-
I get up 2 hours before we need to leave the house (5:30). It allows me to ensure that I can get a shower every morning. LO is 5 months old and still fairly unpredictable about wakeup time. She's formula fed and her "getting ready" which includes her bottle and clothing/diaper change is generally about 20 minutes of my morning.
We don't eat breakfast at home. Both DH and I take it to work (oatmeal for me, breakfast sandwich for him).
We prep as much the night before as possible. Bottles are made and bags are mostly packed. It's an exercise of grabbing things from the refrigerator to get out the door.
I often get about 15 minutes of down time in my morning, but it's really my cushion for things to go wrong (and they often do!).
-
You'll figure it out!
I think PP are probably right in that babies seem to know when you are late or stressed and will wake up earlier/fussier/have a diaper or whatever when you are trying to get ready. Even if it's ideal to get ready before baby wakes, you will for sure get pretty good at getting ready even with her awake too.
I am like you in that getting myself together is important for work and self esteem. I still probably look a bit more dishevelled than I did before (I put my hair up a lot more and grew it out so it's easier for me) but I shower most mornings and never leave the house without makeup EVER and I've just found a way to be much faster. I can shower, do my hair, do lotion, foundation, eyeshadow, liner, mascara, bronzer, blush, lips in about 25 min max even with a toddler hanging off me! It's not as perfect as it was before, but I think I still look ok
I have left home a few times missing mascara by accident though, so I have an emergency make up kit in my car to fix anything I didn't do perfectly. The other thing is that on the day when I have to leave earlier and look a bit better, DH tries to get up with me and manages the wakeup, diaper change, bfast stuff that day so that I have some peace to get myself together.
In terms of showering - it changed by age. When DS was really small I'd drag the bassinet/swing/bouncer/pack and play into the bathroom with me. As he got older, I'd either bring in the baby monitor or pen him in the pack and play (in my line of sight) with toys. Now that he's much older, it's a bit harder so I usually spend my showers singing 8000 nursery rhymes and playing peekaboo lol. Every baby is different and you will for sure find something that works for you!
-
I worry about this too once my baby gets here and I go back to work! I am a morning showerer because of my hair - it's pretty fine and if I don't wash it in the morning, it looks kind of greasy and nasty. But, I find if I wash it at night, use dry shampoo in the morning then put it up for the day, it's not awful. I mean, it doesn't look great but it's not like a grease pit. My hair is my big slowdown so this is what I plan to do to maximize sleep!
-
Realistically, there will be days when baby wakes up for the day before your alarm goes off. You might end up having to skip a shower or make it insanely fast and basically just wash your hair, throw on a tiny bit of makeup in the car, and wear glasses that day.
Am I reading right that it takes about 40 minutes to get in your contacts?!?! I mean, I've been there...but I gave up and wear my glasses full-time. Bonus is that they make eye makeup less noticeable, so it doesn't matter if I don't have time to do anything besides throw on mascara.
-
Oh, and one more suggestion - maybe go to Sephora and have a makeup consult done, you have to spend like $50 on product but they spend a long time with you. Tell them you need to make your makeup routine easier/faster and I bet they can show you some great BC creams, a quicker eye routine, etc.
-
@wonderstruck: That's a really good idea too! I've never had one done! ETA: No, contacts are anywhere from 1 minute to 10 minutes, LOL. I'm just terrible at putting them in sometimes. No rhyme or reason why either! The ironic thing is, anytime I've ever woken up late or something, I've been able to get ready fast. I think it's just knowing I have the time that I putz around for no real reason.
-
@LindsayInNY: As a baby DS1 woke up between 5 and 6. DS2 is between 6 and 7.
Maybe you'll get lucky and have a late sleeper!
-
Oh, and it doesn't seem that getting dressed is your issue, but I always spend a few minutes on the weekend making sure I know what I am going to wear every day. I go as far as making sure I have the right tights, underwear etc all laid out...I use a vertical shoe hanger in my closet for my Monday-Friday underpinnings so I am not hunting around. Saves me tons of time and annoyance.
