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on March 2, 2021 ·

My Evening Self-Care Tips For Special Needs Moms!

A few weeks ago, I posted my self-care journey as an autism mom.  I shared some things that I did at the start of my day to make sure I’m keeping myself in line with taking care of myself.  This week, I thought I would share some of my evening routine that also aligns with self-care.  Keeping up with self-care has been a way to stay on top of my mental and physical health.  It’s important that as women, we dedicate time for ourselves.  It’s not always easy or even possible, but I have been getting better at it. 

The post may contain affiliate links.  Joann Salas is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

As soon as dinner has been finished, after cleaning up the mess in my kitchen, I make sure that everyone else in the house is settled into whatever they need to be doing so I can take my 30 minutes to workout.  I spoke previously about how Beachbody has been the best way for me to maintain a healthy lifestyle and the luxury of being able to work out from home.  As a special needs’ mom, I have no time to go to a gym and. to be honest, I never would even if I had the time.  It’s convenient to have all of my workouts available right on my Firestick!  So much easier than having to drive to a gym, etc.  It just works best for me.  If you’d like to know more about Beachbody, I wrote a post all about my coach and my own transformation journey.  You can read more about it here. 

Let’s talk about pampering yourself – let’s talk nails!  Many years ago, going to a nail salon was part of my life.  After my boys, that all went away.  Again, didn’t have the time; never even tried to make the time.  And yes, I can easily make that more of a priority now but, during a pandemic, I try not to go anywhere unless it’s important.  For me, I can do my nails at home.  The best part of my new nail routine is that it doesn’t require me to sit and wait for my nails to dry!  I’ve been using several different brands of nail products and I’m loving all of them.

The first one is called Dashing Diva.  I’m sure you have all heard of them but, if not, they are nail strips made of 100% nail color that are easily applied by stretching the correct size nail strip over your nails, buffing the access off around the sides and tips and you are done.  It’s fast and easily removes with nail polish remover.  Not only are they easy to apply, they last relatively long! I like being able to change colors quickly and easily and these are fantastic!

The other company is called Red Aspen Nail Dashes.  Again, these are easy to use, you can apply them rather quickly and they can be worn up to two weeks.  They come in various sizes – average, petite and large nails.  These are applied with nail glue and you can cut them to the length you would like as well.  I love that they come in such a variety of sizes and colors! If you’d like to give them a try, please contact Kristinn on her Instagram account @mskristinn321.

A couple of years ago while visiting my mother-in-law, she introduced me to a tea she makes for herself every night before bed.  Since then, my husband and I have it on-hand and we like to have it before we go to bed as well.  It’s called Manzanilla Con Anis.  It’s a chamomile tea with anise.  Generally, I do not care for anise, but this has a mild taste to it.  I usually make it about a half hour before we are going to bed.  This tea really brings you to a restful and relaxed state.  It helps with anxiety and getting myself ready to fall asleep.  I usually put a little stevia in mine; sometimes, I have it with cream as well.  It has really helped us both relax a bit before turning in for the night. 

Sometimes it is so hard to fall asleep if you are rustling with your pillow all night.  I used to have that problem until I found the absolute best pillow called Coop.  I had never heard of this pillow or company until my husband’s co-worker told him about it.  My husband was complaining about the pillows never staying firm long enough and having to replace it every few months.  He told him about Coop and, after my husband purchased his, I could tell he wasn’t struggling with the pillow anymore.  I noticed he wasn’t tossing and turning, flipping the pillow around.  The pillow is an interesting concept and unlike any of the ones I’ve used in the past.  What makes this pillow different?  It would have to be their proprietary shredded memory foam.  The design allows air circulation to keep the breathability high for uninterrupted sleep.  Doesn’t that sound appealing?  I love that it comes pre-filled but also provides you with extra fill in case you want to take it up a notch.  I haven’t had to fill mine at all!  Also, a quick few minutes in the dryer refreshes the pillow.  It somehow manages to stay firm yet soft.  The price point for this pillow is obviously higher but, once you think about how you are buying a new pillow and spending anywhere from $20 – $50/ea every few months, this pays for itself tenfold.  I highly recommend this pillow.  I’m sure you will love it. 

The last thing I must share with you is an app.  The app is called MindZone.  It has so many different types of relaxing and restful sounds for you to choose from.  Sometimes I use a quick 5-minute sound right before bedtime and it really helps relax my mind.  One of my favorite features about the app is the story-telling feature called, Return to Childhood.  It gives you a few options to choose from and will read a fairytale-themed story to your child.  The stories range in length, from 11-25 minutes.  If my kids are relaxed and sleeping, then I can get a better night’s sleep as well. 

