Do you ever wonder other moms secrets? Like actual real beautiful day to day hard working moms? So often I see a darling one at the park and think wow, she looks so great! I wonder what she is doing so well. With that in mind I thought I’d begin a new series on ALFS – Everyday Moms. These are moms I know, moms that have been recommended to me, moms that inspire and are beautiful inside and out. Let’s peak into their lives just a bit, shall we?
Meet Christine!
Location: Bridgeport, CT
Job: Vice President, Marketing at First Republic Private Wealth Management
Kids: Jessica (4) and Julia (6 months)
You’re in your closet – what do you reach for first? A white tee shirt. Or, if I’m going to work, a black shift dress. Both are arguably boring but always appropriate.
Hands down the one beauty product you can’t live without. Only one! Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat. My kids don’t believe in naps or sleeping in and this is absolutely as good as advertised in the ‘make me look semi-rested’ department.
Your daily moisturizer. Are you happy with it? Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer. Yes! It’s not fancy at all but I’ve been using it for years and years and love that it is both non-greasy and has SPF 50 for no fuss daily SPF coverage.
Your nightly moisturizer. Are you happy with it? Yikes. I sporadically use ROC Night Cream but nowhere near routinely or consistently (I’m chronically guilty of falling asleep on the couch awkwardly early and stumbling up to bed) and I certainly don’t love it. I have a birthday coming up and think it might be the kick in the pants I need to commit to a good night cream for real.
Something in your shopping cart online right now that you want to buy – budget is no limit. This is embarrassing but if I’m being honest it’s the new Dyson V8 cordless vacuum. I mean just look at it, how fun is that?! My 20-year-old self would probably cry reading this reply.
How do you feel your beauty routine changed when you became a mom? It went out the window! Just kidding … sort of. It has definitely been pared back to the bare minimum though. Good, quality, classic products and very few of them!
Biggest indulgence you allow yourself? I wish I had a super fun answer to this question but I’m having a hard time thinking of anything good! I’m not a martyr by any means, I do yoga regularly and get almost weekly manicures, but a couple of hours a week to keep my sanity hardly feels like an indulgence. So probably a glass or two too many of red wine a week. But again … sanity.
Tell us about your kid(s). Jessica just turned 4 in August. She is hysterical and smart and the things that come out of her mouth make me crack up on a daily basis. She is also one of the most empathetic people I know and I hope she never loses her amazing sense of self confidence or bouncy personality. Julia is 6.5 months old (born in March) and is truly the sweetest little thing but also so funny and absolutely wants to hold her own against her older sister’s personality. She’s much more serious but when she does smile it’s the cutest thing ever
What is your biggest struggle as a mom day to day? I’ve been really wrestling with how to articulate my answer to this question. The cop out answer would be ‘there’s just never enough time in the day!’ (which is true, obviously) but the real answer is that the biggest thing I struggle with is admitting that I like working and I like my job. Silly, right? But I was raised by a mom who stayed at home and completely rocked it (she was definitely Pinterest before Pinterest was a thing) so at my core I feel like that’s what “good moms” do. And as such, for a long time now I’ve really, truly struggled with how to reconcile that not only is that not who I am, but very realistically, that’s not what’s best for my family. It sounds ridiculous to type out but somehow it feels – selfish? – to love my job even though I’ve worked so hard to succeed at my career and to want to work even though I have two kids at home. Stemming from that, I struggle with how to explain to my two girls how and why mom works. On one hand, they don’t know any different so maybe I’m totally just overthinking it. On the other hand, I want so badly to be able to sufficiently do justice to balancing being the role model they deserve with the ever present mom they need.
What is your biggest happiness as a mom day to day? I know it’s a huge, huge cliché but for me, the biggest happiness lies in those moments when you look around and just think wow, is this really my life? How did I get so lucky that these crazy, gorgeous, amazing kids are mine? (I should probably mention my completely awesome husband here too). A lot of times during this insane, chaotic stage in life I look around and think wow, THESE are the ‘good old days’! These are the hugs and the kisses and the innocence. In ten or twenty years when we look back and talk about when the kids were little or this story or that story – I’m actually living that right now. And that might be so, so exhausting but it’s also pretty awesome. That’s my biggest happiness by far.
Snap your fingers – you could have a magic fairy help you with one thing around the home every day. What is it? Most days I feel like I do have magic fairies! My mom watches the kids a couple of days a week and pretty much every day she’s here I walk in the door to clean laundry and an empty dishwasher which is AMAZING. Then, our super awesome babysitter takes the reins on making the girls dinner the nights she has them which is also a HUGE help and one less thing to worry about towards the end of the week. That being said, I HATE ironing and don’t even own an iron so we could probably save a lot on dry-cleaning if that were to somehow get done!
Because you are oh so pretty, tell us about your favorite feature! My eyes. For no particular reason, really. But I do like they way they crinkle when they smile – which is incentive to keep smiling.
Absolutely lovely, Christine. Your answer to the biggest day to day struggle was so incredibly raw and relatable, it hit home with me and I don’t even work outside the home. Thank you so much for sharing your time and your darling family with ALFS!
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Courtney
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Seriously. Best post ever. I have thought a million times over about the preemptive mom-guilt of going back to work. Even Mark assumed I would quit my job if we ever had kids because “that’s just what women” do….but what if that isn’t how it is anymore? Isn’t it great to be a world where standard roles aren’t always assumed? It’s a choice each of us has to make for what’s right for our families, our sanity, and us as women. Bravo, Christine!! You are GORGEOUS!!
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LOVE LOVE LOVE this family!!! Sich an inspiration to us all Christine.