Before I had little miss, I made a few promises to myself. A few of them included continuing to make our marriage a priority, shaving my legs and washing my hair regularly, fitting in workouts when I can, and to change out of my 12 year old pajama pants. Regularly. Of course, it wasn’t until she arrived that I realized those promises were easier said than done. Each took work. Each took effort. Yet, little by little, as the weeks went by, I started to fall into a routine, a rhythm, that made keeping those promises to myself easier possible……
1. Keeping Marriage A Priority: This was (and still is) my number one priority. We had a lot of conversations, pre-parenthood days, as to what we would like our marriage to look like AC (after child….). We still wanted our wine + music nights, and we still wanted to travel (a lot.). While it took some fine tuning here and there (what doesn’t when you’re thrust into a new role) we eventually found our groove… we still have our wine + music nights on Friday evenings, and we still travel…. the complexities have changed, but they’re still there…. and just as much appreciated as before.
2. Shaving My Legs + Doing My Hair: Two things collided when Harper was born. It was the middle of winter (frequently shaving my legs was not necessary) and I found an excellent dry shampoo. Period.
3. Fitting In Workouts: This was another big one for me…. fitness had always been something I valued. It had been a part of my morning routine ever since my post-college days. Naturally, I tried to continue to make it a priority. In those early days, when we were doing a 4:30am feeding (and it took an hour for her to nurse…..) once Harper was back down, I headed out to the gym. Yes, I was tired. Oddly enough it energized me more throughout the day. It’s something TJ and I have worked into our routines. I head out first thing in the morning and when I get back he heads out for his. It’s sort of like clockwork now, but it took a little while to get there.
4. Changing Out Of My 12 Year Old Pajama Pants: Boy were these comfortable immediately after giving birth. Stretched out, no shape… a few holes here and there… perfect for that post-preggo bod. All that aside, I didn’t exactly feel myself in them. So, I made plans…. plans that involved pulling them off and putting on something publicly acceptable. Of course, there were always those days where I really wanted to stay in them…. so, on those days, I implemented my simple strategy. Comfortable leggings, and all the right pieces to pull it together…..
…. and while those pieces have changed over the months (I mean, this outfit would not be acceptable in summer….), they have all maintained the same criteria: simple and versatile. Lately, my favorite option has consisted of tossing on an oversized cozy sweater (thank the Lord this trend is “in” right now….), a beanie (to cover up that failed #2 promise to myself)….. and a pair of boots to pull it all together. While I love a good bootie, nothing beats a killer over the knee boot (I opt for flat version 9 times out of 10…) to make you feel effortlessly pulled together for a coffee date, day at the mall, or a casual lunch. Yet, those babies can run you a pretty penny sometimes. When I stumbled across this pair, I was sold. They were an excellent price, well made, and looked just like so many of the more expensive options out there. I loved how they instantly made this otherwise relatively basic outfit come together (much better than those pajama pants. seriously.). A few other favorites to pull together any basic outfit include this black over the knee option, this heeled mule (#obsessed), and these peep-toed booties (which I already own and love).
As I approach the year mark, I see that those promises to myself actually helped me to maintain somewhat of a sense of self in those early months…. and for that, I am grateful! So, here’s to tossing off those old pajama pants and feeling fab!
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{Outfit Details || Sweater (comes in multiple colors, wearing XS) | Leggings | Boots c/0 (TTS, excellent price!) | Beanie | Bag | Sunglasses}
*Thank you to Payless for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
