I have been a huge advocate for self care recently–I think that having two kids, working every night, and blogging forced me to realize when I need a break and give myself enough grace to take one. I think I’ve done a pretty good job giving myself a break every now and then, but I know it’s definitely something that I can improve upon!
My husband is pretty involved in his role as a dad, I’d say he’s more involved than most because he solo parents every evening when I’m at work. He has to handle dinner, bath time, and bedtime on his own after working in a stressful environment all day. I usually handle these routines on the weekend to give him a break, and it can be really overwhelming getting both kids taken care of and ready for bed on time! He rarely has alone time to promote his well being, and I want to make sure he gets the self care he needs to be the best verison of himself everyday!
Last week was his birthday, and I thought it was a great time to give him some self care tools to promote his well being! For his gift, I made a package of things and experiences to help him unwind and relax after his long days. Here’s what I included in his Self Care Kit!
-Visit to Essence Chiropractic: I’ve been taking the girls and myself for treatment at Essence and we have loved our experience! The girls love Dr. Ashtiani and I feel so much better after even a quick adjustment. My husband has struggled with lower back pain for almost a decade, so I knew this was something that could really help him long term. He has always been skeptical of chiropractors but loved Dr. Ashtiani’s method of correcting the muscles first so the chiro adjustments will hold over time.
-Essential Oil Calm Roller: Like I mentioned above, his work environment is very stressful and he often comes home still wound up from a long day. Having to juggle two kids and all of their emotions at the end of the day is extra stress and easily gets overwhelming. I made this Calm roller bottle with Stress Away and Lavender essential oils to help him wind down and have more patience with the girls while I’m gone. He puts this on his wrists as soon as he gets home from work, and periodically as he needs it through the evening. If you have more questions about essential oils, definitely reach out and we can chat!
-Protein powder: My husband doesn’t always have time to eat since he’s busy feeding both kids, so he likes to make a protein shake to hold him over until the girls go to bed and he has time to make dinner. We’ve been loving this gluten free, vegan protein powder from WM Nutrition, it actually tastes good and you feel good putting it into your body. Use code CASEY50 for 50% off your order!
-Day at the Shooting Range: My husband is a big lover of guns and shooting, and has several guns that he doesn’t always have time to practice with. I gifted him a day at a luxury shooting club where he can go and have alone shooting time and a nice lunch all in one place! Plus, going shooting is a great way to blow off steam and I know he needs that every now and then!
-Pizza: This one is kind of silly but my husband loves a good pizza like he loves his kids! So instead of our usual cheap pizza we splurged and bought the deluxe/supreme/fancy pizza for him to indulge and enjoy as a treat. I think most men would appreciate candy or other treats in the same way, but for my hubs the way to his heart is pizza.
I’m glad I was able to give my husband some gifts that he wanted but that also benefit his well being and allow him to be a better father and husband. We all need that self care, and these methods really work to help him feel taken care of and refreshed despite long and stressful days. I hope this helps inspire you, and that we all remember to take the time we need for ourselves!