Normally, I am a “shower girl.” Baths, for me, are not the way to get clean. However, they are relaxing more than almost anything, and I love taking a bath. (And will shower ahead of one if I think I am not “clean” enough.)
And what does this have to do with “smelly stuff?” I have pondered this connection for years. Why do I love baths so much?I believe there are lots of reasons, but a giant one has to do with the scents attached. I have all kinds of scents for my bath. This started when I was in my early 20’s and a Crabtree and Evelyn store opened in our mall. This place enchanted me, and not just a little. I immediately bought some “Spring Rain” milk bath for my mom. (Even then, I could not often splurge on myself… except for clothes and shoes.) She loved it. She became a “bath girl” for relaxation. Everyone in the family knew they could buy her the “Spring Rain” milk bath for any holiday and occasion, and it would be the perfect gift.
Then came Victoria’s Secret bath products (ohhhh, Honeysuckle!) and Bath and Body Works. My all-time favorite is/was Eucalyptus/Spearmint from Bath and Body Works (just recently available again), but I also have affairs with other scents. I am very much not faithful in that department. I have summer scents and winter scents and relaxing scents and energizing scents. I am a little bit picky about the type of scent, but I love many, many different ones. It is always a fun game to figure out which scent I will add to the bath each week.
When Prince Charming came in to my life, he realized quickly how important this Friday night ritual was to me (and by extension, to him). Sometimes I just did not have the gumption to take a bath, and I think I it made him more miserable than me. When we married, he moved from 1000 miles away to my house. We had two bathrooms, the master bath and the upstairs bath. I always took my baths upstairs because I did not like taking them in the same place I took showers. Sometimes I would skip it because I was too lazy too tired to clean the tub. Prince Charming fixed that for me. He started cleaning the tub right after dinner. No excuses now!
When we moved to New Mexico, our new house had a “garden tub.” For a bath aficionado like me, this was delightful. Don’t be too envious, the name only meant that it was a larger tub–there were not jets in it or anything fancy–just bigger. BUT bigger is sometimes better, AND it was not in the same place as the shower. Heaven!
With children, the whole bath thing is even more important because as much as I love Chic and Chicklet, by Friday night, I am mostly finished with being a Mom, too. (Although I sometimes let them play in my bubbles for a few minutes before they go to bed… a VERY few minutes.) Prince Charming, being the Prince that he is, is quite in tune with things like this. He sees what my life is like (although some of it is self-inflicted, and he wishes I would not inflict it upon myself), and does whatever he can to make it better. Part of this is insisting I take my Friday night bath. (Prince Charming bought the bath pillow featured at the top of this post. He understands.) I stopped sharing this information with my friends because they either a) hated me for it or b) tried to seduce Prince Charming so they could have such luxuries themselves. EVERY woman I know wants Prince Charming to teach classes to their husbands. This makes Prince Charming quite uncomfortable. Apparently it is not cool for men to go around instructing other men on how to be the perfect husband.
So here is what happens… after dinner, I blog for a few minutes quickly finish up whatever urgent business needs my attention. (Mind you, cleaning up the kitchen and dinner table would never be part of what I do here. I NEVER do that unless Prince Charming is out of town. I cook; he cleans up. I do not leave a huge mess, but whatever mess there is, he takes care of it. Except Saturday evening dinner and all day Sunday when he cooks AND cleans up. NOW ladies, into which of the categories in the previous paragraph do you fall?) So while I am blogging completing some important task, Prince Charming is cleaning my garden tub. He lets me know when it is finished, and in a few minutes I go upstairs to an aromatherapy haven. He lights a candle (or candles) for me that smell yummy. He leaves out the appropriate amount of towels (three) for me. And if at any time during the evening I balk for any reason, he almost forcibly makes me go take a bath.
Now is the time when most women would be leary; I know I was. “What does he want for all of these romantic gestures?” “What kinds of acrobatics am I going to have to perform when I get to bed?” “Is this bath worth it?” Well, the answer is that this is a “no strings attached” bath. Every week. It is my time. No kids, no phone calls (unless I really want to talk to someone), no husband, nothing but me and my scented paradise and the books/magazines that I choose.
Oh, WAIT… I almost forgot. There is more. He brings me water (because that is what I like to drink) and any confections of my choice. Periodically, it might be a leftover dessert item we have, but more often it is Godiva chocolates (hand-picked by Prince Charming–he loves to get seasonal truffles) or Nutella* on graham crackers. And if I run out of something or need something at any time during my bath, I ungracefully pound rap gently on the floor of the tub three times, and he comes running (not kidding) to see what I need.
