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Dec
11
I have another long weekend of solo parenting ahead of me, JB left this afternoon for his brother’s multi-day bachelor party in Bend. I’m not particularly envious of the hairy-backed aspect of this excursion, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I’m fairly roiling with jealousy over the notion of a no-kids visit to one of my very favorite places ever. If they don’t get snowed in (which: hee. Seven dudes housebound in a vacation rental in Sunriver, Oregon — why, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen THAT movie on pay-per-view! What was it called, something like “Secret Santa Sausage Gift Exchange”? ) they’ll be skiing, maybe just hanging out at the Deschutes Brewery and bullshitting, not changing diapers or staggering out of bed at 2:30 AM to deal with a fussy baby or watching Curious George for the eleventy zillionth time or, well, YOU GET IT.
Not that I’m resentfully filing every single one of my husband’s trips away from home in the back of my mind or anything, ha ha ha haaaaa, but just as a little comparison, the one and only trip I have planned for ALL of 2009 involves standing for ninety hours a day in a booth at the Macworld Expo in January and smiling robotically at creepy bearded men in Australian dusters sporting Bluetooth headsets. LAME.
I have an unexpected little windfall of money coming in soon, and while most of it will get immediately dumped into savings (and some for charity), I’ve been dreamily pondering what to do with the slice I want to keep for myself. My fantasies have been bouncing between:
• A new fancypants camera, an upgrade from my D70
• Some new clothes, like not Old Navy shit for once
• Just keeping some cash at the ready for the miscellaneous things I like but can’t always afford: salon visits, Amazon purchases, etc
But maybe a mini vacation-just-for-me would be a better investment. I’d like to go somewhere with my mom and aunt, I’d like to drive up and visit Kristin, I lust after the idea of a spa weekend.
What do you guys think? If you could spend a little money just for you, what would you spend it on?
PS: Lest you think I am trying to RUN AWAY FROM MY CHILDREN, well, DOY, but also, hot damn they are getting to be awesome individually AND collectively:
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72 Responses to “Travels”
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Stuff I Like:
Regina Spektor's "All the Rowboats".
She's almost unrecognizable in this video, but wow, what a song.
Smashbox brow tech.
Utterly foolproof eyebrow groomer/filler-inner.
Prada Amber.
My favorite perfume: sweet and exotic without being overpowering.
Blinc mascara.
I have tried all the mascaras and this is the very best one. Trust.
oooh so many things I could spend money on – the whole spa weekend thing with your mom and aunt sounds awesome.
And your piffle about the overtired baby? All I can say is YES – YES – YES!!! perfect friggin description.
SAVE IT FOR BLOGHER 2009 CHICAGO! Omg you HAVE to come. Like, HAVE TO. I’ll whine. Don’t make me whine!!
If I had extra money for me I’d buy all new clothes and get my hair done. Yes yes and yes!
The spa vacation sounds dreamy, but you said a small amount of money:
I’d book an appointment every month for a microdermabrasion/facial at a really good dermatologist’s office with skilled aestheticians and spa-like treatment rooms.
It’s short enough to be do-able on a regular basis and it’s nice to have your FACE looking really good (erm, especially as you get older).
I recently had a similar windfall and had almost the same choices as you did. (I ended up buying myself a MacBook, my first Mac). But the vacation thing was probably my next best choice. Just having time alone to breathe would be nice.
uh, camera AND vacation.
I would upgrad from my D40…well I am getting the the D80 for Christmas so maybe upgrade from that ! lol
The D70 is a bit old. It’s time to move on to a D3x.
I vote for a spa weekend too. One where handsome men of your choosing (Clive?) hand feed you organic Belgian-chocolate coated grapes.
Dylan and Riley are totally adorably pricelessly Calvin (of Hobbes) in that shot. Totally!
Should you ever need to run away – and every mother deserves a break despite what ParentDouches say – any one of us would happily volunteer to baby sit.
Re MacWorld, maybe Hugh Jackman will show up. I’ve seen him twice in person and he’s more delicious in real life than can be imagined.
Um, or if you just had a small amount of money and a little room in your diet you could buy yourself really, really good salted caramels covered in chocolate.
I say take some time away from the kids. It doesn’t matter if you go by yourself or with your mom & aunt (who I love BTW). Just get away for a few days. You will not regret it.
I’m with Trina—take some time away from the kids. My husband and I went to a hotel this summer for a weekend alone, and it was heaven.
