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Taking A Little Time In The Day For Me (Win a $100 Visa Gift Card)

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Like all of you, I do a lot in the course of a day. I write and maintain two blogs, I read a lot of books because I write book reviews, I work professionally as a coach for the theater, I take care of the house, garden, make things… you get the picture. I’m not a mom of human kids, but I have a 16-year-old dog named Scout – the apple of my eye – who needs a lot of attention and care as she navigates her world. On any given day, depending on the amount of things that need to be accomplished, I can easily get overwhelmed and feel like I’m not doing anything as well as I would like to.

As I’m writing this, I’m trying to finish a book that has to be reviewed in two days. I’m cleaning up our two acre yard after a long, long winter and preparing the garden beds for spring. I’m digging. I’m planting. I’m mulching. I’m preparing to coach a production of Kiss Me Kate  that starts rehearsals in a few days. I’ve got a list of Things to Do that seems to be a mile long.

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know that I believe in treating myself. I do it every day. I take long bubble baths. I take time to read for pleasure. I watch old movies. I cuddle with my husband. I cuddle with my dog.

And I have hot chocolate almost every day, around 4 o’clock. This is a ritual I’ve come to love.

milano 3

Hot chocolate along with a little treat, of course. I’m here to say that my sweet tooth is alive and well. One particular combination that makes me a happy camper is that of mint and chocolate. I can’t resist. A longtime favorite is Pepperidge Farm® Milano® cookies, in this case Mint Chocolate. I’ve been a fan for years.

Milano certainly encourages me to pause and take a moment just for me. Hot chocolate, a Mint Chocolate Milano  and a good book sounds like the perfect recipe for savoring the moment.

milano 1

Excuse me while I take a bite.

I’ve found that if I don’t allow myself a little respite from the responsibilities of the day, everything suffers. And I can often get through unpleasant tasks (like shoveling snow!) when I know a treat is waiting on the other side.

Work, then reward. Sounds good to me!

milano 5

I think I’m going to have to hide these from my husband.

If you leave a comment on this post, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card. Do you take a moment or two for yourself in the course of a day? What do you do to treat yourself?

Entry Instructions:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

  1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
  2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
  3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
  4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/4/15 – 6/30/15.

Be sure to visit the Pepperidge Farm® Milano® Cookies brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

Comments

  1. Mint Milano’s are my favorite! I love the idea of treating oneself every day……and I must admit this is something I need to work on. Taking time to pause and be still is so important. I do enjoy checking in with my favorite blogs each day and there usually isn’t a chance of falling asleep if I haven’t read a bit. But setting aside a specific time with the specific intention of treating myself is a new goal for me!

  2. My first treat begins in the morning with a cup of coffee and my iPad, checking out what is going on in blog world.
    Second treat for myself is afternoon coffee and reading a book.
    Happiness is a cup of coffee and a good book, anytime of the day.

  3. I do try to treat myself every day. I usually will stop whatever I am doing sometime during the afternoon and read blogs, a book, crochet, color (I love the stress relief coloring books for adults :) ), or just sit out on the front porch and watch the birds at the feeders. I will most times have a bite of something to eat. After a little rest and relaxation, I am ready to get on with whatever I am doing. This time of year it is usually some kind of outside work. Work that never seems to end (but I love it!).

  4. Oh yes! Being good to yourself is an excellent habit. I don’t have specific times of day, but here are examples of some of the things I do: reading in bed before turning out the light; a.m. coffee and knitting or stitching time in the morning prior to going to work; blog breaks while at work; now that the temps are warmer, a glass of wine on our patio when I come home from work. And one of most favorite ways to treat myself – a nap on a Saturday and/or Sunday afternoon.

  5. Milano cookies !
    I’d forgotten about those sweet little wonders which were my (now 32 year old) son’s very favorite cookies. He’s all grown up with a family of his own but maybe this momma can send a package or two to him. Thanks Claudia!
    Have a great day and I’ll be thinking of you at 4:00, enjoy your cocoa (love your mug!)

    Lori

  6. Adding a little sweet to our day is always a good thing! Hope you are feeling better and able to get out and enjoy some Spring sunshine.

  7. We care for our 2 1/2 year old granddaughter during the day so “me time” is nap time. As soon as she is asleep I sit in my favorite spot where I can see the birdfeeder and watch the birds and knit or read. In the summer, my favorite spot is out on the deck.

  8. I start my day with a wonderful cup of coffee and read blogs. I need to add an afternoon moment for myself. I love Milano cookies and need to try the mint chocolate. I love a good cup of tea and these cookies would be awesome with that.

  9. Yes treats definately make the world a better place. Bubble baths and nick & nora jammies early evening are my favorite!

