I just turned 35. That has always been my "scary age". Don't ask me why...I'm not really sure. But I feared it. But then it happened and I realized part of "me" this past year has changed.
I believe every Mom has different "me's" inside her. There's me the Mom, me the wife, and then me, before I was married and before I had kids. Do you remember her? Did you put her on the backburner? As a wife, and especially a Mom, we give up a lot of things for ourselves. Any mother of a newborn can especially relate. We expect it when we decide to sacrifice our bodies to stretchmarks, our faces to hormonal breakouts and our once thick hair to postpartum hairloss (which is why mine was chopped after baby #1).
I used to be the queen of “self-care” when it was just me. I would always have my nails painted, I would spend hours on my makeup, I would pamper and take care of myself with face and hair masks. I will admit I was a bit of a product junkie and would spend way too much time and money in Sephora. But to my defense I wanted to work as a Cosmetic Chemist, developing new product formulations, so I considered it all “research”.
But then I became the “Mom me” and I was happy to be selfless to my children. It wasn’t until I had my third child that I started feeling like I had lost that person I once was. Why do we feel like it’s selfish to take care of ourselves too? I never want my daughter to grow up thinking she has to feel that way if she wants to become a mother. I need to lead by example. She needs to see at a young age that it’s important to take time for yourself. Do something for yourself that makes you happy. The happier you are as a person the happier you’ll be as a mother (can I get an AMEN?!)
Mine started as a simple thing. I missed the simple fact of being able to take 10 minutes for myself in the morning to put on my makeup. I couldn’t keep a toddler out of my bathroom long enough, he pulled everything out of the drawers and my oldest…well of course she wanted to “try on” every color I did. So I needed SIMPLE, QUICK and EASY. I truly feel like Maskcara Beauty is a gift to all Mother’s. It made me feel like me again, yet I can do it with a baby on my hip if need be. And it brought me back to loving all things makeup and beauty again. It taught me to start taking care of myself again. Putting on my makeup every day is my self-care. And self-care isn’t selfish, its survival. And all Mom’s need it. Whatever it is that brings you joy and makes life a little simpler, a little less hectic and crazy for school drop off. Do it. Use it. Share it.
I had to share it. I wasn’t looking for a business on top of being a new Momma of three. But it has helped me find the old me. The me that was ambitious. I begged for years to stay home with my kids and I wouldn’t give that up for the world, no matter how much I miss adult conversations from working as a Chemist. But now I have the best of both worlds. I can stay home and be there for every moment with them and do something for myself. Push myself and contribute to my family, fuel my creativity, lead and encourage other women, and give me my confidence back. I’m finally finding my balance as a wife, a Mom and a #bossbabe. Remember one day your babies will be grown and will leave the house and it will be just you again. Do you wonder what happens if you give them so much there is nothing left? So go call your girlfriends and push aside the mom guilt. Take some time for yourself this week and see how much better a patient and more loving mama you are……and a much happier wife!
xoxo Sarah