Get a sitter for Me Time. Ha. Easier said than done… (this coming from someone who’s famous for stopping nice, responsible-looking teens ushering small children around on the streets of my neighborhood to ask them if they babysit and then reference my innocent-not-so-innocent little people trailing behind me in their flip-flops… don’t laugh).
But seriously: The simple act of booking a sitter can change our moods beyond big reason. (Especially this summer, I feel… I’ve been unusually cranky lately.) Scoring a sitter can feel like winning the lottery. You know this. I know this.
Just for kicks, I’m posing a challenge to any mom-friend that will take it this summer: BOOK A SITTER AND GO SHOPPING BY YOURSELF. (Caps and bold. That means I mean it.) Not for grocery shopping, not for errand-running. I’m talking fabulous, frivolous, fun & fashionably-inspired SHOPPING. For YOU.
Selfish you say? SELF CARE. (And to think I used to roll my eyes at those words. Joke’s on me.)
Recently, I was very lucky to be enlisted to host a shopping event for 20 women at the newly-opened DVF (Diane Von Furstenberg) store located at my most favorite local hotspot Americana at Brand. Let me tell you: This started as a job, but now I’m thinking I might need to compensate them for providing me with something I needed most desperately but was too busy to stop and figure out. See, I’ve been extra-antsy and mildly-bitter I’m not on some shallow mini-getaway to Las Vegas and have been semi-rude (more than semi), tense (have you heard my neck popping?)… I’ve also felt boring and not fun and a wee bit trapped in the mundane routine of things. Not. Fabulous. (For myself or my kids.)
But mom’s gotta work, clean, feed, write, hustle, rinse and repeat. If I’m getting childcare of any kind, you’re gonna bet your butt I’ll to use that time to check off my to-do list and potentially make a buck… not waste it on shopping (and spending money). Please. Those days are gone.
So I booked a sitter to watch my kids while I worked this fabulous shopping event for DVF. Because it was a job and it was justified.
The funny thing? I marched into that brand spankin’ new DVF store and instantly I felt like I was on vacation.
The light…
The bright…
The sparkly eye candy (that reminded me of Vegas).
The smiles and laughs and laughs and smiles…
(Why I’m blocking my friends’ fabulous picks right behind my big head is beyond me… sorry. The gold top that Michelle of HomeMadeMimi scored was killer. I’m really sorry you can’t see it. Really sorry. KILLER.)
And trust me when I tell you how *shocked* I was that these shades are actually priced in the $100 range… (yes I bought them… but in brown because I’m kind of a chicken about committing to bright colors).
Aside from the eye candy, there was a DIY floral arranging station set up, compliments of LA-based Fleurish, for us gals to get a little creative and boost those happy-chemicals in our brains between dressing room bouts (or, to distract us so that there’d be less fighting over who gets to try on which wrap dress when). I was way too giddy to take this home this beauty…
That night of working shopping unexpectedly and miraculously lifted the million-pound weight I didn’t even realize I was carrying around. I forgot that *real* stores showcase stunning displays, vibrant color, spirit-lifting lights and beautiful pictures… and that beauty makes us happier by default. (Not that I don’t love shopping at big, convenience-driven megastores with logos that look like red-and-white dartboard circles… because I honestly DO… but mama needs *pretty* every now and then, you know?)
I needed to look at prints and touch fabrics and laugh about trying to hide what I was about to buy from my husband without being interrupted in conversation by a cheeky 3 year old cherub asking me for her sippy cup. I needed to try on dresses whose designs fell outside my immediate comfort zone without worrying if graham cracker crumbs were being stomped into the changing room carpet. I needed to take stupid selfies that I’d only use on a blogpost like this…
I’ll bet that you need to do certain things too. So stop reading this blog and book your sitter. Book the sitter for one week from today (or tomorrow!) and stay committed to *not* doing any work at all while she/he is watching your children. Do it. Just do it. (Now I’m getting bossy. Blame the dresses and Diane herself… )
Happy shopping to you. Even if you don’t buy anything, the time you spend walking and looking and dressing and feeling and talking and laughing will add up to something you really needed… and I challenge you to not feel the change after it’s all said and done.
Don’t forget the fun. YOUR fun. (Mine is shopping, obviously.) Fun is one of the key ingredients for staying fabulous… and it’s summer for geez sakes.
DISCLOSURE: This post is part of a compensated partnership with Americana at Brand and DVF Glendale (CA). All fabulous experiences and frank opinions are authentically my own. Follow Americana at Brand on Twitter and get in on @DVFGlendale #DVFGlendale.
