Day 5 - Pamper Them

I know... We spend the first year (more or less) of their lives living in pampers… I am talking about bring the things we all love about the spa to their level… They are on a schedule and under stress just like we are so why not take a moment sometimes to de-stress them… Here are some ways we do just that around at our place:

1.      Candles.  Under adult supervision, candles offer a relaxing environment for us all… Sometimes, I let Munchface take a “spa shower” where I’ll light a lavender candle and turn on a dozen electric votives in the bathroom.  I have gone as far as to turn on quiet music for the “full” experience. She loves it… I sit in there with her and find myself de-stressing… My head resting on the bathroom wall, legs straight out beside the cold tub... Nodding off without a care in the-- "MOMMY, can you pass me my towel? I got water in my eyes..." O ok... Anyways, showers by candlelight make us ALLLL woo-sah. TRY IT!  Other times candles are awesome: dinner, indoor picnic, no-light night (where you don’t allow lights after nightfall).  Try scented or aroma therapeutic candles; they’re awesome.

2.      Manicures.  If you’re like me and splurge on yourself to keep your nails done (I was envious of perfectly manicured nails during meets, #realtalk - LOL), bring the little one with you… I pay $3 for polish only on Munchface’s nails… It’s an opportunity for us to bond and serves as incentive for her to be well-behaved while she waits on me to finish.  We also keep a little basket of polish/supplies and she LOVES to pick out her own nail color for Daddy to paint her nails… I lol-ed when I heard the story of how she swindled him to paint her nails for this school photo:

Me:OoOo Daddy, you did a good job painting those nails... When'd you find time for all that?
Brian: She said you told her you were going to paint her nails for pictures?
Me: HUH? They did her nails at the shop on Sunday while she waited for me. I didn't say that?!
Zion (smiling at dadddy, shrugs): Thankya, daddy....

I could totally see Brian ready to go when Z said, "my mommy said she was gonna paint my nails for my pictures..." He probably had to take off his suit jacket and get down on his hands and knees to paint the nails (and toe nails). Such a manly daddy-man LOL.


 Speaking of awesome nail colors, Rite Aid has a GLOW IN THE DARK line of colors for Halloween ($1.99 BTW).

One of the playdates at the nail shop...

3.      Bath time.  I love to use the bath fizzles (they come in colors and scents) to bring a fun and relaxing bath time to our home.  Bath time is the perfect time to unwind because it’s right before bed time.  One other tip is to add a little glitter to bath bubbles... It makes the container seem that much more Princess...

4.      Lotion.  Since she was a baby, I’ve testified to the calming power of lavender.  After bath time, we use the lavender baby Vaseline (yes, I grease her up… SHE HAS ECZEMA and would be like a puff of chalk smoke by morning if I didn’t).  I apply it to her back but when she was a baby, I’d give her a little massage.  It helped with gas, crankiness and got her ready for bed.  I believe the lavender scent still does the same.

5.      Facials.  Sometimes, kids don’t wash their faces as well as they should and I’m sorry I don’t believe a wash cloth is wiping everything off… so, I will use a mild facial cleanser on her face and call it a facial so she doesn’t pay attention to something close to her eyes (or her nose or her mouth or WHEREVER she’s freaked out at that moment). 

6.      Robes and Towels.  We get Munchface a robe every Christmas and I’ve learned, Munch prefers the towel-like material so she can put on her undies and walk around in her robe for the rest of the night… It’s adorable but especially on spa night because she is just too much picking out nail polish or getting her facial… in her fuzzy slippers and warm robe.

7.      Food and Drink.  Soup or sandwiches makes the perfect relaxing food.  I just stop by Panera for the 2-for deal so we have both and we eat under candlelight.  For drinks, I add fruit to fruit punch or lemonade and serve warm tea for some post-tub relaxation.

Mommy Tip: this makes a great reward for good behavior or good grades/reports.  It’s also the perfect way to spend a Friday night… After a long week, it’s great to unwind and spend time with little ones without the structure of the school week's schedule… We all need a little pampering and since we keep the supplies listed above on-hand anyway, it’s really about doing a WHOLE lot with very little.  ENJOY!