24 Hours...Take THAT Jack Bauer!

So I am sitting in a hotel room reflecting on many things....FYI, this will not be a deep and self searching post. Just be prepared. Mostly because I have not stop giggling since I walked through the parking garage at the hotel I will be spending the next 24 hours at....ALONE!

Don't get me wrong. I love my kids. And I love my husband. They are precious in His sight...but Lord knows, Momma needs a little quiet. So I politely asked my husband for some time away so that I could think. So that I could write. So that I could, well, sleep.

I smiled like a medicated horse as I walked in the lobby. I couldn't stop chatting with the receptionist who was checking me in. Uhhhh, sorry. I'm just so excited. I just laughed and giggled all the way up the elevator. I opened my door and stepped into a wonderland of silence and calm. The air was blowing and the room smelled clean. I took my shoes off and made a cup of tea. I pulled out all of my products that I wanted to use to pamper myself tonight and laid them all out. I was ready to begin my self care night.

I don't think we should ever feel bad to ask for time alone. I don't think

we should ever be made to feel like we need to justify a massage or a bottle of cologne. Or carve out for ourselves an intentional time to sleep. To rest our bodies and our minds. To not feel the pressure of a deadline or feel rushed by a schedule.

Sometimes I feel like my life is not my own. Like I am just a chauffeur or a cook or a maid. Like I am so busy taking care of other people that I fall to the bottom of my list when it comes to consideration. But I started thinking back in April that this needed to change. I declared this to be my year of self care. I was going to treat my self to extra attention. I was going to stop and be mindful of my heart and posture in circumstances. I was going to take more tea breaks! HA!

I started reading books. I listened to audio books and gave myself an allowance a month to spend on things that improved my overall health and wellness. Below are some recommendations that I came across and want to pass on to you. I thought this year was going to be like one big spa day! I thought I would be walking around smelling like lavender and rose petals and my hair would shine like the sun. I would be calm and peaceful, and I would really enjoy meals instead of shoving food in my face as I run out the door... late again.

Do you hear that? It's the sound of the big caca-filled balloon being popped over me. I could just roll on the floor laughing at how naive I was. SELF CARE IS HARD! It's WORK! And even though you WANT to do it, the time to make it happen doesn't just magically appear. I was living in a chaotic life that I created. Just because I wanted it to go away doesn't mean that it did overnight. Really, it still hasn't. But I had to change my lifestyle and rearrange my whole way of doing things in order to take care of myself. There were habits to be broken, kids to retrain, husband to convince of things. Mostly, there was myself to kick in the tail and say "Do It Already!" I can't say that I have spent this whole year treating myself to indulgent spa nights at my home with nightly mediation walks to clear the day away. HA! Not even close. Breaking the old habits and moving toward developing new ones has taken up over half of the year...however, I'm not giving up. I am going to continue to fight for my heart and attitude to be in a place of contentment, even when the one I am fighting usually turns out to be me.

Resources for some great tips on self care:

Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist (GAME CHANGER! Get your heart ready)

Thrive by Arianna Huffington (Every working person on earth needs this book)

Brunette Ambition by Lea Michele (So many homemade spa recipes for baths, skin, and hair)

The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington (The title says it all.)

Calm app - Helps to rest and meditate

Oolong Tea - The benefits of oolong are amazing! Here is a link to read more. Make sure it is Organic Oolong though. https://www.organicfacts.net/beverage/health-benefits-of-oolong-tea.html