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The Fringe Hours: Making Time For You

“Every woman has had this experience: you get to the end of the day and realize you did nothing for you. And if you go days, weeks, or even months in this cycle, you begin to feel like you have lost a bit of yourself.”

Do you know this feeling?

If so, I have the book for you.

I know that no one “does it all,” but if any woman did, it would be my friend, Jessica Turner. The amount of things that she accomplishes in any given day is truly impressive. She has a full-time job outside of the home, she runs a successful blog, and she has three young children and a doting husband. In addition to all of that, she scrapbooks regularly, she crafts, she reads, she cooks, and she does all of it with a smile that exudes pure joy.

Oh, and did I mention? She even made time to write a book about it!

The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You | Jessica Turner shares how to balance our responsibilities while still taking time to invest in ourselves.

Jessica’s book, The Fringe Hours: Making Time For You, was released just yesterday, and it’s now available for purchase at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and other select retailers. She sent me a copy for review, and I sat down and read it in a weekend.

If you are a woman who feels that you’ve lost a bit of yourself to motherhood, I encourage you to pick up a copy of this book today.

I’ve always been one to practice self care, and I’ve always made time for hobbies and friends. It was never a surprise to my family because it’s always been that way. Of course, I don’t put my needs above everyone else’s either, but it is only fair that there is a balance.

Unfortunately I see so many women struggling to stay afloat, and it is stealing their joy.

I often say that we make time for the things that are important to us, and I believe that’s true. When people ask me how I have time to exercise or put on my makeup in the morning, I just reply flippantly that people make time for what is important to them.

But what I realized while reading Jessica’s book is that some women don’t believe they are important enough to make themselves a priority. Others say yes to everything and every one until they feel like a hamster spinning on its wheel, unsure of how to get off.

The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You | Jessica Turner shares how to balance our responsibilities while still taking time to invest in ourselves.

My friend, YOU are important. You are someone’s wife, mother, daughter, or friend. Your needs and desires matter. And no matter what society tries to tell us, you do NOT need to do it all.

I have known Jessica for quite a while, and one thing I’ve always admired is her ability to guard her time. My favorite line of hers that I’ve adopted is, “I don’t have margin for that right now.”

She is also very disciplined about setting aside a certain amount of time for a certain task and then moving on, whereas I can get involved in a project at 10AM, and before I know it, the kids are getting off the school bus and it’s time to prepare dinner.

With nuggets of wisdom like, “Just because something is a good thing doesn’t mean it is good for this moment in your life,” and, “Stop trying to be everything for everyone and start investing in who and what really matters,” Jessica uses her own experiences as well as those from women she interviews to share practical ways to balance our responsibilities while still taking time to invest in ourselves.

Reading her book encouraged me to be more intentional about organizing my time and prioritizing my commitments. I appreciated the encouragement to say no to certain “opportunities” that don’t fit into my current season of life.

And I love her suggestions for planning ahead and being prepared to take advantage of those fringe hours in my day to accomplish tasks that are meaningful rather than wiling away more time on Facebook while I’m waiting in line at the grocery store, for example. I’m speaking hypothetically, of course. I NEVER while away time on Facebook, ahem…

Seriously, though, The Fringe Hours is a breath of fresh air, and I think you will love it! Get one for yourself, and while you’re at it, get one for a friend.

Win a Copy of The Fringe Hours!

Want to win a copy of The Fringe Hours? Simply leave a comment below, sharing why you would like to read this book — or who you might give it to, and then make sure to indicate in the Rafflecopter widget that you have done so. There are some additional entry opportunities as well.

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57 Responses

  1. I’d give this book to my mom. She’s been going through some stressful times and I think this would be exactly what she needs.

  2. This sounds like a great book to help a mom like me get started on taking time for herself. Trying to “do it all” just leaves me overwhelmed and exhausted…which does not make me the best mom or wife. Hopefully applying the tips from this book will help everyone in my family.

  3. I would like to read this book because I don’t make nearly enough time for ME in life. I’m always pushing aside my wants and needs for others.

  4. A long time ago I read either a post or comment you left somewhere that spoke about how it’s important to you that your son see you taking time for yourself so that when he is a husband that’s a normal thing for his wife to do. That has stuck with me and it’s something I’d like to model for my kids as well. I think I need to be more intentional to talk about taking time for me. Not just escaping when I’m already running on fumes but taking time to fill up before I hit empty. My girls and my boy need to see this lived out. So, that’s why I’d like to read the book and then I’d probably pass it on to a friend.