-
@looch: I second this! I did this for awhile because you suggested it and it made my weeks go SO smoothly instead of having to do it every single night.
-
@LindsayInNY: Cargo has an amazing liquid eyeliner. It's like a marker. It takes me 2 seconds to do eyeliner now - it's great!
-
Regarding clothing choices, I also don't get dressed until the baby is secure in her carseat. She's a spitter-upper. So I wear my underthings and a robe throughout the morning. It saves me from wardrobe changes (and wasting time I don't have). Not something that will help with your current routine, just something to consider.
-
@MamaG: yes, this. Just have your outfit all laid out!
-
This sounds like me - DH does so much in the morning because I am useless haha
Things that help:
EVERYTHING is prepped the night before, even if I am so tired I want to pass out on the floor.
In the morning I set timers on my phone - 7min shower, 10min hair, 10min face etc. It helps keep me on track.
Simplified my style, I have a pixie haircut, use bare minerals make-up, capsule wardrobe - 3 pairs of work shoes that go with all my outfits.
Basically I try to take the guess work out of everything and keep it simple.
-
@LindsayInNY: I know you were specifically asking for tips to speed up your getting ready process, but I just wanted to add my two cents that I just ended up getting up earlier! I get my clothes ready for me and my daughter on the weekends, and I get her food for breakfast ready the night before (she's 18 months), but other than that, I am a total slow-poke in the morning.
I just feel so much more relaxed and ready for my day if I can watch the news, drink some coffee, take a long shower, and put myself together. So I get up at 5 (!!!) to leave the house by 7.
When she was tiny, if she woke up while I was getting ready, I would nurse her and then she'd just chill in the bouncy seat while I got ready. And I used to eat breakfast or do my makeup while nursing her!
-
I was going to suggest the same thing as @wonderstruck: Go to Sephora and have them help you streamline your routine. My make up takes 5-10 minutes and I do tinted moisturizer, concealer, power foundation, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner, curl lashes, mascara, brow gel.
As other posters have suggested - do as much as you can the night before and on the weekends. I would lay out LO's clothes and my clothes on Sundays (less to think about in the morning). The night before, I'd pack my work bag, LO's school bag, and put them in the car.
I also do what @MamaG: suggested - I get dressed last, so there is less of a chance that I'll get drolled on, spit up on, etc.
-
- Prep all your lunches on Sunday. We keep trays in the fridge with just our lunch things. 5 sandwiches, 5 bags of carrots, 5 bags of grapes, chilled drinks, etc. We keep trays of granola bars, protein bars, and dry snacks. We just run through and throw everything in our lunch sacks in the morning as we run out the door. DH is in charge of keeping the coffee mugs clean and setting up the coffee the night before.
- Prep baby's stuff the night before. Bottles, baby food, snacks, etc. Pack diaper bag and/or daycare bag leave it next to the front door.
- Get thee a short sleeve zip-up duster robe. You can throw it over your underwear in the morning and easily nurse in it and use it for the next tip I have for you. Here's one: http://www.walmart.com/ip/White-Stag-Women-s-Short-Sleeve-Waffle-Zip-Front-Breakfast-Robe/40573032
- Shower, shave, and moisturize the night before. But install a handheld showerhead in your bathroom - you'll want one with the baby anyway. In the morning, just wet your hair with your showerhead and style as usual.
- Get a brush dryer - makes blowdrying so much faster when you don't have to try and fuss with a brush and a blowdryer at the same time.
- Get your eyebrows dyed. Even if you need to fill them in with pencil it will go faster.
- Get lash extensions. They need touch ups once a month or so, but that will save you a ton of time. If you have particularly striking looking extensions done, you may not have to fuss with eyeliner or whatever - just a little shadow or a tiny bit of pencil in the corners and you're outta there.
- If you can't get your contacts in fast, go splurge on a good pair of glasses that look really cute. It will be faster, you'll be wearing glasses a lot more once the baby gets here anyway, and it will help solve the eye makeup issue (particularly if you get the extensions. I got 2 pairs that I love (one set of glasses, one set of Rx sunglasses) and even when I'm not pulled together the glasses make me feel more presentable.
