5 Self Care Treatments to Pair With Your Child's Day

Hey mamas, I am so glad to have you here! I've got about 17 months of parenting under my belt and I'm ready to share some of the ways I pretend to keep sane.

As a licensed aesthetician, I try to throw skincare into every conversation, situation and handbag that I can! It makes life so fun for me and probably unbearable to the people around me. Today I wanted to take my two passions- skincare and my bebe boi- and give you some examples of how I pair them together. Like a wine and cheese club but without the wine, cheese or club.

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*Disclaimer* If you are reading this and do not have kids, read it anyway. Someone you know has a small human and you will eventually be recruited to help with said child. These pairings absolutely apply to the doting grandma, the drunk aunt, the smelly uncle, the moody cousin, the mom's overzealous best friend that makes all the kids call her auntie (I was once sat on by my auntie as a child for refusing to call her auntie)... and I think that covers the basis of familial stereotypes. But you get my point, yes? Let's get started.

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Teething

Congratulations! Your baby can now hurt you when s/he bites, but doesn't know it yet, so we aren't allowed to be mad about it. All we can do is make this transition easier for them because the truth is our babies are hurting and we just have to deal with it. We (I) come from the generation of rubbing whiskey on our gums to ease the pain but apparently giving infants alcohol is somehow now 'illegal' and 'abhorrent' so cool teethers and cold fruits it is. Meanwhile, you've got to find a productive way to take your mind off little one. But "How can I relax knowing my baby is alone in his crib and in pain?" you ask. This is where I need to stop you- I never told you we were going to relax. Self care isn't just about relaxing, people, and I'm here to PAIR services to your child's mood, which is often NOT a relaxed one. So then what do we do when our teething babies are down for the night? We turn our attention to our own teeth! At home whitening can be done with whitening pens, strips, trays, charcoal, coconut oil... you name it. (I won't be recommending a particular way to whiten because I am an aesthetician, not a dentist, and I don't need anyone coming after me for unsafe recommendations. As always, do your own research and talk to your healthcare provider. Make sure to follow all the safety precautions that go along with at home teeth whitening). I like to think that my aggressive need to self care is compensation for my lack of control over my child's frustration and pain. So just follow the 3 easy steps below to achieve a brighter, whiter smile while your little one grows theirs!

Step 1- If baby is crying it out, put the baby monitor on mute. No one needs to hear that s**t when they're trying to self care.

Step 2- Turn the volume back up a little... mom guilt is too real to deal.

Step 3- Whiten your teeth!

Exhaustion

Now I know I just said that self care is not always about relaxing (which is true) but we all know that the only way to alleviate exhaustion is relaxation. And some days our babies are just too exhausted to function properly! For some of you lucky parents that means a day of snuggles and nap time. For some of us, it means random bursts of crying followed by a moment or two of confused silence. Or maybe it means there is a soft whine coming out of your child for a solid hour as they walk around deliriously trying to figure out which way is up. For me, its a combination of all three with a little bit of uncontrollable laughter at random times. Tired babies laughing hysterically for no apparent reason is beyond unsettling, let me tell you.

Eventually, little one goes down for bed and you're left with two options- pass out on the bed fully clothed immediately (an option I've been known to take) or you can self care! Because those are always the only two options in life... sleep or self care. Where do I even come up with this stuff? I really should write a book one day. 'How to Bullshit Through Life and Other Lies I Made Up.' I mean title needs work but I've got an endless supply of bullshit nuggets ready to share.

So little one is down and you're ready to self care! It's been a long day of compensating for babies' lack of energy by being over energetic yourself so your under eye bags are OUT on display. Enter your favorite under eye patches. I've been using the MasqueOlogy Rose Gold Under Eye Gel Mask. You can get them at Walmart and do wonderfully on top of a light caffeine serum. Don't just take my word for it though, follow the steps below to recover from a day of chasing tired toddlers.

Step 1- Make sure your under eye patches are nice and cool. If you don't already keep them in the fridge, stick them in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Do not skip this step my friend.

Step 2- Go through your regular skincare routine, and make sure you're using a nourishing overnight mask to compliment your under eye patches. (I've been using the Earth to Skin brand of avocado overnight mask...$8 at Walmart and i actually a dream)

Step 3- Put on your under eye patches!

