When we think of loving we usually think of loving others. But we often forget about loving ourselves.   My invitation to you this Valentine's Day is to spend some time showering yourself with a little self-indulgence and love. I'm not talking about a trip to Nordstrom--although that could be fun too. I'm talking about taking some time to step back from the busyness of life, unwind, and nurture you.

I know what you're thinking...sounds great but I have little kids who need all of my attention, or I have a business to run. Yes, it's true, and if we wanted to knock out everything on our list of things to do we could stay busy all of our waking hours--and many of us do. Sometimes even that isn't enough time so we wake up in the middle of the night and worry about how we're going to get it all done.  It can feel overwhelming, can't it? And is that really the behavior we want to model for our kids?

I'm just asking you to think about unplugging and scheduling in some quiet time just for you--even if it's only an hour.

So if you had an hour and you couldn't use it on your phone, computer, in front of the television or doing any sort of work or cleaning what would you like to do?   Would it be getting a massage? Curling up and reading a good book, going for a solitary hike in nature? I'll tell you one of mine.

I absolutely love to be curled up in a warm bed when there's a thunder storm and the rain is loudly pelting the roof--the louder the better! We don't get many thunderstorms in Colorado but I've learned to improvise. I have a Thunderstorm CD that I often listen to while I'm curled up with a blanket in a cozy chair. I also love bubble baths with candles and essential oils.

So a couple of nights ago I decided to get crazy and do it all! I brought my CD player in the bathroom and relaxed in lavender infused, candlelit bubble bath complete with the sound of rain pouring down. It was awesome! Yeah, I had some work I could have been doing that I'll have to catch up on today but it was worth it.

On this Valentine's Day, this day of love, I invite you to think about what you could do for yourself that would make you feel nurtured and even a little bit decadent. The more you re-fuel and take care of yourself the more you'll have to give to your loved ones, your projects, your passions, and the world.

Sending love to you this Valentine's Day!