Self-care is a lovely thought; however, treating ourselves to it can be a bit of a challenge. When we parents do get some free time, where are the best spots to hit? There are a lot, but we narrowed it down the top seven we feel are worth checking out and giving yourself some much rest, pampering, or overall self-love. And let’s be honest, self-care can be expensive especially in NYC. We have included a few sliding scale spots for us moms on a budget.
Psst…Looking for a dinner shortcut? Check out our picks of Five Meal Delivery Kits in NYC: Making Life a Little Easier in the Kitchen
Discover Family Fun
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Earthy Meets Millennial Acupuncture at WTHN
This earthy-meets-millennial-vibe space is conveniently located in the Flatiron neighborhood, so it’s easy to hop on the subway and get to. During our visit, we found a soothing environment with a friendly and warm receptionist. No clipboards here; the introductory health questionnaire can be completed on an iPad. You will be asked some brief medical history and the issues you would like your therapist to address. The treatment menu offers help with stress and anxiety, as well as fatigue and immunity. The treatment menu is quite enticing which makes it hard to choose, but thankfully, you can also create with your therapist a custom treatment session.
The whole concept of WTHN’s approach is that they make acupuncture easy to incorporate into your routine. You can expect your first visit to be a full 60 minutes, including a 15-minute consultation and 45 minutes of treatment. Future visits are just 45 minutes, and because your patient notes are entered into WTHN’s centralized system, in theory, you can see any of their therapists during your visit. In practice, some therapists do have specialties or particular areas of interest, which is why if you’re looking for help on something specific, like infertility, it might be useful to call ahead to make sure you can consult with someone who specializes in that area.
As mamas we sometimes only give ourselves the grace to practice real self-care (and we don’t mean just a face mask!) when we reach breaking point, but visiting WTHN is a great way to help an ongoing issue such as anxiety or back pain and to get a significant dose of relaxation at the same time.
WTHN
20 W 22nd St, New York, NY 10010 -
Manicures and Pedicures for Mamas: Hatch + Tenoverten
The joys of motherhood are great, but it calls for a mental and physical break from keeping the world turning. With tenoverten and the HATCH mama manicure, you can escape to pure bliss without fretting about harmful chemicals that are detrimental to you and your baby.
When you make your appointment at tenoverten, make sure to ask for the HATCH MAMA manicure and pedicure. As you sip on your refreshment in the eco-friendly salon with a clean and simplistic ambiance, relax with nourishing HATCH MAMA products being massaged into your skin for complete rejuvenation. Enjoy a 10-minute foot massage with HATCH MAMA’s Down Girl foot and leg cream for swollen legs and feet, and a hot stone hand and arm massage with the hydrating HATCH MAMA Belly Oil. After the nail shaping, cuticle care, and all prepping is complete, top it off with your favorite 8-free+vegan+cruelty free tenoverten polish. After while your toes and fingernails are drying off, the HATCH MAMA mani & pedi wraps it all up with a 5-minute shoulder Belly Oil massage. Manicure $45 (35min) & Pedicure $60 (45 min).
Hatch + Tenoverten
Parker New York
119 W 56th Street
New York. NY 10019112 Reade Street
Second Floor
New York. NY 10013121 Fulton Street
Second Floor
New York. NY 10038132 W Houston Street
Second Floor
New York. NY 10012 -
Take a Meditation Class at The Happinest NYC
This tranquil space located in South Williamsburg has gained popularity for their classes that teach children meditation and mindfulness, but this space is also for adults. Whether you buy a membership or reserve a drop-in class, this sweet space aims to help you re-center. The Owls Adult Mediation will help and teach you how to focus so you can achieve clarity for a busy mind and tired body.
The Happinest NYC
170 S 1st St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 -
Chill Out (and Get a Massage or Facial) at the Chill House
We are so down with the Chill House. Just perusing their site, you’ll start to feel well, chill. Start with their cafe and grab their Make Me Glow Latte and head over to their face, nail, and body spa. Try the $48 The Express, a 25-minute table massage that focuses on immediate trouble areas. Our favorite is the Mama Needs to Focus prenatal massage, which is about working out those pregnancy kinks, especially lower back pain. And starting November 7th, Chill House’s new flagship spa will be opening in Soho. This space will be 3,200 square feet, where you’ll find more space to relax in the cafe and get all the refreshing Chill House treatments on the menu.
