When life gets rough, it's time to pamper

In the days before children, when life consisted of a small (yet very comfortable) townhouse in San Mateo, CA, my husband and I, and two very stressful jobs, we became quite adept at pampering. On Saturday morning we’d do the obligatory errands, then exercise, and then the remainder of the day (and Sunday) were committed to hanging out on our "deck" (the roof of our garage), reading, seeing friends, walking to dinner, and in the winter, enjoying a glass of wine by the fireplace. Weekends were bliss.

Once the kiddos arrived, pampering got lost in the diapers, bottles, and mountains of laundry. One lost all track of Monday versus Saturday…and when the small fries got older the weekends became even more busy and exhausting than the weekdays: errands, birthday parties, cleaning, outdoor adventures, play dates, bills.

Yet the fact remains: I still need to pamper myself.
For my husband, pampering consists of the Food Network, a beer, and/or ESPN. I love the simplicity and the consistency of that plan.

For me, on the other hand, I indulge in the following, sometimes even in one day:

1. Exercise. Yes, that's weird, but it is a form of pampering for me. Sometimes it's just a brief jaunt around the block with my dog. Other times it's a nice long run in the morning cool or a swim during the heat of the day. I feel completely rejuvenated when I’m done.

2. Chocolate. I don't have any rules about chocolate. When I need a square, I get it. Morning, noon or night. You’ve likely read about its antioxidants/health benefits but for me, it's that happy little feeling inside that does it for me. In my sedulous research over the years for the ultimate chocolate bar, I believe I have finally found it: Vosges Barcelona Bar.

3. Bath products. I like to say that I take lots of baths… I don't. I used to, but now, it seems to be impossible to find the time nor energy to fill up the bathtub again after I've already bathed and put to bed two energetic little girls. However, I do indulge in comforting lotions and bath gels. They don't have to be pricey. My personal favorite right at this moment is: Burt’s Bees Honey & Shea Body Butter. It's all natural and smells sooooo good. I also love L’Occitane bath oils, lotions, and shower products (for a few more greenbacks).

4. Wine. A glass of red wine in a beautiful stem: Oregon Pinot Noir, Argentinean or Chilean Malbec, Australian Shiraz, California Zinfandel, blends from Ridge. Paired with a commodious, cushioned chair, newspaper or magazine, and no children in sight— that's pretty much a spa experience for me. At about 1/10th the price.

5. Reading. History, biography, memoir, novel, People magazine, the Wall Street Journal weekend section. Those are my top picks. I'm sure that you have your own. On the couch or in bed, even just for 10 minutes—with a book I have successfully transported myself into someone else’s world. It’s magical.

6. Silence. This is rare, but if I remember to do it, I will shut my bedroom door before bedtime, warn my husband not to bother me for 10 minutes, and sit on the floor and just be still. We live in a quiet neighborhood right now so it's easy to obtain this blessed silence. I don't know which is better: the silence unbroken only by an occasional bird, or my immovable limbs. But it's a mini-vacation, for free.

7. Fancy coffee drinks. If I have a slow day I will go down to one of the many quaint little cafés in downtown Golden, order a mocha (with whipped cream, thank you), and sit down and read the newspaper or answer some e-mail. For just a few moments, I feel like an intellectual. And that's priceless.

8. Window shopping. I've gotten over the fact that I can’t spend much money on clothes and accessories these days. It's been that way for a while, and now I actually enjoy popping in to cute little boutiques or meandering through the shoe department at Nordstrom and just looking around at the latest styles. I might buy myself a lip gloss. Or not.

I would love to hear your top ideas for pampering: particularly, activities or items that don't cost a lot of dough. Now don't get me wrong: I love four-course gourmet dinners out, and I'd kill to go on a five-star resort vacation right now. I won't even be picky about the locale: beach, mountains, lakes, city, whatever. But that's for later. For now: it's pampering on a budget.

And you?