From Guilt to Grace: A Mum’s Honest Moment of Self-Care in Bali

June 6, 2025

Getting my hair done in Bali 💇‍♀️🌿 To be completely honest… I only get my hair done maybe twice a year. A trim here and there, four times if I'm really on top of it. Not because I don’t want to — I actually love walking out of a salon feeling fresh and new — but because, truthfully, I’ve always found it hard to sit still. There’s always something else I could be doing. And for years, especially in those early seasons of motherhood, whenever things got tight (which, let’s be real, was more often than not), my salon appointment was always the first thing to go. It felt indulgent. Selfish even. Spending money and time on just me when there were groceries to buy, shoes the kids had grown out of, bills waiting… it just didn’t seem important enough. I guess a part of that still lingers — a quiet guilt tucked in the back of my mind. But living here in Bali, in this slower, simpler rhythm, I’ve started to feel a shift. Between homeschooling the kids, running our business @balifamilyfinds and the wild joy of raising four little humans, I’ve learned to embrace those rare hours in the salon chair as a small but powerful act of self-care. Even though I still fidget. Still think about the million things I could be doing. I let myself sink into the moment. I sip the coffee, water then the tea. I breathe. I let someone take care of me for a little while. And you know what? It helps that it’s about a third of what I used to pay in Australia. So if we’re doing the math… technically, I should be going three times a year, right? 😂 #girlmath Here’s to letting go of guilt, even just a little. To the quiet permission we give ourselves to rest, to be nurtured, to feel beautiful — not for anyone else, but just because we deserve it too 💛 #BaliSelfCare #MumTimeMatters #ChadAndMia #BaliFamilyFinds #MumLifeUnfiltered #BaliLiving #FromGuiltToGrace

Twice a year — that’s about how often I used to find time for a hair appointment. Not because I don’t love it, but because motherhood leaves little space for _me_. In the thick of raising four beautiful (and very busy) children, building a business (@balifamilyfinds), and homeschooling on the side, something always had to give. And for years, it was salon time. Too indulgent, too expensive, too… selfish? But Bali has a way of softening the edges. Slowing you down. There’s something about this island that gently reminds you to exhale. Amid rice paddies and ocean breezes, I’ve started to reclaim small moments — like sitting in a salon chair for a few blissful hours without guilt. Here, the experience is different. It’s calmer, deeply nurturing — and yes, significantly more affordable (I’m talking a third the cost compared to Australia 👏). While the kids are home with my partner, I sip ginger tea, listen to the hum of nature outside, and let someone take care of _me_ for a change. Is it still hard? Absolutely. I fidget, mentally scroll through my to-do list, feel a twinge of unnecessary guilt. But slowly, I'm learning that self-care isn’t selfish. It’s essential. And in Bali — where wellness is woven into everyday life — giving yourself permission to rest feels a little easier. So if you’re a mum traveling here, wondering if you _can_ take that timeout: yes, you can. Whether it’s a sunrise yoga class, an uninterrupted meal, or simply a haircut — these moments aren’t luxuries. They’re lifelines. From guilt to grace, one appointment at a time 💛 #BaliSelfCare #MumTimeMatters #FromGuiltToGrace #BaliWithKids #BaliFamilyFinds

#BaliSelfCare#MumTimeMatters#ChadAndMia#BaliFamilyFinds#MumLifeUnfiltered#BaliLiving#FromGuiltToGrace