How not to be a mommy zombie ♡ (feat. LipSense)

First, I would just like to preface this post by saying how grateful I am for Ben and how hard he works to enable me to be a stay at home mom. I wouldn't want it any other way!

With that being said, being a stay at home mom isn't all rainbows and butterflies. Overall I really do love it, but it has also been difficult in some ways. One thing that has been hard for me is finding motivation to get things done. I struggle feeling motivated to do homework, get the house cleaned and food made, plan fun ways to interact with Ellie, be a good neighbor and friend, and especially to get dressed and ready for the day. You may think that it would be easy to get all of these things done when you have all day at home to do them, but the reality is that 1/3 of my day is spent feeding Ellie, 1/3 of my day is spent playing with Ellie, and 1/3 of my day is spent trying to get her to nap and doing as much homework as I can while she's sleeping. So everything else--including showering some days (as gross as that may sound)--gets pushed to the side. And I think that's okay because taking care of Ellie really is the most important thing to me right now while she's still so little and needs a lot of attention all day long. However, if I want to be the best mom I can be to her I have to squeeze in a little time to do something for myself each day as well. Or else I just start to feel like a zombie! I've found that little things can make a big difference in my mood each day and my mood effects Ellie's and Ben's (if mama ain't happen ain't nobody happy, right?) so I really try to do things to keep myself, and our home, in a good mood :) 

-Blogging has been a huge outlet for me. I love to blog and to connect with others who are in the same phase of life (or have been) as me! It really helps me to feel validated--which I need a lot haha. 

-Keeping the house in order also does wonders for my mood. Every day after I put Ellie down for her first nap I go around the house and straighten everything up and I instantly feel my mood lift. 

-Another thing that has helped a lot, that I want to focus on in the rest of this post, is getting ready. I know that may sound silly but it honestly has made a HUGE difference for me. And it makes sense if you think about it. Of course if I'm lounging around in my pajamas all day I'm going to feel lazy and unmotivated to get anything done! Even though it's really hard to get myself to get ready when I know I'm just going to be at home all day, I make myself do it because I know it will set the mood for the rest of my day. 

Like I said before, I don't have a ton of time to spend getting ready so I just focus on doing a few simple things. I change out of whatever I wore to bed--even if it's into something comfortable like leggings and a tunic I feel better just getting dressed. I do something to my hair even if I just brush it haha that's progress most days! And my newest addition to my routine that I think has made the biggest difference: LIPSENSE.

 I discovered the magic of lipstick when I was dating Ben and would put it on every time I knew I was going to see him. It gave me that added boost of confidence that I think every girl needs when dating. Then when I was pregnant and just feeling huge I remembered this discovery and went through a phase where I would put lipstick on every day and it seriously helped! The only thing I didn't like is that it would be completely gone by the end of the date or when I was pregnant by the end of the first meal I ate (and I ate a lot haha). So I felt good when I got ready but it didn't last as long as I would have liked. Cue LipSense. It lasts ALL. DAY. LONG. And I'm serious. I have tried it and it works. Better yet--it doesn't come off or smear when you eat, drink, kiss, or even rub it with your hand. I think it's magic, haha. It has been a lifesaver for me! I know this may sound silly and you might be thinking-- why would you wear lipstick to hang around your house all day? I know I might just be crazy but I just feel better! I feel more put together which makes me feel happy which makes me feel like I want to accomplish things. And anything that can get me motivated when I'm at home all day is a winner in my book.

 

If you read my last post you know that I've been trying to focus less on outward appearance. Yes! I most definitely have and I'm trying realllllly hard to be less critical of myself. And putting on a little bit of lipstick actually helps to increase my self confidence and boost my mood (making me less self critical). While I am 100% about not basing our value on our appearance I also believe that it's important to do something for yourself each day that makes you feel good about yourself. That could be saying a positive phrase in the mirror, reading your favorite book, blogging, or even curling your hair or putting on lipstick. If it's one of that latter that doesn't mean that you're self absorbed. As I mentioned in my last post, it isn't inherently bad to care about your appearance, but when your appearance becomes an obsession or something that decreases your happiness THAT is when there is cause for concern! 

So, I will continue to start my day with a little lipstick. Because it lifts my mood. Because it makes me feel more confident. Because I want Ben to come home to a wife who doesn't look like a mommy zombie (most days haha) even though he is the sweetest and doesn't even mind :) 

What's something you do for yourself each day?? If you can't think of anything--start something today! If you want to try out this miracle that has come into my life click here :) My AMAZING friend is a distributor for this wonderful product and she would love to answer any of your questions! Or you can just go to her page to browse all of the fun colors like I like to do :)

"The prettiest thing you can wear is a smile." ♡

xoxoxoxo