Appearances

Those of you who see me on a regular basis know that I dress like a bum. Seriously. While many of my girlfriends look fabulous day after day, I choose to dress in workout clothes... like a bum. (At least the clothes aren't falling apart... well, except for today. Looks like I won't be wearing this t-shirt again.) There is some method to my madness, however; after all, if I'm dressed to workout, then I'm more likely to do so (but that doesn't happen until Leah is down for her nap). Plus, I don't see the point in getting dressed (make-up, decent clothes, do something with the hair) if Scott's only going to be home for dinner. And, if I'm not working out until later in the afternoon, when will I have a chance to shower and get dressed, especially if I have a long list of items on my to-do list?  See, so I can justify my less-than-stellar appearance.

BUT... recently I read something that made me re-think my laissez-faire attitude when it comes to my appearance. Because I'm a stay-at-home mom, I have the greatest influence on Leah, including her attitudes and outlooks and behaviors. This author argued that because of that, a SAHM should take pride in her appearance. After all, Leah's going to take her cues from me. If I can't be bothered to look decent most days of the week (rather than just on the weekends), then why should she? If I don't care about how I look, then why should she care about how she looks?  This doesn't mean I have to be as fashionable as many of my friends (they're still teaching me), but it does mean that I can do a bit more with my usual appearance than just throwing on workout shorts and a t-shirt.

So here's to trying to better dress the part. (Mind you, this won't happen until the baby is a few months old, especially since I'll be in survival mode for a while, but at least this is something I can strive for.) And if you see me out and about in bummy workout clothes consistently (in the fall), then feel free to give me a hard time. Somebody will have to since Leah and Hunter won't.