* [Are you familiar with Nutella? Find it. Try it. Love it.]
For the record, he says he does all this for himself as much as me, because my life is so busy and stressful, and this little break is beneficial necessary for my mental health state of well-being. This is probably true. In fact, I am pretty sure it is true.
But what is hedoing other than being on call for my every whim while I take my luxurious bath each Friday night? (It lasts 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Sometimes I even have to add extra hot water. Hmmm…. maybe I should have him keeping hot water ready on the stove! JUST KIDDING!) I really do not care what he is doing. (The kids are in bed, by the way.) For all I know, he is surfing the internet’s p*rn sites, having an internet affair managing his fantasy football team/league or reading himself. (He does seem in a hurry to get me to the tub!) It does not matter to me. I trust him. And this is one of the best gifts he gives to me. (ONE of them. There will be other posts about other reasons he is Prince Charming.)
To be honest, I think this whole thing is probably almost as good for him as it is me. No one wants to live with an uptight, stressed out witch partner. He makes sure I am not. And he gets his “strings.” Maybe not on Friday night (but maybe), but definitely more frequently than if I did not have this weekly relax/recharge time alone.
September 26, 2008 at 8:51 pm
A Disclaimer…
So that you don’t think that I am some sort of household slave, much of what is described here falls squarely into the idea of “Happy wife, Happy life.” Both of us are ready for a break come Friday night, but so that you don’t get the wrong idea:
1) I am not surfing p*rn sites
2) I am not having an internet affair
3) And as far as I know, none of her friends have tried to seduce me (Honey, should I be paying more attention?)
Finally, I did not arrive in this marriage fully prepared to do all of these things. It has been a progressive sort of thing.
But just for the record, she deserves it.
September 26, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Wow. Luck-EEE. I carve out some reading and blogging time (often while they are watching TV) but otherwise that is it for my “me” time. I cook every night and clean up the next morning. Once I’ve cooked, I don’t want to go back in the kitchen for many hours. My husband is supposed to maintain the house exterior (lately he does nothing with it) and cars (he will do the car maintenance). I’ve haven’t had any alone time away from the family since 1993… There is always something…
September 26, 2008 at 11:06 pm
I’d say it’s a win-win situation however you look at it.
Sounds like you have a gem of a husband (and he a gem of a wife!)!
September 27, 2008 at 12:49 am
this is such a great luxury – we have a bathtub, but we do not take baths…
September 27, 2008 at 1:14 am
Sooooo Prince Charming has learned what all good men know. If you want a good woman you have to give a little and do a lot more than nothing. Good for you Louise and good on you PC. I learned a long time ago that if you want it to work then you have to work at it. Cheers to you both.
ps. rub a dub dub TWO ducks in the tub 😉
September 27, 2008 at 7:10 am
Perfect (so was your Skywatch rainbow).
You got me at Nutella! 😉
Cheers, Klaus
September 27, 2008 at 7:15 am
P. Charming, you’ve totally got it figured out. In good marriages, each partner does little things for the other. Happy partners make for happy marriages and really, what does it cost us?
I wish I could luxuriate in a weekly bath, but the truth is that my bathtub has still not been hooked up. It’s been two years or so since we put the addition up, and every room is (mostly) finished EXCEPT for the master bath. The tub is in there – it had to be before the door went on – but it’s up on its side like a dead whale. Sigh.
I’m SO with you on the Nutella. I don’t think there’s any secret that I believe that stuff to be a gift from the goddess. Try it on the back of Chips Ahoy cookies. You won’t be sorry…
September 27, 2008 at 7:47 am
I’m envious. Green with jealousy.
But I do get an occasional bath with nice scented potions when hubby’s at work and Zach’s at school. I have a spa mat that fits in the bottom of my tub that bubbles away my aches and pains.
September 27, 2008 at 9:03 am
You’ve been tagged!
September 27, 2008 at 11:14 am
Oish – wish I knew what to say to this. Prince Farming is the “bathing beauty” in this family. He takes baths about 4 times more often than I. However, I do not light his candles or add his bubbles (he does his own).
Nutella is fabulous – I hide it so I can eat it while he’s in the tub.
I think I might suffer from GAG (http://thursdaydrive.com/2008/09/23/i-must-be-crazy/) if I ever luxuriated in a 2 hour tub experience. Maybe I need to work on getting over that so Prince Farming has the oppotunity to run my tub and bring me chocolates. Not a bad gig, I suppose.
September 27, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Hello Louise !
Nice photos…
But Your text is too long for me…
Smile.
See You later.
