If you would have asked me prior to this morning if I was racist, I would have responded with a resounding and slightly affronted “No.” I’ve been consistently educating myself and my children about the underlying racism in our country for years. I’ve gone to protests and donated my photography services to document them. I’ve read books, picked businesses that supported anti-racist agendas and black creators. I’ve been a keyboard warrior. I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do, there was no way I could still be racist, right?

This morning I was confronted with just how far I still have to come. As I was sitting in the drop off line for Everett’s school, I was behind what looked to be a shiny brand new yellow jeep- dealer plates and all that jazz. In my mind, the driver I pictured in the car was a 30-40 something white dude on his way to work. When the driver stepped out to grab something for their child I was shocked. It was a younger black woman, dressed in a business casual outfit, and long purple colored hair, (which was gorgeous fyi).

My first thought wasn’t “good for her, she must have just gotten a new car,” it was “I wonder if she works at the dealership or if they gave her a loaner. There is no way that could be hers.” Within seconds of thinking that I immediately felt guilty and shouted internally at myself “WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!”

I started to dissect why I felt the way I initially had. It came down to a life-long ingrained sense that the black community is some how “less” than the white. In addition to that, there was also a deep-seated feeling that it shouldn’t have been a woman driving that car, it should’ve been a man.

I called a close friend and recounted my experience. To my surprise, she immediately said “I am so glad you said something. This happens to me all the time and I thought I was the only one.” It made me realize that as a society, just how indoctrinated these concepts have become.

By the time children start school, they are already taught these types of stereotypes. They ask questions and mentally learn to sort everyone into categories, women are “caring and nurturing,” men are “tough” and hold “important” jobs. Acting “white” is “smart” and more socially acceptable. Using AAVE make you look “uneducated.” I could go on, but I’m pretty sure you get the point. We’re so inundated with these stereotyped messages, and they are so well learned they’ve become firmly ingrained in our minds, so that they get activated and we use them without even being aware of it or realizing it.

I have come a long way from my early 20’s something persona who jokingly said “nigga please” to one of my black girlfriends, (don’t worry she promptly educated my idiotic ass), but I still have a long way to go. We may never be able to unlearn these unconscious biases, but we can learn to recognize and address them. It’s going to take time, patience, and dedication. It’s also going to take ACTUAL EFFORT from us. It’s also not the black communities job to educate you on how to be less racist.

I’ve also come to the conclusion that we need to make a distinction between what people commit to in terms of their values. And I think when you think about people’s values and whether they’re committed to equality and trying to create opportunities for others, most Americans would say yes. Unfortunately, however, we also are prone to making snap judgments about other people, sort of spontaneous, default, quick assessments of others, and those tend not to coincide with our values all the time. Though they tend to look more biased than our values do, recognizing our bias when it happens is the only way we can start to combat these negative stereotypes.

We can also educate our children to be better than us. We can teach them that the assumptions that they make can diminish the experience of others, or constrain their opportunities if they’re not thinking that others are capable of doing a wide range of activities. We can teach them that we reject notions of racial and gender biases, and yet still be very well aware of the stereotypes that are attached to these groups.

You’ll need to become aware of when it is that you display those types of responses, sort of tuning in to when it is you’re most vulnerable to showing bias. You have to have some strategies, some alternative responses, that you could enact, instead of the stereotypic bias. And then you have to work at it. You have to put some effort into it. But with the combination of motivation, awareness, strategies and effort, I feel like we can learn to regulate the expression of these stereotypic biases. We need to look in the mirror and face the ugly truth and make a commitment to stop running from it.

Will I ever unlearn these behaviors? Most likely not, but I do have faith that I’m getting better and that I’m teaching my children better. And that’s enough for me.

I encourage you to also take time this week and think about your own biases and how they have shaped your life. Do you like what you see? If the answer is no, I challenge you to take the steps needed to confront those biases and see how life changes for the better.

The post Overcoming Ingrained Racism appeared first on Not So SuperMom VS Society.

“I want to die. I don’t love you anymore and you’re not my friend anymore. I hate you.” These are about the last things you’d ever want to hear your child say to you, though you might expect it from an overly emotional teen. Unfortunately, I don’t have a teen and these words were screamed at me by my three year old, Finn.

Finn was recently diagnosed with ODD. ODD or Oppositional Defiant Disorder might be a term you’re not so familiar with. A quick Google search defines ODD as:  an ongoing pattern of behavior that is characterized by anger, irritability, as well as argumentative and defiant behavior towards those in authoritative positions. I’m guessing that sounds like every 3, 4 and maybe 5 year old out there to you, right?  Well, not so much.