I would absolutely take a weekend for myself, with a girlfriend, my mom, etc. Perhaps it’s because I’m having a baby soon and know the travels are going to DISAPPEAR ALTOGETHER but I have a true itch for going somewhere these days. And, like, not to Babies R Us but to Boston or Chicago or Vancouver.
P.S. If your kids were Pandas, they would be these guys.
http://www.dependablerenegade.com/dependable_renegade/2008/12/shit-i-think-they-found-us.html
I love that photo — Dylan is *so* planning mischief.
I would totally spend it on coming up to visit me. I have an bro in the basement who is kind of a built in babysitter and we can spa, and shop, and hike, and talk about People On the Internet. Do it!
photo ironically taken next to old navy. how do i know this? http://kingkongdumplings.blogspot.com/2008/11/two-for-price-of-one.html
i’ll opt for the new haircut since i foolishly decided to go to the hairstylist without a photo today. then i’d go to ikea and have a cheap meal and browse but buy nothing and pocket the rest of the money because i hoard like that.
If you could manage a week away, I’d be takin the other two and getting a week long cruise down to warm Mexico……sun, surf, lots of drinks.
I’ll be there in January.
You can get a nice balcony room on Holland America, third person in room only runs you $99…so for the three the total would be about $1500. 500 each. NICE
I went on a spa vacation, paid for by my extremely awesome boss, and I’m telling you Linda, it is the best thing you could do for yourself. It is just bliss. It was my first – and so far last – vacation I’ve taken without my husband or son and words cannot describe. Not only was I so pampered that I began to question if one could, in fact, have too many massages (the answer is no, don’t worry) but it really made me want to come back to my life afterward. Since you’re all fit and fierce you may want to make it a spa/outdoorsy adventure/exercise thingee. But do it. All women should, at least once in their life.
Ooh, Kristin’s idea sounds delicious. You could stay out late or sleep in or hell, even just sleep through!
dude, of course you are running away from them. i lust after running away from my four all the time, much as i adore them. so – spa weekend. i just had a salt scrub and it changed my life. go for it.
I would definitely go away. Since having my son two years ago I’ve done two Girl’s getaways and it’s absolute heaven (no matter how much of how little you do!).
Hubby is currently in SoCal for business and texting home beautiful pics of sunrises over Santa Monica (while it rains for the millionth day in a row here in NYC). No question, I’m already planning my next getaway. Mexico?
We all need a time out sometimes. I think you should go on a girls’ trip. Even without kids, the trip I took this fall with my girlfriends refreshed and re-energized me for my life and my husband.
I’d buy myself a new rear end, the one I have now has a big crack in it. Seriously, I’d probably buy myself some new clothes. I’d be thrilled with having an Old Navy wardrobe, it sure beats wearing Walmart chic.
I vote for a spa weekend. Although I would be hard pressed not to use it to pay off debt. But damn, woman – JB is always traveling – I think you could use some kid-free R&R stat!
I vote for a trip!
And also, that if you get a new camera, you sell me your old one!! (Seriously.)
I would probably spend extra money on clothes once I lose a crap load of weight. My closet is freaking pathetic. I am SO behind in the times and looking at the clothes in my closet that used to be in sort of but is no longer in now sucks. Worse yet this clothes is all a size two when I am currently a size 8-ish… well that really sucks ass. A good reminder of what I used to be but also freakin’ depressing. Or I would just take a spa weekend somewhere warm by myself (or with a girlfriend or two) and eat like a pig because that sounds way better then sweating my ass off to get back into that size two!!
I’d take the spa weekend. I am the WORST at this kind of thing, and always end up dumping the whole thing into savings and promptly forgetting about it, or feeling way too guilty to spend it on anything, because look at how bulky and shiny it made my savings account!
Don’t be like me. Seriously. Put some of it into savings, but take the rest and GO somewhere. If you hold out for the Amazon/hair/salon stuff, it won’t seem as fun. I’d ditto the camera, since you already have a great one that you love. If you go somewhere, it could be really special. And besides, JB does go away a lot, so you should, too!
That’s what I would do, if I were doing as I say, and not as I do.
Canyon Ranch.
Period.
That’s a hard question to answer for me because I have SO MUCH I’D LIKE and it’s all so expensive.
Camera equipment so I can keep adding to my photography sideline, which is an investment in me since I enjoy taking pictures so much.
Spa pampering where I get EVERYTHING taken care of, the hair color and cut, the mani/pedi (just vurped a little because I hate that phrase), the fixing of errant hair, and of course the massage and facial and body wrap and…
New wardrobe. Because my wardrobe is about 8 years old, NO LIE.
