"Where are you going all dressed up like that?" I'm not heading into the office and there's no lunch date on the schedule, so why am I all dressed up? The short answer: Because I want to. It makes me feel confident and have more energy.
"When you look good. You feel good." I can attest to this saying! Getting dressed first thing in the morning helps to set the tone for my day. I always feel so much better after I put on a cute outfit and fix my hair and makeup.
Some mornings I feel refreshed and ready to tackle my day and it's easy to head straight to the closet and get ready. Other mornings I feel like I've been hit by a truck! I'm lacking my usual spunk and the furthest I make it out of bed is to the couch, where I plop down and wonder how I'll make it through the day feeling so blah.
It is the mornings that I'm dragging that I can physically see the direct impact that getting dressed has on my mood and energy level. Knowing this makes it easier for me on those slow mornings to force myself to get dressed for the day, even if I have no intentions of leaving the house whatsoever; even if all I'll be doing is cooking, cleaning and caring for my toddler.
This brings up another point: my intention may be to not leave the house however, there have been countless times "things" just come up and I'm able to tackle them or happily join in because I am prepared and ready to go.
Morning Routine
My toddler is my alarm clock. I envy the Proverbs 31 women who wake up earlier than everyone else in their family to prepare breakfast, have devotional time or, the bravest of all, those who sneak in a workout. That's not me. I wish it was me. One day it will be me, but for now, sleep is paramount. Baby girl only recently began sleeping through the night, so I am trying to play catch up.
After I give the baby morning snuggles, a diaper change and a sippy cup of almond milk then I begin getting ready for my day. Each morning, like clockwork, I pour myself a cup of black coffee and head straight into my bathroom to put on my makeup. It takes me less than five minutes to apply my everyday makeup look. During the two minutes I spend brushing my teeth I select my outfit and jewelry.
My sense of style airs on the modest side and I believe that dressing appropriately for an occasion is also a large part of modesty. You don't want to draw attention to your outward appearance in loud, immodest ways. For an extreme example, you wouldn't wear a ballgown to play tennis nor would you wear lingerie to the supermarket. Dressing appropriately for an occasion also shows that you are sensible.
But I don't have the time! I've heard people bemoan this fact and honestly, yes you do! It really doesn't take any extra time or effort to slip a dress over your head versus a T-shirt.
Being a homemaker is just as much, or more of a job, (especially if you have young children) than any other form of work. I often hear housewives joke that they are the CEO of (insert last name) Smith Enterprises. I just love that! You can tell with a title like that, they believe in themselves and know their role in running their household is an important one.
You wouldn't show up to your office in sweats, so why dress that way at your job at home?
I love looking at pictures or watching movies with women in the 1950's. They were mainly all housewives, and while managing a home, they looked impeccable! The feminine dresses, low heels and coiffed hair looks so professional, tidy and lovely.
Imagine if you went into your accountant or lawyers office and he was wearing sweatpants! You wouldn't take him very seriously and it would feel disrespectful.
Being well dressed is a beautiful form of politeness.
Homemaker Outfits
My go-to everyday outfits for warm weather include a casual, summer dress or a blouse and shorts with minimal jewelry like stud earrings and a watch paired with sandals.
During winter, my outfits usually consist of sweater dresses paired with leggings or skinny-leg dress pants with a sweater and ankle boots. But it's so uncomfortable! No, quite the opposite. Find yourself a nice pair of trousers and a loose blouse and pair it with some loafers. These clothes that I've listed are stretchy, comfortable and easy to work and move in. I actually can't think of anything more uncomfortable or restricting than denim! I hardly ever wear it.
Hair
Finally, I brush and fix my hair. I have naturally straight hair so most days, and especially during the summertime, I simply comb my air-dried hair through and I'm good to go. In the winter, I blow dry and curl my hair more often.
I blow dry at night and in the morning it literally takes me five minutes to curl it. Bonus: the curls loosen into a wavy hairstyle for the second day! I recently bought this hair dryer and I can't believe how much time I save drying my hair now. It works so good!
That sums up my morning routine and why I feel it is important to have a routine that involves caring for yourself. We all have days that we are ill and physically unable to get up and get dressed but those are hopefully few and far between. I'd like to add, that I also believe we are honoring God by looking our best. God gave me this day and this body and I should rejoice in it and honor it by looking neat, clean and put together versus disheveled, unclean and messy.
Someone once said cleanliness is next to godliness and I feel that deeply. 😅
Perhaps the biggest impact it makes is that spending a few moments in the morning to take care of myself allows me the freedom to take the attention off myself and serve others with the rest of my day.
Thank you all so much for reading! I encourage you to see how adding a little something extra to beautify yourself in the morning can positively impact your entire day.
~Crissy
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