Mommy and Me Pamper Day

Yesterday, Ava and I went to my hair salon for some pampering! We both got manicures and she got a haircut. The best part is that we went on a Monday morning so we had the whole place to ourselves.

Our manicures! Ava loves hers!

Getting her hair washed. She loved the animal drape.

Hair is done and styled and she's getting her mani.

On the way to the salon, told her that we'd be with Rhonda and Danielle and she practiced saying their names. She got her haircut by Rhonda, the salon owner that does my hair. She asked to grow her hair longer so Rhonda just cleaned up her hair to give it some style. We're growing our her bangs too, which is a long process. Her hair is growing in thicker rather than longer it seems.

The girls at the salon enjoyed having Ava there. She acted like a little lady, sitting tall in her chair for her haircut.

She asked Rhonda is she would get a prize at the end, just like her doctor's appointments. That cracked us up. Sure enough, Rhonda gave her a little bag with lots of fun stuff in it like a ball, swim goggles, play money, a play ring, and little nail polishes. She was so excited and even carried it around like a purse.

Just before we left, she found the candy dish in the waiting area. She served us each a peppermint on a silver coaster like a plate. The girls loved that too!

Ava was so excited that when Aaron got home, she showed him her new manicure right away. And she showed her girlfriends at school this morning when I dropped her off. She loved it!

Having a daughter who's so feminine is really fun. I wonder if this phase is temporary, but I'll enjoy it while it's here. Maybe we'll make it a tradition to go around Christmas time to the salon together. That was fun!

Showing off our nails!

This might be a fun annual tradition!

She asked for a "prize" like at the doctor's office.

Loving her fish-globe ball.

Getting Crafty

Before I became a mother, I was really into crafts especially making greeting cards and paper crafts. I have missed the creative outlet and stress relief of making crafts. But life with a toddler is so busy that I rarely have time to blog so making crafts is usually bottom of my list.

But recently, Ava has been really interested in coloring and crafting herself! Because I have so many supplies, I often pull out my colored pencils, stickers, and papers for her to play with and I'm thrilled that it captures her attention for quite awhile. Sometimes, she will spend 20 minutes sitting at the table and it helps her hand eye coordination! I consider working on crafts a stress relief activity, especially on a weekend afternoon when you want to decompress from a busy week.


A couple weeks ago on a cold Sunday, I decided to make some monkey puppets from a kit that I got from Paper Source during a recent trip to Chicago. There are 5 different patterns in the kit and Ava picked the astronaut and hula dancer. She had fun with a big box of crayons while I made these puppets.

While I worked on the puppets, I gave her the extra scraps of paper and she drew on a page for a memory book for a daycare staffer that was leaving. 

Ava has been enjoying looking at the puppets. I gave them to her to play with and she wanted to pull off the flowers from the hula monkey. Funny girl!

I look forward to many years to come with sitting at the table crafting together!

Natural and Healthy Stress Relief Ideas

Heightened stress is a major byproduct of the economic downturn. Whether you're worried about paying bills, finding a job, or you're stress is mounting high because you have more responsibilities at work with less staff. Many people turn to unhealthy habits like drinking alcohol, spending too much money at the mall on things you don't need, binge eating, or isolating themselves from others. Yet, these only add to your stress because of the negative consequences.

Yesterday, my project deadline shrank by 4 weeks on top of an already growing workload. My stress level hit the roof, but then my coping skills kicked in and now I'm feeling better 24-hours later.

When your body feels stress you may feel short of breath, tense, unable to focus because you feel overwhelmed. To combat these feelings before they get out of hand, think about healthy outlets to manage the stress and see the difference.

Healthy habits such as adequate sleep, hydration, exercise, strong relationships with family and friends, can help manage stress.

• Sleep for 8-hours: sleep deprivation effects your ability to concentrate, creates hormonal imbalances that regulate your metabolism, and prevents cell restoration. Getting a good night's sleep means you can feel energized and even gain a fresh perspective.


• Make time for a workout: a natural stress relief is exercise because of the post-workout energy high, helping you relieve stress and even prevent depression. The bonus is that exercise helps regulate your sleep as well. For me, spin class helps me sweat it out and I come back to the office from my lunchtime workout feeling energized, refreshed, and like I gave something to myself. Not into hardcore workouts? Try stretching, taking a walk, or yoga. Studies show that people that take breaks are MORE productive at work.


• Relaxation rituals help buffer the workday stress: Try reading a book/magazine, listening to a podcast or music, knitting, or crossword puzzle at the end of the day. I ride a commuter train to/from work and this alone time helps me unwind and detach from the office stresses. By the time I walk in the door at home, my mind is free and clear to quality time with my husband.


• Prioritize and simplify: evaluate the stressful situation to identify the critical issues and how they are dependent or related. From there, you can simplify and prioritize steps to take next so you can make a plan to tackle the challenge. Map these steps to a timeline and find way to simplify so you can do more with less effort and time. You may need to ask your coworkers or friends for help.


• Spend time and hug a loved one: make time for a coffee chat, phone call, or dinner visit to laugh and feel connected to someone else. Humans respond positively to human contact. A genuine hug, laugh, or conversation goes a long way to make you feel like you can get through the stress.

The bottom line is that your health can suffer from the effects of long-term stress. Balancing a healthy lifestyle is among the best ways to combat the stress.

Now, tell me some of your healthy stress relief tips.