Over the past year, I’ve had to learn how to make myself a priority.  I felt the strain and anxiety as many of us have during this pandemic; add a special needs child to the mix and it can be overwhelming.  I was just getting use to giving myself a break when I needed it and then came Covid.  I had to learn how to adjust and continue to get my breaks, even when it meant I couldn’t leave the house.  Thankfully, during the worst of the lockdown, I was able to, at least, sit in my yard for a little bit.  That’s the good news, my friends!  Spring and better weather is on the way!  Hang in there and, in the meantime, I hope some of my suggestions will help you get through your self-care journey.  Please let me know what you have been doing to give yourself breaks and the self-care loving you deserve in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to talk more! Please come hang out with me on Instagram at @Lovealwaysjoann. You can also find me on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook. If you want to be alerted whenever I publish a new post, you can follow me on Bloglovin’ or subscribe via email.

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Filed Under: Autism, My Story Tagged With: health, Self-care, wellness

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lovealwaysjoann

Lovealways,Joann
Happy Sunday friends! Last week we attended an aw Happy Sunday friends! Last week  we attended an award ceremony at Michael’s school.  He was nominated by his teacher and his other service providers to receive the title of his school’s hero award.  Michael was recognized for demonstrating the Play principles at his school.  I will share more about it in my last year end Youtube video on how Michael is doing in his new school.  We are so proud of the progress Michael has made this past year and I can’t wait to tell you all about it! Stay tuned! Have a good evening and a great week ahead! #autism #autismmom #autismfamily
We loved Disney’s All Star Movie Resort and we d We loved Disney’s All Star Movie Resort and we definitely would stay again! Hopefully soon! Have you stayed at any of the All Star Resorts? #disneyresorts #disneyallstarmovieresort #allstarmoviesresort #vacationmemories
It’s about 91° right now, I would have really It’s about 91° right now,  I would have really enjoyed this pool today! ☀️🔥☀️😀 #summervibes #allstarmoviesresort #disneyresort
It’s that time of the year when everyone is plan It’s that time of the year when everyone is planning their summer vacations and/or staycations! Last year, I started my Summer Vacation Postcard Exchange and I’m doing it again this year! I was thinking how cool it would be to see where all of you are headed to. ☀️🌴🏝️⛰️🏰🛳️🏕️
How it works: 
You send me a postcard from wherever you travel and I’ll send you one back from my summer vacation. 
This starts today, June 1st and runs through September 1st. 
Please see the link in my bio for all the information and where to send your postcard. 
Last year I received postcards from Florida, Colorado, Paris, just to name a few.  I’m looking forward to see where you travel to this year! Thank you in advance for participating! Happy travels! #summer #postcardexchange #postcards #happytravels #vacationpostcards #summer2023 #staycation
I’m having a few technical issues today uploadin I’m having a few technical issues today uploading my vlog to my YouTube channel.  I didn’t want to leave you hanging, so I thought I’d share a throwback picture of me holding on for my life, riding SDMT for the first time in 2019.  I hope to have the vlog up by later today or tomorrow morning.  Be sure to subscribe so you know when it’s live! #throwback #tuesdaymood
This afternoon we celebrated Alex and Michael’s This afternoon we celebrated Alex and Michael’s 11th birthday at Dave And Buster’s.  After the kids enjoyed cheeseburgers, fries and Mac & Cheese, they had fun playing all kinds of games! It was so nice to invite Michael’s friends again this year.  His friend Elise from his old school and a new friend Roscoe enjoyed being a part of the fun too! Michael really had fun on the motorcycle with his dad! We always encourage Michael to try everything.  We may have to make accommodations for him but it’s worth it to see that smile on his face! It was a great day! #birthdayparty #twins #autismmom #autismfamily #daveandbusters
Good morning ☀️ Happy Friday and Happy 11th Bi Good morning ☀️ Happy Friday and Happy 11th Birthday to my boys! Now Michael had school today but Alex is off so we’re off on our fishing adventure! Have a great day! #happybirthday #gonefishing #twinmom #twinmomlife
I’m going fishing tomorrow with Alex and my husb I’m going fishing tomorrow with Alex and my husband.  Never thought I’d say that! Wish me luck! Me fishing is equivalent to Dolly Parton trying to fit in a training bra! #gonefishing #boymom
