3 Simple Ways To Unwind: Take a moment to enjoy the journey that is life....
Cookies - How To - Musings

3 Simple Ways To Unwind

Last updated on December 4, 2016 by Liza Hawkins


Pepperidge Farm® Milano® cookies sponsored this post about taking time to unwind and transition to calm after a busy day.

3 Simple Ways To Unwind: Take a moment to enjoy the journey that is life....

If your day is anything like mine, you probably feel like a cross between “Taz” the Tasmanian Devil and Wonder Woman. I (thankfully) have a husband who’s willing to pitch in with the housework, and yet I still burn the candle at both ends on a daily basis.

  • I’m sure I can squeeze one. more. load. of laundry in before bed.
  • I should really unload the dishwasher before I sit down.
  • I’ll edit one more series of blog photos before calling it a night.
  • I can definitely squeeze in a mid-week grocery trip between dropping the eldest off at dance and picking her up two hours later.

Why sit when I can do ALL the things ALL the time? I actually don’t have a great answer. It’s not like I’m trying to impress anyone. My husband knows how to decompress.

I have girlfriends who understand the importance of carving out “me” time that doesn’t involve freelance work (<— me).

The only time I’ve been able to figure out how to pull away from the day-to-day chaos and savor a simple, disconnected life has been during recent family vacations. But that’s merely a break for a week or two. I believe this transition can (should!) also be applied to my normal days, not just my vacation days.

3 Simple Ways To Unwind

milano-cookies-reading

1. Close the laptop. (At least for a while.)

It’s not realistic for me to close my laptop after work for the whole evening. After my day job, my freelance work begins, and unless I want to start my day at 4 a.m., some of that needs to happen at night. What I’ve started doing, however, is keeping the personal laptop closed until after dinner during the week. When I get home from work it’s all about making dinner (which I happen to find relaxing and fun), hanging with the family, and not staring at a screen. I even {GASP!} try to leave my phone in the other room – close enough to still hear it ring, or chirp with a text, but far enough away that I’m not swiping to check updates ALL. THE. TIME.

2. Leave the dishes and don’t worry about the laundry.

The Type-A in me wants all the counters clean, dishes unloaded and loaded into the dishwasher, and that last (well, almost last) load of laundry started before heading to bed for the night. Sure, it’s nice to have a clean kitchen. But not at the expense of relaxing a bit in the evening or going to bed at 11 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. A year ago I would’ve given myself side eyes for even thinking about a leaving a dirty kitchen until the next day. Like any habit, I’ve grown to not mind so much. Sure, I might have to re-wash a load of laundry that didn’t make it to the dryer in the same day, but the world WILL NOT END because of it. Truly. (And, it means I can get to bed earlier. Zzzzz…..)

3. Enjoy a special treat each night and really savor it.

I love a glass of wine in the evening after the kids go to bed (okay, it’s often just after I get home from work – same difference). But what I enjoy even more these days is a little habit I’ve developed to transition from mom, freelancer, marketer, friend, wife, etc. to just having a little time to myself. The introvert in me needs it. It’s called: MILK and COOKIES. And sometimes: WINE and COOKIES. Yes, I bake cookies weekly. But not all the cookies I love are baked from scratch – I’m not a homemade cookie snob! Take Pepperidge Farm® Milano® cookies, for example. I love the soft cookie mixed with a thin chocolate center – sweet, but not too sweet. It’s nostalgic; my parents used to buy them when I was a kid. My current favorite is the Orange Milano. The light citrus-y scent spills out of the bag as soon as it’s opened, and yet the orange doesn’t overwhelm. It’s delightful!

3 Simple Ways To Unwind: Take the time to enjoy the journey that is life....

Milk and Milano cookies are the perfect book-reading companions, great for decompressing and enjoying alone time. I can get sucked into a novel sooooo easily, which can be a problem when it comes to hitting that 10 p.m. bedtime. HA! I also take time to watch my favorite shows once the kids are in bed (Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Homeland) or a great movie (Lord of the Rings, Harry PotterJulie and Julia), and settling in with milk (or wine!) and cookies. It’s a great transition from hectic juggling of all the things, into a little space for myself. To pause and reflect upon how great life is, and to truly appreciate the small things.

Check out Pepperidge Farm® Milano® on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

How do you unwind and grab some “me time” after a chaotic day? Leave a comment below to enter for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.

Entry Instructions:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

  1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
  2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
  3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
  4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/4/15 – 6/30/15.

Be sure to visit the Pepperidge Farm® Milano® Cookies brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

Hi, I'm Liza — a self-proclaimed word-nerd who loves getting lost in whimsical stories and epic movies. I have laid-back, practical attitude towards life and am always on the hunt for good eats, easy recipes, binge-worthy shows, relaxing road trip destinations, the perfect fizzy gin cocktail, and time to finish my novel!

141 Comments on “3 Simple Ways To Unwind

  1. I take time for myself by making healthy smoothies, and spending time doing my yoga and meditation. It really helps me stay focused!

  2. I love to take a long hot shower and then savor some tasty dessert such as ice cream and cookies.

  3. I unwind and grab some “me time” after a chaotic day by sitting out on the patio with a good book and a nice glass of wine.

  4. I will run to get some me time, but I reward myself with double chocolate Milanos! Frozen are my favorite!

  5. Love this! As moms we’re eternally multitasking. I rarely take “me” time, but I love a glass of wine at night and something sweet. My guilty pleasure is anything with “housewives” in the title…no thinking required.

  6. Enjoy the peace and quiet tranquility of our screened in back porch. Watching the cardinals and the squirrels play too.

  7. I unwind and grab some “me time” by taking a long hot bath after a chaotic day.
    tcarolinep at gmail dot com

  8. After getting the children bathed and settled down, I put my feet up and have a quiet moment with a cup of tea.

  9. A bubble bath along with a candle burning and a glass of wine sitting next to the tub. I feel like I’m the only person in the World and nothing can take that away from me while I’m taking a tubby!

  10. I sneak away when my kids are sleeping OR when my husband comes home I will take a bath with my book and lock the door just for a little break !:)

    Thanks! xoxoxo

  11. I unwind and grab some “me time” after a chaotic day by enjoying my backyard by relaxing out on the patio with a good book.

  12. i like to relax on my patio with a cup of iced coffee.

    Thanks for the chance to win!
    wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com

  13. When I need a little me time I make a cup of coffee and enter my giveaways and read up on the latest blog post!

  14. I like to unwind by pouring myself a cup of tea (very soothing) and have my favorite treat, either cookies, cake, or ice cream. And…watch my favorite TV show. 🙂 My favorite time of the day!

    amy [at] utry [dot] it

  15. I love to curl up with a treat, something to drink and catch up on the tv shows or movies I’ve been wanting to watch 🙂

  16. Love something in quiet – like a facial, massage or steam with my favorite milk chocolate Milano afterwards! Been years but a tired, working mom can dream! tvollowitz at aol dot com

  17. My favorite way to unwind is to play games on my iPad Mini after the kids have gone to bed.
    Of course I also want an iced coffee!
    thank you

  18. In winter I go for a nice hot bath with a glass of wine.
    In summer, a glass of tea and that weeks New Yorker.

  19. I like me time that I can read a book – sometimes I play hide and seek with the kids and find a few moments of peace since I’m such a good hider.

  20. I like to sneak in a bubble bath,with my book or kindle and a glass of sweet tea

    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

  21. I unwind and grab some me time late in the evening when everything is done for the day. I like to just go outside and look at the stars and hear the crickets.

  22. I like to relax by reading a good book, having a hot cup of tea and enjoying some Milano cooikes with it!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.