  10. Yes, I do treat myself every day. Whether it’s taking a break to watch Jeopardy (the only TV I watch during the day) or 1/2 hour to read as I’m lying on the couch ~ everyone has to have a break! I’m normally very much a “doer”, so finding time to relax and turn off is actually kind of hard for me to do.

  11. My Husband and I have a coffee time everyday around three or so.. this started years ago when I would come home from school exhausted and needed to re-group. We enjoy this time and now it has become a ritual no matter where we are even traveling. It’s so funny, we have had many “dohnuts” to date at coffee time thanks to you!! Have a great day xo Liz

  12. I am into Walkers Shortbread cookies at the moment. One cookie is about 100 calories and that is my treat for the day. I have been having it after lunch, but a think a 3pm cookie sounds even better.

  13. I have that Same pretty plate~ so I’m going to have to try those Milano cookies! I’m a firm believer in treats……for dogs and people :-) But these would be for me!

  14. When I need a break and reward myself it is usually with dark chocolate something, but if that is not available then I will spend some time doing embroidery or maybe do a crossword puzzle.

  15. I have two great times. Since I’m diabetic, I need to make sure my blood glucose levels are ok. I eat breakfast at 6:30 every morning so by 10:30, it’s time for a treat…a cup of tea and a small cookie (yes, maybe a Mint Milano!), and then again at 3:30-4:00 for a cup of tea or coffee and a pick-me-up before I start dinner. I look forward to spending those few minutes without responsibility…

  17. I try to take a little time to myself in late afternoon after the grand kids have gone home.. I kick back on the porch – with a glass of iced tea. I don’t eat many sweets now days– but I saw a mint chocolate plant in the herb section that sounds yummie. I may get some for my tea.
    That be all for me- as no one else likes flavored tea like I do !

  18. I have to have a Diet Coke first thing in the morning. Always have and probably always will. At bedtime I always have a little snack with Bella right beside me and usually, it’s something sweet. I love Milano cookies. So soft and delicious.

    Hope you are feeling better.

    Judy

  19. My morning coffee is my “me time”. I look forward to it so much. And I love Mint Milanos!

  20. I start my day with a Coke. I love the taste and always have but I have never considered it a treat. I treat myself with a trip to the library every once in a while. I love the quiet and it’s nooks and rows and rows of books, I usual take out at least 3 books. Now that’s a treat.

  21. Starting my day with a cup of tea and toast is what soothes me each day. The Milano biscuits look delectable.

  22. Along with retirement came a plethora of “me time” which I have always found necessary to re-charge. I love Milano cookies. The weird thing is, even though I know they are available most everywhere, I only seem to buy them at Target when they are on sale. I have no idea when or why that started. The only good thing about it is by doing that, it has always elevated them to very special-treat status! Some things we can’t explain, I guess!!
    Hope you are feeling better.

  24. These cookies have been a favorite of mine for a long time. I do not indulge often, but when I want a cookie, these are my go to, and I will find them in my stash in the cupboard. Hope you are feeling better today Claudia.. I know you have to get ready for “Kiss me Kate” so hopefully you have “smooth sailing”…when the time comes.

  25. When my boys were little they called Pepperidge Farm cookies “Grown-Up Cookies”. Two cookies and a cup of tea were my treat in the afternoon. And if they were very good, I shared!

  26. Starting my day with a really good cup of coffee is always a treat. I feel I haven’t always been doing a very good job in treating myself later in the day. Not usually enough hours in the day to get all I need to do accomplished. One of those lovely Milanos would be a nice treat indeed.

  29. I love those cookies..they are so good with coffee or tea..reading is always my treat for the day..

  30. You know…I’ve never tasted a Milano cookie. Sounds like it might be time to start. Mint Chocolate with afternoon tea…my favorite ritual…sounds like a great idea to me. ;)

  32. Just the other day I treated myself to a package of Pepperidge’s Chocolate Brownie cookies which I am rationing. We have the “grown-up” cookies like Milanos with sherbet for dessert with company dinners. Although we live in Texas, I’m from Connecticut ,where Pepperidge is headquartered, and always think of these treats as a little taste of home.
    As we’re now both retired we can treat ourselves in lots of little ways. This afternoon, for instance, we’re going to see “Woman in Gold.”

  33. A big cup of good coffee and some reading is how I start my day. Widowed and retired, there is sometimes too much me time in my day. I love silence and a cookie in the afternoon, mostly Pepperidge Farm.

  34. Mint and chocolate – one of the food world’s greatest combinations. Don’t blame you one bit for indulging. What would Life be without a little treat every so often? PS – I remember the first time I ever had a PF cookie. There was a section in our college bookstore that sold “groceries” [basically comfort foods for girls] and there was a whole shelf of PF cookies, which I think were a new-ish item in the stores at that time. I wasn’t used to store-bought cookies at all. The cookie jar at our house was always being filled by my Mom, who loved to bake, and eventually me too. I baked a lot in high school and college, even yeast breads at one point. But those PF cookies were very tasty. Hope you’re feeling better – enjoy your day!

