How do YOU relax?
Before I shared a bathroom with another adult and before I had a child to supervise 24/7, I took baths to relax. To me, there is nothing more relaxing than a tub of hot water, a bathbomb, some bubbles, some wine and a stack of magazines or a good book with some music (or a binge-worthy tv series)... I took these glorious baths two or three times a week. Oh frivolous, self-indulgent me...
These days, I have to wait until Scarlett is in bed (and actually good and asleep...) and Michael is out of the house to enjoy these moments. At his urging, I've taken baths while he is here and/or Scarlett is awake, but it's just not the same. If she is up and I can hear them in the other room, I feel guilty for being so selfish with my time (hello, mom guilt!). Let's be honest, too- it's just not as relaxing if I can hear them in the other room: the sound of the tv, them laughing/crying/babbling, Michael yelling at my cats, etc. Relaxation is the end-goal here, and I'm too cheap to waste my expensive LUSH bath products on a non-relaxing moment.
Lucky for me, Michael plays in a seasonal recreational softball league a few seasons out of the year, which means that for a majority of the year he is out of the house one night a week for games. I've recently shifted my point-of-view about these nights from "the evenings I single-parent it" to "the nights that I get me time." Once Scarlett goes down, I ignore the laundry and dishes that may still be lingering from the day, turn off the living room TV (which is pretty much ALWAYS on, whether it's being watched or not) and head for the tub. I'm learning that while there may be other things that NEED to be done during this precious alone time, it's important that I make the time for myself. Life's all about balance, and nothing has taught me this more than motherhood.
Just started this book by Rachel Hollis, and I'm loving it... makes me wish I was a part of a book club so I could discuss with friends!
My usual bath setup... baby monitor, laptop, wine, magazines.... You may notice the same wine glass in these pictures. It is a large, plastic wine glass which makes it perfect for bath time (or any time, when you are clumsy like me)! I received a set of these as a birthday gift years ago, and they are by far my most-used wine glasses. You can find similar ones here.
Oh, Lush bathbombs… you make my heart happy!
What do you do to relax? How do you make time for these things? And if you don't, what's stopping you?
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