September 27, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Nice to know you have Friday nights etched out for you like that.. Nice Prince Charming! 🙂
The photos here are wonderful.. great representations for your post.. and the rainbow shots are fabulous too.
September 27, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Hi Louise! Here I am to enjoy your lovely blog on my weekly visit, and today I’m nr. 13, not 108… lol!
Can imagine you around Crabtree and Evelyn… 😉 And Prince Charming travelling one thousand miles to join you… :))
Look forward to reading you at Blogtrotter>, now back in Chania!
Have a great weekend!
September 27, 2008 at 4:00 pm
gee, and I was liking you so much. Now I am a big blob of gross green jealousy. wow. and I want me some of the leave me alone pillow 🙂
September 27, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Wow, we are a lot alike and I think we are married to the same man. I get spoiled and love to do many of the same things as you…mainly take photos, make homemade cards, cook yummy things, OCCASIONALLY take really long baths and chase around two girls also born in 01 and 04 (+ one boy born in 06). LOVE your blog! Am now adding you to my blogroll. Thanks for stopping by so I could find you! 🙂
September 27, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Louise: I’m sure your slave is wonderfully rewarded for all his work. I hope it is always a fun time.
September 27, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Wow, you are so pampered and special!! 🙂 I love that Cherry Blossom ‘flavor’ stuff. 🙂
September 27, 2008 at 9:57 pm
All those scents and bubbles and 2 hours in the bath? That´s somehow understandable… but the Nutella crackers were a bit too much for bathing!?:)
September 28, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Louise, You know you first had me on the dishwasher post and now a bath post that drew me in like flies to honey.
My Prince Charming does not run my Friday nite bath mainly because I don’t take Friday nite baths but he does however clean up after dinner every night. 🙂
September 28, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Forget the bath, just pass the nutella and the chocolates! Being (very happily) single (and planning to stay that way), I don’t fall into either category. But I think your Prince Charming is a king!
I’m a shower person too but find I still have to have a relaxation bath to cleanse my psyche. I just have to draw my own. 🙂 A bottle of Honeysuckle sits on my shelf right next to the White Ginger, Sweet Pea and, my all-time favorite, Earl Grey Bergamot (don’t laugh, that really is the name!)
Great story and photos, Louise!
September 28, 2008 at 9:12 pm
OK, this is nuts! YOu have all this tradition around your weekly bath. I have to haul my ass in and out of the tub just to get clean. A clean towel, no poop party in the bathroom while I’m in the tub – oohhh, that would make me really lucky. Your stuff, that’s just nuts!
September 28, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Prince Charming, thank you for treating my blogging friend, Louise, with respect and love. I don’t know her very well BUT I know she deserves royal treatment from her prince! Don’t forget to rub her back ~ I bet she’ll rub yours! Have fun.
September 28, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Uh, Louise, “Louis,” being une vache finds all this bath talk to be completely foreign. He wonders if it is anything related to potty talk he hears humans referring to….
🙂
September 28, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Wonderful post, Louise.
I always have shower now, it’s quicker. But a long bath is much better!
About chocolate, I wonder if you can find in your country the Gianduiotti? They are typical torinesi chocolates (milk chocolate).
September 29, 2008 at 9:35 am
I have the luxury of a bath though not to the extent of yours. When my hubby is home on the weekends I get at least one unadulterated bath without having to deal with a kid, the phone, cleaning, or anything. If that means I stay in for over an hour and get all pruny, it’s A-OK. I think he just cruises Craigslist looking at the boats and ATV’s he can’t have, lol.
September 29, 2008 at 9:49 am
Heeh Louise,
Bathing bath or showering , all is my favorite,esspecially with soft smelling , soap smelling like roses hmmmmmmmm
JoAnn
September 29, 2008 at 10:11 am
Wow he is a Prince Charming!!!
September 29, 2008 at 10:13 am
Thank you for sharing the story of this wonderful ritual with us! May you (and your Prince Charming) always be so considerate and loving with each other!
I came over here thanks to David’s “Authorblog.
September 29, 2008 at 12:37 pm
I SO admire ‘bath people’! I just can’t do it. Nope. No way. Nada. I get hives sitting there with my magazines and chocolates. Life’s too short! Your husband IS a prince!!
September 29, 2008 at 4:13 pm
He is a prince. I love baths too. Don’t take them weekly, but love to relax in them every once in a while.
Hang on to that guy, he’s a keeper. Aren’t we blessed to have such great hubbies!?
*hugs*
October 1, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Awesome! What a wonderful man you have there! I think he’s a keeper!
dropped by via David’s blog.
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