Mel Gets Her Pretty On!

Every Tuesday this month, I’m introducing you to a mom that’s got it goin’ on! And today’s mama is no exception.

She’s Mel, the stylin’ mom of three behind The Larson Lingo.

I could spend hours on her blog looking at her gorgeous photography, reading about her adventures in parenting and perusing her creative custom invitations and announcements. But don’t take my word for it, hop over there and check it out for yourself.

But first, read on to see how Mel got out of her rut and into her groove!

(Oh, and she’s giving away a $100 Visa gift card, make sure you check that out too.)

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Hi Everyone!

My name is Mel and I am so excited to be guest posting at Get Your Pretty On! Alison has so many great fashion ideas on her blog & I am excited to share some of my ideas!

A little bit about me…I live in California, born & raised!

I love Jesus, wine, coffee, photography & throwing parties.

Target is my Happy Place.

I have been married for 10 years to Kevin and we have 3 sweet kids.

Kate will be 6 next week, Claire is 4 and our baby boy Luke is 5 months old.

I am a part time 7th grade math teacher and have been teaching for 9 years.

I
was excited when Ali asked me to guest post because since having a 3rd baby 5 months ago, I have definitely had to work harder to get my Pretty On and stay out of the Frumpy Mom Zone.You know what I mean, right?

You see, having kids can make you put yourself on the back burner.

I remember after I had my first daughter almost 6 years ago, I kind of let my beauty routine slip and I got lazy with my wardrobe. I was just so sleep deprived, teaching and worrying about her needs and not mine. Then, I got pregnant again (with Claire) less than a year after Kate was born. They are a year and a half apart. That first year of Claire’s life was CRAZY… having 2 kids under 2 and I was still teaching part time, doing photography on the side and opened my Etsy shop (selling party invitations).

Then, things mellowed out for a few years, my body was back to normal, my girls weren’t toddlers anymore & I was feeling good about myself. And, then….what do you know! I got pregnant with Luke and he was born in August. When I was on my maternity leave, those first couple months of his life, I was the QUEEN of FRUMP. Life was crazy. Luke was a newborn. Claire was starting preschool & Kate started Kindergarten. I did not take care of myself those couple months. I would shower & throw my hair in a pony tail. I didnt wear makeup. My clothes were a mix of maternity (that were too big) and my normal clothes (which were too small). I was a hot mess, but I was just trying to survive life with 3 kids and truly did not have time to care about what I looked like. After 2 months, that needed to change. I was feeling Frumpy and not good about myself. My maternity leave was ending and I was *kind of* looking forward to going back to school for a few hours each day because I knew that it would force me to snap out of my Frumpy stage.

I knew the mornings would be crazy trying to3 kids ready, get myself ready all while trying to get my Pretty On! But, it is possible & I have some tips to share that I have learned to make it easier for you to Get Your Pretty On!

1. Organize Your Closet

This one is HUGE for me. Last year, I did something called 40 Bags in 40 Days. I basically divided areas of my house into 40 areas and my goal was to clean out & organize those areas. This included my closet. I got rid of all the clothes that I hadn’t worn in a year and I organized my closet by color.

My clothes are organized & I’m not scrambling to pick out what to wear.

Along with this, each night before I go to bed, I get organized for the next day.

I don’t know about you, but I am NOT a morning person.

Each night, I pick out my outfit, shoes & accessories for the next day.

I also pick out what my kids are going to wear & lay out their clothes in their rooms.

2. Time Management

This goes along with #1 (picking clothes out the night before) but another thing I do is shower right before I go to bed. Like I said before, I am NOT a morning person, so if I shower the night before then that saves me so much time in the morning and it can be spent doing my hair & taking time to do my make up (as well as nurse the baby and get my girls breakfast) Luckily, my husband is a HUGE help in the morning and get the kids dropped off at school, etc. Another thing I do is I make time every Sunday night to paint my nails & give them a fresh coat. There is just something about starting the work week feeling put together. Painting my nails fun colors each week definitely helps me Get my Pretty On!

3, Wear clothes that compliment your body.

This is a big one for me right now! Since I am 5 months post partum with Baby #3, my body is just soooo different than it used to be. I haven’t lost all the baby weight and because I am nursing, the “ladies” are much bigger than they usually are. (Instead of barely a B, I am now a full B. HA!) So, each day I make sure I wear clothes that compliment my postpartum body. My #1 go to is a skinny jeans, tall boots and cardigan. Skinny jeans & tall boots compliment my body (I am tall, 5’9″ so this look works for me even in my post partum body) Because I am nursing, my tops don’t just right, so cardigans are my lifesaver. Cardigans are also like a security blanket for me right now because one of my biggest fears is that I will “leak” while I am teaching. Now, THAT would freak out my 7th graders. Cardigan to the rescue in case of any malfunctions. Ha! Finally, since I am a teacher, I need to be comfortable since I am standing most of the day and let me tell you, skinny jeans & tall boots are SO comfortable…and I feel & look good wearing them!

4. Add a pop of color to your wardrobe! Be bold!

Because of my unofficial uniform of Skinny jeans, tall boots & cardigans, I have been more brave lately and I have been adding a pop of color to my wardrobe, usually with a statement necklace or scarf. In years past, my outfits were on the boring side and I would wear a lot of black & neutral. Totally boring and no color. Over the past 2 years, I have learned that color is FUN! So, I have been adding in pops of color with scarves, statement necklaces or a colorful cardigan.

5. Mix it up & try something new!

This is where Pinterest comes in handy! Pinterest is FULL of fun fashion ideas. My outfits choices over the past 6 months have definatly been impacted by Pinterest.

I would have never worn Black pants & Brown Boots together, but it totally works!

I normally wouldn’t wear polka dots, but I saw polka dot sweaters all over Pinterest and knew I had to have one! I got SO many compliments the day I wore it, I am so glad I mixed it up & tried something new. I am all about wearing solids or stripes, and never thought about wearing polka dots.

For my kids, yes. For me? Never considered it. So glad I did!