A Self Care Journey

Soooo, I’m starting from scratch in the self-care department. After babies I definitely let that fall to the bottom of my daily to-dos and my self-care looked a lot like brushing my teeth and maybe getting a haircut once a year.. and I’m talking cutting it myself in my bathroom. I just went to a salon last week for the first time in 3 years and it felt INCREDIBLE!

I feel like this is a pretty common story. Mothers, (and it’s not always mothers, but I feel it’s more common) often “letting ourselves go” or saying we’re “too busy” for self care. Um, hi. I’ve been there/am there?

In January when Cru weaned it was the first time in over 6 years that I had my body to myself. From ages 23-30 I was either pregnant or breastfeeding. I’m so thankful for those experiences, and at the same time I recognize how truly exhausting they were and how much it took out of me. It’s ok to see the beauty and the pain for what it is. I find there are many conflicting emotions with motherhood, but that’s also what makes it such a beautiful ride.

So here’s to a journey of making self care a priority again and part of the daily routine in 2021!

A few things I’ve been trying to stick to (try not to be too impressed ok?;)

Washing my face every night.

I know. I know. But if I’M BEING HONEST I don’t wash my face everyday. (I told you, I’m trying here). But hey, your girl just turned 30.. and I know I should be proactive about my face care now, right?! I’ve always been pretty homemade with anything skincare related thus far. And although I’m currently researching products to try and step up my game, right now I’m still pretty new to this whole “beauty routine” thing so….

How I’m doing it:

Oil Cleansing. Basically you wash your face with oil (I use coconut oil and a drop of a serum that I make) let it sit a minute and then use a warm face cloth to wipe away the oil. I LOVE doing this, and my skin always feels great afterwards. However, there are lots of mixed reviews about doing this “you’ll clog your pores! You crazy! You animal!” etc. I personally have dry skin so I can’t speak for other skin types, but it works really well for me.

Exfoliate. Right now I exfoliate about once a week.
-I also like using those facial brushes, I used to have an electric one and I really loved it! (I have a manual one like this right now)

Steam. Sometimes I just take a warm (not too hot!) wash cloth and cover my face for a little and wipe it down and apply a serum. It always feels so refreshing afterwards.

Face Mask. I don’t do it all the time, but I love using a vitamin C mask. I always feel so fresh and glowy the next day.

Hydrating well.

I really do love water, but will honestly FORGET. Some days I’m all of a sudden parched and know that just means I’m already dehydrated.

How I’m doing it:

Drinking water first thing in the morning. I’ve made it apart of my wake up routine to first drink water before much else.

Finding different ways to hydrate. I love doing spa waters. I really only started doing them when I was pregnant with Mila because my mid-wife recommended it, but have been hooked on them during the warmer months. (cucumber and mint is my summer fave)

Exercise.

After Cru was born I was pretty awful about exercising consistently. I would start, get discouraged (My core felt so weak after giving birth to Cru) and stop. But a couple months ago, I started working out 30 mins a day 3-5 days a week, it doesn’t sound like much but it is making a difference in how I feel and honestly the energy boost is the most important thing to me. I’m currently doing some strength training, pilates, and yoga.

Alone Time.

Really, the only way for me to achieve this wonder is to get up early. I’ve always been a morning person, but after babies I found myself staying up later and later! Apparently this “revenge bedtime” is a thing and common among parents, recently making headlines since the pandemic… and to no surprise it wasn’t working out. My daughter gets up very early so I knew the best thing to do was to get back to my morning loving self. It requires me to go to bed earlier (I try to be in bed by 9:45/10pm) and I’m up at 5am. This has become easier since Cru has been sleeping through the night (weaning was the ticket to that train I tell you). I have a little time to meditate and read and do my gratitude practice and then my little lady is up by 5:40ish, Cru is up shortly after, and then it’s time to make breakfast at 6am.

Cheers to self care!