Pampering Mom

Pamper yourself from head to toe, and don’t forget the chocolate!

Go ahead, pamper yourself – you can make the time and “find the calm” for some well-deserved pampering … and forget the guilt! A busy Mom deserves it most!

A relaxing, fragrant bubble bath … a facial that just feels sooooo good … nails so perfect your friends comment on them, and not just behind your back … a silky skin treatment … These are not only in reach (even if money is tight), these are your RIGHT! Heaven knows, they might even be the keys to retaining your sanity and not doing awful things to your husband with a sharp instrument. (By the way, that’s one argument to use when you dump the kids on him while you take time off. It’s not one he’s going to want to put to the test!)

Make the Time to Pamper Yourself!

If you haven’t already read my “Keeping Your Sanity” section on freeing-up some time despite all the predictable unpredictables in your day, start here.

If you want the short cut version … it’s

a) organize, and
b) say “No” to a LOT more than you do now.

Life will go on even if you miss the PTA meeting or defer the shopping for a day.

Eliminate the Guilt and Pamper Yourself!

How about the guilt? Easy. Give your child or children 20 or 30 minutes of pure, undiluted Mommy attention when you’d normally have been multi-tasking. That ENTITLES you to treat yourself.

And if HE is home … give him the TV clicker or a beer or both, that’ll earn you both the right and the time for a brief but intense pamper period.

Budget strictly limited?

No problem. For each of the pamper sessions I’m starting with ideas that work on a near-zero budget. Then I explore a few pampering options for the less financially challenged among us.

Does a hot, relaxing, fragrant bubble bath appeal to you?

The restorative effects of a hot bath with bubbles or bath salts is nothing short of amazing. When you slide in and it’s almost too hot but not quite and you just let the heat drain your stress in the first few seconds … Aahhh! Even better than sex! If this appeals, here’s the blueprint for a fabulous home-made pampering session in paradise!

Give your hair a treat!

I’ve given up trying to explain to my significant other why it ALWAYS feels good to do something good for your hair … but it’s a reality. It DOES. (It probably works for men too, if they’d give it a chance. Mel Gibson’s William Wallace in “Braveheart” would probably have been more inclined to discuss problems with split ends than to disembowel his opposition if he’d had a decent hair treatment on the morning of the battles.)
I’ve a couple of low cost treatments documented here so you can pamper your hair.

Take your choice of incredible, natural facials

You don’t have to be a candidate for a Sharpei look-alike contest in order to benefit from the pampering of regular facials. Smooth, moist skin will stay that way for longer if you treat it right when it doesn’t seem to need any treatment at all. And again, you can do this without access to Julia Robert’s ATM card number.
These are some facials I enjoy.

Bringing your hands back to life with a manicure and skin treatment!

My ancestors are from Northern England working class stock, where it was a matter of pride that the wife scrubbed her front door step each morning on her hands and knees with a scrubbing brush before walking the 15 miles barefoot in snow to milk the cows, kill the pig and get the eggs for her husband’s breakfast.

Even they could have had favorable results from these hand-pamperers. 

Giving your feet the break they deserve!

My youngest daughter, in between college courses, just had the joy of working two part-time jobs where schedules clashed … and was on her feet from 8AM to 2 PM in one job, from 3PM til 11PM in another … the same day. It’s a shame she doesn’t listen to Mom’s advice because these feet-treats would have done her the world of good.

Chocolate … the other food group!

Again, let’s start with the guilt issue. In a recent study, clever folk at Harvard determined that people who ate some chocolate every month (I won’t go into details as to the quantity … we’re trying to beat the guilt thing here) actually lived longer than those who didn’t. Plus, there is a strong nutritional case for chocolate; along with the carbos, fats, and proteins (really) there are noteworthy quantities of potassium and magnesium, some sodium, calcium, vitamins A1, V1, B2, D, E … and if that isn’t enough to set the guilt aside you don’t deserve any, anyway.

Here are some great ways to live longer via chocolate.
You know, we really don’t need much in order to be happy. You are a great mother, so go ahead and pamper yourself. You know you deserve it!