Yeah, I know it’s Monday. But the Friday Favorites I was going to do last week got lost in the bustle of the week and didn’t get put together until… uhm, Saturday? Yeah. I think.
Today’s faves are all about stealing a few minutes for yourself. Whether it’s school, work, home, the kids or a combination of those and more that are fighting for your time, it is important to take a step back and take care of yourself. Sometimes, a bubble bath, pedicure, 20 minutes of reading for pleasure, or just eating a bag of chocolate covered pretzels by yourself while you’re hiding in the bathroom can do wonders for you. Stress relievers are a must-have weapon in your arsenal for those crazy, hectic days. Here’s my favorite methods.
My favorite ways to relax are:
1. Making Cards. This is my guilty craft. It’s not something I do for my blog. I don’t have to worry about taking photos as I create and I don’t have to take final photos. I don’t have to spend hours editing the photos or writing the post. This is just for me.
2. Hot Bubble Bath with an episode of my current favorite Netflix show… pretty much anything that isn’t animated.
3. Manicure or pedicure. I do them myself, which mean they take time. I don’t often have time to sit and literally watch paint dry. They are a rare treat.
4. Chick flick. My awesome hubby puts up with the occasional romantic comedy, but sometimes you just need to binge on popcorn, chocolate and a gooey love story. Even when I’m watching TV with Mr Napping, I rarely don’t have something else going on too – folding laundry, editing photos, writing posts. It drives my poor husband bonkers. Just sitting and watching is a rarity.
5. Reading a book that isn’t a board book, have “lift the flap”s or sounds, and doesn’t end every other sentence with a rhyme. Decent plot lines and character development are also nice. Or glossy pages.
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| The magazines I will read ‘some day’… |
6. Eating my own food. Apparently, whenever I put food on my plate, it has some sort of magic spell placed on it and tastes so much better than the food on my children’s plates. It came out of the same pot, has the same ingredients and, to anyone else in the world, is the same thing my kids have. But, to them, it has a mystical quality that they must have. It’s a fabulous thing when I get to actually eat the food on my plate all by myself.
7. Playing a Board or Card Game. It’s so nice to focus on something that doesn’t really matter for a little while. However, this isn’t really a solo stress reliever so I have to find a buddy, or several, to play with.
8. Listening to music. Even if I have to do some mundane task while I listen, it gives me the chance to just let my mind wander. I can go just about anywhere and not have to worry about packing a diaper bag, juggling children, or other people finding my kid’s temper tantrum in the toy aisle or on the swings to be “annoying”.
9. Sitting in the sunshine. Just sitting and doing nothing.
10. A new hair cut and color. The biggest sacrifice here is the time. I do my own and each new do costs me about $8. The $100 savings alone is enough to make me feel all good about myself, but who doesn’t love a new look every so often.
What are your favorite stress-relievers?
