My Mama Essentials



During the last seven months as I've been re-learning how to take care of myself. As a new mama with a busy schedule and hardly any personal time, I've relied heavily on some of my tried and true, favorite products along with finding new ones that fit my needs better these days. It's funny how the simple things are just not so simple anymore and I'm constantly looking for ways to make the most of my personal time! Let's first start with some of my beauty favorites that help get me presentable! These are not all the products I use, just the ones that I love and have/or plan to repurchase. I purchase most of these items at Target, unless stated otherwise:

1. By the time I'm getting to bed, I am so tired so these Neutrogena Makeup Removing Towelettes save me. 2. I used to use foundation before I had Carly, but now with limited time I have become a fan of bb creams, especially Revlon Colorstay Photoready BB Cream because it not only gives a sheer coverage, but it acts as my daily moisturizer and sunscreen in one quick step! 3. Another face fav is the Physicians Formula Translucent Face Powder- I love the way it looks on my skin over a bb cream. 4. Dry shampoos save my life. My arsenal against two...three...day hair that gets neglected in my speedy showers until absolutely necessary. My favorites are Batiste Blush* (I purchase this at Ulta or Amazon) and Dove Invigorating because they work and smell the best in my opinion- and I have tried about 10 brands. 5. In order to bring perkiness to my tired eyes I use L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara. 6. My battle against morning under eye baggage: MAC Studio Fix Concealer* (I purchase this at Macy's). If this is ever discontinued you will all see how tired I really am....yikes! 7. Absolutely LOVE these hair ties* from Anthropologie because they are fun & don't leave creases in my hair after wearing my default "mom bun". 8. I purchased this Victoria's Secret Spring Shimmer Eye Kit* last year and use it almost every single day (unfortunately it is no longer available, but I have seen it on Amazon!). I love the neutral colors in the palette and having all my colors in one place is so nice & easy; the eyeliner that comes in the palette is awesome too! 9. I buy these Johnson's mini lotions in the travel size section at Target. I love the way it smells and it moisturizes my hands that get soooo dry from constantly washing. I have these everywhere so they're always handy! 10. EOS lip balm is the best and it lasts forever; and I use mine A LOT. 11. I keep a collection of these wonderful little Bath and Body Works PocketBacs because I always fall for the 5/$5 special. 12. This Moroccan Argan Oil from Organix is my little split end solider that helps soften my ends and makes my hair healthier overall. I normally don't have time to blow dry my hair and this doesn't leave my hair oily at all, but I only put it on from halfway down when my hair is wet, or just the bottom 3 inches if it's dry and needs a little extra TLC.

A FEW OTHER MUST HAVES:

1. Hair

A super fast, easy, go-to, no mirror required, hairstyle that works on anything from freshly washed to 3 day old hair. Mine: the messy ballerina/top knot bun! This is so simple. I just pull my hair up like I'm doing a ponytail, twist it until it starts to roll up into a bun, then just wind it around it's self, hair tie around the base, then just pull and mess with it until it's how you like it (I've found that pulling opposite corners of the bun keep it tight while loosening the look as well...if that makes sense?). I prefer mine poufy and kind messy, with some small wispy pieces in front to frame my face. DONE. Probably takes me 2 minutes, if that.

2. Accessory

I always wear my watch so I can keep track of Carly's schedule (bottles, naps, diaper changes, etc.)

3. Energy Source

Mine: Iced Coffee! I am a Starbucks addict. There I said it. If it were up to me, I would get my iced grande nonfat caramel macchiato or white mocha every day, twice a day. But since that is not realistic nor budget friendly, I have found a delicious alternative that keeps my coffee budget at a more husband-happy amount! I get the Starbucks Via Carmel Iced Coffee packets from the grocery store (or Target): mix half the packet with 8 oz cold water, add 3 oz cold unsweetened almond milk (I like Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk), 1 oz carmel flavored creamer (I like the International Delight Fat Free Carmel Macchaito), and ice. Simple, quick, and very very good! Even my husband who isn't a huge coffee fan liked it.

4. Go-to Outfits

My daily attempt at being presentable to the world varies depending on the amount of time I get to throw something together. One of the most valuable pieces of advice I can give any new mom is to have multiples of your favorite items that you know, without prior planning, goes well together and you feel/look great in. For me, 9 out of 10 times it's some combination of the items above. I love, love, LOVE Victoria's Seceret PINK line because it is so comfy, everything looks great together, and it's colorful & fun. I would say that 50% of my closet is from Victoria's Secret. I love their leggings, tshirts, sweats, tanks, bandeaus, long sleeved tees, everything! If I actually have time to put myself together, and am in the mood to be trendy (sort of...), I love wearing any combination of my colored skinnies, denim skinnies, Target long and lean tanks, maxi skirts, sandals, or slip on shoes. One of my favorite pieces in my closet is my J.Crew chambray shirt because it looks great with all my various colored jeans, maxi skirts, and even my black leggings. I own so many pairs of black leggings, it's almost embarrassing. So this is my style right now; it may change with time and probably somewhat with the come of summer heat. Of course, I have other clothes too, but this gives you an idea of what I wear the most. If I have time to, I enjoy going on Pinterest to find outfit inspirations. I usually have good luck searching a particular item, such as "teal skinny jeans", and seeing various outfit ideas come up. This helps on the "...I have nothing to wear" days.