About Baby Care

Posts Tagged ‘mothers’

It may be hard work (and sometimes thankless work!) but we say that being a mum is still the best job in the world!

1. Your baby adores you!
Forget all those one true loves you worked your way through in school and university – and truth is even your partner won’t love you as much as your child does. When she gazes up at you as she feeds, grips your finger in her hand and smiles that first smile your heart will melt. That’s the magic of being a mum!

2. You can buy gorgeous clothes without feeling guilty
Once you’re a mum you can go clothes shopping without having to hide it all in the back of the wardrobe or having to worry about being able to squeeze into that cute new outfit. It is so much fun to shop for your baby – you don’t have to try it all on, and you don’t have to worry if your bum will look big in it!

3. You can read all you want
In your hectic life, do you ever get the chance to read? It’s a pastime that often gets deprioritised, but once you have a baby you don’t need and excuse. And as she grows older, you’ll know the joy of sharing the same stories that were your own family favourites years ago with your mum (plus, if you join your local library or buy books from an online auction site, it’ll be free or cheap!).

4. You get to look at the most beautiful sight in the world every day
Forget sunsets at the beach or glorious mountain views – nothing will compare to seeing your baby’s smiles and fun on a daily basis.

5. You get to try those scrumptious baby foods!
Come on, who among us hasn’t been tempted to try it when it has names like apple and vanilla crème purée, apple and mango rice pudding, creamy chicken and rice bake, or yummy Lancashire hotpot? Some of those savoury dinners make a fantastic quick pasta sauce for mum too, and as for the puddings… yummy!

6. You see the world for the first time (again!)
You may be used to everything you see and experience on a daily basis but your baby isn’t. You’ll gain a whole new appreciation for things you might have been taking for granted once you see how they enchant her. That snow you curse about because it stops the trains will turn into soft fluffy marshmallow puffs when your baby is seeing it for the first time!

7. You’ve got the doctor on call all the time!
Feeling down about something? Overworked, tired, and taken for granted? When your child wraps her arms around you and tells you she loves you all the bad thigns will go away, just like that.

8. You can join in messy play
Even if we spent out childhoods playing in the mud, as grownups we have to follow the rules of adult life – one of which being that fingerpainting, moulding amazing creations from playdough, or drowning newspaper strips in wallpaper paste and constructing fantastic papier mache spaceships isn’t advisable. But once you have kids, you have the perfect excuse to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in!

9. Your child gives you a mental workout!
You will become a child psychologist extraordinaire once you become a mum. Just trying to figure out what’s going on in your baby’s head, why your toddler does what she does, how best to tap into your preschooler’s talents, will have you constantly wondering, problem solving, learning more about human behaviour than you ever thought possible, and becoming an expert when it comes to plate-spinning.

10 You’ll learn how to give of yourself
Before we become mums all we really think about is ourselves – our work, our relationships, our health, our weight, what keeps us happy. Often we can become so invested in our own needs and desires that we become selfish. But when you become a mum you’ll set all of that aside and give yourself – your time, your love, your knowledge – to your child as she grows!

It’s an age old adage that you get out of your beauty regime what you put in. But when you’re a busy active mum on the go it’s hard to find an hour to
apply lotions and potions every day. Here’s how you can maximise your routine whilst minimising the time you spend in the bathroom.

• Wear clear nail varnish.

One of the biggest giveaway signs of a women who doesn’t have time to look after herself is old chipped nail varnish. Having vibrant painted nails is a 2-3 times a week committment, and if you’d rather spend your time with your kids than a bottle of polish keep your nail varnish clear: that way you’re nails will look shiny and healthy, but when the varnish chips noone will notice. If you do pop on a vibrant colour for a special occasion then remove it as soon as it starts to chip. Not only will this make you look less undone, it will also prevent nail discolouration.

• Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise.

I know you’ve heard it time and again but you’re body will really thank you later: moisturise every time you have a bath or shower. It’s quick, it’s cheap and it’s the one thing guarenteed to keep your skin supple, youthful, and glowing.

• Lipstick is your new best friend.

No busy mum has time to apply a full face of make up everyday (and if you do we want to know how you fit it in!) but you can trick your way to make up-chic. By slicking on lipstick or lip gloss as you run out the door, you’re making your mouth the focal point of your face.You’ll look like you’re put together and ready to face the day without wasting any time (or money) on pore clogging powders and potions. You’ll also avoid getting the mascara wand in your eye whilst your trying to multitask by putting on your eye make up and stopping your toddler from drinking the water from the toilet at the same time!

• Take care of your feet.

The kids are in bed and you’re ready to collapse on the sofa: why not soak your feet at the same time? It’s relaxing, and good for you too. A few drops of oil, or even bubble bath or shower gel, will have a calming effect as you unwind from your hectic day.  Once you’ve softened your feet in the warm water remove any hard skin with a pumice stone and apply a foot lotion, or if you don’t have one, your usual moisturiser.  As you age hard skin on the soles of your feet can make walking uncomfortable and even painful: taking care of any problems as they arrive can save you years of discomfort in the long-run.

• Keep your hand cream to hand

Busy hands are tired hands. Keep a small tub of your hand cream in your handbag, or baby bag, and apply it whenever your hands feel dry or tired. The scent can be
invigorating and taking twenty seconds for yourself to massage the cream into the skin makes for a soothing break. Make applying your lotion two-three times a day a part of your routine. You can do it whilst your on the move and it’ll help keep your hands soft to the touch.

• Go for bronze

A good bronzer can hide a multitude of sins. If you’re feeling tired or pale then pop on some bronzer and it will perk your skin up instantly. You can also apply your bronzer to your arms, legs, and decolletage, giving instant holiday skin, and immediate glamour.

Do you have any tips to add? How do you keep on top of your beauty routine? We’d love to hear how all you busy mums do it!