With summer on the way many moms may be feeling the blues, misguided into believing that being a busy mom means dressing frumpy, feeling tired, and looking exhausted. But, just because you’re a mom doesn’t mean summertime fun is only for the kids. With these tips and tricks any mom can look and feel her best all summer long.
Develop a Five-Minute Makeup Routine
In the busy life of a mom, quick morning routines are a must. Unfortunately, many believe this means giving up the beauty habits they once loved. The good news is that you can still look great with a simple five-minute makeup routine. Invest in some basic items like your favorite eye shadows, lip-gloss, concealer for blemishes, and mineral powder with an easy-application brush. Instead of focusing on creating a mask of carefully applied makeup, strip your routine down to the basics. Use your concealer and mineral powder to conceal any discoloration or dark circles, and give your lips and eyes a healthy splash of color. You can be looking great and ready to go in minutes!
Accessorize
Being a mom doesn’t have to mean being frumpy and looking fashionable doesn’t have to mean buying pricey, name-brand outfits. Adding a few accessories to your outfit gives people the impression that you’ve tried. If you’re going out with your hair thrown up into a simple ponytail, slip on a trendy headband. If you don’t have time to change out of your sweatpants and sleep-shirt before leaving the house, grab a scarf and some sunglasses for a casual-chic look. Even jeans and a tee can look elegant when paired with a few jewelry items to grab people’s attention. While it may not be accessorizing, you might also want to try layering tops and cardigans that allow you to change your look on the go, or shed a layer after a spill.
Quick & Easy Hairstyles
There are more options for quick and easy hairstyles than just “down” or “ponytail.” You can turn a braid into a unique bun or dress a regular bun up with a frilly bow. If you want to French braid your hair, but only have a limited amount of time to do so, consider a combination of a French braided top with a ponytail back, or get fancy and have a French braid leading from the back of your neck up to a cute, messy bun. If you prefer keeping it as simple as possible and enjoy the basic “down” or “ponytail” options, have some clips and headbands to dress them up.
Treat Yourself When You Treat Your Kids
The kids might think shopping trips are all about them, but mom deserves something special too. When your kids are done dragging you through the toy isles and ransacking the shelves full of summer-fun gear, drag them with you to the women’s section and pick out something nice for yourself. Or, if you’d prefer shopping in silence without having to keep your little ones from climbing on the mannequins, take a break from your kids when you get home and treat yourself to some online shopping.
Start Your Day With a Strong Morning Routine
However you begin your day sets the tone for the rest of your day. A strong morning routine might go something like this; wake up, brush your teeth, wash your face, do some stretches and maybe have a light workout, fix your hair, zip through your five-minute makeup routine, have a cup of coffee or a healthy homemade fruit smoothie full of energy-boosting nutrients, and fix breakfast for the family. Or, if you prefer to have breakfast right away, begin with that and then proceed with anything else you feel has a place in your morning routine.
Action First, Motivation Later
When you have a busy life and you’re taking care of children, it can be difficult to feel the motivation you think is necessary to incorporate any new or healthy routines into your schedule. What most people don’t realize is that you do not need to feel motivated first. The idea of “action before motivation” is actually a popular coping technique that can benefit you in many areas of your life. The idea is that you perform the actions first and then the motivation will catch up to you. If you don’t feel like getting up and making that morning smoothie, just do it anyway! The motivation will hit you when you’re pulling the fruits out of the refrigerator or when they’re being hacked up and mixed together inside a blender or smoothie-maker. At that point, you’re going to feel proud of yourself for sticking to your routine and now you have a healthy smoothie to energize you and help you through all the rest.
Recharge
Sometimes all the coffee and smoothies in the world don’t seem to be enough to keep you on your feet when your kids are home for the summer, wanting you to take them swimming, wanting you to participate in their water-balloon fights, and needing you to escort them to the park. Children want to squeeze as much fun as possible into their summers and as their mom it’s only natural for you to want to do everything you can to make that happen. But, there’s nothing wrong with taking a break from the kids every now and then. Let a trusted babysitter watch them while you catch up on some “you” time or let your children engage in some safe activities inside the house while you relax.
It’s possible to look great, feel great, enjoy your summer, and still be a good mom. It’s also nice to remember that you don’t have to wear the makeup or look fancy if you don’t want to. Maybe you just want to throw that oversized tee shirt over a bathing suit and run to the beach to play in the sun with your kids and that’s perfectly fine. Sometimes happiness is enough to make you look great and sometimes having fun and building cherished memories with your family is all that is needed to make you feel great.