Stop, Drop and Relax

This weekend, aside from throwing Jeff his 30^th birthday party, my goal was to relax.  To some, that may seem more like a reward, than a challenge, but to me, taking it easy is anything but easy.

I started on my path to relaxation early, on Thursday, by working from home.  After work, Jeff and I walked to and through my gym/sanctuary and ultimately, my favorite place in New York City, Prospect Park.  Before heading home, we popped into Park Slope's Chiles Y Chocolate, for some tasty chicken enchiladas.  I took a bath when we got home, which is something I haven’t done in many months.   When Jeff poked his head in to make sure I was still alive, I ask him to dim the lights and spritz lavender spray (which, oddly we have).  The bath was so nice, but Jeff, being accidently overzealous with the spray, eventually drove me out of the bathroom dripping wet and gasping for fresh air.

I got home from work and errands around 7:30PM on Friday and put on my slippers, scrubs, and apron (sexy, right?).  In addition to looking good in the process, my favorite thing to do when I get home from work, is make a mess in the kitchen.  Sometimes, such as in this case, I even make a meal in the process.   I baked chicken thighs dusted with Dijon mustard and bread crumbs, garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus with lemon and olive oil.    We ate our classy dinner while watching trashy shows, like Jersey Shore.  I was asleep by midnight. 

Saturday morning I woke up and walked 5 minutes up the block to my small little pilates studio for my 9:15AM hour long class.  Afterwards, I walked back towards our apartment but stopped by my coffee shop, Penny House Café, for his and her coffee and bagels to enjoy back at home.   I sat at my kitchen table, read Real Simple, enjoyed my breakfast, and soaked in the morning sun until my coffee was cold.   My sister and I agree that this time is the best time of the week and we both look forward to the time when we can share coffee and bagels together, on a regular basis. 

Around noon, I walked a mile, at a steady clip, listening to my iPod, to Atlantic Terminal for some retail therapy.   Usually, shopping at Atlantic Terminal stresses me out, but I was on a mission, and I found exactly what I was looking for right away, and on sale.  Afterwards, I walked another mile or so to my favorite yogurt shop, Yogo Monster, for a not-so balanced lunch.  Then, I headed around the corner to my nail salon, Classy Nails, for a manicure and pedicure for the bargain price of $25.00.  Once home, with a few hours to kill before the party, I took a cat nap, with Zeke on my chest and cucumbers on my eyes.   Total pet therapy.

Sunday morning I woke up and went for a walk/run around the park and picked up some flowers on the way home.   I spent the rest of the day cooking (chicken tortellini soup in the slow-cooker), reorganizing our bathroom and bedroom storage (with the help of our new super-storage bed), all of which I find very cathartic. 

By Sunday night, I felt relaxed, happy, organized and ready for the workweek ahead.  This spring, I hope to have more weekends like this one and I’ll keep this list handy just in case, I forget what it takes to take it easy.

Relaxation Pack Necessities:

Warm bath

Dimmed lights

Lavender spray (one spritz only)

Cat

Cucumber slices

Pilates

Music

Walking/Running

Flowers

Cooking

Slippers and scrubs

Mindless TV

Shopping (sometimes)

Coffee

Sunlight

Magazines

Reorganization

Afternoon nap 

Local joints