I know I know, it’s only January and already I’m talking about time-off and self-care. Adulting is a lot. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still grateful but being grateful doesn’t mean it’s not hard. Since the middle of last year, I’ve been trying to adopt the mindset of not being ashamed to rest. Not feeling guilty about doing nothing. Saying no when I really don’t feel like it and you’d be surprised at how hard that is. If you ask Hubby, he’d say I’m really good at the No part. Well as a wife, mother, professional, and entrepreneur my mind is constantly running, making lists, people pleasing, and people disappointing. They all require the caretaker in me to work overtime and in a totally different way for each arena. Again, I’m extremely grateful because most of this I’ve asked for, so this isn’t a complaint post, it’s more of a balance post of which I seem to be needing a lot.

So, what’s the significance of Wednesday Nights? I’ll tell you. Wednesday is my work from home day each week. Although I’m still working, being at home allows me to get a head start on lots of things that would normally have to wait until after 5:30 p.m. This also creates the perfect start to a restful evening. Wednesday is not one of me and Hubby’s designated “date nights” and the kids are men now and pretty low maintenance. So, I’ve unofficially dubbed Wednesday as my DAY-OFF! I cook what I want to eat (meaning they gone get what I give them), I look at the crap I want to look at on youtube or tv, my appearance is definitely not pulled together, and I force myself not to feel bad about it. Depending on my energy level, this is the day when I go do my visiting or other dinner dates too. I kinda like it yall!

If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll know I have become quite the bath and body products lady (shameless plug www.thegracioushostess.com/shop). This has now become the perfect day for those long baths so I can play with all the products I’ve made. I’m even thinking about making weekly mocktails to join me in the bath on my Day-Off.

The moral of this post is to remember to not forget about you. The older we get the more weight on our shoulders, the more we’re responsible for and I’m sorry, I don’t want to wait until July every year before I can feel like a vacation. Take the time to really hear yourself and tend to your needs. Be sure to create that quiet bucket list of items that are special to only your well-being and make it a ritual to do something every chance you get. It can be as simple as getting that beauty product you’ve been eyeing from afar because it costs a bit more than you anticipated, or it can be as elaborate as that month long sabbatical you think is impossible to pull off. Either way, don’t forget about you.

Until next time,

-K