Self care-ish: mama edition
Practicing self care as a mom under normal circumstances can be difficult, during a pandemic it can be very fucking hard. I know, shits opening back up but it’s just not the same. The lack of babysitting options, the weird ass limited business hours, and my hesitation with sending my kid to camp have been blocking me hard as hell. Possibly living in a state away from my family and friends plays a part too but I’m blaming it all on Covid.
Keep reading if you want to hear how my pedicure got blocked last week. The other day I scheduled my entire day around going to the nail salon. I hadn’t been since March, post pandemic. I did all the necessary shit around the house so when hubby was done work, I could escape. I had to explain to my husband he could not join me and that this was “my time” then having to explain again what “my time” was which is time unwinding alone, riding in the car alone, listenening to music with words such as FUCK, BITCH, etc and doing so LOUDLY, while not worrying about if the 4 year old is gonna repeat the shit. After all of that, I escaped successfully.
I spent 20 minutes looking for parking, spent 5 minutes walking to the nail salon from the super tight parking spot I took forever to get into simply to see that they are closed on Thursdays. Thursday’s are literally the only day they are closed. The day was Thursday. Checking the time to see that it was 6:30, and the only other nail salon I trusted was 30 minutes away and would be closed by the time I got there felt like some typical 2020 dumb shit.
Arriving home without a mani and pedi while my mother in law who is staying with us for a few asks “back so soon?” was vexing as well. Like what freakin nail salon closes on Thursday?! I was simply trying to practice some damn self care so I wouldn’t lose my mind. I charged my headphones prior to the trip so I could zone out and listen to new music whilst my feet were being taken care of and even jugged down a glass of red wine to take the edge off before I got out the door. But Thursday evening had other plans.
I didn’t give up on my self care though. Considering self care is whatever you need it to be at that time, I made it happen at home even though I was desperately looking forward to the salon experience. I still went home in a good ass mood, I journaled, had a relaxing long shower with the smell of eucalyptus lingering over my shower head and a cup of hot green tea drizzled with honey and a slice of lemon. Omg, writing that I’m trying to figure out if I’m 32 or 62, man I’m acting more like my mama everyday. Nonetheless I wanted to share some things that make my heart flutter when the people in my house whom I’d like to remain nameless are driving me cray.
Here’s 5 Self Care-Ish Tips:
Get in the damn car, blast the radio, drive to your store of choice, buy the candles, the coffee, the shoes, the plants and or whatever makes you HAPPY. (Temporary fix but totally worth it).
I drove to Zara the other day blasting old school Ashanti with the windows down. I left those kids home with their daddy. Let’s just say it was a vibe!
Don’t cheat yourself, treat yourself with a damn pedicure, spa day, hot bath, facial, flowers, and one of my favorites, a damn nap. (ESSENTIAL AF)
Update: There is currently a new bunch of Yellow Chrysanthemums from Trader Joe’s on my dining room table and I went back on Friday for my pedi, due to Covid, Thursday’s they close for sanitizing.
Don’t look at the clock! DRINK THE DAMN WINE. You deserve it.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Roscato Sweet Red
Apothic RedBlend
Cupcake Pinot Grigio
Let that baby cry. The other day Summer was screaming only because she wanted to be held, I put on Ari Lennox (which is her fav) she stopped crying eventually and began to bop her head. As long as that baby is fed and has a clean diaper. Put the baby down, go brush your teeth, eat your breakfast, and take a shower without feeling bad.
“Crying is good for the lungs” - Everybody’s grandma
Devise a plan to take over the world. Your kids deserve a mother they can brag about. Whatever you are passionate about, dig into it, take a risk, take a class, start the business, literally never quit working on your dreams!
Stay tuned!