  5. I love my time before the kids and the husband all wake up, but I don’t feel like I use it wisely all the time. This would be a great read, I think!

  6. I would read the book myself. I am always
    wanting to find time for me, even with college age kids! Would love inspiration to make it happen!

  7. I would love some ideas on how to accomplish time for self care without taking away from my family. This book sounds refreshing and enlightening! I hope to win a copy!

  8. Selfishly I would keep the book for ME. As part of th sandwich generation dealing with a teen and an aging patrnt as well as working full time I find little time to do anuthing I truly love!

  9. I feel like in the last two years since becoming a mom, I’ve lost myself. I would love to read this book to help me figure out how to make time for myself again!

  10. I would love some suggestions on how to make time for myself. I am trying to focus on that now that my kids are no longer infants and are starting to me more self-sufficient.

  11. I would love to read it because it sounds interesting! Would love to learn tips on how to manage my time and follow my dreams! I know of a few people who could probably benefit from reading this book as well.

  12. I need to read this book for myself. As a mom of three young children it’s rare I get the time I want. I either have to be sick or book a vacation day.

  13. In the past decade, largely due to the kids’ arrival, I’ve lost me. Not in a desperate way, thankfully. But every time I think I’m on my way towards finding myself again, something happens externally and I go on the back burner again (by choice). It’s time to stay on the front one and let my little proverbial pot boil! This book may help.

  14. I would love to win as I’m always looking for encouragement and ideas to help foster self care for myself 🙂
    THANK YOU for the chance to win a copy!
    xoxo

  15. I would love to read this book, as a homeschooling mom with a work from home husband, my entire day is filled with my family. I love my family but would like to find out how to use those hours I do have to myself ( for me, it’s the early morning when no one else is up yet) to the best advantage. And then, I would pass it along to my daughter in laws, who also have very busy lives and might be able to use some encouragement. Thanks for the offer!

  16. I would love to read this book to help me work on my time.. . I always feel guilty doing something I enjoy, when I could be with my kids… I would then love t pass it on to my friends.. thank you!

  17. I would love to read this book because I have so much trouble with time management as a SAHM, sounds like she has helpful ideas. Thanks!

  18. I would like to win this book because I am trying to find balance and purpose to my days and using the ‘fringe hours’ sounds like an interesting concept.

  19. I retired from a full-time job and now work just 2 days a week. I thought when I retired that I would have all kinds of extra time to do the things that I like to do. I find that (1) there are not enough hours in the day and (2) I spend a lot of that extra time cleaning or cooking or wasting it somehow! I have no more time now to do fun things than I did when I was full time!

  20. This would be a great book for me to read, and to share with many of my friends. Especially with really small kids, it’s hard to justify time for yourself; it feels selfish. I’d love some perspective.

  21. I reach the end of every day and realize that I did nothing for myself – I’m getting tired of it. I need help to figure out how to carve out the time though 🙁

  22. I have heard about this book and feel like my time gets away from me and I do things for others I do not want to do. I would read and pass along as have friends and family that would like this too.

  23. I would read this book because this is the year I’ve decided I need to work on me. I forgot how to take care of myself and I need to do more of that.

  24. I would give this book to one of my Sunday school teachers. She works full time, plans lessons for our class, takes care of an ailing mom, volunteers with Celebrate Recovery at church, and is fostering a 5 year old. She is always gracious and patient and never grumbles about all the responsibility on her shoulders.

  25. I would love to read this and probably need to in order to find the time to read it! My list of things I “want” to do is so long and just keep getting pushed off.

  26. I have a young daughter who is a mother of two little ones, very close in age and her life is quite the crazy, busy, non stop, full speed ahead. She stays up very late at night, I think only to allow herself some down time. Yet I am concerned about her schedule. I want her to learn far earlier than I ever did in life.. that you must balance your life…Spiritually, physically and mentally. Its such a hard concept to grasp when your so busy and everyone depends on you for so much. I want her to learn to make the wise choices of when to say no. I recall a mature lady years ago telling me it’s ok to say No honey, you can always say YES to that in another season of life…what a wise lady she was!! So this will be for my lovely daughter whom I pray for every day.

  27. I would totally give this awesome book to my Mama. I think she really needs it and I think it would be greatly beneficial for her. I might have to pick up one for myself, too!

  28. I’d love to win this book because I really want to be efficient in the time I have. Last year, I wasted a lot of time on Netflix, and ended up canceling our subscription this year. That’s a good first step, but I want to do better at using my fringe hours for productive, good things!

  29. I would love to read this book to find out if I have any fringe hours! And I would give a copy to my best friend, Nancy.

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