May 4, 2013

124


Day One Hundred Twenty-Four:  The Party’s Over

Pamper Yourself:  “Half” a night of pampering for one, a night in with myself

I call this the first half because I would usually combine the two in one night, but due to the beautiful weather and my inability to truly settle down and relax today I decided to stick with the first half, which will be completed later on this week after my surgery when I need the deep conditioning part of the pamper night.  As for this evening, here is how I treat myself on a Saturday night.

It all begins with a drink…
Not always an alcoholic beverage this drink is set to the tone of the season.  As for today I had a Mike’s Hard Pink Lemonade with my sister on the front porch in the sun.  This sets the mood for the evening.  In the winter and autumn I will have a big glass of wine or coffee with bailey’s.  It’s a treat in itself just to have a drink I wouldn’t normally have on a pamper night because it’s a great way to not just settle down but really relax.

Dress for comfort…
“Dressing” is an awkward word since this is an evening thing, I usually wear my normal pajama’s, but on those special, most-needed pamper nights I bring out the nice underwear, aloe-infused socks, soft over-sized sweaters and anything else I can think of to really feel cosy.  I’m alone most of the night so why would I dress to impress?  I’ve got my I <3 Wine shirt and some very cosy shorts.  This is crucial for my enjoyment of the evening as it reminds me to relax, just by looking and feeling what I’m wearing.

Stick to routine…
Maybe routine is only important to me, but I find those nights out with the girls or at the bar or late movie nights with the family to really drain me when it comes to sticking to normal sleep and evening routines that I have.  I stick to my moisturizing and showering routine but also my sleep routine.  It would be awesome to stay up until two am watching Sex and the City but it feels a lot better to snuggle into bed at midnight and get more sleep instead.  This may only work for me, though.  Needless to say, I won’t be up much later than one tonight.

So much room for activities!
The tv show or movie, space, and accessories for the evening are really important when it comes to the mood of a pamper night for me.  I choose a specific tv show or movie that will be both mindless and engaging at the same time.  How do I do this?  Very bad ladies tv shows.  Sex and the City, 90210, Nurse Jackie, all of these shows have that sense of comedic but dramatic quality that is perfect for a night in with myself.  As for where I have this half night it is usually in my bed.  Especially my bed at home, if I am elsewhere it all depends on my surroundings, but for tonight it will be 0-21- and sex and the city in my big bed.  As for accessories I mean things that occur around the tv show, like snacks, magazines, cell phones, tumblr.  All of these things contribute to my relaxation because they are things that I enjoy and don’t always get to do very often.  Tonight I’ve got two very large and overdue vogue’s, a side project, and maybe a snack later on.  I’ve also got my water bottle here, because let’s be honest water is the best choice.

And anything else you enjoy.  I have gone through what’s going on for me tonight, but that’s just tonight specifically.  Sometimes it’s just watching Braveheart or Definitely Maybe on loop while eating popcorn at my desk, sometimes it’s actually just allowing myself to lay in bed with no stimulation from eight pm on.  It all depends on my mood.  This is the half night for one, I also do pamper nights with girl friends and my sister, which include TONS more snacks, movies, alcohol and butts. 

I wouldn’t call myself a pro or anything at pamper nights, but I enjoy them every once in a while.  They’re good for calming nerves or after a hard day at work.  During exams small pamper night packages ensue (Judith and I did a foot scrub for example and watched a cartoon movie) which makes life just a little bit bearable.

I hope everyone has a fantastic evening.

x

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