With the Easter weekend approaching, Single Slummy Mummy blogger and mum of two, Jo Middleton, talks about the stay at home spa break for parents on those days when you can’t quite get to the real thing!

When you’re a single mum a spa break can feel like an impossible dream. You barely have five minutes to wash your hair so where on earth are you going to find a whole weekend to pamper yourself?

As it may not happen on a regular basis, you’re going to have to improvise. This doesn’t mean clambering over the hedge and taking a sneaky dip in your neighbour’s hot tub when you think they might be out for the evening, it just means making an effort to get a bit creative.

The temptation of course once you’ve got the kids in bed is to collapse on the sofa with a glass of Merlot and a Netflix box set, but how about if instead of another episode of Grey’s Anatomy you concentrate on yourself for an evening? (You can keep the wine. That’s an important part of the pampering process.)

Here are a few things you’ll need to do in advance to make sure you create a relaxing spa-like environment in your living room:

• Make sure your favourite pyjamas and dressing gown are freshly laundered and as fluffy as possible to recreate that soft white towelling robe feel.
• Pack away (or hide) all the toys and washing to create the illusion that you are a single young woman living alone in some sort of glamorous city apartment.
• Stock up on inexpensive treats such as a face mask sachet, a new minty foot cream or a snazzy new nail varnish.
• Place a bowl or Maltesers and the rest of the wine in easy reach, plus the odd gossip magazine never did anyone any harm once in a while.
• Turn off your phone and other gadgets. (Yes it’s scary but it’s good to switch off now and again.)

Now you’re ready to indulge yourself.

First up, change into your fluffy nightwear, make sure the room is nice and cosy, and pop on some of your favourite music. Think Jack Johnson rather than Lady Gaga – we are going for relaxing remember?

Now gather all your toiletries and make-up together and have a bit of a stock take. To be honest this part can be as fun as the actual pampering; testing out long forgotten nail varnish colours and discovering you’ve still got some of those blackhead removing nose strips at the bottom of your make-up bag is always fun.

Then get stuck in. Soak your feet in some lovely warm water, perhaps chucking in some essential oils. Sit back and relax, wine in hand, while you read about how happy Katie Price is for Peter Andre and vice versa. While your feet are soaking you could also apply a face mask. Pop a Malteser in your mouth and gasp in mock horror at how skinny/fat the latest random collection of celebrities in Heat magazine have become.

Once everything is well soaked and scrubbed and you’re all shiny and clean it’s time to moisturise. Important note: eat as many Maltesers as possible before you do this – sweets can become sticky and wine glasses slippery unless handled carefully.

Take a break at this point to gaze close up at your face in a hand held mirror for at least five minutes. Do you remember when you were a teenager how you used to do this all the time? It’s quite fun. Don’t be afraid to put on a bit of lippy for some proper pouting.

To finish things off how about a manicure? Nothing says ‘I may be a single mum but that doesn’t mean I can’t still be ravishing’ like a bright red.