a "holiday" from my daily DS routine, and I know this sounds cheesy but I think about all the positive things I have (eeek, oh Dear how cheesy, but it works for me).

I'm a bit hooked on Ebay ATM, trying to cut down but I love getting the parcels! I like reading the paper after i have dropped kids off at school and playgroup and I go to my allotment and dig and water when I really want to get away from things. In the evenings I actually like doing the bedtime story now that the boys are old enough for proper books but best of all is watching something good on TV (i strongly recommend The Wire) while DH gives me a foot stroke!

Reading in the bath

Driving, alone, music very loud

Cooking - love to stand and chop a million vegetables and go into my own world. Like making things that take ages and will feed 12 for 10 days! (slight exaggeration!)

Spending money - good old retail therapy, mainly on my children

Writing it all out - either in the childrens seperate journals or in my own. Always feels better when it's written down.

Looking through my photo albums and putting pics into albums. Always makes me smile.

Starting yoga again soon too which will really help.
Thinking of joining a boxercise class too.

And when it gets really bad - a night out in a club dancing non stop till the wee small hours

Sudoku definitely. And a hot bath with large glass of wine. And kissing my children while they're sleeping. Always makes me happy.

Another vote for music here, nothing like having it full blast in the car and singing my heart away! Drive my DH up the wall as I have my music on all the time. Love going to concerts as well, probably too old for all this but I don't care. Luckily my NT DS has the same taste in music as I do and we go to concerts together, a bit of us time away from DDland It is rubbing off on DD too, she is becoming quite the little rock chic.

Great replies..I'm also really into Lost and it's a double bill tonight!!! I love to swim too, scan the odd newspaper and of course, Mumsnet!

Oh forgot to add -

two minutes on the terrace pulling off dead impatiens flower heads is wonderfully soothing .... a wonderful way to bring your heart rate down very quickly and to put a sock in that shouty mummy moment... gardening in general v. soothing

A nice bit of escapism with DVDs. I'm working my way through the Law & Order: Criminal Intent box sets at the moment, so probably similar to TotalChaos with her books.

Writing is therapeutic too.