Relaxation Essentials

I don’t know about you, but there are few things in this world that make me happier than bumming around and doing absolutely nothing, All. Day. Long. (aside from chocolate, and maybe Harry Potter reruns). Whether it’s 5 pm and I just got home from work or Sunday afternoon and I just woke up, the first thing I do is throw on a pair of slippers and go digging through my bed sheets for the remote. While I do think it is important to stay active, I also know there is nothing more comforting than having absolutely nothing to do but catch up on the last episode of The Bachelorette, take a soak in the bath tub, and eat some garbage food (it’s ok, it’s cheat day).

Everyone likes to spend their free time differently, but I am pretty confident in saying that everyone enjoys some R&R here and there, amiright? That being said, I wanted to share a few of my absolute relaxation essentials with you guys, ’cause I’m sure you’re going to love them just as much as I do.

Comfort:
There are many ways one can define the term “comfort.” To some it might mean a soft shirt or clean sheets, but to me it means warmth. I have lived in Florida my entire life and I do not think my body would be physically capable of living anywhere up north (that pretty much eliminates the rest of the US). My hands and feet are constantly at sub-zero temperatures, and at times I’m convinced I have Raynaud’s Disease (“cold hands warm heart,” they say). Sometimes socks will do the trick to keep those icicles I call feet under control, but most of the time I have to turn to slippers to keep them in check.

I have recently discovered the most amazing slippers, and the first thing I thought was “I need to share these with EVERYONE,” because they are way to good to keep a secret. Not only are they only $20 on amazon (with free prime shipping), but they are warm, comfortable, AND they come in 13 different colors! I honestly can’t rave about these enough. I’m literally wearing them right now and even considered wearing them grocery shopping yesterday (slippers in public are socially acceptable right?).

Ambiance:
If you’re not addicted to binge watching as many television series as possible like I am (please send any personal recommendations my way), then ambiance is super important when taking some time for yourself to relax. My favorite thing to do when not watching trashy T.V. is to light some candles and get in the bath tub. But you can’t just light any candle, and you cant just get in any bath water. Candle of choice (hands down), is Capri Blue’s “Volcano Candle.” Light this baby up and give it 5 minutes until your entire bathroom smells like heaven on steroids. I don’t know exactly what it is about that candle but man is it good.

Next up, bath water of choice? Any Lush Bath Bomb that the company makes is customer approved by me. But that being said, they are not the most wallet friendly of products, so I have attached my next favorite (more affordable) bath bomb set (see “shop my favorites” below). Lastly, no bath session is complete without some good tunes, and by that I obviously mean John Meyer (because nothing is more soothing than the sound of that man’s voice). As far as stereo selection goes, I recommend an Amazon Echo (or if you want to save some $$, the Amazon Dot). You can speak to it like it’s Siri and ask it to change the music for you without having to run through your bathroom like a fish out of water or accidentally dropping your phone in the tub. Huge plus.

Sustenance:
I typically like to make sure I am eating somewhat healthy throughout the week (which is not always easy with hospital food but I think I’m doing alright), so on the weekends and my lazy days I like to eat some “comfort food.” This usually consists of my favorite chocolate, the “Firecracker” bar by Chuao Chocolatier, and a glass of red wine. This chocolate bar is made of dark chocolate from Venezuela and contains sea salt, chipotle, and popping candy – need I say more?

Aside from chocolate and wine, I occasionally squeeze in a real meal (JK, I literally eat non-stop). If you live anywhere in Florida or the Northeast US, you should know what Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza is. If you don’t know what it is, I apologize. If you don’t know what it is but you just looked it up and discovered that you live near one, go there, now. My go-to is the pepperoni mushroom pizza with light sauce, the Anthony’s salad with gorgonzola cheese (the dressing is SO addicting), and their coal fired wings or a side of meatballs. Anndd now I’m salivating.

Now that I have let you all in on the secrets to a perfect Sunday, I hope you take some of my advice and try a few of these things out. If you love them, you’re welcome, if you hate them… well, I’m pretty sure you won’t hate them.

XoXo -Erica