5 Favorite Guilty Pleasures For Moms Who Need A Break

April 25, 2017 by Susan

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you’re a mom, you deserve a break. In fact you deserve lots of breaks… preferably everyday. It is crazy how hard we moms work, looking after our families and often also paying the bills. I’m a single mom raising two girls and it is tough!

I work around the clock blogging to pay our bills, while also playing every role from chef to taxi driver for my daughters. So when Harlequin asked me to remind moms to relax with a romance novel, I agreed and decided to share five of my favorite guilty pleasures with you. This post is sponsored, which goes toward supporting my girls, so extra thanks for reading and sharing.

Taking time for yourself doesn’t have to be expensive, and it doesn’t even have to mean leaving the house. Since I’m a single, work at home mom, most of my relaxing has to be done at home and on a budget.

So if you want to take a break, even if you can’t hit the town for a girl’s night out…

Try one of these 5 favorite guilty pleasures…

Sip a cocktail after bedtime.
Once you get the kids in bed, mix yourself a strong cocktail or pour a glass of wine and sip it slowly while you savor the silence.
I love mixing cocktails at home. I can feel like I’m indulging while also reminding myself I’m saving money by making it at home. Win. Win.
My go-to cocktail is a cosmopolitan, but I love trying new drinks. I even have a Pinterest board to collect ideas and dream of all the cool cocktails I might make one day.
Escape in a romance novel.
Real life can get really dull. So break free… with a novel.
You may be stuck in the house surrounded with dirty laundry, a ridiculous number of toys all over the floor, and a never ending to-do list, but you can sit down right in the middle of that mess and get lost in a good book.
If you pick up a Harlequin novel, you can also bring a little romance back into your life.
Whether you like an inspiring story of a sweet romance or a passionate love affair, you can find a Harlequin novel to rescue you from your daily chores.
Indulge in top quality dark chocolate.
Stash away the best dark chocolate you can find and when you need a moment to escape, sneak away from your kids and let the chocolate melt slowly in your mouth.
And since we all know dark chocolate is full of antioxidants, you can ease your mind by googling all the health benefits.
Go back in time as you listen to the music of your youth.
I love that you can sneak this guilty pleasure in while your kids are ~~fighting~~ playing right next to you. Slip on some headphones and queue up a playlist of your favorite music from your favorite decade.
Or if you need to block out the noise of your kids while you escape into your novel, put on some relaxing background music. I love to play Enya while I’m reading because it brings me back to the beach in Hawaii when I was 16 years old. It’s amazing how music can transport you to another time. I can so clearly remember listening to Enya on my yellow walkman in 1989 as I lay on the beach in Waikiki.
Find the music that takes you back to your best memories.
Breathe in the luxury of a lovely scented candle.
My favorite time to enjoy a sweetly scented candle is while relaxing in the bathtub. If you can get your kids busy watching a movie, then head to the tub for some time to relax and let aromatherapy calm you down.
This is, of course, the ideal time to pull out one of those romance novels.

For the ultimate in guilty pleasures, combine all of these together at once. Go ahead. You deserve it.

#TeamCowboy or #TeamViking

Here’s a fun question from Harlequin…

If you were swept out of the monotony of adult life in a grand romantic gesture, would it be a Cowboy or a Viking who’d come to your rescue?

Here are two hilarious videos imagining what happens when Harlequin heroes go on real-life dates.

Watch the videos below and tweet out whether you are #TeamCowboy or #TeamViking?
(If you’re wondering my answer… I’m #TeamCowboy.)

Lunch with a Cowboy

Bowling with a Viking

Here are a couple tweets to make it easy for you — or use your own words — we just want to know which team you’re on.

Have you seen this funny @HarlequinBooks video? I’m #TeamCowboy – What are you?

Click To Tweet

Have a laugh with this @HarlequinBooks video. I vote #TeamViking – What about you?

Click To Tweet

Make a Date With Harlequin

There are so many different types of novels… take a look and Try Harlequin

You can download 17 eBooks for FREE!!!

Giveaway

Would you like to win a Harlequin Romance Novel Prize Pack?

The Romance prize pack is worth over $100 and will include:

A. One #TeamCowboy and one #TeamViking tshirt
B. A beautiful silk wrap by Citrus Silver with the word Romance stamped on it
C. 12 books from Harlequin including:

Harlequin Blaze: Beyond Limits by Katherine Garbera
Harlequin Historical: The Secret Marriage Pact by George Lee
Special Edition: Charm School for Cowboy’s by Meg Maxwell
Special Edition: Finding Our Forever by Brenda Novak
Harlequin Presents: Blackmailed Down the Aisle by Louise Fuller
Harlequin Intrigue: Lucas by Delores Fossen
Romantic Suspense: Colton Undercover by Marie Ferrarella
Western Romance: In the Rancher’s Arms by Trish Milburn
Harlequin Romance: Miss Prim and the Maverick Millionaire by Nina Singh
Love Inspired Suspense: False Security by Elizabeth Goddard
Love Inspired: The Bull Rider’s Homecoming by Allie Pleiter
Harlequin Desire: Pride and Pregnancy by Sarah M. Anderson

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Harlequin, but all opinions are my own.
Written by Susan Carraretto, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom
Talk with me: @5minutesformom and Facebook.com/5minutesformom
Pin with me at pinterest.com/5minutesformom

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About Susan

Susan Carraretto and her identical twin, Janice Croze, created 5 Minutes for Mom in 2006. Susan loves all social media, but her top addiction these days is Pinterest.