An Inside Look At My Hudson Valley ‘Yes Day’

In advance of my hopes and dreams of being the Mega Millions winner crashing to the ground, I decided to have myself an adult 'yes day' of sorts - let me explain.  My daughter was going away for the weekend, I had 48+ hours to myself, with nobody to answer to, and nobody (well, aside from myself) to worry about, so I decided on some much needed me time.

I had went in on a ton of different Mega Millions pools with different groups of friends and co-workers, plus bought my own tickets, and I was pretty confident on winning something, so I was trying to think positive and not worry about the amount of money I was going to be spending.  I ended up winning $2.48 in total....oops, but decided you know what Val, #treatyoself anyway!

Here's a look at what my Hudson Valley 'Yes Day' on Saturday entailed.

A Relaxing Saturday Morning in the Hudson Valley

I'm not typically one to sleep in, ever, so I decided to book at 8:30am massage appointment.  On my way to the appointment, I stopped by one of my favorite Hudson Valley based coffee spots, Ready Coffee, for an iced coffee (decaf so I wouldn't be bouncing off the massage table).

I had received a gift certificate for a local salon and spa for my birthday last October, and realized I hadn't used it, so earlier in the week I booked a sweedish massage at Lauren Elizabeth Salon and Spa on Rt. 52 in Hopewell.  Now, the last massage I had was a prenatal one in 2015 when I was pregnant with my daughter...talk about overdue.

It was the most incredibly relaxing hour I have experienced in forever.  The atmosphere was great, the staff at the spa couldn't have been nicer, and I walked out of there revitalized and refreshed and ready for the next stop on my 'yes day.'

I closed out the morning with a haircut, including a shampoo and condition treatment (which I usually don't have time for) with my hairdresser who has been doing my hair for more than 20 years.  The first thing she asked was where my daughter was (she cuts her hair too), and when I told her I was solo, she made sure that I enjoyed my quiet time in the chair.

Naps, Tacos and Breweries To Round Out the Day

After I got home from my morning of pampering, I did some laundry and cleaned up my house a little before settling in for a solid 2 hour nap.  I sat down with the intention of watching just one episode of my guilty pleasure show (Below Deck, obviously), and didn't even make it through the recap of the last episode before I was knocked out cold.

I woke up to a message from my friend who I had tentative plans with, to meet at Hudson Taco, so I got myself together and off we went.  I had only ever been there once before, so I got to try a few different tacos (and cocktails), enjoy a beautiful afternoon on the Newburgh waterfront, and to top it off, I got a great parking spot that didn't require me to parallel park!

After catching up for a while, then consolidating cars, we ended up heading to Middletown to check out some live music (hey Mike Mack) and drinks, and met up with some more friends.  We decided to go to Tapped, which is an awesome gastropub/bar/restaurant with amazing beer and cocktails, and a great vibe, and killer live music too.

While a day like this isn't something I'll be doing all the time (because you know, responsibilities and stuff), what local spots would you add for the next time I decide to have a day of #treatyoself fun in the Hudson Valley?