*Collaborative Post
For us, being a two-Mum family Mothers Day is a big deal. It’s our day to give each other a massive high-five we’ve survived another year of being parents and kept not one but TWO small people alive. That deserves a celebration, right? Since Pearl was born, we also haven’t had any time together away from the babies either. We don’t have any local family around us so getting any breaks away from it all are few and far between.
Every day Mum-stress can be all consuming. Sometimes I feel like we are just existing together in the same house, battling through the relentless meal times, bedtimes, toddler tantrums and sleepless nights, without making any times for ourselves, let alone to catch up with each other too.
This week I was feeling the Mum-overwhelm too, it can feel like the tricky times are never ending. It was clear, we really needed something to break the cycle. I’ve been desperately trying to add in little moments of self-care to my day to day life, from making time to read a few pages of a new book, buying myself the new perfume from Miller Harris that I’ve had my eye on for AGES or watching trashy TV programs in the evening (hello Teen Mum UK), but that doesn’t always happen. I feel officially FRAZZLED.
So, when an email from Buyagift.com plonked into my inbox with the mention of spa treatments, I was all over it in an instant! They asked me to document one of my most stressful ‘Mum-moments’ using the HP4Training App (which is a snazzy app which monitors both your PPG and Heart rate. This app records changes in HRV on consecutive days, this can be analysed to determine periods of higher physiological stress. The daily advice can be used to understand under how much stress your body is so you can make daily adjustments to your daily life accordingly. It also tracks other stats, which are used by athletes, but I’ll stick with the Mama-stress for now. I’ll save the other bits for the athletes and sporty types as I’m no where near to running the 100m any time soon!) Anyway, the lovely people at Buyagift.com then sent us on a gorgeous Spa break, asking for my reading after to see if they had sorted my stress levels out. It is fair to say I jumped at the chance to be their stress-test guinea pig and we got booking our spa treatments and a babysitter from Violet’s nursery too!
THE WEEK BEFORE
The week before, V went away for work so I looked after both girls on my own. They didn’t sleep well, it’s fair to say I had a stressful week, keeping on top of the house, the never ending laundry basket, looking after the girls (including various playdates, softplays and nursery runs) along with a few blogging deadlines too, just to raise the pulse even higher! After a particularly stressful three-hour bedtime routine, I took my stress reading using the HRV4Training app. It was confirmed, spa treatments were certainly required for this tired Mama!
OUR SPA DAY
The babysitter came to look after the girls, so I frantically prepared the house with all the bottles, snacks and essentials she would need. Then we were FREE! Honestly, I love my children, but sometimes everyone needs a break and this couldn’t have been at a better time! We headed to a gorgeous hotel on Brighton’s iconic seafront for our pampering experience. We had an amazing voucher from Buyagift.com which entitled us to a Back, Shoulders and Neck Massage, a Facial with eye treatment, followed by Afternoon Tea in the hotel lounge. Even just being out of the house together without children felt strange, I felt weirdly light – like I should be doing something or holding something with my arms. I’m not used to having my tiny handbag, which only fits my money, keys and phone!
We headed to the spa for our treatments. Laying on the bed, I felt like this is my moment to relax and I was going to make the most of every second. It was a lovely massage, but the best part of it was just the silence, the calm. I realised that one of the most exhausting thing about being a parent is not the sleep deprivation, it’s the fact your mind is always switched on. Even in the deepest, darkest moments of the night, half of my brain is still awake, listening to every cough, snore and breath, waiting to for a cry and for when I’ll be needed again. There is never a moment you can switch off – even at night! But in this tiny treatment room, I knew this was my chance and I zoned completely out. The massage and facial went by in a haze, I may have been asleep, I’m not sure but my mind was firmly in the ‘off’ setting which is what I needed.
I then tested myself using the HP4training app, from this I could see my heart rate was slower, I was more relaxed and I got a much better score overall! It’s true, a day at the spa really can work wonders for your stress levels.
AFTERNOON TEA
Next, it was time for our afternoon tea, by this point I was STARVING (massages are hard work!) and so ready for some cake. Cue layers of gorgeous cakes and perfectly cut sandwiches. As we sat on our seaview table, chatting over a couple of pots of tea and it was the first time we’ve actually caught up without a baby to distract us. It was so needed.
Like all good things, it had to come to and end and soon it was time to head back to the babies – who had been good as gold for the babysitter, thankfully, as Pearl had never been left before. As you can see from my face, I was thoroughly chilled and ready to start the chaos all over again!
All in all, it was a lovely day out – Thank you so much to Buyagift.com for treating us to a stress-free Mothers Day treat! There are a huge selection of vouchers and experiences available on the Buy a Gift website so take a look and treat that stressed-out frazzled Mummy in your life this Mothers Day!
To see more information about the HPV4Training App and how it can help you, see this guide – the app is available for both iPhone and Android from the app store.