If you go on to read further, this behavior can be something that kids only exhibit at home or at school, maybe not both. Also, it lasts for a long time, and happens quite frequently. More so than your typical child, even toddlers, as crazy as they are. And this is where I’d like share my story of being a mother to a child with ODD.

Donning My Armor

We’ve been dealing with the “I hate you’s” for a couple months now, but the “I want to die” is new, and it HURTS. Quite frankly,, living with and loving Finn is painful and hard. You have to develop a thick skin, or you’ll quickly devolve into tears. It feels akin to being in an abusive relationship- you never know what will trigger the next explosion, so you’re constantly walking on eggshells.

Before you rush to judgments and try to tell me that Finn “seems normal” or that he’s just “high spirted” so it clearly must be my parenting, I ask that you try to put yourself in my shoes. Raising Everett is tricky, but it’s nothing compared to Finn. Everett had clear issues that I was able to work with at home and therapy. He thrived once he started getting therapy, and unless you spend significant time with Everett, you may not even realize he’s on the autism spectrum. Finn is, for lack of better words, utterly chaotic.

I find myself dreading the simplest tasks with him. Taking him to a playground or friends house is a constant struggle. He manages to make EVERY SINGLE THING into a weapon. Sticks, blocks, trains, etc. I’m constantly waiting to see which child will be his next target. When he’s corrected, he frequently screams “I hate you” and I feel the eyes of other parents staring at me, silently judging.

Don’t get me wrong, he can be the sweetest and cutest child. He loves being snuggled by me and tells me the sweetest things about how much he loves me, but the second I say or do anything that upsets him, boom, the Finn bomb explodes with vitriol. I’m dodging toys while he screams insults at me, all because I asked him to do something simple, like pick up a toy.  And this goes on all day.  Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

No matter how well I put together my emotional armor, he still finds a way to get through my cracks. I’m to the point where I’ve officially been emotionally beat down. The thought of doing anything with him fills me with anxiety. I dread the thought of him getting older and even more potentially violent. I worry constantly about his future and if we will get lucky and he’ll “grow out” of it.

Don’t get me started on the mom guilt side either…You think to yourself, “Gosh, I’m such a horrible mom, I dread the park because I can’t just let him play, what’s WRONG with me”? And then things are bad, and you cry.  And you feel so angry, and sad, and resentful.  And hurt. You’re so hurt, that the next time your child wants to be with you, hug you, love you, it’s hard.  Because you’re a human being with feelings, and it’s hard to let go.  So then, you feel guilty. You feel guilty that you resent this child that you do love SO much, but that you don’t feel like “liking.” And then you find yourself pulling away. Because you’re scared of those feelings. So, somewhere, in the back of your psyche, subconsciously, you pull away.  Shut down. Try not to feel because it’s too much. You feel alone.  Isolated.  People don’t understand.

You’re even at the point that when someone says, “I bet you love being a stay at home mom,” you feel angry. They’ve said nothing wrong, but in the back of your mind, you’re thinking, “HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT I’M GOING THROUGH”?  But, they don’t really know, do they?

“He Looks Normal”

The rub of all of this? He presents so typical for short periods of time that I am already having issues getting him help through our school system. From the outside, things look OK. Here’s this beautiful, thoughtful, highly intelligent little boy, who can act like an angel for strangers. Can charm and be friends with any child around him. At home, that same child can be verbally mean, physically abusive, manipulative, and so defiant that asking anything of them is almost pointless. So, people think you’re overreacting. That you’re just overly sensitive to normal childhood behavior.  And you start to think that maybe you are crazy.  Not good enough. Inadequate. That it’s your fault. 

There’s a Jekyll and Hyde situation going on. And nobody sees. And you can convince yourself that nobody cares and that you’re not going to make it. And if I’m being honest, I’m feeling like that most days.

Moving Forward

Right now, we’re in the trenches. Fighting every day, living our truth, being honest, getting help, and doing what we need to do to survive. That means getting him even more therapy and better methods for interacting with him.

We just had him screened and he didn’t meet the qualifications for general special needs, so we are having to get him tested for other issues his pediatrician thinks he may have.  It’s so frustrating to know that he’s suffering from an invisible diagnosis and we can’t seem to get him the help that we so clearly need.

