January rolls around so quickly every year and if you’re like me, I think I need to do a better job with eating healthy, working out consistently, saying no more often, etc. Maybe this year, you even added “Kondo-ing” your house.
This year, I thought about how I can improve my life, and I decided that I need to spend more time with my husband and set aside some time for myself. As I write this, I am making a cringe face because I can’t get over the fact that I think it sounds selfish. Where do we moms get this idea? I spend as much time with my kids as I possibly can and I love it and will never regret it, but I still feel a little guilty when I do something for myself. I know that it is good for me and my kids, and it truly does make me a better mom.
Every year starting a couple weeks before Christmas, the same conversation happens in my house. My husband starts badgering me (badgering is used for effect) about what I want for Christmas. He is trying and he wants to get me gifts, so I am not hating him for that, but I do not have time to get some list and what am I supposed to tell him? “Well at Target in aisle 52, row 3 there is ….” Not happening. He is then frustrated because he does not know what to get (we have been married 28, years did I mention that?). Then, two days before Christmas, he is gone the entire day looking for gifts for me and he takes my oldest daughter (thank goodness, because she has had some stories of things I would have received had she not been with him). To quote her, “Mom, you dodged a bullet today!” I am then annoyed because they are gone all day and I want to be doing holiday things together. It is a whole thing every year.
This past year, I was proactive! I suggested to my husband that we get each other one smaller thing to open in front of the kids so they do not think married people are totally lame, and then with the money we would have spent on gifts, we do a night away to somewhere nearby to spend some time together. You have to understand, we never get away just us. We always talk about it, but it is never the right time. It was so nice for both of us — no pressure with gifts, plus we had something to look forward to. We decided to go to Pinecrest since I am basically obsessed with it.
We went to dinner at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. We sat by the fireplace and had a delicious dinner and we were able to catch up with each other. After dinner, my husband got ice cream from Graeter’s and I smelled his (I’m sure he lost five pounds and I gained two). We had a great time going from store to store and checking everything out. Pinstripes is a fun place to bowl or play my favorite, bocce ball. Of course there’s Silverspot Cinema for movies. (I am now ruined for regular movie seating. Never again.) You can create a candle together at The Candle Studio, and even spend the night at AC Hotels right at Pincrest. It was super modern and nice to walk back and forth. We had such a great time and it was right in our backyard. You do not have to have a big, expensive excursion to spend quality time together — and parents, you need this. It makes you better parents and it is also good for your kids to have a little time without you, too, once in a while.
I am usually a Marshall’s girl. I like clothes and I know it does feel so good to wear an outfit that you feel good in, but I do not usually spend a ton of time or money on my clothes. I spent some time in some of the boutiques at Pinecrest. Apricot Lane Boutique and Blackbird Fly Boutique are both great places to treat yourself to a new, stylish outfit. The owners are both moms who desire to help women look and feel good. The shops have different types of clothing to serve all ages. It is fun to get personalized style help once in a while and that is what you get in these boutiques. I am not saying I’m done with Marshall’s, but I will visit these shops more often to feel pampered and get individual style advice.
If you have not heard of an infrared sauna, where have you been? Kidding… I did not either until I met Jenna, the owner of j.bellezza salon. She showed me the infrared sauna and told me all about it. She said the Sunlighten saunas are highly effective for detoxification because of their Solocarbon far infrared heating technology, and that they also are designed for maximum comfort. I went in to give it a try. I did appreciate that I was in my own room and in the sauna alone. I did not have a naked person in a towel next to me, so that was a plus. The sauna has a control panel where you choose what benefit you would like. I chose weight loss. Now I did not get the results in that 30 minutes that I was hoping for as far as weight loss 🙂 but it did feel great. I thought I would be bored sitting there, but it felt so good. I did not take my phone in and I just relaxed for 30 minutes. I felt so good when I came out — and my skin felt fantastic. I was able to just slip away for a little amount of time and do something for myself and I did feel rejuvenated and was able to be a better mom. Take some time for yourself today and let your kids reap the benefits.
Disclosure: I was given one complimentary session in the infrared sauna by j.bellezza salon — but if you know me, you know my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other incentives.
