Here I am awake in the early morning hours of my birthday. I've found lately that if I don't take a mild sleeping agent, and something wakes me up in the middle of the night (i.e. cat, plus in this case the baby fell out of bed) it is virtually impossible to go back to sleep. It's when all the anxieties of the day rush in and there is nothing to busy myself to keep them at bay. Not only is it my birthday, but it's exactly six days away from the end of October, which means I have something like seven challenges to complete in the way of pampering myself. What the hell was I thinking trying to pamper myself? We're not even making enough money to cover our monthly bills! There is literally not a penny to spend on any act of pampering.
That said, here's what I've accomplished so far:
1. I've worn make up pretty much every day for the month of October (and my skin has never looked better as a result).
2. I've attempted to wear cute outfits every day as well, though some days have been a flop, and it wasn't even like I didn't care on those days. Things I thought would look cute turned out very stodgy. My fashion mojo just isn't what it was, but this month has been all about getting it back, so I'm going to ease up on myself for those days.
3. Metamucil. Yep, been drinking that pretty much every day and I don't need to go into any more detail there.
4. I haven't made the appointment yet, but my mom gave me money for a haircut. On my birthday, sometime today, I will call and make the appointment. And I have a box of color, so I'll do that after the cut.
5. All right, this one is a bit far fetched, but I'm going to include it. There is a theme I have been coming across quite regularly the past few years. I'm pretty sure there are several quotes in the Bible regarding it, and Ghandi even has a quote that circulates pretty frequently as well as Thoreau. The basic principle is that the path to true happiness is stepping outside of yourself, giving yourself to others. It is when you turn your attention to the needs of the world, and not on yourself, that is when happiness will come to you. I realize that the entire theme of this months's challenges is centered around selfish acts, but in all actuality, though I do give an awful lot of myself to my family, I give very little to the world just for the sake of giving. Everything I give up for my husband and children is to make their lives better, which in turn makes my life better, so what if I did something that was completely for someone else and really had no bearing on my life whatsoever?
Two weeks ago my friend called me up and told me the pastor of her church was coming over to teach her how to make plastic mats for the homeless. Yeah, sure. Why not? It's a crochet project that involves taking plastic grocery bags--nine hundred of them!--cutting them into loops, tying the loops together to make "plarn", and then crocheting the yarn into mats. It wasn't until I met with the pastor that day and got the logistics of how much these mats are appreciated that I realized how important is was to be apart of the project. The mats are twenty-eight inches across and six feet long with a little folded over pocket at the top. People can stuff clothing in there to make a pillow, or use it to stow their belongings. The plastic is two-fold, it is both an insulator (try wrapping yourself up in plastic and see how hot you get) and a not-quite-waterproof mat. A lot of water will come up through the tiny holes, but overall it will protect from a damp ground. Apparently the homeless go nuts over them. Well, I don't really know if that's the best terminology, but they like them a lot. Puts things in perspective, right?
So that's halfway to my mark. The mat won't be done by the end of October, not even close, but I've been cutting bags every day and there is something therapeutic in the monotony of "plarning".
6. My toes are in desperate need of some TLC, and since I can't afford a professional pedicure, I guess I'll try my hand at an amateur one. I'm OK at this, but it's not as comfortable balancing on the ledge of my bathtub scrubbing my own feet, as those big, cushy salon chairs, but my feet feel and look good in the end.
7. And today, we are going to a pumpkin patch. We're taking a hayride and letting the boys pick out some pumpkins. This hardly sounds like an act of pampering, but I have found that excursions like this are when we are all at our best. It is very hard for me to separate myself from all the chores and worries my house affords me, and while I do try to spend quality time with my kids, I am best at it away from home. It's always a great day and makes me feel like a good, 100 percent in-the-moment mom.
As for 8, 9, and 10, I'm completely stumped. I guess I'll head over to Pinterest and see if any new innovative ideas have popped up. And though that isn't the most profound ending of a post, it is nonetheless my ending. I have preoccupied my mind enough that I am again tired, so I'm going to try sleep again.
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