However, our story with Finn is just starting. I’m hoping it has a happy ending, but the harsh reality is that around 40% of children diagnosed with ODD don’t grow out of it and out of that 40%, half of them eventually develop antisocial personality disorder. So I’m going to fight like hell to try to avoid that path. I’m going to do what needs to be done to try to give him every tool he can use to battle this, and, I’m going to tell his story.

Why tell his story? People deserve to know it. Right now, I’m treading water, and sometimes find it overwhelming to do anything more, so I hope this reaches some people that are maybe struggling like I am. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. Hearing the words, “I know what you’re going through” have such enormous power.

Welcome to our journey with Finn.

The post I Want To Die appeared first on Not So SuperMom VS Society.

It’s nice to have another mom to talk to, especially a local one, who has a child with similar issues the same age. The thing is, even though our boys have similar issues, they deal with them different ways. Hence why Autism is called a spectrum.

This year, while I decided Everett actually needed to be in school to thrive, Marjorie made the opposite decision. I felt like it’s a decision a lot of Autism Moms are faced with, even when there isn’t a global pandemic, and I loved her reasoning behind it. I invited her to write a post for the NSSM blog to help out other mothers in a similar situation. I hope you love it as much as I did!

Buckling In: Why I Chose to
Homeschool My Neurodivergent Child

It started with a preschool teacher’s accusatory finger pointed toward my face and ended with me in tears so heavy I could barely catch my breath. Was it all my fault? I felt like an amateur and a failure as a parent.

We moved from Ohio to Alabama only two months prior. This wasn’t our first cross-country move, but it was certainly the hardest on our 5-year-old son, Connor. Connor is on the autism spectrum, and while he has low-support needs, changes as big as moving to a new state can be incredibly difficult for him. He has “invisible” struggles that are, as I’ve learned, hard for others—even educators—to understand.

We were able to get him a last-minute spot in a public preschool program here in our current nook of greater Birmingham. Connor did very well during his 4-hour per day program—just as he did in Ohio, just as I expected. But likewise, just like in Ohio, he was becoming overloaded due to the complicated expectations of school (this isn’t something we were fully able to grasp at the time, however).

Each afternoon when I would pick him up from preschool, he fell apart. He would hold it together in school, and then when I arrived at pick-up, he would immediately let that composure go. It would, on some days, be a momentous struggle to get him buckled in his car seat. He would kick and run around. He would sometimes throw fits and yell. By this point, I was normally sweating with rising anxiety.

When we would arrive at home a short one-minute drive later, he would let it all go. And I mean all of it. He was back in his safe space. At this time, after school each day, he was having legitimate meltdowns—the kind that depleted all of the energy he had and all of the energy I had. While the meltdowns eventually ended each day, he was often left in a very irritable state for nearly the rest of each evening. He would continuously grab and pull things at home and in public in order to gain input to calm himself. He was easily triggered by seemingly small occurrences. My husband and I were both struggling to handle these behaviors and struggling to find an answer. We weren’t perfect, but we were absolutely trying.

On that day the teacher put her finger in my face, I was already close to my mental breaking point. I politely asked her if she had noticed Connor’s struggles to get into his car seat and I asked her if she had any suggestions to help. To my surprise, she said to me, finger pointed toward my face: “I’m probably going to say this the wrong way, but that’s on you.” I was told that I simply needed “clearer boundaries” for him. She did not see him as struggling because she was blinded by his ability to mask in school.

That might not sound like the most terrible thing to hear, but in that moment, it felt like a huge slap in the face. I was a struggling parent and simply asked for advice. Even after I tried explaining during an IEP meeting what I saw happening (no, clear instructions and a social story were NOT working, per her suggestions), she seemed to completely disregard those thoughts.

The consideration that maybe there was something more going on that she couldn’t see was obviously not something that would be entertained during this meeting. I started to question if I could continue to participate in IEP meetings and continue to have teachers misunderstand me and my child.

Unfortunately, kids like Connor are often misunderstood. Behaving in school and academically advanced? Clearly his after-school behavior is simply a result of a lack of parental boundaries.

Oddly enough, we saw a psychologist during this time period and he was able to witness the meltdowns and behaviors I was seeing. Maybe teachers didn’t believe me, but he saw it. He said, “Marjorie, I need you to know that this is not parenting related. He is struggling with anxiety and impulsivity and overload. This is nothing you are responsible for. I’m glad I got to see it so I can get the full picture.”