- I totally second the capsule wardrobe thing. Uniforms make life so easy. I also buy uniform shoes - a pair of black sandals, a pair each of closed toe wedge pumps in black and brown, a black riding boot, and black/brown flip flops. I also have 3-4 purses I can wear with my wardrobe that make life easy.
- Make sure you have a plan for dinner. Whether its take out or Blue Apron or meal planning - just know what you're going to eat when you get home.
-
-
@LindsayInNY: I haven't read through all of the replies, but I was like that pre-baby. DH used to bring me breakfast up to my vanity every morning and I'd leisurely eat breakfast, do my makeup, and watch the Today Show. Unfortunately those days are gone for me!!
I do as much at night as possible: shower, pack my lunch, pack my pumping bag, pick out my clothes, make bottles, prep baby bag, etc. In the morning, I used to get ready (makeup, basically - I don't really style my hair), nurse DS (often a dream feed), then get dressed and leave. Now that he's getting up earlier at 7.5 months, I usually nurse him first and then get ready while DH takes over. DH does drop-off in the morning so he's responsible for everything else LO-related with the exception of nursing. He actually does so much in the morning while taking care of LO that I should probably ask him for tips haha!!
Ways I save time:
- use Nivea in-shower body lotion instead of regular lotion after the shower; I put it on before my conditioner and then rinse both off last (I do this even though I shower at night bc after I shower I just want to get in bed as quickly as possible)
- shower at night/sleep with wet hair - I just don't care at all what my hair looks like. thank goodness beachy waves are a thing right now. I use drybar triple sec 3-in-1 in the morning to refresh things.
- I discovered I really can do my makeup routine faster when I'm not eating breakfast/reading crap on my phone/watching TV simultaneously. I do full makeup (BB cream as primer, undereye concealer, foundation, gel eyeliner, eyeshadow, eyebrow powder, mascara, blush, bronzer) in about 5-10 minutes.
- I lay out my entire outfit (including underwear, bra...even nursing pads, socks, shoes) the night before.
- I eat breakfast in the car or at my desk now. -
I have a feeling you'll get used to little to no makeup when you go back to work or quick makeup. I can't fathom spending nearly ten hours a week just getting ready for work.
I second the Sephora consult. And having a plan B, like toothbrush, dry shampoo, and tube of mascara in your purse for those mornings. They're going to happen and I've just learned to roll with it. Everyone knows I have a LO and most people have been there done that. It's such a brief period of time.
-
The first few months going back to work, I used less makeup, wore my glasses more since my eyes would be so dry from being up in the motn. I had to keep the hair routine simple, pulling it back most of the time because of all the hair loss. I could easily spend an hour trying to pick up all the hair I am shedding and I don't have that kind of time so it's easier to brush and pull back.
-
Other ladies have given good advice, but one thing I wanted to mention is you will probably naturally become more efficient with time. I don't know how it happens, it just does.
When I've been pressed for time, I've been in the shower at night camp. Also, I cut down on the amount of makeup I wore/wear depending on the day. Sometimes I just get up earlier, but in the baby days I mostly wanted sleep more than getting ready time. Of course I have been a sahm the majority of the time so I have much less experience than other moms.
-
Brush your teeth in the shower!
-
I used to be the same way but once I had LO, it just made me get my shit together for lack of a better phrase. I learned immediately that I needed to get my but in gear and get myself ready before LO got up, or it was going to take 10x longer and be miserable. So it was some Mom Instinct that took over and I just handled it. I guess because the option to get ready at my own leisure just wasn't there anymore. Having a kid made me a lot faster and a lot more efficient/organized.
ETA: I really didn't cut anything out either as far as shortcuts. Just got faster, more motivated to get myself ready before LO got up. The only thing different as far as my routine goes really is that I have Novalash eyelash extensions so I don't have to spend too much time on curling/mascara. But other than that, I'm just quicker/more efficient/constantly moving.
I have left home a few times missing mascara by accident though, so I have an emergency make up kit in my car to fix anything I didn't do perfectly. 
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
61 comments