Get waxed:  if you don’t have much time to maintain the look of hair free legs or other areas of interest, ahem ahem, you’re probably due.  Getting a professional wax job that will leave you feeling silky smooth is priceless.  Schedule yourself an appointment to clear away any unwanted hair one time.   Not only will it feel fabulous to be taken care of, but it won’t return for weeks.  Until that point, you’ll be able to spend your time doing more important things, for yourself.  For the tighter mommy budget, call over a couple of girlfriends to entertain your baby and wax you hair free.  Nair and Veet wax sheets are a mommies dream for at home waxing. Simple to use, non- sticky and not as time consuming as putting the warm wax in a microwave, you’ll be all set.  

Getting rid of old clothes:  When your child is sleeping, playing or anything else that enables you at least an hour to yourself, freely frolic in your closet and drawers to find clothes that are out of style, no longer fit or you swore you’d get rid of ages ago.  You don’t have to replace an entire wardrobe to fill the void of clothes removed but you might want to put a few necessary staples that will never go out of style.  A sexy pair of jeans that you can dress up or down is great for many reasons but most importantly, they’re long lasting.  A simple black dress is great for last minute outings when you’ve ‘actually found a babysitter’ or can be warn with sandals in the summer for a walk in the park.  Adding color to your wardrobe is ideal; colors that brighten any wardrobe and bring out positive feelings are yellow, fuchsia, and royal blue.  Decide what you want and reinvent your wardrobe with clothes that make you feel good about yourself and most importantly like the sexy woman you know you are.  Don’t lose that feeling in a pair of sweat pants or a shirt patterned with baby vomit.  Leave those clothes at home to serve their purpose but the moment you step out of the house, step out of your routine and dress up a little!  For the tighter mommy budget, trade clothes with friends.  Invite some girls over who are just about ready to rid themselves of clothes they don’t want and have fun trading items. 

Go short:  Your hair that is.  If you aren’t completely sold on a pixie or bob hairstyle, no problem.  Thanks to the thousands of haircut examples in this day and age (and in this website, plug intended J), one is bound to suit you no matter what type of texture you have.  Short hair doesn’t have to look dated or too mature.  It can be sexy, playful or whatever you want it to be depending on the style.  After you’ve had the baby, short hair might be perfect for your lifestyle.  A wash and go do will be chic and will save you much needed time.  Thankfully, hair grows back several inches a year and by the time the baby is easier to manage, your hair will be too. 

Skin care:  Your skin retains more moisture during pregnancy, which give it that effervescent glow but just because the baby’s out, doesn’t mean your skin has to be less vibrant.  In this day and age, there’s no excuse to not find a perfectly suitable cream for your skin, body and face.  When you step out of the shower, or just before bed, make it a habit to cream yourself, no excuses.  The Aveeno brand has some fabulous creams that are within nearly every budget but because every skin is different, invest some time to find separate body and face creams that will work wonders on your skin.  And just think that something is taking care of you as you continue to take care of your baby.

Finally, get some rest.  Easier said than done as any mommy can profess, but rest doesn’t have to mean actual sleep.  It could be finding a place in the house for 30 minutes to curl up and read a few pages of your most inspiring book or drinking a glass of red wine or a tall mug of warm ovaltine.  Sleep is most definitely needed and more than ever now with a little one in the house but more important than the quantity of sleep is the quality of it.  If you can find a way to relax your mind and catch a couple of delicious hours here and there, you’ll mentally feel better and physically look fantastic. 

At the end of the day, a big part of caring for yourself is setting and keeping appointments the same way you would your child’s school recital.  Create a personal schedule; make a mommy budget and remember that the best thing you can do for your child, is to take care of yourself.