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Can you shower at night?

I changed up my hair, I do it for the summer...which is to get a treatement called an American Wave...it allows me to air dry my hair post shower so I can still shower in the mornings.

I also use an in-shower moisturizer so I can cut out that step.

As for makeup, how long does it take you?

I shower at night or basically when I get a chance to. My makeup routine takes about 5 minutes: tinted moisturizer, blush, mascara, shadow, and liner. I try to have some idea of what I'm wearing the next day based on weather.

For LO, I have a stack of his clothes out for the week on the changing table. The night before, I put his jacket, shoes, and my purse by the bathroom door for potty time and sticker chart.

With infants, it's pretty easy to get ready mainly the night before with bottles, etc. They wake up early enough to get a feeding in and maybe a snooze before daycare in the carseat. I was much more on time with an infant, than with a toddler. I'm going to be so late with an infant and a toddler once maternity leave's up.

@LindsayInNY: Maybe practice using dry shampoo or something like that? Showering at night makes my morning routine 10x easier. But my office is pretty casual so I don't spend a ton of time on my hair/makeup as it is.

I can't shower either at night or my hair will look cray. That said, sometimes I just smooth it into a wet bun and don't bother drying. I also super simplified my weekday makeup - I get my eyebrowns dyed so no longer fill them and I switched from liquid liner to a pencil. I still much refer the look of liquid, but pencil is easier and more forgiving when you're in a rush. Also, I'm much more ok with not having a full face of makeup post baby than I was prebaby.

Honestly, I don't have the patience to do that much in the morning. I only put on a little concealer, bronzer and mascara. If I have a client meeting, sometimes I add a little eye shadow and eyeliner, but I can't be bothered for every day.

I have wavy hair, and after ten years of searching I have found THE hair guy. He cuts my hair in a way that works for it to mostly air dry. I only use a blow dryer for about 5 minutes to dry the very top/front part and control the way it frames my face.

I hate showering at night, though, so I am sympathetic about that.

I was relatively low maintenance before having a baby, though. I just find the whole thing very tedious. I care about my appearance to some degree but honestly I would rather not devote that much time and energy to it.

I think you're going to have a WAY harder time getting ready in the morning than you're imagining. I feel lucky if I'm able to get in a 10 minute shower in the morning. DS never wanted to be set down. I would get 5-10 minutes at a time if I was lucky. I also found it really hard to just let him cry, especially when he was really little.

@LindsayInNY: Haha, good luck with that .

@LindsayInNY: yeah, I just got used to wearing little to no makeup while I was on leave and then when it came time to go back to work, I couldn't justify getting up any earlier (we were doing 5 am wakeups for a while) just to put makeup on. Things are easier now, but I still do not have anywhere near an hour to get ready in the morning, so you just make it work. I look decidedly less put together than before, but such is life right now.

@LindsayInNY: Good luck. With an infant, once they reach a certain age, you could put her in a bouncer as you get ready, then get her ready for the day. I did this with LO when he was little and up early after feedings. As he could support his head more, I put him in the Bumbo with toys during that part of the routine. Since he's an older toddler, I'm able to do all of my getting ready while he sleeps.

@LindsayInNY: I was JUST like you in the mornings before LO and I was sooo scared about how I'd manage once my maternity leave was over.. But I made a few adjustments and we do great in the mornings!!
-I shortened my showers. I used to take way long showers and luxuriate in the nice hot water, not any more. I only do that on weekends or on vacation
-I changed my hair routine. I still have the same haircut/style but instead of blow drying it I towel dry and put in Velcro rollers. Then I can go about my other business while my hair dries and gets volume.
-I shortened my make up routine. I still do make up but not as "elaborate" unless its a special day at work. On the weekends or date nights I can take my time and do it nicely
-have a routine with LO so they know what's gonna happen.

My morning goes like this: get up before LO and DH, brush teeth, hop in shower, lotion, brush hair, blow dry bangs, hair in rollers, make up. LO usually wakes up around this time. We snuggle then move into bathroom for LO brush teeth, use potty, wash face, fix hair. Then into LO room to get dressed/play a little. Then back to my room to take out rollers, touch up hair, get dressed and we're done.

You'll figure out what works for you

I wear a full set of eye makeup and it takes me me about 5 min! what are you doing to yours?? I do eyebrows, crayon liner, primer, shadow, gel or top liner, plus mascara. For 5 more minutes, i could add foundation and blush. You're probably lolligagging a bit, too--30 min is MORE than enough time to shower, shave, wash your hair, exfoliate, etc. So you'll have to rush more!

I set my coffee the night before and have everything packed/set out/ready to go.

You'll need to have a wash and go style because it's just not gonna happen some mornings. French braid it wet, throw some gel in and put it up...something. Sometimes i use dry shampoo (i like the naked herbal essences kind)

I use tarte amazonian eyebrown clay on my eyebrows--it is REALLY FAST. It might take me a minute to do my brows with this product. Pencils used to take me FOREVER.

Now that E's two, i can get ready before she even gets up, but if she is up early (like today), she's happy to sit on the counter and play with some cups in the sink while I get ready. And if not, well...she may have to cry for 5 min because being late's not an option!

@LindsayInNY: I think you just prioritize what's important, you know? I'm a SAHM and it's still important for my self esteem to shower and do my hair and make-up every day. Yes, I set my baby in a bouncer and went about my business. Did she ever cry? Of course, sometimes. But she got used to chilling by herself for short periods of time and was fine. You will figure it out- don't worry

@blackbird: eyebrow clay is new to me too! I'm a brow snob (I have thick dark dark brows). I'm going to check this out!

Last school year when I went back from my leave, I would get up at 4:30 on a shower day to make sure that I could nurse DS by 6 or so. I would get everything ready before he got up so that I could still leave at 7. Bottles were prepped the night before. Once he got more efficient at nursing, I didn't have to get up so early.

I would rec. finding a good dry shampoo (TIGI I like and I can't remember the one I'm using now...Aquage maybe?). I also DONT recommend cutting your hair...I just chopped 6 inches last month and i regret it. It was really easy to throw my hair up into a bun and now I feel like it's a struggle for my hair to look good (I have thin, fine hair that looks flat and dirty.)