I remember waking up one morning and my lips were cracked and bleeding, which was pretty normal in the morning for me. I didn’t want to get out of bed. The kids were screaming and it really felt like nothing was going right and there wasn’t much I could do to fix it. I remember my husband coming in, pointing out blood on the pillowcase and asking me ‘why won’t you just take care of yourself?’ I resolved in that moment that whatever else was going on around me, I would take care of myself and put effort into my appearance.
For me, it started with the clothes. It had been years since I had put any thought into what I wore. Yoga pants and maxi skirts were pretty much my uniform, but it turns out that for me (not for everyone!) they fall into the ‘feel good, not good for you’ category. They change how I feel about myself when I wear them (especially the ones with bleach stains!)
So it really comes down to these (not quite) leather pants. I bought these pants over a year ago, but I’ve mostly just eyed them with distrust. You see, I want to be the girl who rocks a pair of leather pants. I envision that girl having a lot of fun, being pretty spunky and overall someone I’d like to be friends with. In my mind, I wasn’t that girl. It’s not that the pants didn’t fit physically, it’s that they haven’t fit emotionally.
But in the vision of myself in the future,I am the kind of girl who grabs her pleather pants on her way to a fun family outing. I want to be daring. I want to have confidence in myself and my decision making abilities even if it’s just which pants to wear. For me, my yoga pants just weren’t giving me that sparkle in my step. So I’ve been making an effort to get dressed every day. My husband has noticed. I can’t count the number of times he’s commented on the change in me and thanked me for taking care of myself. And while it may seem shallow & superficial, sometimes that is all it takes to change how you see yourself.
Prompt #18 – #31daystohappy
Get dressed up at least one step above what you would normally wear. Put on something that makes you feel confident. Remember, who cares what anyone else thinks (except maybe your spouse!). If you look in the mirror and think ‘yup, I look dang good today’ you have on the right outfit.
For me, this helps me have a bit of extra confidence in myself and my ability to tackle hard things. I feel more ready to make decisions (or just greet the terminix guy – ha!) if I’m wearing something I love.
(sorry for the awkward poses – but yay to documenting my sassy pants!)
If you are following along on IG, I’d love to see your sassy outfit, whether it’s a dress, a pair of shoes, whatever it is that makes you feel awesome and even if you only wear it for a minute!
Thank you for reading along with me, I can’t wait for tomorrow’s prompt. I think you’re going to LOVE it!
PS: I purchased these shoes on shoebuy.com. I messed up my order and they fixed it. It was by far the best customer service experience I’ve ever had with a company and set a new bar for how I will treat my customers going forward. This isn’t an ad or sponsored, but I thought I would share if anyone else is an online shopper but doesn’t know which sites to trust
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This post is SO timely! After my walk today, I started chatting with a neighbor and we got to talking about the sloppy “mom uniform” we have both been rocking. I came in and immediately went to my closet to start pitching all of my t-shirts with holes and leggings that don’t really fit right. I noticed a blouse that I bought a few months back. I remember being in a fitting room and feeling beautiful when I tried the blouse on … but here it was all of these weeks later with the tags on. Time to bust it out this week! 🙂 It is so true that what you wear affects how you feel about yourself.
I love this post – thank you! You are spot on! I also have clothes hanging in my closet with the tags still on, waiting for the ‘right’ time to wear them – what’s wrong with today? Let’s get rid of the socks with a little hole, underwear that’s seen better days, etc. Thanks again!
You rock that outfit!!!! Thank you for being so transparent.
In a slightly different place in this one! I retired 15 mo. ago. I pretty much got rid of most of my business cloths. And then bought tons of yoga pants and some sewing themed tee shirts. In truth…I find that most days dressed like that I don’t get much done. So I am going to start dress up a notch. Adding some simple makeup and then starting the day off. I am loving these prompts Amanda. And I have always loved your customer service. Top notch!