Message to all my future mamas: When the glorious day comes that two pink lines faintly appear on a little white stick, after all the (happy) tears have been shed, there is something I want you to take a second to do. I want you to take a moment and say “peace out” to the life you’ve built up until now. Because, in less than nine months, you will have a miniature-sized human depending on you to provide anything and everything 24 hours a day. I don’t say this to scare you, but rather, to prepare you for the hard truth of what is to come.

As everyone and their mother (sister, brother, dog) will tell you, your nights will soon be sleepless and your days will soon be restless. Don’t get me wrong, many of these changes are beautiful, exciting and rewarding; they just typically involve a new little human and take a lot of getting used to.

Before having August, I never considered how much I would miss having time to myself, and the physical and psychological benefits that come from practicing solitude. For a long time, I correlated solitude with loneliness and sadness, rarely making time to be alone with myself. Becoming a parent has taught me the importance of prioritizing “me” time.

So, when I do rarely get a moment to myself, I tend to soak it in and savor it as best I can. I’ve gained an appreciation for all activities that allow me to be alone with myself, preferably in a quiet space, free from the chaos and crazies of everyday life.

On days I need a little extra mama-lovin’, I find myself indulging in a glass of wine, most often Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon, after the kids have gone off to sleep. When life is a little crazy, it’s nice to know I can fall asleep on the couch and not worry about spoiling an entire bottle of wine after a couple sips. It’s an added bonus knowing that each time I choose Black Box, I am also accumulating rewards points that can be used towards a multitude of various extras like a wide screen TV or a Spotify gift card. If you too are interested in getting the bang for your box, and are of the legal drinking age (21+) of course, join Black Box Rewards here.

My wine-time recently earned me a new bath caddy (something I’ve been lamenting about needing on Twitter), as one of the many gifts offered to Black Box Rewards members who accumulate points by completing certain tasks such as visiting their website or subscribing to emails. Members can even earn points by simply scanning their Black Box receipt upon purchase. My new bath caddy has come in handy when I’m in need of an uninterrupted hour of solitude with just, myself, and my iPad, allowing my body and mind to check out for a bit. After putting August and Birdie to sleep, time alone in the tub has become the thing I crave the most. And like most things in life, tub time is best when sipping on a glass of Cab.

I know I’ll look back at these chaotic days with rose-colored glasses and I wouldn’t take my old life back for all the money in the world. These moments of solitude remind me that at my core, I’m still who I was before kids, it just takes a couple minutes to wash away the peas and baby spit up and crusty who-knows-what off my body to get back to the person I was before bringing my babies home. How many of you have a can’t-miss self-care ritual? Because, Lord knows, we all need ‘em to stay sane sometimes.

Ed. note: This post was sponsored by Black Box Wines. The compensation received in exchange for placement on Wit & Delight is used to purchase props, hire a photographer, write/edit the blog post and support the larger team behind Wit & Delight.

While compensation was received in exchange for coverage, all thoughts and opinions are always my own. Sponsored posts like these allow for the development of additional dynamic content to be produced, unsponsored. Thank you for supporting our partners!

Kate Arends

Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.