to wonder how women can have kids under five and still manage to look good?

[fufflebum]

I feel frumpy today. Anyone else?

Have a four year old and a nearly one year old.

AIBU to wonder how other women seem to manage to put on makeup and buy good fitting clothes???

I manage a shower and hairwash every morning but makeup and new clothes an impossibility.....!!!

Any tips?

the key is in preparation -clothes ready,bag packed,make up to hand.easy to style hair

I have a routine:

Bath and hairwash before bed. Lay out my clothes.

Lay out the dc's clothes.

Make my packed lunch

In the morning, I get up between 6.10 and 6.30am. I brush my teeth and rinse my face, straighten or put up my hair (tis long), then apply make up. La base- which is an oil free base that 'sets' your make up. Then foundation cream, a sweep of blush and some bronzer with a big brush. Then curl eyelashes, apply liquid eyeliner (much quicker than pencil), then mascara.

Get dressed. Then it is time for the dc to wake up and as I have laid out their clothes it makes life easier. Plus I am trying to encourage dd aged 3 to get herself dressed completely. dd2 is 19 months so needs more help!!

Then it is downstairs for a spot of breakfast, wash up and have a quick sweep and wipe around, before togging up in coats and grabbing bags etc before leaving the house at 7.55am.

I need to look good for work, and for me this means wearing make up and making an effort with my clothes, even though I am not the shape I wish I was. Some people look fab without make up- I don't! Even when I was in hospital post CS I wore make up- I just feel better with it. I'd rather be up earlier and presentable, than have extra time in bed and be rushing around, or turning out bare-faced and self-concious.

It truly depends so much on the children.

It's not just babies that need jiggling.

If you have an early riser (you know, regularly up before 5.30) you can't get up before them get ready.

They need an earlier nap but the older pre-schooler needs some time out of doors before the litte one's nap otherwise everyone will go crazy. You just have to get ready and out.

And by the time the kitchen is straight in the evening you can barely stand or keep your eyes open.

Memories of those days always cure any broodiness for me!

I agree with all the replies that say it is routine.

Whether I am at work or at home, every day I:

In the morning:
Wash and dry my hair (15 mins)
Put make-up on (foundation, mascara, blusher and lip-gloss) (3 mins)
Put clean clothes on that I have planned to wear (I always decide what to wear the night before - saves time and stress).

In the evening:
Take off make up and cleanse, tone and moisturise.

I feel better when I have make up on and clean hair.

jiggling or not i have to get out the door,so a few mins cot time wont cause lo to expire but will get me showered!

Not sure if I always look good but I take a stab at it. Just seconding (thirding/fourthing etc) what has already been said.

I get up at 6.30am with dh and ds. I jump in the shower about 7am (LOCK the door!!) and shower, try to moisturise but don´t always manage, put make up on (tinted moisturiser, mascara, swirl of blush), comb out wet hair and out of the bathroom by 7.20 latest. Get dressed, dh into shower and then I get ds dressed.

I try to get everything ready the night before, bags for work/nursery, lunch. Any housework like laundry or general tidying up in the evening NOT in the morning so there´s no unnecessary rushing around.

Run into the bathroom and blast my hair with a hairdryer for 5 mins then into a ponytail and a zillion bobby pins (growing out fringe).

Clotheswise - Layering is the only way in winter. When I get lazy and stick on a fleecy jumper I feel like crap. When I bung on a long sleeved t and big slouchy cardy with a scarf etc etc, always jeans and big winter boots I look much better. In a mary kate olson kind of way (but about a foot taller and a fair few kilos more).

Polished is hard for me, can´t do tailored or neat etc but it´s easy to scrabble around on the floor or at the park with your kids if you are going for the scruffy-cool look

I NEED to learn to accessorize better with chunky jewellry etc as I have noticed it makes all the difference to someone looking like they´ve made an effort when otherwise they are wearing more or less the same as me.

God knows what you lot would make of me, i never wear make up, my clothes come from the charity shop and i cut my own hair the other night because it hadn't been cut for three years and looked awful. Some days i don;t even manage to brush my hair! i'll be paranoid at the play school drop off tomorrow

lem,am not bothered how anyone else looks but i feel happier,more confident if I'm groomed,fragrant.plus at work i like to look ok

lol. don´t worry - they´re probably all far too worried that they look like crap (or gloating about how good they look) to be giving you the once over. Personally my effort is minimal and still the overall effect is that I haven´t done anything special. Though it makes me feel so much better than those days when I don´t bother at all and therefore that alone makes it time well spent.

