Afternoon refreshers are the best way for me to get through my day as a busy mom. I love every minute of being the mother of our sweet Little Miss, but sometimes a girl just needs a break, right? Thankfully, Little Miss takes a good two-hour nap, and that is the me-time that I use to do some cleaning, some blog work, some paper work, and some pampering. Afternoon refreshers come in all shapes and sizes, and they can take 10 minutes or even three hours if I want them to. I have so many simple little rituals that I enjoy, and I thought you might like to know about them. So, when my girl is tucked in for her afternoon siesta, you can bet I’m doing one or many of these things, and you can do them, too.
Light a candle
I often have a candle burning in our home most of the day, but if not, I am sure to light one during afternoon nap time. If I am in the kitchen, I light one that is on the island, and if I am working in my office, I light a votive that is always in there. I make sure the fragrance reminds me of the time of year. For instance, right now I am burning Crisp Morning Air by Yankee candles. Since we are about to transition from summer to fall, this fragrance reminds me of the smells, sights, and sounds of late summer.
Play some music
We always have music playing in the background on our Amazon Echo, but with our little one around, it’s usually princess music or Disney music. The girl loves herself some princesses. But during my afternoon relax time, I play my kind of music like Chris Stapleton or some Neil Diamond oldies. Music is such a treat even though it’s such a little thing.
Drink a beverage
I love to sip on a drink during my relaxation time. In the summer it is unsweet tea, coconut water, watermelon juice, or just sparkling water. In cool weather I’ll make a cup of tea, Russian tea, or a latte.
Read a magazine
If you are a mother of toddlers, then you know how tough it is to get some time for reading. I like to read a novel at bedtime, but during naptime, I pull out my decorating and entertainment magazines. I enjoy Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living, Southern Living, and People. There’s no heavy reading for me because it’s down-time.
Do your nails
Getting a professional mani/pedi right now is almost impossible. Little Miss isn’t quite ready to sit through one of those sessions while I am getting my nails redone. So, I use some Jamberry nail appliques and give myself a pretty good manicure.
Give yourself a facial
I worked in a cosmetic surgeon’s office when I lived in San Francisco, and it was so easy to pick out the ladies who really pampered their skin. Working there was a life lesson for me to take care of my own skin. I have ridden a bicycle across the United States three times, and that means I spent way too much time in the sun. I am trying to reverse the negative effects of all of those days in the sun by taking special care of my skin now. I love giving myself a facial, which again would be tough to get on a professional basis with Little Miss around. Nap time is the perfect time to take care of this.
Do some Youtube yoga
Mom and I love doing Youtube yoga. There are tons of instructors on Youtube ranging from the very beginning courses to expert courses. I pull out my mat, park myself in front of the television or computer, and do 20 to 30 minutes of good stretching and breathing. Even Little Miss even does children’s yoga sometimes when I am cooking dinner. Yoga is one of my favorite ways to relax.
Turn on the fireplace
We are lucky enough to have a fireplace equipped with gas logs that we can turn on and turn off instantly. If it’s a cool or cold day, you can bet I will turn on the flames during my afternoon refreshers time. It adds a level of coziness that my body wants, and it just adds to the relaxation atmosphere I am trying to create.
Do you have any special routines that you do during the day to recharge your battery? We would love to hear about them.
Cheers!
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For years I would stop, make a cup ☕️ of tea and watch an hour of TV at 4p.m. Now since there is generally nothing I regularly watch, I go out to the front porch and read for an hour. I visit my neighbors,see the people who walk by and observe our neighborhood wandering animals. I often don’t bring my phone.
Sounds very relaxing, Beth.
These all sound great!