Book buying binge.
Amazon buying binge.
I’d like a pony, too. Actually, no I wouldn’t. Have you seen the size of pony shit? Who would want to clean that up?
Go on a 3 or 4 day cruise to the Bahamas!
No idea. The thought of having extra money for myself rarely crosses my mind. Isn’t that a damn shame?!?! I can think of things for my husband and my kids, but not myself. Shameful. I suppose I could really use really good & expensive haircut and some new clothes. I am looking a little to frumpy mommy these days and it is starting to affect my mood.
Dang it, Felicia took my idea! I was going to ask to buy your camera if you got a new one.
Anyway, I say spa weekend away. One with yummy food and comfy beds.
Rent a house in Sunriver or a room at the resort, invite a bunch of friends and have your own spa weekend at Sunriver Resort’s Sage Springs Spa. Their treatments and staff are amazing. I’m lucky to work for people who have an kick-ass second home on one of the golf courses and allow us to use it. There’s nothing better than a day at the spa and a nice leisurely dinner with friends.
Another neat getaway is the Davenport Hotel in Spokane. I just had a girls’ weekend there and we hit the spa, shopped, laughed until it hurt and ate like swine. If you haven’t been to Spokane, look at the Davenport Hotel’s website. I had no idea such a gem existed in E. Washington until about 5 years ago (and the hotel is a stunning place to take photos with your new camera).
Eh. I’m sitting here watching the news as they go wild with Winter Storm coverage- calling for sub-zero temps for Spokane. I’d scrap the Davenport Hotel until spring or summer. For a real treat, say to hell with the Pac NW and try The Boulders in Scottsdale. Their Golden Door Spa is second to none and they offer a variety of treatments for mind and body. It’s a very tranquil place- http://www.theboulders.com
Oh, I say take a trip! The camera will last forever, but a good trip is refreshing.
Hmmm, all options sound wonderful, but since we just upgraded to a Nikon D60 (from a Point and Shoot), I’d do the camera, just because I’m so geeked out over the new one that an upgrade above ours would send me over the edge!
Love the boys picture! When my two got to the point of actually liking each other versus the prior mutual dislike, it made doing things much easier. But now, when one melts down, the other isn’t far behind, and when they’re both over 30 pounds, makes forceably removing them a little like weightlifting!
If I was going to be all about me with the $$, which I never am as I don’t find that much fun, I would run away to the treehouse resort in Oregon for 2-3 days. Bring 4-5 books, bubble bath for 4-5 days, and just veg in my beloved treehouse. But as I said, rather have 1 or 2 close friends/family with me, so…..Vegas baby!!! CHEAP flights, cheap hotel rooms, fun, fun, fun. And then do the spa thing down there! ;}
I’ve always wanted to do a spa weekend with a good friend (or two!). A whole weekend of pampering and relaxation?? Bring it on!!
If we’re seriously going to dream though – lets make it a big windfall and send me to Lake Como, Italy.
A “little” extra money means something differnt to everyone, but if I had it, I’d be a typical girl and get a facial, a manicure/pedicure, and a bikini wax cause, damn, I’ve been looking scruffy lately.
Also photos of Dylan never fail to make me squee with teh kewtness of teh babieeee! Such a cutie.
Take a vacation. The other things are all very good ideas, but, woman, you have earned yourself a trip all on your own.
Well obviously you need to take a trip to see Kristin and then BOTH go to the spa!
I would do the vacation b/c 1) I would also love to meet Kristin but mostly 2) getting away for a while and sleeping through the night sounds like something of a fairytale right now. Besides, if your current camera is working fine I would use it to pamper yourself.
Sunriver. Condo. You. Girlfriends. Go. :)
I’m not a mom yet (which will likely be clear from my answer) but I’d like to go to Disneyland with my fiance. Also: manicure / pedicure.
What, you hate Australians too?
Heh.
Buy a new camera and send me your old one.
Spa weekend and invite the mom and sister! That sounds perfect.
Definitely spa, but combine it with a visit to a friend…or anywhere that has you free of changing poop for at least 72 consecutive hours.
If you upgrade your camera would you sell your old one to moi?! (no, but seriously)
Otherwise, I totally would take a spa weekend…ALONE! Ok, MAYBE Mom & Sister could come along…but I’d definitely get my own room :)
If I had money that didn’t have to go to bills, personal upkeep (waxing, haircuts, etc.), or filling in my apartment, I would spend it on travel.
