My #1 Tip for New Moms (or any moms, really)
Tip or secret weapon? You tell me once you’ve tried this…
When Ava was born, I was over the moon. I was already a stay at home mom before she came along (or I guess, a stay at home human? dog mom?) and once she came into this world on March 14, 2016 I was so so happy. I was in love and I was in awe and I had waited my entire life to be a mom — the moment was finally here and I couldn’t have been more excited.
Miss Ava Sue was a dream baby — didn’t really ever cry, slept through the night from day 1 (like we really couldn’t wake her up if we tried) and basically, she was the definition of the perfect baby. She was as easy as can be and my goodness I sure lucked out with that.
But this thing happened...
I couldn’t get anything done. I couldn’t get any work done (the little work I had to do) and I couldn’t keep the house clean and there’s no way I was cooking dinner and all of that made me feel like a bit of a failure. Edit: a big time failure. I wanted to be super mom. Okay, okay. I knew I was just trying to cope with this big change in my life and I knew I was absolutely 100% an amazing mama but I just couldn’t seem to do anything. Nothing ever got done and it drove me crazy.
My businesses were small at the time and this Instagram was just starting out (of course, I wasn’t The Overwhelmed Mommy until I was a mommy). I had no excuse not to get done what I needed to do because in all honesty, it wasn’t much at all. And I was so down about all of it. Like actually, I felt like I was failing as a wife — not as a mom but as a human who needed to, you know, do life.
Fast forward to Franky...
My Instagram is now a full time job and instead of just one, I’ve got two businesses. I’m doing well and I’m staying busy and somehow, Franky is born and I’m able to get all the things done. Well, far more than I got done with Ava.
Of course I have my days where nothing gets checked off of my to do list, I definitely can never catch up on all of those emails and yes, I get plenty overwhelmed running business from home while being a stay-at-home mom to a toddler and a baby but most days, I feel great and I feel accomplished and this is how:
I get dressed and ready.
Seriously, that’s all there is to it. Instead of staying in my pajamas all day like I did with Ava (because I can) I do my best to get ready every single morning. Every single morning. I wash my face and I put on a little bit of makeup and I put on an outfit that makes me feel cute and trendy... even when we have absolutely nowhere to go.
So there ya have it — that’s my best tip for new moms and second time moms and third and fourth and tenth time moms. If you’re feeling like you can’t get anything accomplished and you’re feeling like you’re failing at that “to do” list, I swear by this method.
Get up, get ready and see where it takes you ;)