Y’all. I am done. D. O. N. E.
This year has worn me the fuck out. The togetherness has become overwhelming. The stress of living in a pandemic has pushed me to my parenting limits. I literally had one kid sitting on my lap and one laying against me from the minute I came down this morning.
And I know I’m not alone. I know there are other parents out there that just need a little break. A little respite. A little time behind a locked door with some self-care items.
If the parent in your life has run their supply of self-care items down (read: the liquor cabinet is bare), here are some ideas to help them refill their bucket so we can all tackle next year with the energy of a middle-age Midwesterner trying to relive their high school football glory.
BestLifeBeauti Self-Care Bundle
Picture this. A rose & lavender detox herbal bath, your heart opening rose quartz stone, soothing herbal tea in your favorite Best Life Beauti mug, and hydrating rose oil to keep your skin glowing afterwards. You breathe deeply and feel at peace for the first time since March.
All thanks to this amazing box of awesomeness curated by BestLifeBeauti to highlight Richmond-based, black, woman owned businesses.
I don’t know about you but all this worry has seriously impacted my ability to sleep. Don’t get me wrong. I am tired all of the time, but sleep eludes me some nights. On nights like those, this candle is a life-saver. The soothing lavender scent helps me calm my mind and relax enough to fall asleep.
If you’re worried about falling asleep with an open flame, some suggestions:
- Don’t light it. The scent is powerful enough that you can smell it without lighting it without being overwhelming.
- Grab a warmer to go with it. You can place a full size candle on the warmer to safely burn the candle overnight or you can pick up a pack or two of Go the Fuck to Sleep melts.
While booze barrel-aged coffee contains no alcohol unfortunately, it retains the flavors of the spirit allowing the drinker to at least pretend they are imbibing before 9AM. (No judgement if you add the actual spirit to your coffee. We do what we must in the pandemic.)
(Image courtesy of The Oakley Soap Co. Instagram)
Lavender scented shower steamer
The only time that I am truly guaranteed some alone time is in the shower. I don’t have a fancy, big bathtub that allows for an hours-long soak. I have a small, one-person shower which isn’t completely conducive to relaxing.
That is, until I discovered shower steamers from The Oakley Soap, Co. These delightful blocks of awesome are like bath bombs for your shower. The lavender one is my favorite for the sweet, relaxing scent of lavender that envelops me as I pretend there’s not two boys and a kitten just outside the door trying to tell me something.
Self-Affirmation Meditation Cards & The Time to Use Them
All jokes aside, the best part of my day, and the part that keeps me sane, is a five minute period where I can pull a card and just focus on me for a bit. This ritual helps me stay centered and not get mired down in the insanity that is the world.
Here are some other versions in case this one isn’t up your alley: