Splurging on Myself

Did you notice the spring in my step lately?

After 6 years of sticking to my roots and living life with my dark brown hair untouched by artificial hair color I caved.

I stopped dying and highlighting before I got married because I just didn’t have the money to keep up with it. Then before Maddy was born and we had the money for me to splurge and color to my hearts content I just could bear to part with my money for something for frivolous. Then, well, Maddy was born and going to one income meant not getting my haircut let alone getting it colored.

I’d been debating highlights or hair-color for a while lately and every time I thought I was getting up the courage to plunk down the money to spruce up my ‘do my mom guilt would sweep in and suck all the wind from my sails. How in the world could I allow myself to spend money on something so selfish? After all hair-color is not a necessity it is a luxury, a treat. A luxury that has to be maintained and doesn’t feed my family or pay my mortgage or student loans.

Lately though I have been looking in the mirror and seeing the breakouts all over my face from all the tweaking I’m doing to my birth control, the differing levels of hormones the past few months have wreaked havoc on my skin, not to mention the few pounds those hormones have brought with them. I see the gray hairs that are multiplying at an alarming rate even though I am only 26 years old. I was seeing a woman that desperately needed a little pick-me-up to her self-esteem. Just a little boost to help get her through the current choppy waters of her self-esteem.

I bit the bullet and laid down the money for some highlights and you know what? I couldn’t be happier. I’m young, I’m healthy and I am happy but sometimes even those of us who are comfortable in their bodies need a little boost. I left the salon feeling pampered and beautiful in the way that only a couple of hours of “me time” in a chair with someone playing with your hair, a hand massage and a little change to your look can do.

Sometimes, moms, we just need to push the mom guilt aside and let ourselves have a little bit of fun, pampering or at the very least, time. This time around I decided to go for all three and the lift in my mood was worth every second and cent.