Ahhh….Motherhoood

Max William Inlander
7 lbs. 8 oz. - 21 inches

I’ve always said that the primary function of my job as a Personal Stylist isn’t to dress women, but rather to make women feel good about themselves by empowering them through their wardrobes. Feeling put together everyday allows them to achieve much more in their personal and professional lives than they ever thought possible. Most of these women are moms and working with me is the first major step they’ve taken to prioritize themselves since having children. Part of my job is to cheer them on in this endeavor, constantly reminding them that the more they take care of themselves, the more energy they have to give their families.

After years of hearing stories from my clients about not having time to shower for days when their children were small and every excuse in the book about not taking/having the time to make themselves feel put together every day, I always wondered if I would be able to practice what I was preaching when my time came, or if I would also fall into the “Mommy” trap of wearing a stained tee shirt and not so flattering yoga pants every day.  

My first step in making sure this did not happen was to shop for attractive nursing pajamas before my due date. If I was going to spend 3 weeks in my pajamas, they would at least be chic black or flattering colors! And being me, I didn’t limit myself to just the maternity department, searching out cuts that I knew would serve the same purpose but would be in better quality fabrics. I then took care to pack my hospital bag with a going home outfit that while comfortable and practical, would also make me feel ready to face the world. Ignoring the stories I had read in multiple places about how silly it was to think one was going to wear makeup after having a baby, I did pack and put on makeup to leave the hospital!

How many of you saw the episode of the Rachel Zoe show when she comes home from the hospital in full professional hair and makeup, as well as a fabulous outfit, complete with a hat out of Love Story? I am not suggesting one go that far, but I can tell you that clean hair with a little product in it, some concealer, blush, and mascara, can go a long way in making a girl feel ready to face the world after not sleeping for 3 days!

So am I practicing what I preach now that I’m in the situation? Yes. I take a shower every day, no matter what, before I put on one of my coordinated nursing outfits. I also take 30 seconds to put on concealer, blush and mascara every morning. Does this “routine” take 15 minutes that could be used for something else, like answering the 300 emails in my inbox right now? Of course, but like I always say, life is about prioritizing, and my priority is to be there for myself so that I can be there for Max William.

Thank you to all of my friends and clients for the good wishes this past week and everything you have taught me about motherhood over the last 13 years that I have been working as a Personal Stylist. And in answer to a bunch of you, I did not send out my blog myself the day I went into labor! You can thank my dedicated intern, Michelle Clemente, for publishing the blog I had written earlier that week.

 I’m sure you will all understand that I may or may not be showing up every week on Facebook, Twitter and Blogspot over the next 3 months of my maternity leave. Maybe I should turn things over to you, dear reader? Please post your fabulous finds, fashion tips and tricks on my Facebook page and let me know if you have a great idea for a guest blog post.