Step 4- Clap yourself on the back and grab a snack. You've earned it.

Notice how both products here are sold at Walmart? Self care isn't achieved with just expensive spas and overpriced fruit water.

Growing Pains

Gainz, amirite? (yikes Tay) Baby can't stay smol forever so at some point we need to prepare ourselves- growing pains hurt and we usually can't even tell where their pain comes from until after we notice the growth spurt. This begs the question- if our little ones are working so hard to grow as much as they can, why aren't we focusing on our bodies as well? When I sat down to pair a nice self care treatment to the aches of a growing body, I went over the different body masks, moisturizers, tans, etc that I have shoved in every nook and cranny of my bathroom (and my life) but remembered quickly that my skincare fridge, as usual, holds the answer. I get my butt masks at Walmart (I swear I used to be a boujie aesthetician but mamas trying to make best with her budget) and let me tell you... nothing ever felt so right. Technically you can insert any body part that needs a little extra attention, but for me the only body part I'm interested in carefully sculpting is my booty so you all will just have to join me.

Step 1- Get naked (and snap a pic... nudes aren't just for lovers, fill your camera roll with reminders of how flaming freaking hot you are and do NOT under any circumstances back them up to the cloud)

Step 2- Grab a small mirror because you'll be on your stomach and you want to make sure your placement is just right.

Step 3- Mask that booty!

Tantrum Source Unknown

Okay I promise this is the last bad day scenario. Real moment here- I wasn't sure if i was going to add this to my list because it's such a vague scenario and despite my overwhelming need to make every post saturated with my specific brand of humor (you're welcome), I do want to be a genuine resource for you guys. It felt kindof like an easy A, as they say, but I figured that we ALL have experienced hunger, growing pains, sleepiness, you name it... and the kid is still upset. So for those days where you have literally tried everything (yes mama, I believe that you have tried everything. Don't let outside opinions tell you that you're not doing enough, you know your baby better than they do) all you can do is wait for bedtime. It's time to shed off the weight of the day and get a fresh start in the morning. When your child goes through the day tantrum-ing (source unknown) the only logical way to end your day is with a great resurfacing product and a full nights sleep. Surprise surprise, going to bed early is actually half of my self care pairing for this scenario! Let's break it down:

Step 1- Put the baby down a little early as possible. They won't notice or care, give them some extra cuddle stuff in their crib that night.

Step 2- Put on your pj's and prepare the house for bed time.

Step 3- After your normal nighttime skincare routine, use a resurfacing product. My two favorites- Counter + Overnight Resurfacing Peel and First Aid Beauty's Facial Radiance Pads. Both are great options for getting a nice exfoliating treatment while you sleep, keeping your skin ready and refreshed for a new day with no tantrums (fingers crossed).

Step 4- Go to bed! That's right, GO.TO.BED. give yourself extra sleep at night. A well rested mama is the only mama we want to be, yes?

Happy Days

We're here! A positive scenario! Slice up those cucumbers honey because we are going full on spa day for our self care. Pairing self care treatments with the day I've had is always something that has been so fun for me! I went to take inventory of my face masks/peels etc the other day (I was checking to see if I needed to refill any while I was out shopping) and I had to stop counting at 30.. safe to say I have a problem. But is it a problem though? (NO).

Pat yourself on the back, it's smooth sailing from here mama because your baby was so happy today! Did they get to run outside? Did y'all go to the pool? Did little one get to see farm animals??? I don't know, and you may not even know.. but for whatever reason, baby had such a great day. Most people take that as a win and don't even need to self care- why self care when you feel so good already?? Because, crazy, this pairing is about rewarding yourself for all the work it takes to make baby so happy. Babies are high maintenance, y'all! Get ready to slice up them cuc's, pour the largest

a) glass of wine

b) gin and tonic with a splash of raspberry

c) tall glass of water

d) all of the above

and get ready for the relaxation you deserve!

Step 1- Get in your cutest loungewear

Step 2- Pick your favorite mud mask! On happy days, I always go for a simple clay mask to soften and brighten my complexion. I deserve it, yes?

Step 3- Take a seat, slap them cucs' on your eyes, and let the mud sink in. Congrats mama, you deserve this.