Sometimes It is Worth the Indulgence

There are certain circumstances that simply scream for indulgence. I am talking about the type of indulgence that makes you wish you had been partaking in this sort of gratification for a lifetime. I am an extremely practical person, but this short list has made me a happier individual.

Flavored Coffee Creamer with Real Sugar

When it comes to Diet Coke, I love the deceivingly sweet taste of sucralose and acesulfame potassium, instead of sugar. I know, I know, diet pop is bad and water is good. Aspartame and splenda just happen to be my vice when it comes to beverage drinking. The only place these ingredients are not allowed is in my coffee.

Cream in one’s coffee is an indulgence in itself, so why ruin it with a sugar-free version. I need yummy flavors that list sugar as the second ingredient after water. There is just too big a difference between regular flavored creamer and the sugar-free version for me. My mornings are figuratively and literally sweeter when I can drink coffee that includes a splash of sugary creamer. My fave flavors lately are: Hazelnut and Cold Stone Creamery Sweet Cream.

Lawn Care

I never knew I a needed a lawn guy or a lawn gal in my life, but I did and I still do. Last summer my husband coached three ball teams and I played the part of assistant, general manager, board volunteer, and super fan. Being on the run and chasing our children around to various activities rarely slows down. Grass growing is another thing that refuses to stall. Enter: the neighbor boy. The best money I spent last summer was not on a vacation or at the water park. It was to the kid down the street who reliably mowed our lawn. The next best thing to this kid, was the lawn care company I contacted to do the monthly fertilizer treatments.

For once, my lawn was not the shame of the street. It was green and it was trimmed. It was also not a headache duty for my husband or myself. We have–on many past occasions–mowed during twilight hours or been those people who let the grass overtake our ankles. Thank you neighbors for putting up with us!

This summer line-item to the budget will be happening again for our lawn care. Hopefully the neighbor boy is still game, otherwise my ten-year-old daughter is getting called up to the big leagues.

Book of the Month Club (BOTM)

This is really a thing and it is amazing if you are big time reader. I received a three-month subscription to BOTM from a friend awhile ago and two years later it is still gracing my mailbox with must-reads. My husband has been feeding my reading habit. He has extended my subscription twice as gifts, once in recognition of giving birth to my son and the second occasion was to spread holiday cheer.

BOTM ships hardcover books to my mailbox. They offer selections that include new writers, classic authors, and multiple genres. The best part is that if I do not like any of the offerings, I can skip the month and prolong my subscription. Girls in the Moon by Janet McNally, The Child by Fiona Barton, Still Me by JoJo Moyes, Artemis by Andy Weir, and The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendriks & Sarah Pekkanen have all been fine hardbacks courtesy of BOTM.

It is great to read these BOTM novels and then pass them on to my fellow bookworms. Getting and giving at its finest. *Send me a message if you are interested in signing up for BOTM, as we could each get a free book out of the deal.

A Few Other Indulgences

Two other indulgences that I think are worth the mention involve travel and the holidays. Projection lights are where it is at for spreading joy and cheer without the strain of untangling Christmas lights or checking bulbs for burnouts. I saved my husband and myself a lot of frustration by picking up a holiday projector this past December. It shined out snowflakes on our garage doors and garnered many compliments.

My crew also just went to Disney World. We stayed on Disney property and took advantage of the Magical Express. The land of Mickey Mouse knows how to win over the hearts of mothers, fathers, and grandparents. The Magical Express will collect baggage at the airport and transport it to the hotel room. Basically the Disney experience starts the minute a family lands, and then when it is time to leave they will check the bags at the hotel and get them to the airport. I never knew I would grow up to be excited about luggage assistance, but there you have it…I am ecstatic over this type of thing.

Indulgences can by simple, expensive, sweet, or boring. It does not matter as long as they bring a feeling of calm to my world. How do you indulge?