How This Mom Of 2 Under 2 Makes Time For Self-Care

Believe it or not, for about a week this past year I was a mom of 2 babies under the age of 1 – seriously.

While it’s been touch and go at times, I’m proud to say that I have survived thus far and am eager to share with you what’s helped to maintain my sanity and how I’ve managed to hold onto the last pieces of “me” by incorporating intentional moments of self-care.

Buckle up!

My first and most important tip: BE SELFISH. Okay, maybe not completely selfish, but allow yourself to have selfish moments throughout your day. Putting yourself first sometimes (especially as a new mama) is a must.

Let’s be honest, being a mom can feel almost impossible with all of the pressures and demands in this day and age. Pre-baby me was a firm believer in self-care: massages, naps, brunches, pedicures – you name it. This treasured ritual looks much different for me post-baby and, unfortunately for many moms these days, can be non-existent. We’ve reached a point where taking 30 minutes to bathe ourselves is now considered self-care – when the heck did this happen? The way I look at it, if taking a bath is now a form of “self-care” then you better believe I’m going to make it the most luxurious + relaxing bath there ever was. And I do. 😉

After my workday has ended, dinner has been eaten, and the babies are snoozing in their cribs, I hand my husband the baby monitors and retreat to my bathroom where I start the transformation process from a greasy mess to a zen goddess.

After letting my hair out of my mom-bun and peeling off my spit-up covered leggings (#momlife), I Dry Brush my body, light Palo Santo, dump Sea Soak into a scalding hot tub and yell, “Hey Siri, play Bon Iver!” During this time I try my best to forget the words to “Wheels on the Bus” and press pause on anything that’s been weighing on my mind that day.

More often than not, I’m smearing some sort of mask on my face in the hopes that it’ll solve all of my problems. My latest obsession has been raw + local honey which has helped a ton to clear up my postpartum breakouts while sealing in moisture during this dry Southern California winter. I’m a strong believer in multipurpose products and discovering hidden uses for even the most basic items, so I also use that honey in my chamomile tea before bedtime – it also does wonders for digestion!

Once the bathwater gets cold and my hands + feet are pruny, I reluctantly get out of the tub and then apply the same Baby Oil to my body that I applied to my babies just an hour before. Then I wrap-up my face regimen with a bit of Everything Spray and Soothing Serum + CBD – a serious game changer.

We all have those days as women where it feels like we’re being pulled in every direction and I’ve learned to cherish this small moment I take for myself each night when I’m not just “mama,” but Kelsey again.

How much water have you had to drink today? No, seriously. That’s the first question I ask myself (and others around me who didn’t ask for my help to begin with!) whenever something is just, “off.”

Water is Mother Nature’s Everything Spray, you guys – aka it fixes pretty much EVERYTHING. Feeling sluggish? Drink water. Skin feeling dull or dry? Drink water. Have a headache? Drink water. Need a spa day? Put some sliced up cucumber + lemon in your water and pretend you’re at The Spa at Primally Pure, when in reality, you may be listening to “Wheels on the Bus” for the 100th time that day.

While we’re on the subject of nourishment: Collagen. Peptides. This powerhouse product has made all the difference in the elasticity of my skin and I attribute it, along with my daily Dry Brushing, to my lack of stretch marks despite back-to-back pregnancies (sorry for the humblebrag but this is important stuff, ladies!). Mix a scoop into your coffee or smoothie each day and enjoy supple + youthful skin!

My final tip: move yo’ body!

It’s so easy to fall into a rut when you’re a mom and I’m guilty of it too! Some days I full-on trip into that rut and honestly wish I could just lay there for a few days so I can get some extra hours of sleep. Let’s face it, motherhood can be exhausting and making purposeful choices every single day even when you don’t want to is hard.

Most days for me, this is just walking up and down the stairs countless times to try and finish mounds of laundry, some days it’s a 90-minute Hot Yoga class, and other days it’s just a walk around my neighborhood after work. Find what brings you energy (or clean underwear!) and commit to that every single day.

Alright, mamas: it’s SO cliche but let’s try to not spend so much time worrying about tomorrow that we forget to stop and enjoy today. Let’s be better, stronger versions of ourselves and celebrate the fact that we grew humans inside of our bodies! Most importantly, don’t forget to take care of the woman you were before you had kids – she’s still in there and she needs a self-care bath, okay? 😉