6 Ways To Get A Momcation Without Straying Far From Home

Photo Credit: Virginia.org

Mommyhood is a continuous job, and as super as we are (yep, I will pat my own self on the back..and here's one for you too), we all need a break sometimes. Taking a real vacation to somewhere tropical, with little coconut drinks would be great, however, those are hard to come by and take months of planning and saving. Don't worry though, you can still get a piece of the dream, here's six ways to unwind, and still be close enough to kiss the kiddies goodnight.

6. Shop til' You Drop. This one is a no brainer, shopping is always a great pick me up. As moms we sometimes forget to treat ourselves every once in a while. I know me personally, I have some clothes in my closet that Goodwill won't even take. Refresh your closet and get some new threads. Not only will your kids appreciate it when you come up to the school in something other than that sweatshirt from high school, it will give you a confidence boost, and make you feel like someone other than just (insert your child's name here)'s mom.

5. Treat Your Pallet. If you know me, you know I love food. Good food is like a mood changer for me, give me a good burger, and a soda and I'm on cloud 9 (I know this is not the healthiest alternative but its a treat, I don't eat it every day, I promise). It's been proven that food can affect your mood (or at least its been proven by me, and I am a subject matter expert). Treat yourself to your favorite restaurant for brunch, or grab your favorite mocha late whatever at Starbucks. On those rough days, when you need a break, indulge a little, you deserve it.

4. Pedicure, Please! My feet have been screaming for a pedicure for weeks, I probably need to take my own advice here, because I really did rip a pair of socks with my toenail the other day (don't judge me). A pedicure is like a little piece of heaven on earth. It's so relaxing, and for two weeks after, you will look like you really care about your feet. When you sit back in that massaging chair, while getting your feet rubbed and scrubbed and scraped (I really hate the scraper thing because it's so not discrete, I don't think its anyone else's business how much dead skin just came off of my feet), it makes you feel like a celebrity, its all about you for a whole 45 mins.

3. Bring on the Tunes. Put on some good music the next time you start making dinner, it will change your life. Whatever it is that relaxes you, some jazz, country, r&b, or in my case some good ol' 2000's hip hop (yes, its the edited version for the young ears in the house), turn it up and relax. I mean we spend all day listening to all the theme songs on the Disney channel, I think we deserve an hour of adult listening. Plus its harder to hear my boys yelling to the top of their lungs for no good reason, when I have the music up to max volume.

2. Some Good T.V. Do you have a favorite show that's like a guilty pleasure? Mines is senseless, and shameful good ol' reality t.v. Yes, I know its not really reality as my husband likes to remind me, and gives me this look of disdain when I'm all into it but its entertaining. Sometimes I need a good laugh, even if its at the expense of the outright foolish behavior of someone else, hey they're getting paid for it, what's the big deal? So when the kids go to bed try to fight the urge to do more house work...I'm really bad at this, and fire up the D.V.R and catch up on your favorite shows. If you are more sophisticated and like to read, grab your favorite novel and tune out the world. Trust me, those three loads of laundry will still be there in the morning.

1. Find Your Peace. What brings you mental peace and tranquility may be different from my list, but make sure you find the time for whatever it is that makes you happy. No, we can't always getaway on a nice vacation, but there are plenty ways to give yourself a mental woosah (this really is a word in the urban dictionary, thank you very much). As moms we spend so much of our day thinking about everyone else and what they need, that its hard for us to wind down and lighten our mental load. Finding some type of mental relief for yourself, is essential to being the best mom, (and the million other titles you have) that you can be.