  36. I love Mint Milano cookies, but I must say I doubt there is a Pepperidge Farm cookie I don’t like. I use a hot chocolate mix I buy at TJ’s. It is better than any hot chocolate I can make from scratch.
    I don’t have much me time at home. I do crochet everyday, and I do read everyday. My time on the computer in probably as close to personal time I get. However, every couple of weeks I do get out and about. I make use of my day away. I have lunch out, stop at thrift stores, maybe a flea market, ad just enjoy my day.
    I don’t have a twitter account. My blog is not up and running. Sorry Claudia.
    P.S. I loved your series on McCoy. Everything about it.

  37. I must admit I take time for me a couple of times a day since retirement! First thing in the morning after walking the dog I have coffee and read the paper then in the afternoon I lie down on the sofa and read blogs or my latest favorite book. And I don’t feel guilty!

  38. At the start of my day I treat myself to a good workout. It makes me feel so much better for the rest of the day.

  39. My treat is homemade vanilla chai latte. I bought a mix for a while, but when it became hard to find at one point, I started making my own. I mix it with milk so although it has many calories in it, I at least get extra calcium. My other treat is YouTube which I spend entirely too much time watching. It is affecting the number of books that I have read. I will probably soon tire of it.

  41. I like to squirrel away with a cup of organic tea and a homemade snack, no-bake energy bars, scone, something yummy and read a good magazine!

  42. Hello Claudia!!!
    I am a BIG fan of those Milano cookies. With the chocolate mint being my fav!!! I like to dip them in my coffee then suck on them until they melt in my mouth!!!….weird???? Don’t knock it till you try it.!!!
    Yes, after I mow, pull, wheel barrel, dig, prune, rake, water, fertilize….you get the picture…..I too sit down for a treat. It’s good to be good to you!!!
    Addie

  44. Taking time out for a Milano cookie (orange for me) is always a good idea. I rarely buy cookies, but when I do it is either Milano or Pims.

  45. Hi, I am totally with you on the four o’clock tea and cookie break. For several months I have been cutting down on my on-line….facebooking…..blog reading…..on-line shopping . I read and shop and write in the morning when I get up, and then not again until four o’clock with a cuppa and something sweet. Sometimes even something savory….xxoo

  46. I treat myself daily to coffee (in the morning) and chocolate (in the evening). Thanks for the opportunity to enter the giveaway.

  49. I treat myself every evening by reading or watching Netflix. I will have to look for those Milano cookies, I love mint and chocolate together!

  50. My treat is getting a DD coffee occasionally and reading my favorite blogs in the morning. If there’s no coffee , chocolate milk might be my treat! Right now going outside in the beautiful weather we are finally having and doing some gardening is a real treat.

  51. I treat myself every day to a healthy smoothie, and I get up early to do my yoga exercises, and meditate! It really makes me feel better focused as a person when I take time out for myself everyday!

  54. I love doing the crossword puzzle in the daily paper and eating some sort of chocolate treat!

  55. I have a cup of tea in the afternoon around 3:00, with Chessmen Cookies. They are my absolute favorite cookie…. Yummmmm.

  56. Yes, I always take one or two breaks during the day. Typically, I stop everything and check postings from my favorite blogs and play w/my little dog. I had not seen the mint chocolate cookies but will definitely try them. I love chocolate and mint together. Yummy!

  57. My treat for myself is a mug or hot tea and a couple of cookies mid-afternoon. I have long been a fan of Pepperidge Farm cookies , especially the Mint Milano and Bordeaux ones.

  58. I also love Milano’s. Give me mint and chocolate in any form and I’ll be happy.

    Usually around 3:00 p.m. I get what I call my “brownout” period. That’s when I take the time to sit with my feet up, have a cup of coffee of tea, and read some of my latest book.

  59. I spend “me” moments early in the morning before everyone wakes up. I catch up on emails and just enjoy the silence.

  63. When I am good about taking a moment or two for myself, it’s either, making tea and watching it steep … and/or just taking time out to sit quietly in the sanctuary and chant a mantra. (by the way, I tried to comment via my iPhone and the keyboard pop up wouldn’t stay active long enough for me to enter. Just thought I’d mention it in case it’s affecting someone else too)

  65. As much as I enjoy some cake or a cookie, my indulgence of choice is really good cheese. If there is a glass of wine and some delicious bread involved, so much the better. And an old episode of Julia Child. Good cheese is expensive, but it’s easy to make up the budget with creative cooking the rest of the day.

