Monday, March 11, 2013

Things That Make Me Feel Rich

There are little luxuries in my life that make me feel totally pampered.  Do you know what I mean?  Things that we are lucky enough to have/afford that feel like an indulgence, but don't really break the bank.  Of course things like a massage feel extravagant - and that might be because in our budget, they are.  Still, there are certain things that we've managed to fit into our spending that make me feel indulged beyond our means.

1. Fresh Flowers - Leo and jb make a semi-regular habit of picking up a small bouquet of flowers for me.  I love that it's their little tradition.  I love how special and loved it makes me feel.  I love how much it can brighten our kitchen.  Hand picked wildflowers, store bought arrangements, and hard-to-kill houseplants all work.

2. Painted Nails - The cost of the polishes is not the indulgence on this one (I'm all about the generic brands), it's more about the time.  Having painted nails is a reminder that I took some time for myself.  That is of course until it's a reminder that I took time for myself two weeks ago and haven't been able to find the time since to unpaint my growing out and chipped polish - that's a different post.

3. Big Bathroom - After having lived with several TINY bathrooms where I could barely turn around, much less apply lotion or dress comfortably, it's SO nice to have a bathroom with some breathing room.  The biggest perk currently is that there is room for a bouncy seat which has meant that I could pee without a baby on my lap and even shower without worry. jb jokes that we could install stadium seating in case we have more kids - I'm thinking more along the lines of maybe a shelf for towels.

My View While Peeing - Stadium seating is the next move
4. Always Having the Ingredients for Cookies On Hand - There is just something really nice about knowing that I could make cookies any time I wanted.  This goes along with the blessing of being able to have a well stocked fridge/freezer/cabinet.  Even when it's been a while since we've made a grocery trip - we usually have enough staples to throw together a healthy meal.


5. Kitchen Space - COUNTERS! For the first time EVER, we actually have enough counter space for more than one person to work in the kitchen comfortably.  This also means more cabinet space - which means an easier to organize and keep tidy kitchen.  Which brings me to possibly my favorite - splurging on a couple obscure kitchen gadgets.  In the past we didn't have the room to store things that we didn't use often - now we have an extra drawer for seasonal or occasional use items - like cookie cutters or pancake molds.

6. Magazine Subscriptions - This, again, is more a luxury of time.  I use our RecycleBank points to get free subscriptions to magazines - but the real luxury comes in the sitting down to leaf through them.



7. Latte - Ok, this expense adds up if I'm not careful.  Especially now that my perpetual sidekick wants a "Little Boy Coffee" whenever we stop at a cafe - but those few dollars really can turn my whole day around, so most of the time I consider it money well spent.


What splurges or amenities make you feel rich?




8 comments:

  1. Carolyn Chernoff3/11/2013

    Agreed 100% on all the above, especially using Recyclebank for magazines (which then rack up more points!). You should come to Chung Dam spa with me some time when there's ample childcare. If you haven't been, it is amazing: http://chungdamspa.com/ and while it is mostly older Korean women, I have seen enough other non-Korean women there that I don't get the sense we're intruding on private space.

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  2. Jackie3/11/2013

    This is a big one: We have cleaning ladies. I find that with the three kids, I am constantly cleaning, picking up toys and clothes, doing laundry, putting away laundry (and frequently feel like I'm drowning in tiny clothing), cooking and cleaning up from the cooking... I spend a lot of my day cleaning. Having someone come in to do the deep clean once a week is totally for my own sanity - and allows me to spend time playing with my kids, rather than scrubbing the toilets or changing the sheets. 100% worth it.

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  3. Ummmmmm - Philadelphia has a jimjilbang?!?!?! How did I not know this?!?!?! I often fondly remember my one and only jimjilbang experience (http://www.westphillymama.com/2009/02/compromising-positions.html) If there is a noribang joint and a place that serves shabu-shabu in Philly we can make a day of it!

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  4. Yes - cleaning help is on my short list should we have a little more money. That and regular massages. I think both expenditures are SOOOOO worth it if you can work it into your budget!

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  5. lifewithkaishon3/11/2013

    I absolutely love this post. Such a great reminder of all the things we have to be thankful for : ). There really are so many, aren't there? I laughed out loud about your stadium seating in the bathroom! Can't wait to see the post about that.

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  6. Carolyn Chernoff3/12/2013

    No noribang as far as I know, although one of the vegan kosher Chinese restaurants downtown has karaoke that rates your performance a la noribang. CHUNG DAM FTW. For $20 (or $60-$80 plus tip for the severe scrub, massage, or combo) soaking and sweating are OURS. Just say when.

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  7. April sister outing

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  8. The way my daughter cracks a joke. I mean her timing is so on point. We have taught her well. Also, the group of friends I have built over the past three years. Just wow. I see us sticking together for a very long time. I love daily bronzer habit and it makes me feel rich to know I'm doing exactly what I set out to do. It's hellish more days than not, but in the end it's probably worth it.

    I absolutely love your bathroom seating. My favorite picture! And how sweet that you get flowers.

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