It’s that time again when the kids are out of school for spring break. My son is not in school yet, but his cousin is and my son will be spending time with him and his grandmother for a whole week! This leaves me kid free and my week full of possibilities *cue evil laugh*. Here are some things you can do if you too find yourself kid-free in the future.
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1. Clean!
We all know how hard it is to keep the house clean with young kids around the house. Ya get one room and before you can enjoy it, it’s right back to being a disaster again! My son loves to play with all his toys at one time and of course wants no part in picking them all up when he’s done. So, if you have been putting off cleaning for fear of it being in vain, now is the time to do it! Now of course if you only have a day or two to yourself, you might want to spend it doing something much more fun than cleaning. Don’t worry, the laundry will be there when you get to it *eye rolls*
2. Self-care
This past Christmas I put this all in one foot spa on my wish list and I am so happy I did! I plan on putting it to good use and have a soothing, foot massage. I recently purchased salts to put in the tub that are supposed to aid in relaxation. For those of you who like wine, you can put on some soothing music and grab your wine glass and give those feet some much needed attention. If you really want to go all out with the spa experience, you can even give yourself a pedicure. I also bought these foot files to get rid of dry skin and make them touchable again. You’d be surprised how soft your feet can feel after using one of these things. I am constantly touching my feet now after using them because they are so freaking soft! You won’t regret it.
3. Light Some Candles
I really enjoy lighting candles after a long day at work, but don’t always feel comfortable doing so if my son is home. Sometimes I worry he will throw something and catch the house on fire so I supervise him while it is lit or just don’t allow him in the room. A good alternative is to use a wallflower, but there’s just something that a candle does for me. It feels more relaxing to see a flame and smell the aroma that comes from it. You can run yourself a bubble bath and make it extra special by bathing by candle light. A lot of moms I know complain about having to rush during shower time because of the demands of their kids, so soak as long as you like, just don’t turn into a prune (or do! It’s up to you 😊)!
4. Go out with the girls
I try to do this as much as my schedule allows, but between work, church, blogging and most importantly, mom duties, my time is very limited. It can be hard to catch up with friends as they have busy lives as well. With a little planning AND follow through, you can turn girl’s night out from an idea into a reality. Start planning as soon as you know you will be free, the sooner the better. Even if it’s as simple as going to dinner, exposure to other adults can do a lot for your psyche.
5. Sleep in
Now this one has to be my favorite of them all, especially since my schedule has been switched to day shift hours for a couple of weeks now. Waking up early in the morning to get your kids ready and/or yourself ready for work gets old really quickly. As I get older, it doesn’t take much for my energy to plummet and there’s not enough coffee in the world to bring it back up once its down. I take full advantage of being kid-free to sleep in as long as I want without having a 4-year-old waking me up with the same “I’m hungry” line every morning. So best believe, me and my bed spend a lot of quality time together in these moments.
6. Mani/pedi
The last time I had my nails professionally done was last June for my birthday (yikes!), so it’s safe to say I’m long overdue for a trip to the nail salon. Have you ever tried going to the nail shop with your toddler? Well, I have never been brave enough to even attempt this feat (hats off to those who can pull it off!). I just feel like I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the experience much for worrying about keeping my son occupied for more than an hour. So instead of chancing it, I’ll take advantage of this time to get pampered in PEACE!
7. Drinks/Dinner
Who doesn’t like eating out?? It’s one of my favorite things to do! You can actually say “yes” when your coworkers invite you to happy hour after work this time! You can have a nice dinner and a few margaritas (or whatever your thing is) without having to rush home to make dinner and give the kids a bath. Finally, you can take off your “mom” hat and just enjoy yourself without your normal day to day responsibilities. We all need those days every now and then.
8. Hit the Gym
I like to go to the gym a couple of times a week to attend the dance classes they offer. It’s a fun way to get my exercise in and not be bored out of my mind. But my day gets a little complicated when my son tags along. Half the time I go, he doesn’t want to be there anyway so now that he’s gone, I can go to the gym without the guilt of having to bring him to a place he doesn’t care for. It’s a win-win for us both!
9. Binge watch your fav. show
Now I really don’t have a particular show that I’m just in love with, but I have been looking for interesting shows to watch now that I have more time after work. I’ve watched a couple of episodes of “The Wire” and found it fairly interesting. I am looking forward to discovering what else is out there in TV land that I’ve been missing out on. What are some of your favorite shows to watch? I’d love to check them out!
10. Rearrange your room
Lately, I have been making plans to rearrange my room. My son used to share a room with me until just recently when we had another room painted that would become his room. Now that he has his own room, I am working on transitioning his things from my room to his and him being away makes this the perfect time to do so. I recommend getting the hardest things done first and that way if you don’t finish all by the time your child comes back, you will have gotten the hard part out of the way.
11. Grocery shopping
We all know how much of a hassle it can be trying to get shopping done with kids around. Usually you’re tired because you had a long day and work and you just want to get in and out, but with a toddler? Forget about it! They will find a way to turn your shopping trip into an adventure, and not in a good way. Now that my son is away for a while, I can shop without him throwing a tantrum about what part of the basket he wants to be in and I don’t have to waste time letting him try to be a “big boy” and push the basket all by himself. I can get my shopping list cleared with no distractions, which is a must after a long day at work.
I admit, I was pretty bummed out at first when I learned I would have to go a *whole* week without seeing my son, but I quickly realized all of the things I could take advantage of while he was away. Hopefully this list has given you some fun and practical things to do when you find yourself kid-free. Anything you’d like to add to the list? Let me know in the comments below!