bare necessities

Today was a tough one. Everly has been teething again, and I have put my foot down on sleep training and am being ruthless in not picking her up. Unfortunately, she's developed a hoarse voice from all the screaming, and it is so pitiful and cute that Everett can't stop himself from giving in to her demands. Needless to say, we're all exhausted. Everly and I spent today resting; walking down to our neighborhood's pond to watch the geese and get some vitamin D, and snuggling while watching Netflix and breastfeeding.

About an hour ago, however, I reached my limit of how long I could stay in my pjs. I don't know about everyone else, but I get so sick and lazy feeling if I don't get up and get ready for the day. To combat those feelings, I got dressed at 5 pm, did my hair and makeup, and cleaned a little with some nice smelling products like Mrs. Meyers. It took me only a few minutes to feel so much better, so I thought I'd share my essentials to a daily routine here.

cosmetics

(from left to right)

1. Hairspray-- I know I'm becoming a southern mama because I don't feel right unless my hair is fluffed and sprayed.

2. Dove dry spray (or any deodorant)-- I bought this on a whim when I was feeling like treating myself (oh how times have changed when $5 deodorant is treating yourself) and I love it.

3. Lipstick-- A swipe of a shade slightly darker than your natural lip color will leave you feeling refreshed and put together.

4. Tinted moisturizer-- For covering up dark circles and keeping my skin from flaking off (TMI maybe, but breastfeeding can be really dehydrating!)

5. Perfume-- I'm not gonna lie, I keep this by the door for last minute freshening.

You may have noticed how several of my picks have some sort of fragrance. That is not accidental. Motherhood can be very smelly.

tools of the trade

I posted a while back about the top pieces of baby gear that I recommended, but today I'm letting you in on the few essentials I need for my personal survival, self care, and general functionality.

(from left to right)

1. Markers/pens/pencils-- I write things down all the time. I need them to look pretty. I don't ever carry a pen if I don't like how it writes; what's the point in providing your own writing utensil if it's not attractive to revisit?

2. Phone-- I know, I know. iMommying is not the best route. However, there are a few apps I use on a regular basis that I need for sanity purposes:

• Afterlight-- for editing photos on the go; makes my instagram look pretty.
• Chatbooks-- I am in LOVE with this app/service. You subscribe to your instagram feed, and every 60 pictures you post, you get sent a book for only $6! It's $6 per book, not per month so you can go at whatever pace you want. I use it to get my pictures offline and to send copies to grandparents. (You can exclude any pictures from the book that you don't want to print, i.e. giveaway reposts)
• Forest-- This one is fun and helps me to be less plugged in. I know what you're thinking, an app that reduces your screen time? In Forest, you "plant" a virtual tree and set a timer for its growth. If you close out the app and try to access other things, the tree dies. To collect a forest full of trees, you have to be totally unplugged from your phone for self-determined periods of time. It's great. I probably only have 2 trees so far because I do so much of my business on my phone, but I'm going to try to do better. 

3. Notebook-- I have a ton of cheapo little notebooks scattered around my living spaces, because I need to write things down all the time. I always feel like inspiration strikes hardest when I am on the go, so my notebooks go with me.


I hope this little list can help you find some sanity on those days where you look at the baby with your hair frazzled and circles under your eyes, and think, "I'm glad you're so cute."

--Caroline