Looking Out for Number One

Burnt out, bagged and knackered. Exhausted, depleted and bushed. Done in, worn out, fatigued and used up. For every way you can say “tired,” we have a way you can recharge those batteries.

Remember the old days, when it was all about you? Well, even though now it’s so not, it pays to remember that you’re a better mom when you take good care of yourself. Here’s an assortment of our faves to choose from (we know you won’t get to try them all):

Curl Up—But Not at Home
Need some peace and quiet? Head to a place where no one’s going to call you mama. Visit a bookstore for something to read, then take it down the street to your favorite coffee shop. Pairings we like: Mother Tongue Books and Bridgehead Coffeehouse in Old Ottawa South; Octopus Books and Morala Coffee in the Glebe; Books on Beechwood and Jaz’zoo for coffee in New Edinburgh; Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeebar (the espresso is right on the premises!) in Wellington Village; Nicholas Hoare Books and Planet Coffee in the Byward Market.

Baby Your Piggies
Get a pedicure. The ones from Third Avenue Spa in the Glebe are famous city-wide. Or consider The Spa with three west-end locations. 

Go Scandinavian
For something more exotic, book a few hours off with girlfriends or your one true love, and spend them soaking in the hot tubs, steamrooms and waterfalls of Le Nordik, an outdoor Scandinavian spa in Chelsea that operates year-round. Just $35 gets you an all-day pass. If you have extra to spend, treat yourself to a massage while you’re there.

Take a Night Off
Give yourself the night off and get away—alone, with your hubby (if you can get a sitter) or girlfriends. Head to Sam Jakes Inn in nearby Merrickville. It’s especially atmospheric at this time of year, when you can stroll around the village and drop in on various artisans, keeping an eye out for unique Christmas gifts. Indulge in regional cuisine, craft-brewery beers, period accommodations and the Village Spa, where you can get a Thai or hot stone massage or Black Baltic Body Wrap, among other treatments. 

Get Creative
Give yourself a creative outlet: ask for art classes for Christmas. Worried about your total lack of talent and experience? The Ottawa School of Art has programs designed for novices, including its popular Dare to Paint class. Choose between an afternoon or an evening session depending on when you can get child coverage.

Catch a Flick
If you’re so tired, busy or broke that most of these activites seem too daunting to organize, consider a few hours of simple film therapy (we prefer the Bytowne Cinema). You know the Cowboy Junkies song? Plenty of room for elbows and knees/A bag of popcorn all to myself….

Just a few hours in the dark, with something to munch on and nobody tugging at your sleeve, bursting into tears, peeing their pants or trying to poke their little sister’s eyes out with a plastic sword. Is that so much to ask? We think not.

Mother Tongue Books
(613) 730-2346
1067 Bank Street

Octopus Books
(613) 233-2589
116 Third Avenue

Books on Beechwood
(613) 742-5030
35 Beechwood Avenue

Collected Works
(613) 722-1265
1242 Wellington St. West

Nicholas Hoare
(613) 562-2665
419 Sussex Drive

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