Weekend Routine

Most weeks I fly out Monday and return Thursday or Friday night. I try to avoid flying on Sunday unless I really have to since I am not compensated for weekend travel and it just really isn't good for my work/life balance. Earlier on in my career I was too willing to sacrifice work/life balance, but I can't continue to be that way.

When I come home on the weekend there are some key things I need to get done before the next week begins:

• Do laundry
• Epliate
• File my nails
  
• Mow the grass
• Clean the house

As someone who is never in the same place week after week I don't need to have a lot of different clothes so I need to do the laundry every week for the next week and change a couple items. I know other women who color code their weeks so they only have to bring 1 color of shoes. I tried this earlier in my career and probably should return to this routine, but right now I only wear clothes that work with black shoes. A three week cycle...black, brown, and navy works for many.

About a year ago I started epilating. I bought theBraun 5270 Silk-épil X'elle after a friend suggested that model and I've been epilating on the weekends ever since. I mainly like it because I used to cut my shins all the time and now I don't have that issue. I use it on my legs, forearms, and arm pits. I will usually need to shave my armpits again during the week, but my legs often stay clear enough until the weekend. This model is a corded model so I just leave it plugged-in at home and epilate while surfing the web. I still carry a razor with me on the road, but if it's too dull and I haven't replaced it yet I don't ask for one of those torture devices they have for free at the front desk or run out to a pharmacy just for a razor. Some hotels do sell nicer razors, but in Canada I paid $14 for a razor at the hotel store and they didn't do room charges so I didn't get extra points on that.

I grew up as a horrible nail biter. For about a year or so when I first started traveling for business I had acrylics, but if I didn't have time to get them filled when I was home I would go to the mall wherever I was and have some random person fill them. I decided to switch back to natural nails and had really weak nails until a friend taught me about Nailtiques polish. I file my nails weekly when I'm home because when my nails get too long they are not comfortable for the way I type. I used Nailtiques daily for a while, now I only put a coat on once a week or so and that keeps my nails strong enough for the most part. If I use it every other day my nails are strong enough to do anything.