Gulp. Am I the only one willing to admit I don't manage a shower every day? And probably only manage to wash my hair once a week

me too bella, and to be honest most of the mums at DDs school look much the same - I CAN understand wanting to be presentable if you work though, but when its just me and the dog at home - he ain't bothered so long as i take him for a walk and open his food!

I don't shower ever day either Bella. Tis one of those divisive topics in mumsnet .

But I do manage make up v quickly, sheer tinted moisturiser, mascara, blush and rose coloured vaseline (get it, it's great!). But I'm not being smug about it as I have the good fortune of having a very self contained toddler and living in a flat where she can't get into much trouble while I am in the bathroom.

Btw laumiere I am loving that Eyes Lips Face website!!!

Throw away the baggy rubbish. Only buy clothes that are easy to wash and iron, but that fit and look nice. Hang them up as outfits. Just as easy to put on elegant clothes as saggy cargoes, and if they're machine washable then no reason not to play with the children in them.

When I'm dressed for work I go around the house with an apron on, and that keeps the bulk of the jam/snot off too. You can also wipe plenty of stuff off with a damp cloth (not if you're in a silk ballgown obviously, but that's a bit unlikely anyway).

laumiere I have just ordered off the eyeslipsface site. It is fab. Spent 10.50inc post!

I think I fall into the groomed category

I straightened my hair and did my makeup while in labour before we went to hospital to have DC3

But then if I do ever go makeup free everyone thinks I'm ill so I think that sums up why I always find time to do it in the mornings

Surely it doesn't take any longer in the morning to put on nice clothes than grotty clothes?

I have a bit of grooming time on a Sunday morning when my DH brings DC to church . It takes a bit of discipline not to empty the dishwasher and put on a wash, and I find it quite calming listening to the Archers at the same time.

Also, I do my makeup in the car, (stationary in the driveway!) when the DCs are strapped in and happily starting to listen to a story CD. Moisturiser - double duty face powder (ie no need to have seperate foundation & powder), lipstick and mascara. If I am feeling really keen to impress, blusher and eyeliner. Takes 4 minutes.

Not quite sure why I felt the need to post, as I really am the last person to be giving advice.

I shower and wash my hair every morning - I don't feel human if I don't. Thankfully it's long and straight, looks healthy and shiney so it gets a wash & brush and that's its lot - it's one of the reasons it's still long, I couldn't face having to style it everyday..

If I want to, I can find the time to put on a bit of make-up (I do it while the LO's eat breakfast, it takes them so long I could re-decorate the house!!).

However, I don't have much in the wardrobe at the moment as I can't face clothes shopping and shopping on-line is not an option for me (too short for my weight ) and need to try stuff on and never get around to sending it back if it's not right - so banned myself from doing this!!). Clothes are the bane of my life.

So, yes, putting on nicer clothes doesn't take any longer than more slouchy ones, but shopping for them is both difficult and depressing... so I tend to avoid it. However, I am going to have to face it soon before I get mistaken for a bag lady.

I don't wear 'nice' clothes well either, I like comfy clothes (things that move around whilst hoisting up a toddler and don't get creased in a nano second or ride up) I find nothing stays looking clean/tidy for very long (and would rather have messy hugs and fun with the LO's than be worried about the mess on my clothes!!) and after about half an hour my make-up has vanished (in the past I have tried loads of different things to make it stay (as all the mags recommend) but as yet nothing works!)).

I just want to wake up one morning, slim, groomed and stay looking that way for a few hours.... too much to ask???

So any of you 'perfectly groomed' ladies looking at the 'bag lady' dropping the little ones off to school in the morning, take pity, it's not just a case of not making the effort!!

My other top tip - on the days I work, I don't bother doing my make up, but go into work really early, - therefore beating the morning rush hour.

Brownie points for arriving early - boss hears me coming in dead early, but I don't actually see him, then nip to the loo to do make up.

Also, I find nice scarves are a really good way of dressing up plain long sleeved tops - I were them all day, not just when I go outside.

wear, not were

How do you even wear scarves?

I find round my neck looks best.

Heh, I should charge commission for them! I've been using mineral makeup for 3 years, (longer than it's been available in the UK). I used to order my foundation on eBay (it should cost £25, I never paid more than £15), but the eyeslipsface stuff is just as good and much nicer on the airmiles! Their lipsticks are lush too.