When S initially asked me to contribute a few posts to ANMJ, I was really surprised. Flattered, but surprised. I appreciated her confidence in me and decided to leave the comfort zone of my own personal blog (where I live under the assumption that I am the only one reading it) and share my voice here.
The reason I was so unsure about contributing to a mom-style blog is mostly because I consider my 'style' to simply be an accidental whirlwind of comfort-meets-grandmother-meets-basics meets-accessories that could be found at a garage sale or on QVC. I'm a jeans and flats wearer, I repeat outfits on purpose. I don't read fashion magazines and I don't even like shopping. There, I said it.
What convinced me to add my voice? Before I contributed here, and before I was even an expectant mother, I was a loyal ANMJ reader. Even though I don't feel a passion for fashion the way S and M do, I do feel that confidence is the most important and attractive piece you can wear. Unlike most fashion blogs that emphasize trends and rely heavily on photo-shopped magazine images, this blog emphasizes dressing to your body and features pictures of real mothers looking great.
When you become a mother, suddenly your world is turned upside down. Everyone told you that 'everything' would be different after your baby arrived and you believed them, but you didn't really know what they meant. Every.Single.Thing. You are still you, or at least you're trying to be goshdarnit!, but you have a lot of other responsibilities and a new outlook on priorities. There are days when getting your teeth brushed or finding two minutes to shower are hard enough. So the idea of throwing together a cute outfit and possibly adding some make-up? Ridiculous!
Even if it is ridiculous, I'm starting to see that it's important. Of course there will be days where it just isn't imaginable, desirable or physically possible for you to get out of sweatpants, and that's fine. That's life. But most days when you're heading to work, going to the park, running to get groceries, or picking up children strewn all over town, you are presenting your face to the world. Like it or not, how you look sends a message and your child is listening closely to what that message is saying.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think the labels in your clothes or perfectly coiffed hair or an impeccably made-up face are all that important in the cosmic sense. Pursuits of vanity don't speak to your character, despite what pop culture tells us, and I hope to emphasize the importance of what's INSIDE when I'm raising my daughter. But putting on an outfit that makes you feel pretty and some some lip gloss that makes you feel more together can help make you feel more CONFIDENT. Ahhhh confidence, there it is again. The miracle beauty cure-all.
As tempting as it is to leave my teeth unbrushed while sporting a ripped hoodie circa 1999 over my sag bum yoga pants after a night of way too many awakenings (why, oh WHY aren't babies born with teeth!?), I have to admit that I feel more confident if I take 3 minutes (literally) and put on some skinny jeans, a henley and metallic sandals. Add a headband or a cute hat, a few swipes of a toothbrush and some blush and I'm out the door. Do I look like that mythical mother who can do it all AND get herself all fancy every morning? Not even close. Do I look like a human who is attacking the day head-on despite 9 consecutive months of sleep deprivation? I hope so. With just the little confidence boost I get from such minimal effort, I feel more calm, more happy, more able as a mother and a human being.
– Lane
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Want to read more from Lane? Check her out here….and psst – she's now in Japan!
