“Self-care” has been a bit of a buzz phrase in 2014. I remember rolling my eyes at a bunch of blog posts back in January talking about the importance of self-care and self-love and resolutions to “spend more time on me.”
And then the month of August happened and I found myself in a state of total and complete burnout. Physically. Mentally. Socially. Emotionally.
(Go ahead. Roll your eyes.)
All of a sudden those blog posts I had read didn’t sound half bad. Why shouldn’t I explore some self-care? Why shouldn’t I spend some time taking care of myself and not feeling guilty about it? Why shouldn’t I…..treat myself?
So, I did. I started finding tiny ways to treat myself throughout the week. I didn’t have a newsworthy epiphany or grand transformation, but I started to realize that allowing myself small indulgences throughout our daily routine made me a happier, better functioning person.
In case you have also found yourself in a recent state of burnout, allow me to present….
10 Ways To Treat Yo-self:
1. PASTRIES. When I work from a coffee shop, I get a scone. Always. Sometimes I’ll go for a muffin, but I’m really more of a scone girl. Let’s be honest: coffee is just better with a pastry on the side.
2. TARGET BY YOURSELF. When I go to Target alone (happens once in a blue moon), I get a small bag of popcorn and a cherry Icee. And then I stroll down all the aisles slowly. I smell all the candles. I touch all the pillows. I examine all the lipstick colors. I really don’t think you have experienced self-care until you you have spent one hour, uninterrupted, at Target with popcorn and an icee. Seriously, TRY IT.
3. SUNDAY NIGHT FACE. Earlier this summer I started a tradition I like to call Sunday Night Face. Basically, every Sunday night I treat myself to a clay face mask, followed by two Biore strips. And then I wash all of my makeup brushes. It makes me feel fancy.
4. GIANT LUNCH. I know a lot of my self-care has to do with food, but I’m 34 weeks pregnant, so I can’t help it. Every day I make a monster lunch: turkey sandwich, cheetos or chips, grapes or apple slices, and chocolate chip cookies. I make the lunch while Everett is awake, and then I eat it when he is asleep. I don’t know why, but this makes everything better. I usually turn on Bravo for the four minutes it takes me to inhale said monster lunch and for four whole minutes, I am SO HAPPY.
5. BINGE WATCHING. Truth: I can barely remember life before Netflix. Nothing says self-care quite like watching six episodes of good television in a row. I’m currently binge watching The Good Wife (via Amazon Prime), based on Diana’s recommendation. Also, in case you haven’t heard, Gilmore Girls is coming to Netflix so you know what I’ll be watching this fall.
6. PEDICURES. Pregnant or not pregnant, I put $25 in the monthly budget for a pedicure. I save my Real Simple magazine for such an occasion, and reset the massage chair approximately four times while I’m there. The. Best.
7. FLOWERS. A few times a month I treat myself to a $5 bouquet of fresh flowers from Trader Joes. Even if the rest of my house is a total disaster, a jar of flowers on the kitchen table makes me feel like it’s not that bad.
8. THE GYM. Ev and I go to the gym almost every afternoon with my sister wife Christina and her son Benjamin. The boys have a great time playing in the ball pit while we waddle next to each other on the treadmill swapping awkward pregnancy stories and emotional rants. I’m not a gym buff by any means, but waddling on the treadmill with a girlfriend for 45 minutes every afternoon seems to be good for my soul. And hey, it makes me feel better about the ice cream I eat every night, so there’s that too.
9. NEW UNDERWEAR. This might be a pregnancy thing, or maybe it’s just a me thing (awkward!), but I kinda think buying new underwear is the ultimate in self-care. Like, what is better than brand new underwear? Nothing. Seriously nothing.
10. BREAKFAST FOR DINNER. Breakfast is, by far, my favorite meal of the day. I love cereal. I love scrambled eggs. I love hash browns and french toast and waffles and yogurt. Whenever I don’t feel like cooking something fancy (and by fancy, I mean tacos), I simply make breakfast for dinner and call it a day. Yum.
And that’s my list. How do you treat yo-self?
p.s. That adorable tote bag was a gift from my friend Kristen. Get it here.