by Rachael McMillan
Every so often I call it. My husband will come home from work one day, and I’ll hit him with the news: “I’m taking a day off. You’re taking the kids—and the dog—to your mom’s house on *insert date* and you’re not to return until *insert late-sounding hour*.”
And, like an absolute angel, my husband duly notes the date and time and plans accordingly. I’m a lucky, lucky girl.
So, having had a few of these days to myself, I think I’ve learned a little bit about how to make the best use of the time. I know, for instance, that I should under no circumstances spend the day shopping. That makes the time go by too fast, and frankly, I can do that when my family is still in town.
Neither should I call a girlfriend to spend the day with me. As fun as that is, I end up sabotaging my lovely day by cleaning like crazy lest my friend learn what we live like most of the time.
Which leads to the next highly verboten item: under no circumstances should I spend a minute of my precious free time cleaning/folding/straightening/putting things away.
That effectively covers the do-not-dos.
Now, I’m looking at the prospect of one of these free days this weekend. And, having effectively decided what ends up making a waste of the day, I need to decide what I can do with my time.
Here are some of my ideas…
- I will get a massage. It’s either that or start the day with double bloody marys, or something else to help me switch gears from mom mode to leisure mode (Does this mode exist? Is it achievable?). And while the bloody marys may seem like a low-cost, yummy option, I want to experience my day with a clear head.
One thing that I’ve tried that has worked has been to run a bath, move the television in front of the bathroom door, turn on a show, and grab a book to read while soaking. My Mom Brain, which is always attuned to about five different things at once, seems to appreciate this approach. As my friend Marla explains, it’s multitasking, but in a relaxing way.
- I will paint my nails. Now, I’m not much of a painted-nails girl, but I expect this activity will be highly relaxing. Think about it: painting one’s nails requires time, patience, focus, can be done with the TV on (a plus for that multitasking brain of mine), and produces tangible results.
And, if nothing else, maybe the fumes will put me in a calmer state of mind.
- I will watch movies. I hardly ever get to do this, because when the kids fall asleep, I quickly follow suit. This leads to us being notorious Netflix hoarders; I probably could have bought A Serious Man five times over with the rental fees we keep paying on it.
- I will keep a bottle of wine and a block of gorgonzola on hand. This is because I plan to put Julie and Julia on my lineup, and I have a feeling it will be one of those movies that makes me want to eat and drink right along with the characters.
Now, I think I’m giving myself good advice with the no-bloody-marys rule, but wine and cheese with a good foodie movie may be too delightful to pass up. If I go this route, I’ll probably whip up an omelet as part of the fun/to keep myself from getting too giddy.
- I’ll have an awesome dessert, and I won’t share.
I think that pretty much covers it, but I’m always up for suggestions; what do you do (or dream of doing) with a kids-free day?
Rachael McMillan is an occasional contributor to chambanamoms.com. A former high school teacher who now is spending time at home with her two children, Jack and Kate, she is a freelance writer and reading tutor.
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