The legend himself- our main mouse, Mickey! #legos The legend himself- our main mouse, Mickey! #legosdisney #disneysprings #mickeymouse
Sometimes you just need a hug! #monstersinc #disne Sometimes you just need a hug! #monstersinc #disneyworld #hollywoodstudios #wdw #disneyvacationmemories #vacationmemories
I think it’s time to start planning another fam I think it’s time to start planning  another family trip! #magickingdom #wdw #disneymemories
Happy Friday friends! I hope you were able to catc Happy Friday friends! I hope you were able to catch my latest YouTube video.  This week I decided to make chicken tostadas with all the leftovers I had in my fridge and pantry.  They came delicious! If you haven’t had a chance to see it, I would love it if you could watch it when you have some time.  Also, please don’t forget to give it a thumbs up, comment and please consider subscribing if you haven’t already.  Thank you and enjoy the rest of your day! #chickentostadas #youtuber #easyrecipes #leftovers
Throwback to when I was able to pick a pearl at th Throwback to when I was able to pick a pearl at the Japan Pavilion at Epcot.  This was so much fun! I got two pearls and had them set in a ring. I will definitely do it again! Have you ever experienced the pick a pearl and did you get one or two pearls? #tbt #epcot #pickapearl #epcotworldshowcase #epcotjapanpavillion #wdw
Mother’s Day photo dump! #twinmomlife #autismmom Mother’s Day photo dump! #twinmomlife #autismmom #momlife #boymom #mothersday2023
Happy Mother’s Day to all you sweet mamas! Enjoy Happy Mother’s Day to all you sweet mamas! Enjoy your day! 💓#mothersday #happymothersday
Happy Heavenly Mother’s Day mom! Love you! #heav Happy Heavenly Mother’s Day mom! Love you! #heavenlymother
Happy Friday friends! The weekend is finally here! Happy Friday friends! The weekend is finally here! I’m so excited because tomorrow my husband and I are having our yearly (joke kinda) date night! Of course, Mother’s Day is Sunday and I’m looking forward to spending the day with my boys. 
Speaking of Mother’s Day, yesterday I posted a new YouTube video about handing Mother’s Day after a loss.  I absolutely know what that experience is like and wanted to share some ways I have been getting through it. 
Lastly, I think it’s time for another “Chat & Bake.” In a few weeks I’ll be baking for my boy’s birthday so why not  answer your questions while I bake?! Stay tuned, I’ll post a question box in my stories soon.  Have a great evening!
Good afternoon friends. No video today, but late Good afternoon friends.  No video today,  but later this week watch for my new video when I talk about how to honor your mom on Mother’s Day after she passed away. I’m hoping by offering some tips  it helps you get through this difficult day. 🦋 #mothersday #mothersdaygrief #griefjourney #motherlessdaughters #grief
Good afternoon & Happy Friday friends! Just a remi Good afternoon & Happy Friday friends! Just a reminder tomorrow I will be going live 12 PM on my YouTube channel! We will be making the Cheese burger Pods from Disney Animal Kingdom’s Satu’li Canteen!! The recipe and everything you will need is linked in my bio. 
I’m really looking forward to this and I hope you are too! 
Lastly, if you haven’t subscribed to my YouTube channel, now is the time to do so 😀 I would truly appreciate it!  See you tomorrow! #cookwithme #youtube
It’s that time of the year where I’m sure so m It’s that time of the year where I’m sure so many of you, just like me. are getting emails asking if you’d like to opt out of Mother’s Day emails.  While I can certainly personally understand how reminders of being a motherless daughter can be difficult, I have never opted out of the emails.  I have always felt my very best Mother’s Day memory was during the time I was pregnant.  Even though I had no idea I was only a couple weeks away from giving birth, my mom was still here, healthy and happy.  She was just as excited to be a grandmother as I was to be a mom.  I hadn’t even thought about the possibility of having a child with special needs. My husband decorated the yard with flowers and balloons.  We celebrated our future filled with hopes and dreams.  Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned and we hit bumps in the road.  But I have learned as I’m celebrating my 11th Mother’s Day this year, how much my own mom did for me.  I’m understanding why she dedicated herself to me and my sister.  Being a mom is a gift and it’s because of her that I don’t opt out of the Mother’s Day emails.  She wouldn’t want me to opt out of the experiences she had as a mom.  She wouldn’t want me to opt out because she’s no longer here. 
Next week I will share the ways you can continue to opt in even if you lost your mom too.  Trust me, it can help. ❤️
#motherlessdaughters #mothersday #autismmom #griefjourney #griefsupport #imissmymom
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