  66. How I spend my “me time” depends on the time of year. This time of year it’s a cup of coffee on the deck in the morning. Sometimes I’ll read for a few minutes as I sip the oh so necessary morning motivation. Other times I’ll just watch the birds and observe what’s in bloom now. It’s my little bit of happy time that’s all mine.

  67. I like to take a moment or two by myself by either going for a long run or drawing. I never have time to draw anymore!

  68. I love those cookies too and time to myself. I love to read, craft, look at pinterest, look at blogs…….the list goes on and on, no wonder I never get anything done! :)

  69. Yes I do take a moment or two for myself in the course of a day. I treat myself by sitting out on the patio with a good book and a nice glass of wine.

  71. These were my favorite cookies years ago, until I had to go gluten-free due to health issues. I WISH they would make a gluten free mint chocolate cookie just like that one! I love many of the Pepperidge Farm cookies (if I could eat them). My days are very busy too (even though I’m “retired”), and it seems that always, around 4:00, I take a break just for me, with a cup of tea and a little snack. It’s very refreshing!

  72. Hi Claudia, I just wanted to give you my perspective on Spring this year. Out here in the west we had a very warm dry winter.This is no complaint, However my Crocuses and Hyacinth are already gone and my Lilacs are severely waning. Which makes me pretty darn morose, because it does go so fast! -Judy A-

  75. I don’t drink hot tea, but I love hot cocoa or coffee with cookies. I can’t remember the last time I had some of those mint Milanos. I’ve always liked them though, they are yummy. Thanks for the giveaway.

  79. Reading (just about anything) or writing in one of my many journals.
    onefrugalgirl AT gmail DOT com

  80. I get up early everyday to take some “me” time, a cup of coffee is always the best treat I enjoy.
    tcarolinep at gmail dot com

  82. I like to take a quickie nap of about 20 minutes to rejuvenate myself. My Mother always did this and she lived to be 90.

  83. I like to make a cup of coffee, grab a good book, and read a bit in the quiet of my bedroom.

  88. I get up early and have coffee and check email and read on-line news. Getting to school early is also a ritual for me. More coffee in my very quiet classroom. Calm before the storm.

  89. I take some time everyday to read various blogs. I love Milano Double Chocolate cookies.

  91. I love to treat myself by always make time out of my day to enjoy the outdoors, so just relaxing out on my patio with some ice tea and a good book is perfect.

  94. I take a moment every night and treat myself to a simple sweet dessert! Usually fruit and whipped cream. And sometimes on extra hard days, I treat myself to Dunkin Donuts coffee at lunch!

  95. I like to sit out on my patio with a cup of iced coffee.

    Thanks for the chance to win!
    wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com

  96. When I need a little me time I make a cup of coffee and enter my giveaways and read up on the latest blog post!

  98. When I want to pamper myself, I will take a nice hot bath, or grab a book & a snack. The mint Milano cookies sound like a great taste-come-true!

  100. Oh yeah. I found that taking a break for myself helps a lot to unwind. I usually pour myself a cup of tea and a few cookies and watch my favorite TV show.
    amy [at] utry [dot] it

  106. I treat myself every evening with a cup of coffee with caramel chocolate creamer. I would love to try the Milano cookies, they sound wonderful.

  107. “Me time” for me is in the morning and evening while I drink my coffee.

  110. Usually some reading time is great for “me” time. It would be awesome to have some Milano cookies to go with a good book.

  118. I like me time that I can read a book – sometimes I play hide and seek with the kids and find a few moments of peace since I’m such a good hider.

  134. It’s so hard to find time for myself on a daily basis. When I do find the time, my me time generally involves chocolate and a good book!

  137. I try to take a moment for myself, but with 2 kids it’s so hard. I think it’ll be a bit easier once my oldest starts school. I love reading!

  141. I don’t do it everyday but when I need a little me time I like to soak in the tub and read for a little while. thank you!

  144. I enjoy “me time” with a cup of coffee sitting out on our patio enjoying the birds in the mornings.

  150. I take breaks and lunches just like any office worker, even though I am a homemaker. I treat myself to watching a fav TV show during my lunch via Netflix daily. LOL

  152. After the kids are in bed I like to relax with a hot bath, a good book, and a glass of sweet iced tea.

  156. I curl up on the couch once everyone is down for bed, read and enjoy mini snickers.

    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

  159. I take a moment for myself by going outside and sitting under our magnolia tree with a cup of hot coffee. It is so peaceful and relaxing.

  163. #SweepstakesEntry:

    I like to create time for myself by relaxing on my sunny porch with a good book or some magazines, a hot beverage (tea) & some Milano cookies!

    KC
    kacor7@hotmail.com

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