poised and polished

With all the serious stuff happening in our house lately, I am going to keep it light this week! We watch movies when Dad’s out of town, so we watched The Case for Christ this time while he was out of town for a few days.

We have experienced a sneak peak of the warmer weather to come, and it certainly has been good for my soul. It is an absolute blessing to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin and breathe fresh air outside.

We took spring break this week, so we started the festivities with a drink from a favorite drink place down the road. Maddox didn’t get one, but I don’t think he was too bothered.

We also played some football out in the yard. Well, a little baseball mixed in too. Kind of a miss-mash of sports, you might say. Also, we love to swing, because who doesn’t love that? Barefoot is my go-to everyday no matter the weather, so stepping on grass (or mud in my backyard) is always a treat.

I had to go to another doctor visit this week, so since Brett was out of town, Raegan went with me. On the way there, we saw a brilliant rainbow. The kind where we can see each color clearly. She took a picture as we drove and it reminded us how God always keeps His promises.

It’s that time of year when those in school might begin looking for jobs and attend job interviews. People also tend to go out more with the weather growing warmer and the sun out a little longer. No matter the reason, it always feels good to go out feeling polished. Even in counseling, we chat about how to present ourselves well in job interviews and everyday life.

I hate days when I feel that everything looks a mess from my hair, my minimal makeup, and my clothes. Let’s look at some practical ways to open the front door and enter the world feeling chic and polished.

Begin the day with natural light. Throw open the curtains or raise the blinds as soon as the feet hit the floor. Even when it’s dreary outside, that natural light does wonders for opening the eyes and helping the body wake up to begin a new day. As soon as I open the curtain, I grab my Bible and devotional I use and go straight for the Word. This consistency, even when I am sleepy, always begins the day in the best way possible.

Clean up the nails. I’m not one for getting my nails done consistently, so most of the time, I either have no polish on or it’s an at-home situation. Regardless, well-kept, clean, nails, even when unpolished look great and actually make a huge difference in someone’s presentation.

Moisturize the lips. We are coming out of winter when winter skin attacks and hands, feet, and lips can suffer! My hands get so rough in the winter temperatures, they crack and bleed. Yuck. Cracker lips are no fun and rather painful, so invest in quality lip care and routinely use it. My absolute favorite is Mary Kay Satin Lips! I have used it for years and never have any problems even in the coldest of winters. For those of you with rough winter hands recovering from cold weather, Satin Hands is available too and I love that as well.

Keep the legs shaved. I know, I know, it takes forever and most people don’t keep up with it consistently, especially in the winter. I have eight kids, but I feel so much better when I know my legs are smooth that I will save time somewhere else in the day to allow time for smooth legs. I feel better and more put together even if I am the only person who knows my legs are smooth. It might be something else for you, so whatever “that thing” is, make time for it.

Keep some pretty earrings in. I always have some earrings in, and most of the time, they are just studs. It’s amazing how much better I feel just because some earrings are in. My favorites are my pearls. They’re simple, babies don’t pull them out since they’re not big or dangly, and pearls are just classy. My girls also have a pair of pearl studs around since they can wear them to ballet and sleep in them too. Simple studs automatically add class and a little bit of fancy even on days around the house.

Stand and walk with good posture. Walk with your chin up, shoulders back, and make eye contact. It shows confidence and shows you care. Eye contact also makes people seem more approachable and friendly. People see posture and presentation before they see personality.

Simplify jewelry. All my girls love jewelry, so they might have long earrings, a huge necklace, a few rings, and some bangle bracelets too! Even my preschooler loves her necklaces! All that is not necessary, though, so a few nice statement pieces work well. A nice watch adds a little elevation to any outfit.

Simplify makeup. No need for all that, especially on a lovely spring day. With two middle school girls at home, makeup is a thing, so we are always in conversation about how much is “too much.” Makeup makes us fancier, it doesn’t make us prettier. We are already made in the image of God, so we just want to have fun and enhance the beauty already given. A little blush for some rosy cheeks, a little mascara to add a little something to the eyes, and a little color on the lips does wonders! I know, those pesky blemishes show up sometimes, though, so we have to use a little concealer until they go away.

Move with purpose. No need to rush around, although it’s really easy to get into a rush and run around like crazy. Purposely slow down, move with purpose, and it actually ends up being faster than rushing around, since fewer mistake are made when we think calmly and logically.

Smile. It’s kind, it’s confident, and it’s friendly. It also helps our mood, since our feelings can follow our body movements. Smiling has been proven to improve moods! Funny how God makes that work!

As you enter the workforce for the first time or simply want to feel more appropriate and confident when you walk out the door, try a few ideas. Happy spring to you from all of us!