Southern Sunset

This is part of a sponsored campaign with Glade®. All opinions are my own.

The thing is, I work from home and so finding a comfortable “getaway” in the place where I write books/run a business/raise nutty kids/prepare meals/oversee a household, sleep is about as remote as Antarctica. Still, to keep my sanity, I recognize that finding “me-time,” even in this hectic space, is as necessary as… air. I’ve been trying to be better about creating a spot in my place that allows for an adult “time-out” from my crazy, busy life.

At the urging of a woman whose memoir I recently completed, I started taking that time every evening out on the balcony off my bedroom. There, I sit in a quiet space, surrounded by trees, the scent of camellias filling the air, the sound of sparrows, goldfinch and blue jays dancing on the wind, while I watch the sunset. Something about those colors—the way the hot pinks and blood oranges and mustards shimmy across the night blue sky, the way God’s art morphs minute-to-minute, second-to-second—centers me. Makes it all better. Even if just for a little while. We all need those moments, you know. And those moments don’t have to be super-involved, expensive or time-consuming—just special to you.

Here, some ideas for how to create a “me-time” getaway in your home—from creating a playlist of your favorite sensual songs to picking a Glade® signature scent to make your space smell lovely. Check it:

1. Pick a specific time every day and stick to it. In my house, everyone knows that when the sun starts to set, I will be on the balcony—no matter if dinner is finished, homework needs to be checked or I still have a chapter or blog post to complete. There are 24 hours in the day; the world will not stop its rotational axis if I check out of work, parenting or household duties and look at the sunset. The same is true at your place, too. Tell everyone within the sound of your voice that your 20-minute window—a measly 20 minutes out of the 24-hours in the day—is just… for… you, and you need to have it respected.

2. Make a playlist of soothing music. Nothing smoothes me out more than a kick-butt musical line-up of my favorite neo-soul or hip hop songs. Bonus: when I listen to it with my noise-canceling headphones… well, let’s just say, I don’t have to hear, “Mommy, can you *insert frivolous mom request here*” for at least 20 minutes. Score!

3. Get some smell-goods in your life. I’m BIG on appealing to all my senses when I’m taking time for myself and scent is a huge deal for me. Glade® Premium Room Sprays come in a variety of fragrances that are perfect for such occasions. Get one of the new scents in your life:

Dazzling Blooms™:  brighten the room with a burst of ripe fruit and floral scents.
Playful Paradise®: make a splash with this fun, beach fragrance that combines scents of mixed fruits like melons and peaches.
Island Escape®: infuse the air with this sweet medley of island fruits including hints of pineapple and mixed berries.
Lavender Embrace™: embrace the moment with this peaceful bouquet of soft and soothing lavender including notes of eucalyptus, rose and jasmine
Brilliant Sunshine™: enjoy hints of peach, cantaloupe and lilac, like a ray of sweet sunshine on a summer day.
Sheer White Cotton®: freshen the air with the scent of fresh sheets blowing in the breeze, including hints of honeydew, pear and jasmine.

4. Flowers, candles and wine make everything better. You don’t have to sit around waiting for someone to give you flowers, you don’t have to wait for a romantic evening to light a candle and you sure don’t have to wait for a special occasion to pour yourself a glass of good libations. Truly, each of these things are awesome gifts when someone else gives them to you, but ladies, let me tell you how nice it is to see a bouquet of flowers and lit candles and a glass of wine on your side table, there for no other reason than you wanted them to be there. It’s delicious.

Want to share how you create a busy mom getaway at home? Join me for the #GladeMomGetaway Twitter Party tomorrow. We’ll be sharing more great ideas for getting in some quality mom “me-time” and giving a bunch of incredible prizes, too. Be there!

The #GladeMomGetaway Twitter Party
• Topic: How Busy Mom’s Create Getaways at Home
• Date: Thursday, May 15
• Time: 9PM EST
• Hashtag: #GladeMomGetaway
• Host: @Blackandmarried
• Co-Hosts: @mybrownbaby @momsncharge @thesistahchick, and @KiaMorganSmith
• Prizes: We will be giving away Four Glade® Getaway Prize Packages consisting of the Full Premium Spray collection, along with an assortment of Wax Melts and Glade® Plug-Ins® Scented Oil Warmer Customizables™, and $500 in visa gift cards. No RSVP required.

1st Prize: Glade® Prize Package plus $50 Visa Gift Card
2nd Prize: Glade® Prize Package plus $100 Visa Gift Card
3rd Prize: Glade® Prize Package plus $150 Visa Gift Card
4th Prize: Glade® Prize Package plus $200 Visa Gift Card

For more information, visit www.Glade.com and don’t forget to check Glade® out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to share your #bestfeelings.

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Disclosure: This is part of a compensated campaign with Glade® to spread the word about their Glade® Premium Room Sprays. All opinions are my own.

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Denene Millner

Mom. NY Times bestselling author. Pop culture ninja. Unapologetic lover of shoes, bacon and babies. Nice with the verbs. Founder of the top black parenting website, MyBrownBaby.

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