LONG gone are the Fridays of me pre-gaming with a glass of red at 9 PM and then bar hopping for hours in a dress and full face of makeup. I don’t regret it by any means but the thought of trying to replicate those days now make me nauseous. I’ve traded in my late-night shenanigans for self-care Fridays, and I’ve never been happier with a long-term decision in my life.
I’m an administrative assistant in an office full of big personalities. By the time I’m off the clock, my introverted self is exhausted. After dealing with 5 straight days of chaos, I like to treat myself to my Friday favorites. My routine does change depending on the season so here’s what my ideal Friday night looks like in the fall.
Pizza: I’m a pizza snob. I’ve tried many a pie in my life and nothing compares to Palermo’s on 95th Street’s thin crust pizza. Don’t come at me for not liking deep dish. The ratio of toppings is perfect, and I’m obsessed with their sweet pizza sauce. The crust is flavorful and crispy, but never burnt. I have yet to find something comparable. Being that it’s my favorite comfort food, my fall Friday nights will almost always start with a Palermo’s pizza. I know you have your favorite pizza place or restaurant in mind right now. Do yourself a favor and order from there tonight.
Walk: I have a 3-year-old Beagle named Lou. Lou has no chill when it comes to telling me he needs to go outside so after dinner we usually go on a long walk to get all the wiggles out and spend some quality time together. 10/10 would recommend post-dinner sunset walks with your dogs, kids, significant others, friends or whoever wants to join you.
Entertainment: For those of you who know me, you know Chicago Bulls basketball season is a sacred time for me. I’m not a ‘know every stat about every player in the league’ kind of fan but I rarely miss a Bull’s game, and I like to keep up with what’s going on in the league. Surprisingly, this is the first year that I have a fantasy league team. If a game happens to fall on a Friday night, that is what I will be watching. Lou is even conditioned to take a potty break during half-time. If there’s not a game on, I will be watching a movie or starting a series. Sometimes I spring for renting a movie (I definitely bought Twisters on Prime the day it became available) and other times I find something on streaming. I always make it a point to do some research during the week so that I can make my Friday watch something special.
Self-care: I love a good foot soak. I fill a $4 dishpan from Walmart with warm water and Epson salts and soak for about 20 minutes. Nothing fancy. I figure if I’m going to be sedentary, I might as well kill two birds with one stone and put on a face mask too. While we’re soaking, I also like to enjoy a mocktail. This week I’m trying chilled decaf green tea, honey, tart cherry juice and lime juice, splashed with a bit of seltzer water (I’ll let you know how it is). Post foot soak I like to rub Lush’s lavender scented Sleepy lotion on my feet and then cover them up with some fuzzy socks. Added coziness for the chilly evening hours.
Bedtime: When I feel sleepy, I go to bed. I’ve learned that fighting sleep benefits no one (especially those in my sleep-deprived war path). There is nothing quite like the feeling of crawling into bed at 10 PM without needing to set an alarm for the next day. Technically, Lou is my 6 AM alarm but thankfully he understands the need for sleeping in on Saturday mornings. He’s no doubt on his best behavior to guarantee a pup cup. Sometimes if I’m struggling with sleep, I read a little. I put on Alexa’s fan sound in the Ambient Noise app and drift off to sleep.
And there you have it, my perfect Friday night plans. Let me know if you have a fall Friday night ritual that makes you happy.
**Note: I don’t get commission on any of the products I linked…yet. If LUSH or Walmart want to enter the chat I’m all ears 🙂 **