Realistic Luxury

As I was bobbing in my parents' hot tub a bit ago with the kids, I looked up into the clear (not freezing!) Carolina blue sky and then into their sparkling faces & thought, "This is the life!" This is my idea of realistic luxury. Sure, if money were no option, I would have a much more extensive list of what I considered to be my favorite luxuries, as we jetted from our Charleston mansion across Europe, discovering every bit of fantastic history along the way. ;-)

But realistically in my life right now, luxury to me is bobbing in the hot tub on vacay at my parents' house with my kids and then taking a relaxed shower, getting my hair washed, and feeling relaxed & cleaned up for whatever adventure my mom & I cook up later. Luxury is my parents' neighbors, who have adored my kids since day one, and with whom I feel safe enough to just send the kids out the garage door to run across the grass & play at their house for however-long. We move around so much, that these are the only friends with which I feel that luxury. (Not that I don't have other friends with whom I could drop the kids off, but none that I can see their door from mine.) Luxury is getting milkshakes and discovering new treats out & about with my mom. (I can't stand just sitting in the house doing nothing. It drives me crazy!) Luxury is the heated seats in her car and her driving instead of me. Luxury is exploring every new restaurant in the area! Luxury is browsing the mall or shops together with no (or very little) agenda. Luxury is the feeling that I can totally relax at her house, unlike at mine where I feel like I *should* be doing this or I *should* be doing that around the house every second. Here, I can sit guilt-free in front of the TV and watch a movie. Luxury is not hearing the kids get up or me getting up with them in the morning, b/c they tip toe from their rooms down to my parents after the sun comes up. Luxury is the freedom to use their Keurig to make myself a chai latte anytime I want without asking or any fuss. Luxury is going out to catch up with my best friends and knowing my kids are safe & happy, and I don't have to pay for a sitter! Luxury is the dishes being done and me not having to touch them (I HATE DISHES!) when I come downstairs after putting the kids to bed at night. Luxury is not sitting alone on the couch at night after putting them down and having my fam to totally veg out with.

These are my real-life vacay luxuries. What are yours?