I am a wife and a stay at home mommy to 3 daughters, aged 11, 3,
and 1. The concept of “me time” (quality “me time” at least) has been
nonexistent for over a year now. There was a little pocket of time when the two
little ones would take a nap at the same time, while my husband was at work and
my oldest daughter was still at school, but I usually used that time to get
necessary housework done. By the end of the day, once everyone was clean, fed,
happy, and drifting merrily off to slumberland, I was so drop dead exhausted,
most days I counted myself lucky if I could muster up the energy to swipe a
cleansing cloth over my face. Thus was the extent of my skincare regimen.
But today is a new day! Yes, I’m still bone weary by the time
the house falls silent and everyone else is asleep. Now I manage to stay awake
to enjoy one of the best (and one of my absolute favorite) parts of the day, my
“me time,” aka my Nighttime Ritual. I spend at least 30 minutes in my little
bathroom, removing my makeup, cleansing my face, moisturizing my skin, and
pampering my curly tresses. Sometimes I even play a little music and light a
candle. It is one of the highlights of my day. It doesn’t matter how tired I am
(or how many times my husband wakes up to ask me what I’m doing in there and
why I am taking so long), I relish this time and have no idea what took so long
for me to do this for myself. I sleep better, I am happier, and my skin looks
PHENOMENAL.
The final part of my routine happens once I get back in the bed.
Since my hands just spent the better part of 30 minutes immersed in water (and
I wash them like 2 times during the course of the whole routine), the last
thing I do before I go to sleep is put on a nice hand cream. Not just any old
lotion, cream, oil, or butter-it has to be a legit hand cream (my husband has
no idea why this makes a bit of difference, but it does to me). And I’m all out…
I really liked my old tube of hand cream (a marvelous concoction
from Bath and Body Works), but as a beauty junkie, I love to try new things. So
when I ran across this new (to me at least) brand, I had to take a closer look.
Jurlique is a brand being featured in April’s Birchbox. According
to them (and experience has inclined me to take their word for it): “Not only
do their skincare products feel (and smell) amazing on your skin, they also
have an impressive dedication to planet earth. The eco-conscious company’s
packaging is already 95 percent recyclable. And now Jurlique has pledged
to reduce its energy and water consumption as well as its amount of waste to landfill
by 20 percent by 2015.” Color me intrigued!
LAVENDER hand cream, people! What a perfect goodnight kiss!
This rich hand cream uses safflower seed oil and macadamia oil to restore moisture and protect from future dryness. Carrot root extract and aloe vera soften and soothe, while vitamin E provides antioxidant protection for the skin. It would be the perfect addition to top off my night time ritual.
So, what is your definition of "me time?" How do you treat yourself? Does your bedtime routine rival mine? My inquiring mind wants to know. Let me know in the comments below. Until next time...
Ciao, XxO
Q
