A couple years ago, we had a friend’s preschool-age son over for dinner. The other child asked, “Do you have any treats?” and Milo responded, “Having you here is a treat for us.” Poor kid just wanted dessert.
Though I love my mid-afternoon bite(s) of dark chocolate, I am thinking of non-food treats that are fun for me without all the delicious calories. Here are a few ideas that don’t require me to brush my teeth after. Please share some of yours too!
- Go for a short bike ride. Big babies can ride along.
- Keep a gratitude journal. No time for paper? Did you know there’s an app for that? I just started one on my iPhone.
- Squish the play-doh. You could also do something more mature like painting or pottery, but I find the doh more readily available.
- Give someone a cuddle.
- Be a tourist for the day. Don’t have all day? Just look around and notice something new.
- Breathe deeply. 5 in and 5 out. That’s almost meditation!
- Call a friend. I love those daytime check-ins with my fellow moms on maternity leave.
- Plan your next Moms’ Night Out.
- Sip some herbal tea. You’ll totally forget you wanted that chocolate.
- Buy something for YOU. This could be a dress from Anthropologie or a lipgloss from the drug store. I do like to browse the hairclip aisle at Target.
Credit where credit is due:
- Today’s list was inspired by my friend, Marnie, who sent me a list of 50 self-nourishing ideas that she modified from a list from Boston Health Coach, Christi Lehner
- I also co-wrote a great book called The Rookie Mom’s Handbook: 250 things to do with (and without!) your baby; that book might give you more ideas.
I like this brainstorm because I find that I’m craving a treat multiple times throughout the day, and all I want to do is put something in my mouth to reward myself for accomplishing little things. I realize this suggestion is coming from a place of privilege, but I have a drawer with a bunch of gift cards and gift certificates I haven’t used. Taking time to use up a credit that’s sitting around is a good non-food treat for me.
For me a good non-food treat is indulging in a guilty internet pleasure – like looking at lolcats or reading stfu parents. Or, if I have more time, watching an episode or clip of something on Hulu!