Why Moms Can Dress Their Best

After the birth of my first son, I did not step foot into a dressing room for months. I definitely wasn’t feeling my best. I remember my sister coming to visit me, and we decided to head to Nordstrom Rack. Inside the store, I felt like a lost puppy. Fighting back tears and frustration, swiping hanger after hanger. Nothing looked right and nothing fit right. Not too mention, I winced at every sound, sniffle, or sigh my 3-month old made in his stroller.

“What if he CRIES in the store!? Will we be asked to leave? How fast can I make it back to the car? Ok forget it, I’m leaving…”

Shopping trip fail.

So we went back a second time. This time I did make it into the dressing room. I closed my eyes and said a prayer as I zipped up my first pair of post-pregnancy pants. Wait, they just zipped? It was a miracle.  I started feeling pretty good about myself, and I left with a new pair of pants and a pretty blouse. However, it didn’t take long before I soon discovered my shopping choices, albeit stylish, were very unsuitable for my new mom life. Those items ended up hanging in my closet, completely untouched. What was I thinking buying a dry clean only blouse?

New Mom Wear

The problem was, I only knew how to shop for clothes from my previous sans kids, desk-job life… I wrestled with thoughts like,
“What do I even begin to shop for now that I am a stay-at-home mom? Do I just live in sweats? Does it even matter what I wear if I’m covered in spit up anyways? And on top of that, this post-baby body is still a very unfamiliar territory and nothing else fits me right now…Ugh, forget it, sweats it is…”

Let me stop you right there. I was a hot mess. A hot, exhausted, milk dried in my hair, spit up on my shirt, can’t quite button that top button of my skinny jeans, sleep-deprived mess. But as I began to navigate through this new chapter of my life, eventually my clothes followed suit, but not after many, many mistakes. However, in spite of this pain and frustration, God grew in me a new found sympathy with moms and others struggling in this way.

Who Cares About Your Appearance Anyways?

Truth be told, during those early months and even in the toddler years, yes, I could easily make it through my day wearing my husband’s t-shirts and sweats, with my hair unwashed, with my teeth unbrushed, and without a trace of make-up on. Last time I checked, my 6-month-old had no idea what I was wearing, nor what I looked like, nor does he care as long as he is getting fed. Trying to keep a tiny human alive is more than enough. The least of my concerns is my appearance.

But I know, in my heart of hearts, this is not what God has intended for me or for you. I am not saying that God only cares about our outward appearance. God loves us no matter what–spit-up, sweats and all. But as a God who loves us as much as He does, He wants to see us putting our best foot forward. He wants you and me to take care of our beautiful mama selves! It doesn’t matter whether or not you leave the house that day, it doesn’t matter whether anyone notices you or not, what matters is that God wants you to thrive in all stages of your life. And ain’t no one thrivin’ in wearing their pajamas or loungewear 24/7.

It’s Okay to Make Time For Yourself

So my encouragement for you today is to take some time for yourself. Maybe it’s getting your nails done, maybe it’s a relaxing bubble bath, or maybe it’s even taking a nap. Give yourself some grace and permission to put the baby down, jump in the shower, and put on something sans spit-up. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just comfortable, practical, and clean.  By taking some time to take care of yourself today, you will feel confident about yourself and in turn, your family will benefit from that positivity!

Stay tuned because next time, I’ll be back to give you a practical, step-by-step morning routine, that will have you ready to take on the day!

 

Thanks for reading!
Keanna