Chill House
149 Essex St, New York, NY 10002
75 Varick St, New York, NY 10013 -
Ultimate Spa Day at Spa Castle
A journey to Spa Castle is quite the experience as it is a vast space where you can spend the day in ultimate self-care. Adult admission is $50 on weekdays and $60 on the weekend. The spa is open from 8 am to midnight, which means operating hours accommodate busy schedules. The entry includes day pass locker, uniform, as well as access to the baths and pools. There are nine different sauna rooms, and spa treatments that can be ordered a la carte as well as in packages. From the Castle Cafe, Juice Farm to Italian and Korean dining, this is a space where you can indulge in the ultimate mom self-care.
Spa Castle
131-10 11th Ave, College Point, NY 11356 -
Community Acupuncture: Tigerlilyholistic
Community acupuncture is quite popular in Asia where group acupuncture is more common — making it more affordable than one-on-one acupuncture.
Tigerlilyholistic embraces this approach with a serene space located in Bushwick and is known for amazing practitioners that work on a sliding scale fee starting from $40 to $70 per treatment. There is an initial paperwork fee of $10 paperwork on your first visit. No need to show proof of income, you share with your therapist what you can afford.
Tigerlilyholistic
360 Jefferson St., Brooklyn, NY 11237 -
Affordable Yoga: Yoga for the People
Namaste. A great way to unleash stress and invigorate the body is yoga. If you’re looking to give your body self-care and balance your mind, a power vinyasa flow class works on pose, body, breath, and movement.
Yoga for the People understands that the price of a yoga class may not be within everyone’s budget and offers their Power Vinyasa as a donation-based class. You can find Power Vinyasa donation classes at their East Village, Brooklyn, and Upper West Side locations. Suggested donation is $10 or pay what you can afford.
Yoga for the People
12 Saint Marks Place, 2R,
New York, NY 100032710 Broadway
3rd Floor,
New York, NY 10025211 N. 11th Street
2nd Floor,
Brooklyn, NY 11211 -
Medicine Readings at Mama Medicine
Visit Mama medicine for aura and medicine readings if this is your energy vibe. This space focuses on taking/sharing where you are at in life, what is blocking you, and providing a mother with the tools to clear blocks and move forward. Our pick, The Medicine Reading Original with Deborah Hanekamp, is worth checking out as it involves a conversation, an aura reading, and then a healing ritual. Other services range from $108 to $525 which can be a bit over some mother’s budgets but we do see these readings as investments that help in the long term of balance and reconnecting to a more balanced state.
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Free or on a Budget Self-Care Around NYC
Try a Membership at One of NYC Parks’ Recreation Centers
Membership at one of NYC Parks is $150 a year with a pool ($90 without pool). The cost averages out to $8 a month. This is an excellent resource to visit the gym or take an enrichment class.
Sign Up for Cultural Pass
A solo stroll through one of NYC’s museums, gardens, or heritage centers is a lovely way to spend the day exploring all our city has to offer. If you have yet to sign up for the Culture Pass, all you need is a Brooklyn or New York library card to get into participating organizations free.
Listen to a Podcast
Listening to other stories, tips on parenting, and all-around mom support can help when feeling frazzled and needing a dose of support on the way to work or while doing errands about town. Some of our favorites are Cool Moms, Spawned, and Big Little Choices.
Sit and Chat on a Park Bench With a Friend
Have a good chat with a friend who will offer an ear, or enjoy a much-needed catch-up. Even if it is after kid drop off or on an early weekend morning, catching up and sharing with another mom feeds the soul.
Sleep
Tell the husband he’s on breakfast duty, hire a sitter, or ask a trusted friend to watch the kids for an hour or two and rest. Sleep is vital to staying healthy and your overall health. Demand more sleep.