“Marjorie, I need you to know that this is not parenting related. He is struggling with anxiety and impulsivity and overload. This is nothing you are responsible for. I’m glad I got to see it so I can get the full picture.”

THIS.

THIS lifted me away from anger. I think I called everyone I knew that day to tell them how validated I felt. I wasn’t a failure. I had a kid who was struggling and now it was time to “buckle in” and figure out how to drive all over again.

Shortly after, to the shock of everyone around the world, covid-19 happened. And our worlds changed drastically. While many others were struggling, we were, for the first time in years, finding peace and calm and happiness.

This is not to say everything was immediately perfect. But once school abruptly ended, we were able to study our son more closely. We started to figure out his triggers, his limits, and what was overstimulating for him. We noticed that his moods were getting better. He wasn’t as irritable or as easily frustrated. I can’t say it was all due to school, but that was certainly a huge part of his life that had been taken away completely. It only made sense.

We’re now starting to see and understand that Connor “masks” in some situations like school and then lets go of that mask when he’s no longer forced in that situation, or when he just can’t take it anymore. We have since witnessed this in other circumstances (after long outings or especially overwhelming environments like restaurants or chaotic playgrounds, for instance).

As the weeks went by, I was able to create the type of peaceful routines I noticed that he needed. I utilized some strategies taught to me in OT. When I noticed him becoming overloaded, I pumped the brakes and allowed him to do things like use his iPad, draw, use materials like play-doh, and just generally unwind. It was starting to work. My husband and I were in true disbelief. He hadn’t had a single meltdown in weeks. He was listening better. He was behaving better. He was connecting more than ever before with his sister and with us.

When it came time to make a decision about homeschooling, we decided it was worth giving a shot. After all, at the time it didn’t seem like schools would be a safe place anyway, and I knew the addition of wearing masks would be even more overwhelming for Connor. Not to mention going from a 4-hour preschool day to a 7-hour Kindergarten day.

I consider myself to be a very quietly stubborn person—as in you might not realize how much I will fight or push or work to make something I care about happen. And that’s exactly what I did when it came to homeschooling. I researched and learned along the way. I ended up switching curriculums just two months in, because I found one that better met my son’s needs. I fiddled around with schedules and observed how much time my son could spend learning each subject before needing a sensory break. I was able to fully advance him a grade level (and sometimes more depending on the subject). As a child who is academically strong, he was both struggling in school and not working at his ability levels.

Talk about a less-than-ideal situation.

Now, he gets to work exactly where he’s at and even pursue topics of interest that are not covered in kindergarten—he loves studying countries, cells, computer animation, you name it! He also has more time to participate in wonderful social skills groups, martial arts (which is proving to be an awesome outlet for him), and I am able to help guide and process social interactions with him. For the first time in years, I can take deep breaths again.

I can honestly say that, right now, I rarely have moments where I sit and cry because I’m so overwhelmed and feeling hopeless. And goodness, my child really seems like a happy child, which is all I’ve ever wanted for him. He really isn’t having meltdowns anymore, like, at all. Sure, he certainly doesn’t always behave or listen, he still gets overloaded and irritable sometimes. Life isn’t perfect, and I’m still learning as we go.) But, it’s been five months since schools shut down in March and we’ve only had a few meltdowns here and there. He used to have them everyday, sometimes multiple times a day. His general mood is so much calmer and happier. He follows directions well and even volunteers to help around the house. He does really kind things for everyone in his family, and because he’s happy, we can see how that impacts our entire family. We are all happier. There is a sense of peacefulness in our home that we’ve never experienced. And I’m no longer as anxious when I take him to parks or around other kids. He’s making a lot of progress. I think because we are now in this calmer place, we’ve been able to actually focus on skills like socializing and good behavior.

Before, it just felt like getting through the day was all we could do. I know new challenges may arise (actually, undoubtedly, they will), but I’m ready for them. And through this experience and transition to homeschooling, I’ve learned that I have the tools and ability to figure it out. I have more trust and confidence in myself as a parent. Even on days I feel discouraged, I remind myself that I love my child more than anyone on this planet, and that has to be enough. I will always do what’s best for him and tweak our situation and environment as needed.

Homeschooling was never something I thought I’d do. But I was given a child who is a little “different” and is honestly more amazing than I can put into words. The way his brain works astonishes me. That may mean that he doesn’t fit neatly into the box others expect him to fit into, but that’s the beauty of homeschooling—he doesn’t have to be in a box. Actually, his space and capacity to learn is now wide open. I cannot say with certainty that we will homeschool forever. I have no idea what the future holds.

