You can see it in his eyes.
The all too familiar twinkle that signifies football season is fast approaching. For many of our significant others, watching football can be more appealing than sunlight, bathing or even the slightest movement away from the couch. So, for the season, we can most appropriately refer to ourselves as “football widows.”
The elusive fan-addict husband may be seen when the food runs out or if the house is on fire, but for the most part, he and his buddies won’t be coming up for air. By the end of the season, his finger will be calloused from pounding buttons on the remote and all of his yelling will have turned back the clock to a time when he squeaked like an awkward prepubescent. We love the men in our lives, of course, but a woman can only make so many football-shaped cheese balls before needing some serious time away from the game.
1. Go for the goal.
Was it your New Year’s resolution to shed a few pounds? Find a local gym and start a fitness regimen. You’ll feel fit and fabulous and your husband might even unglue his eyes from the game to look at the new radiant you!
2. Foster a little family time.
Spend a weekend with just you and the kids. Chattanooga has much to offer in the way of family fun, so visit Coolidge Park for some Frisbee, grab a treat from Clumpies Ice Cream and try out the dance moves on the sidewalks of Market Street!
3. Pamper yourself.
Leave the men at home with some snacks, gather up the girls and head out for a spa mini-retreat. Grab a facial at the Center for Facial Rejuvenation and come back by halftime looking like a new woman.
4. Treat your tresses.
Many of us secretly plan a new haircut for months before ever setting foot in a salon. Well, ladies, the time is now. Visit Hair Benders Internationale and go for the new ‘do you’ve been dying for and surprise your husband when he wakes up from his football coma.
5. Join the club.
Is football about as interesting to you as watching grass grow? Will your husband be spending many hours of quality time with the remote rather than you this football season? Join the club. Visit footballwidowsclub. com to find like-minded women with whom to connect.
6. Girls’ night in.
Invite your best girlfriends over and have an old-fashioned slumber party. For some extra fun: pour the wine, pop in a foreign film, play it on mute and narrate the movie yourselves.
7. A page-by-page vacation.
A good book is an inexpensive way to give yourself a break from the real world. Dust off your reading glasses and visit modernlibrary.com/top-100 for a list of the top 100 books you should read before you die.
8. Get your soothe on.
When even earplugs can’t save you from a cheering-induced headache, try taking up yoga to relieve pent up stress and anxiety. Yoga East offers a free beginner class the last Saturday of each month to introduce new students to yoga.
9. Find some local fare.
Try out a new restaurant that you have never visited before. Bring along a friend for cocktails and gossip – an easy fix for ridding you of your football woes.
10. Hit the town.
This year, when you hear the cheering that signifies a win, run in and celebrate with your husband. Amid the yelling and excitement, slip in the fact that you are going to go shopping. Then hop in the car and visit some local boutiques.