Beyond the ponytail and yoga pants

The past 5 yrs I have slumped into the dreaded mom style.  You know the typical, ponytail and yoga pants. In all honesty the yoga pants, for me, are because they are the most comfortable and fit the best. I am over weight and buying pants that fit is a pain and next to impossible for the amount of money that I am willing to spend. I don’t want to be in the mom style but most days I am lucky if I get a shower let alone have time for make-up and doing my hair. When I do get the extra time, I don’t want to primp I want to sleep or read or check Facebook.  As a mom I have very little time to myself and the time that I do get I want to just chill out. As I got to thinking about it I wondered how many of my other mom friends felt this way and how they went about changing it. I wondered how they made themselves feel pretty. So, I asked them.Now, every woman, friend, wife and mom are different meaning that how they feel pretty will be different. It was fun for me to see their responses. Many were the same as mine while some I hadn’t thought of.  While reading all their ideas and looking at their pictures I started think about how I can set a good example. Set an example for my daughter and possibly some of my mom friends that also struggle with this. Now I am not saying that I am setting a good example but that I think I should be. Every mom struggles with different things. This just happens to be my struggle, but a struggle that I want to work on.

So, here are some of my beautiful mommy friends and their ways of helping themselves feel pretty!

My friend Brandi finds that painting her toe nails helps! I have to agree, I feel a lot better when my nails are painted. Especially if it is a bright pretty color!

Amanda enjoys added pops of color to her hair! Now, I have never done this but I have considered it. Wondering what my wonderful husband would think if I showed up with pink highlights.

 

 

 

 

 

Lizzie from http://coralberryheart.wordpress.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/CoralberryH3ART likes to wear lipstick to help her mood during the day.

 

 

 

There are those friends who felt it best that there not be pictures… Like the fact of actually finding clothes that don’t have spit up on them. Take heart Jennifer, the time does come when you won’t have that worry anymore. Also, there are some days where something as simple as a shower helps Amy Meade from http://veganwithout.wordpress.com/ to feel human again! I remember the days of no showers. I actually had a friend that I would call after the princess was born to come watch my kids so I could take a shower. She really doesn’t know how wonderful it was to have someone who was willing to come let me take 10 mins to help the stink disappear.

Jackie Houston from http://www.iheartartsncrafts.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/iheartartscrafts finds that working out with an end goal in mind helps her feel good about herself. She is training for a marathon. Let me just say that you are my hero Jackie. Not just for the marathon but I also LOVE reading your blog and great ideas for kids crafts.

 

I find that actually doing my hair, beyond the ponytail, helps me. I mean, who wouldn’t feel better putting something like this in your hair…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really like braiding my hair and doing a variation on a ponytail as I did here.

 

 

 

 

 

Esther from http://onehotmama2005.wordpress.com/ likes to straighten her curly hair. I completely understand this one. And it is also true that you always want what you can’t have. For me and Esther that is straight hair.

 

Vanessa from http://www.mamashappyhive.com/ likes to dress up and do her make-up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With all of these great ideas I learned a lot. I learned that it doesn’t take much to make moms feel like they are pretty. A few more of mine are brushing my teeth.

Now, most would think that wouldn’t mean much but in all honesty I forget some days. I get to involved with my kids and getting my husband off to work that I forget. So something as simple as clean teeth and fresh breath are amazing.

Also, wearing jewelery.

It is very easy as a moms and women to forget about ourselves. We have the habit of putting ourselves last on the list. How can we expect to take care of everyone else when we don’t take care of ourselves? As you can see from this list it doesn’t take much. Something as simple as a shower or a wedding ring can change your day. I guess my challenge is, no matter where you are in your life as a mom, wife or friend, what can you do today that will help you feel pretty?