I do know that this is absolutely working for now. Even on days we have setbacks, it’s still so much better. Homeschooling I’m sure will not or does not work for all neurodivergent children, but I do know that it works for some. (Sidenote: there are numerous Facebook groups just for autism and homeschooling!)

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, Connor now gets in his car seat for me with no issues. He buckles himself in and it’s no longer a stressful experience. I think it’s safe to say it took a whole lot more than clearer boundaries and a social story attached to the back of my seat.

Daily schedule (times vary by the day, but this is a “typical day”)
7-8 am: get dressed (we get dressed even on days we stay home!), breakfast, free play
8-930 am: our typical “school hours” where we cover core subjects, including ELA, math, and handwriting (we use “The Good & The Beautiful” curriculums, primarily). I also have activities from “The Peaceful Preschool” for my 3-year-old daughter.
9:30-10 am: snack time
10-12 pm: active time – we like (have to!) to get out of the house, so usually this means a playground, a visit to the science center, a playdate with friends, etc.
12 pm: lunch out or at home
1 pm: usually our “down time,” which can mean anything from a little bit of iPad time, sensory bin play, doodling with art supplies, etc.
2 pm: This is when we often do other subjects, like science and social studies. We do science experiments (a favorite!), read books on social studies topics, art projects, etc.
3-4 pm: I try to cook most days and include the kids! So we are typically getting things prepped and cooked for dinner at this time.
4-5 pm: Connor just started taking martial arts classes, so usually this is the time we are heading there or participating in martial arts

The post Living Life On The Spectrum, Homeschool Edition appeared first on Not So SuperMom VS Society.

“Fine. Everything’s fine.” I tell myself as I watch my house slowly be torn apart by the two tiny tornadoes I call my children. I sit there and look at the utter chaos and wonder if I leave it on the floor long enough if it will magically disappear. I have so many items on my to-do list that I’m almost paralyzed by it daily. I’m running on pure survival. Yet, whenever someone asks about my day or how I’m doing I say everything’s fine. If I wrote a book about my life at this moment, it could be summed up as “Everything’s Fine, and Other Lies I Tell Myself.”

Everything’s Not Fine

I know I’m not alone- the truth is the majority of us moms aren’t “fine,” we’re just in various stages of heading towards our breaking point. We’re so much more and so much less than fine most days.
Being a mom is amazing, but it takes nearly every ounce of our being–emotionally, physically, and mentally. More often than not, we find ourselves taking care of everyone else except ourselves. It is a tremendous blessing that is both exhausting and rewarding.Let’s get real though…. lately I’m so tired that I’m not even sure that the word tired is even adequate.

My tired is tired.

I’ve been in pure survival mode so long, I’m not even sure how to function like a normal adult. I feel my nerves fraying at the ends—like, physically felt them fraying—and wondered if I might actually break. I’ve fought the urge to walk out the front door and keep going, far, far away. Quite frankly, I’m in desperate need of a momcation before this slowly ticking time bomb I call life explodes.

If you feel like you could’ve written this, raise your hand ?‍

Motherly’s 2019 State of Motherhood survey found that 51% of moms feel discouraged when it comes to managing the stress of work and motherhood. About one-third of moms said that their mental and physical health is suffering. And 85% of moms said that our society does not do a good job of supporting mothers.

The burnout is real, and no you aren’t imagining it. It’s also not your fault.

Women in general have a nasty habit of putting everyone else’s needs ahead of themselves. We give and we give, but often, we forget to give back to ourselves. We make excuses such as, “I just am not sure I have the time” or “I just don’t have the money for a *insert self care item here.”

The truth is, there is always time/money for yourself, that is if you’re committed to treating yourself better. Society doesn’t care about us burning out and it’s definitely not providing us solutions to our burnout problems. It’s up to us to be honest about what’s burning us out, accept that we can’t change everything and we won’t ever be the perfect Pinterest mom or wife. Be honest about what you need to help with your burnout. For me, I needed a vacation from my responsibilities. So last week, I treated myself to a “Momcation On A Budget.” Let me tell you, it was HEAVENLY!

Getting Started

My goal was to be completely child and husband free for 24 hours. I wanted to follow my own schedule, sleep in, and heck use the bathroom without hearing MOMMMMA 500 times. My mother in law was going to be in town, so I knew it was the perfect opportunity for me to take a night away from the kids.

