“Yikes! It looks like you are chewing rocks at night.”
Those were not the words I wanted to hear from my dentist during a routine dental exam. Apparently, I had been grinding my teeth at night, and all the ridges on my back molars were starting to smooth out. The dentist told me I needed a night guard and a way to reduce the stress in my life. Thankfully, getting a night guard was easy. Reducing the stress in my life? Let’s just call it a work in progress.
This weekend, my family has decided to keep our schedule wide open. The word “relax” has been scribbled over our calendar. If you are looking for ways to transition from a crazy workweek into a peaceful weekend, Aliso Viejo has plenty to offer. Here are a few ideas to encourage some relaxation in your weekend.
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Gardening
There is nothing green about my thumb. Honestly—even houseplants don’t stand a chance in my care. My husband, however, has some impressive gardening skills. After being stuck inside his office all week, he looks forward to working the earth in our backyard. Last weekend, my husband received the “Cool Daddy” award by creating a miniature lake system in our garden. The kids had a blast racing popsicle sticks through a maze of mud and water.
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If gardening helps you relax, visit the Lowe’s store in Aliso Viejo, which offers a variety of gardening supplies paired with a helpful (and patient) staff.
Massage
Besides grinding teeth, I hold a lot of stress in my neck. A nice massage is one of my favorite ways to relax. I am a lucky girl, since my husband knows how to give fantastic massages. As for professional massages, I have a couple of friends who swear by the the Knot Stop. I’m thinking I should make an appointment there for myself—you know, in the name of fact-checking.
The Knot Stop is in Aliso Viejo’s Town Center.
Redbox DVD Rental
My kids like to relax by watching a movie. Since we are not on the Netflix train yet, we like to grab a movie from our local Redbox. My kids love to get in their pajamas and grab an insane amount of blankets and pillows. A big bowl of popcorn, snuggle time with Mommy and Daddy and a movie—absolute heaven!
Aliso Viejo has a Redbox in the Ralphs Fresh Fare store. Make sure to do an online search for discount codes.
Nature Walk
One of the things I love about Aliso Viejo is the access we have to numerous parks and trails. When the weather is nice (which is most of the time), my family likes to spend time at Canyon Vista Park. The kids like to look for lizards with my husband; I like to spend time taking pictures of wildflowers. There are plenty of photo opportunities next to the entrance of the Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness trail. Watching the kids have fun at the playground and enjoying a picnic lunch is both relaxing and re-energizing.
Canyon Vista Park is at the end of Canyon Vista road in Aliso Viejo.
What helps you to relax on the weekend? Please feel free to share, since I am always looking for ideas!
