beauty tricks for moms

As a new mom (five and a half months isn't that long!), I often find myself feeling rumpled and frumpy. I feel like I will never be clean or dry again (can I get an amen??). I want to look nice but I feel like I don't have the time or the energy to put into it like I used to. I read a lot of blogs, and so many of them tell me that I need to spend a ton of time working out to fit into a certain body mold and wear layers of makeup to hide my exhaustion. "Mommy street style" is a real thing, but I look at the outfits and wonder how I would manage to nurse in them. I take care of myself, but I just wonder how I am supposed to accomplish all these steps to being beautiful.

Then I realize it's the look in my daughter's face when I rescue her from her crib. It's the way my husband smiles when he says, "She has your eyes." It's the sweet conversations I have in baby language. Just as every other woman's beauty lies in their true identity, mine now rests in the heart of a child who loves me more than anything.

1. To mask puffy eyes and revive dull skin, bury face in a chubby baby belly (for at least 5 minutes, consecutively or otherwise).

2. For toned arms and a lifted butt, dance around the kitchen with a baby. For added cardio, sing silly songs at the top of your lungs.

3. For smooth and silky hands, catch spit-up with your bare palms.

4. For smile lines, see how many things you can do to make your baby laugh.

5. To stay on top of the latest trends, place a fashion magazine under the seat pad in your glider as you rock your sweet baby to sleep. 

-- Caroline

Got a tip of your own? Leave it in the comments!