I started looking into my options. Should I ask a child free friend to crash in their spare room? I knew that would be a nice option, but I didn’t want to feel like I had to socialize, so I kept looking. I looked at hotels, and then decided an Airbnb would be more cost effective and casual. I reached out to a lovely friend who I knew ran several properties and inquired if she would be willing to put me up for the night in exchange for being featured in my blog. As fate would have it, she had a few openings and agreed to work with me. *insert happy dance*

So that was one obstacle down, and it got me thinking, what would my ultimate momcation have? From there, I worked my network of contacts and managed to work in dinner at an amazing restaurant, that just so happened to be in the same building as the Airbnb (Roots & Revelry) , and a massage at my favorite spa (Head2Toe). I’ll tell you some more details about the places I named below.

Momcation Time

Initially, I planned to leave my house early, go to a massage then relax at the Airbnb before dinner. Things needed to be moved around some, so when I left the house, my first stop was now going to be one of our local gourmet chocolate shops. Sadly, both were closed thanks to it being the week of the 4th of July. So I brainstormed some and decided to go to our local gourmet ice cream shop instead. Ahh, sweet tooth craving satisfied! The perfect way to kick of my momcation!

You can always find time and money in your budget to spend under $10 on yourself and sneak away from your kids for an hour of resetting. If you don’t have a sweet tooth, grab a drink, go for a relaxing walk, explore the Art Museum, or join a free workout class. You don’t have to get away overnight to find time to take care of YOU!

Next up, my Airbnb! When a hotel seems out of budget, a great option for getting away while still staying close is an Airbnb. My Airbnb was located at the Thomas Jefferson Tower (TJ Tower)

TJ Tower is a beautifully restored building. Built in 1929 it has gleaming marble floors, tasteful decorations, and a welcoming elegance. It’s gone through several renovations and name changes over the years, but one of my favorite features is the Zeppelin mooring tower. It was built during the time period where it seemed like dirigibles would be the next big transportation system, and now it’s currently the only remaining tower in existence. Super cool!

The Airbnb is a small, one bedroom apartment, that’s tastefully decorated and has all the basic amenities-even dog dishes. You can see photos of it above. It was the perfect place for me to hideaway. There is a small convenience store in the lobby where I picked up some wine for my night of relaxation.

I stopped into Roots & Revelry to check in with Brian, (one of the buildings co-owners), and to grab a drink. Brian had some really interesting facts about the building and was very welcoming. The bar manager, Destin, was very passionate about his job, and you could tell. He carefully explained the whole menu, showed me the onsite herb garden, and even gave me a clear ice demonstration. I had a couple drinks and popped into the Airbnb for a few minutes to get settled.

Upon coming back, Brian showed me their stunning ballroom and event space. I hope I’m lucky enough to have an opportunity to attend/photograph an event there. It’s seriously gorgeous!

I headed back to the bar to start to order some food. I tried the delicious PB&J, the filet, and the bread pudding. Each one was flawlessly prepared and tasted divine. I had so much fun at the restaurant I stayed way later than anticipated, but it was totally worth it! Their brunch menu also looked amazing-I can’t wait to go back and try it!

I headed back to the Airbnb and promptly fell asleep! I woke up a few times thanks to Finn keeping me on a wacky schedule, but it was sooooo amazing to sleep in without sharing my bed with small children or getting up at the crack of dawn!

Next up on my momcation agenda was the massage and facial. Cheron Blythe, the owner of Head2Toe is a serious boss babe. She’s one of the most dedicated shop owners I’ve met and is constantly finding new and creative ways to improve her business. She offers many onsite amenities, such as an elegant glass shower, a nice back porch to relax on, the world’s most comfy massage chair for pedicures, and specialized hand mixed creams to name a few.

Cheron walked me through the process so I felt absolutely comfortable, and then I stripped down for the facial and massage. The facial also included a super neat cupping process and a 30 min hand/foot rub. Once the facial was completed, I had an amazing massage. I left feeling like a new woman!

Now for the fun part! Head2Toe, Roots & Revelry, and the Thomas Jefferson Tower joined forces for an epic local giveaway! TJ Tower is giving away one free night in their Airbnb, Roots is giving away a $50 gift card, and Head2Toe is giving away a free facial & hand/foot rub. All for ONE lucky winner! Follow the instructions on Instagram & Facebook for your chance to win!

The post Momcation: Party of One appeared first on Not So SuperMom VS Society.