Once you enter motherhood, there can be a lot of guilt that puts a damper on daily life. “Mom guilt” is a hot topic in the parenting world, but let’s redirect that narrative for a minute and talk about our true guilty pleasures. Ten years ago, or “pre-kids,” I wouldn’t have necessarily considered the following things to be all that pleasurable, but now, experiencing them gives me all the feels. Even though they may add more guilt to my plate, I love every minute of them.
- Planning imaginary vacations – I am always on Google Flights and Hotels.com, skimming through travel blogs, and crunching numbers to make a major {kid-free} getaway seem attainable. I get a bit of a high off of imagining the excitement of a romp through New York City or the sexiness of a tropical island. I might be on the corner of my couch, hushing my kids because I’m “busy” reading a travel blog when I should be making them breakfast or changing diapers a little more often than I should. It’s silly, I know. But it adds a little spice to the ordinary, most mundane days. Maybe I’ll take one of these imaginary trips someday, and when the time comes, I’ll be extra prepared for it.
- Stalking Facebook Marketplace – Am I the only weirdo who does this? As a work-from-home-mom, I spend most of my time, well, at home. That gives me a lot of time with the up front thoughts of what I don’t like about my house and what my house could be. Do I have the time or money to do the remodeling I imagine? NOPE. However, I can spend a few minutes of my “free” time stalking the pages of Facebook Marketplace to try and find a piece of furniture that will give my living space that extra pizzazz it needs. Sure I could order something budget-friendly from Amazon or take a ride to Ikea, but it’s also about the thrill of the chase – a steal is hard to get on there!
- Going for a midday drive for absolutely no reason at all – I don’t like to be stuck in traffic, but what I loathe even more is when my littles fight naptime. There’s no way I’m getting from 7am-5pm without a break and I’m DEFINITELY not letting them protest their naps, pass out at 4:30pm as a result, and then have little gargoyles running around like rabid banshees until 11pm. So, my solution? Easy! Stuff their tushes in the car with a little AC and music and, in 10 minutes or less, I’ll have two sleeping angels. This is where the guilty pleasure part really comes in, because since they’re sleeping, I can cruise through the fast food line alone and enjoy a not-so-great-for-you meal that feels oh-so-great going down. I don’t have to divvy up nuggets and sauces and listen to, “I WANT MINE FIRST.” I drive. They sleep. I eat. P L E A S U R A B L E.
- Vacuuming – Yes, you read that right. I love to vacuum. It’s kind of my meditation/zen hour each day. I get lost in my own {happy} thoughts, I can’t hear the kids yelling at me or their siblings, and the house is calmer and cleaner when I am done. It’s fabulous!
- Going to the dentist – I never thought getting my teeth cleaned would be something I looked forward to every six months, but I do. I remember the first time I went for my dental appointment after I had my first child. I couldn’t believe how relaxed I felt and what an uplift I got from it.
- Showering alone – Back in my feisty single years, I would have listed showering with my main squeeze as my guilty pleasure. Who wants to take a shower alone when you can invite your beau into the mix? MOMS. That’s who. Just leave us alone in the shower. All y’all.
- Getting up before sunrise – I don’t always do this. I wish I could force my booty out of bed extra early every day. There’s something about the quiet of the morning and being the first one up that sets the tone for the day. It gives me time just for ME. My goal is to get on a routine where I am doing it every day by the time school is in full swing. I need that extra 30-60 minutes to just be selfish.
What are your guilty pleasures? Comment below!
