I fully believe that being a mom is one of the most rewarding and fun things you could ever choose to do. But… it’s also exhausting. And you know what? It’s okay to admit that! Raising children is an intense job, and often without any recognition.
So, if you have a hard day, take a deep breathe and remind yourself that you are not any less of a good mama! In fact, it might be a humbling reminder to schedule some time for self care. To rejuvenate and be your best self!
Recently, I had the chance to put on a self care night for Galentine’s Day. Although in this instance, I set up the activity for college students, I would love to recreate this event for mothers!
A fun, relaxing night to treat yourself and remember that self care is not only helpful in the long run of motherhood but essential!
Here’s what we did at our Galentines Day self care activity, as well as some alternative ideas if you choose to host your own self care night…
Sprucing up the Space
First off, an awesome self care activity should feel relaxing and inviting. A few ways you could create the right atmosphere is…
- Send out some cute invitations in advance. I love using canva.com because it’s super user-friendly and looks professional. Canva is what I used to design the invitations and all other table setting instructions for our activity.
- Focus on the five senses:
- Smell – Candles or incense such as lavender scents
- Touch- Make sure there are comfortable places to sit, maybe put out some extra throw pillows. Encourage guests to come in comfy clothes.
- Sight – Think pleasant colors, soft and inviting fabrics, organization, quotes, etc. Pick a color theme and use it throughout the room. If there is too much color and pattern, it can cause feelings of overwhelm, which is what we’re trying to avoid at this activity, right?
- Sound – Imagine you’re at a spa retreat. Would you like to hear gentle streams and nature noises? Or maybe your guests would prefer popular pop artists. Consider turning on a nice music track in the background.
- Taste – This deserves its own section! I’ll get into food ideas in a moment.
Treat Yourself
Now that we have the space set up and ready, let’s talk about one of my favorite parts of any event. The food!
Here are some ideas that may be appropriate with the self care theme, along the lines of light and satisfying:
- cucumber sandwiches
- yogurt parfaits
- cheese and cracker board
- virgin margaritas or cocktails
- Italian sodas (this is what we chose to do at our activity!)
- macarons and other light sweets
- chocolates (we put hershey kisses in little dishes on all of the tables)
Fun tip! – If you choose to do Italian Sodas like we did, make sure to buy pebble ice. It makes all the difference! I had no idea that you can purchase pebble ice for pretty cheap at any Sonic fast food place. We also set out half and half cream to mix into the drinks (Or you could opt for heavy cream).
Self Care Stations
Okay, you’ve spruced up the space and provided your guests with some tasty treats. Now, it’s time to talk about what you’ll do at a self care night.
We wanted our event to be very laidback and go-at-your-own-pace. So, we set up the activities into stations. You could try this approach or everyone could move from activity to activity together – it’s completely up to you and what will work best for your group.
Activity ideas/stations:
Nails
This station included some nice hand lotions, manicure tools (nail clippers, polish remover, files, etc), and nail polish.
We used regular nail polish, but to take the experience a step further, consider a professional style gel nail set. I love doing gel nails because the quality is usually better, I know they’ll last longer, and I just love the feeling – like a full pamper session without the price tag of going to a salon.
Bath Salts
This was surprisingly much easier than I thought it would be! We set up a station for making your own bath salts, using Epsom salt, sea salt, and scents.
We bought this scent set that’s designed for soap-making, and I love how strong the smells were. Some people prefer essential oils for added benefits like relaxation and detox. Either works!
We also bought these little containers for guests to take home, and because of the size, they could experiment with making one or two or three different salts to take home for later.
Face Masks
When I think self care, my mind immediately jumps to the classic spa scene – a woman laid back in a comfy chair, with her hair up in a towel, a rejuvenating face mask, and cucumbers over her eyes.
So, of course, we had to include face masks as part of our self care event.
At this station, we laid out makeup remover wipes, face masks, and sliced cucumbers on a plate. Then, we went a little fancier by including warm scented washcloths, to be used either before or after the face mask treatment.
For the washcloths, we rolled them up and put them into a crockpot, poured water over the top, and added a few drops of a lilac scent. Then we set the crockpot on a warm setting. Super easy!
Meditation Station
Our last station was more informative. Self care often means taking a moment to breathe and reset, so we wanted to provide resources for learning meditation.
We printed this simple handout, which included multiple breathing exercises so the guests could choose whichever one they felt most comfortable with. We also provided handouts that they could take home, with ideas for meditation and self care.
Because it’s not a one night thing and then it’s over – we all could benefit from self care on a daily basis!
Some other ideas that we considered for our event:
- Yoga instruction – This would be great if you know someone who would be willing to teach a mini yoga session in-person.
- Makeup or hair tutorial – Do you know a gal who’s awesome at hair and makeup? Ask them to give a mini lesson on hair or makeup styles! Feeling put-together and confident can be the perfect form of self care. I know my day improves drastically when I have taken the time to get ready in the morning and feel cute!
- Skincare tips – Again, ask an expert (or at least someone who knows this topic pretty well! ;)) to walk your guests through another daily self care ritual – skincare.
- Make bath bombs, sugar scrubs, or heat pads – alternative ideas to the bath salt idea. Something fun and simple that guests can make and take home afterwards.
Keep it Going
Finally, when everyone has made their way through the stations and is feeling thoroughly pampered, consider sending them home with a little self care gift.
By the door, we had a little basket with goodies that they could choose from.
While, sure, it’s not necessary, it felt like the perfect cherry on top to end our self care night.
Your basket might include: mini lotions, bath bombs, scrunchies, nail polish, eye masks, slippers or cozy socks, self care handouts (if they weren’t already included in your activity), or anything else you can think of for a nice gift to pamper at home.
Enjoy your own night of relaxation!
While it took quite a bit of prep work, a self care night was so worth it!
If you need your own awesome girls get-together, a chance to enjoy socializing and relaxing with other mamas, I highly recommend hosting a self care night!
If you’re planning on this type of activity, please share in the comments below! I’d love to hear how it goes!
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