Busy Mom’s 3 Minute Make-Up Routine

Busy Moms 3 Minute Make-Up Routine {The Mommy Games}

Mornings can be rough. Actually getting out the door with your hair brushed, lunch boxes packed, and a fully equipped diaper bag, can be borderline impossible at times. The idea of putting on make-up is nearly laughable.  But I’m a firm believer that feeling put together and presentable makes us better moms and women in general. It gives you that extra little boost of confidence to attack the day. And it’s pretty nice not to have to fret going to the grocery store for fear of running into someone you know.

My philosophy is that daytime make-up should be all about looking fresh and natural. Save the dramatics for night time. I prefer to look special at “special” times, rather than the same day in and day out. So my daytime beauty routine is shockingly quick and easy, and will have you feeling ready to start your day in no time. In fact, it will only take you 3 minutes. One major key to making this routine so speedy is in keeping everything you need in a separate make-up bag. That way you aren’t rummaging through all your make-up, and since there are only a few items, it really won’t take up that much space.

Here’s how to do it:

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Mommy Happy Hour

Mommy Happy Hour

Happy Friday! I am ready to get this weekend started, so let’s go ahead and jump right into some good reads (and exciting news!), 2 new must-try restaurants, and a few random things that my life simply wouldn’t be complete without. And don’t forget that you just have this weekend to enter to win $100 to Sephora! We all deserve a little extra pretty in our lives, so be sure to enter!

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{Blogiversary!} $100 Sephora Gift Card Giveaway *Ended*

I am SO excited to be celebrating my blog’s very first blogiversary! Admittedly, it’s a little belated, but better late than never. I feel so blessed to have spent the last year making new friends and sharing with all of you. I wanted to pass along the love that so many of you have shown me, and who doesn’t love adding a little pretty to their lives, not to mention doing a little shopping (for free!). Walking out of Sephora with a bag full of new, girly, fun make-up always puts a smile on my face and I hope it will one of yours as well.

$100 Sephora Giveaway by The Mommy Games

 

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Mommy Happy Hour

Mommy Happy Hour

Don’t mind me, I’m just over here perched up on top of our AC unit with a big glass of sweet tea trying desperately not to turn into a puddle. I feel as if I spent this whole week either sweating or showering to remedy the sweating. NYC Marathon training also officially kicked off this week, so long runs on the surface of the sun were interesting to say the least. No true complaints, since I would take this any day over winter, but yep, the indoors have been looking mighty fine the past few days. Luckily, Brandon is still in summer camp for a few hours each morning, so we don’t have to brave the playground so much. The kid comes home so happily tired that I have to physically wake him up after a 2 hour nap, since he would gladly sleep the afternoon away. Summer camp – best decision ever!

So grab a cold drink (a tipsy one is always encouraged) and let’s do this:

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Hot Mama Maternity Workout Wear

I am SO excited about today’s post! My beautiful friend Raven is visiting from her incredible blog, Cheers to New Beginnings!, to talk to us about what she is loving in the world of maternity workout clothes. I love living vicariously through this girl and the amazing adventures her and her husband have been on while living abroad. I can’t wait to hear all about her newest adventure – motherhood! Thanks so much, Raven, for visiting and giving all those pregnant mamas out there some amazing options! — Ashley

Let me begin by thanking the lovely and talented author of The Mommy Games for asking me to write this guest post.  I’m honored and delighted.  I write a blog myself, though quite different from The Mommy Games.  My husband, Jon, and I are currently American expats living in Brussels, Belgium, and I started my blog in 2010 to document our lives and experiences as expats.  Though mostly travel related, of late, the blog has been dotted with a few momma-to-be posts as Jon and I eagerly anticipate the arrival of our first bundle of joy in a few short weeks (August 2nd). Pregnancy definitely has its challenges, and one that tends to present itself most every day is clothing.  Looking presentable, and shall I even say cute – while avoiding looking frumpy and whale-like – on a “reasonable” budget can be mentally daunting.

As a former college athlete and regular at the local gym, I have done my best to maintain some level of fitness throughout my pregnancy through a variety of activities.  The hardest question at times, though, was what to wear!  As the running tights and spinning shorts became uncomfortably tight and the tank tops a bit too short, I turned to the following items, which have been a mainstay in my wardrobe of late:

Hot Mama Maternity Workout Wear

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Mommy Happy Hour

Mommy Happy Hour

Happy Friday! Has this week flown by for anyone else? Summer is practically halfway over and I feel like it just got started! We had a great time in Georgia last week, but are happy to be back home. I know most people exit the city in the summer, but I actually love NYC this time of year. It almost feels like you have the whole city to yourself (not to mention, coveted reservations are way easier to come by!). So let’s jump right into things:

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Hot Mama Summer Workout Wear

You know those women who show up to the gym dressed to the nines? Full on hair and make-up and outfits that look more appropriate on a runway than a treadmill? Yep, I am so not one of those. I look for function first and foremost from my workout clothes, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve worn make-up to the gym (probably leftover from a late night before).

But since having kids, my schedule has become significantly more packed, and sometimes it’s just easier to dress for a workout early and hope to squeeze it in at some point before dinner. This means that I’m probably going to be running errands, taking the kids to classes or the playground, and doing a number of other things that will require that I run into a least a handful of people I know. And I probably don’t want to look a hot mess.

Thank goodness so many fitness apparel lines realized many women have the same issue, and have come up with some amazing options. Here’s what I’m living in this summer:

Hot Mama Summer Workout Wear
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Mommy Happy Hour

Mommy Happy HourOne of things me and my mommy girlfriends do often is get together for mommy happy hour. We let the kids play while we happily sip libations and gab about what’s new in our lives. One of the best ways to break the boredom of being a SAHM and also stay connected to the outside world is by getting together regularly with other moms. Sometimes it’s just one other mom, and other times we have a veritable open house of moms and kids going in and out. I love having that time to chat and relax while the kids play, even if we do only have an hour before crying and whining ensues.

In that spirit, I bring you the Mommy Happy Hour series, which you can expect every Friday. Feel free to grab a drink (I won’t tell anyone if it’s before 5), hand your kid the Ipad, and see what I’m loving this week!

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