What about more than one vacation? Rather than going someplace uber extravagant or far away, maybe somplace up on the Kitsap or right in downtown for a short spa weekend with your mom & aunt, and then you might save enough dough to do it more than once (or go bonkers on Amazon, whatevs). Also it’ll probably help stave off any possible child-abandonment-anxiety that might arise from being far away. Note I said “possible.”
Aw, Linda! Come on down to Bend, too! By the way, it’s starting to snow here. Tee-hee!
If I had the freedom to spend at will, I would pack up all my brand new Apple gear and head to some cliche- The Bahamas, maybe. Japan, Rome, Switzerland, someplace with outdoor sulpher springs.
Oh Linda, thank you for the link to your aunt. She has a sharp blog, funny and ballsy. I think I’ll go post that there, actually…
I’d buy an autoharp and learn how to play it.
I’d choose the spa weekend and I recommend Red Mountain Spa in Utah. It’s a fitness/adventure spa that is awesome.
Can I come? ;)
I’d love a new laptop. I’d also love the help of a personal trainer to help me whittle down the size of my ass and the chance to throw a bunch of money at someone to select for me a flattering and stylish wardrobe.
Obviously I need less of a windfall and more of a fucking shitstorm of cheddah, yo.
what on earth is an australian duster???
My husband had a similar MANCATION for his bachelor party. Mountain biking in Moab for a week. Grrr. (Manly sounds)
I would spend extra money to buy a bigger car, we did a 7 hour trip with 2 adults + baby + tons of baby gear in a Civic Hybrid (NO TRUNK SPACE) for Turkey day.
Also, everything around my house is breaking, so I would spend $ on a handyman. My husband, while brillant, doesn’t have the time or abilities to re roof our house. (we’re in the same windstorm as you, but closer to the water, so it’s WORSE)
Go visit Kristin, and on your way up stop in B’Ham and I’ll take you to a great independent coffeeshop. Bellingham’s a good break in the drive, and I’d gnaw off my arm to get to meet you!
Ergh. Not even the creepy bearded men here wear those dusters anymore. Fuck.
Spa weekend or holiday just for you = my vote :).
Hey if you get the new camera, can I have your old one?
Oh, and if I got an unexpected windfall, I would totally buy a new camera.
:-)
The best thing I could do for myself with an unexpected windfall is to go somewhere warm, with a beach, preferably somewhere in the Caribbean, for 3 days. Enough time for me to recharge and daydream, and also the perfect amount of time to miss my kids and come home happy.
My vote is a vacation for yourself. You deserve it!
Clare from OZ: a Drizabone I reckon :).
Take a mini-trip! No material purchase can replace a weekend with friends/family enjoying freedom w/o diaper changes! Plus then you get away and come back missing those kids, and get the best hugs and kisses when you get back. It’s like buy 1 get 1 free: Buy a getaway, get some extra room in your heart and patience in your brain for free!
I would take a little trip. Maybe take the train somewhere?
I’d buy the newest Photoshop, since I don’t have a small windfall coming in and that’s what I’m tempted to buy anyway. Next on my list is a 50mm lens, and then a portable hard drive to back up my zillions of photos, then, then all the expenses for getting my website up and running (design and hosting), then some prints of my photos in preparation for Art in the Park in the summer… do you sense a theme here?
But I’d also think about BlogHer ‘09 too. I went in ‘07 and had a great time.
VACATION!!
Hands DOWN. A long weekend away with a friend or a few women in your family that you are close with is priceless. You will relax, have some good conversation, make some memories, and get recharged. I am such a fan of the long weekend away…and I don’t even have kids yet.
Let us know what you choose….
Happy Holidays!
Definitely do a vacation, and if you can swing it, go away to a spa weekend where they will have a million services to choose from and food someone else cooks. You will feel relaxed, rejuvenated and happy you pampered yourself.
Definitely a vacation. Hands down. Better yet, a spa vacation.
My suggestion for a spa weekend: The Crossings in Austin, TX. So nice, and they have some pretty good “girls weekend” packages. http://www.thecrossingsaustin.com/
A vacation, spa or otherwise – as long as hot weather, a beach and unlimited alcoholic drinks are included.
And your use of the word “doy” make me LOL. Thanks for bringing that gem back! :o)
late on catching up as usual! just bought a D80 but my friend has a D90 which does video – more expensive but better from the boys point of view!x love your stuff – i do try to keep up!xx