How to Get Dressed in 5 Minutes or Less

Are your mornings HECTIC? If you are a mama with littles, my best guess is the answer is YES.

Because you’re trying to get everyone out of the house looking somewhat presentable. And you’re usually the last one to get dressed. Because, if you get yourself dressed first, you’ll end up with spit up on your shirt...or maybe something worse. Now you’re rushing to get dressed and you throw on the first thing that looks clean, so you have a shot at leaving the house on time...but now you look like you got dressed in the dark. Sound about right?

I’d say so! I literally left the house for work without shoes recently...this is a real story (thank you, pregnant brain). So, just know, it happens to ALL of us. And, while mornings with babies are probably always going to be a little hectic, getting yourself dressed CAN be easier. Here are 3 EASY tips for you to LOOK + FEEL put together in 5 minutes or less:

1. Figure out 3-5 simple, yet chic outfits and put ALL the elements of those outfits together in one specific section of your closet. Get it all on ONE hanger if you can! Top, bottoms, jacket, jewelry. This will make it easy for you to grab a full ensemble without thinking during those mornings when your baby decided to nurse extra long, then have a blowout, and your toddler refuses to put his shoes on. This is particularly important if you're pregnant like I am and not everything in your closet currently fits you! It is MUCH easier if your go-to outfits are ready to go in ONE place. 
   
2. Make sure you have these KEY 3rd pieces in your closet to pull together a variety of looks in a pinch: a medium wash denim jacket, a black leather moto jacket, and a black boyfriend blazer. These are true investment pieces that can transform your look in an instant without much thought at all. Mom brains run at a mile-a-minute, so the less you need to think about getting dressed and how to put an outfit together, the better! 
   
3. Keep the following back-up pieces for yourself in your car: a black jacket (make it a blazer if you’re a working mama), a black t-shirt, and a pair of black shoes. That last one came in handy that time I left the house for work without shoes on. It was one of those mornings when everything that could go wrong, DID…and after a ROUGH night of sleep for my son, which meant a rough night of sleep for me. So, really...these things happen. Make sure you’re prepared. Black goes with almost everything, so your emergency pieces will work no matter what you’re wearing. You’ll stress less while getting dressed knowing you have emergency pieces in your car at all times. 

You’re doing an amazing job and you deserve to look amazing, too…even when you are having a ROUGH morning! You got this, mama! (And, if you're a breastfeeding mama who needs a little help in the wardrobe department, I got you - check out www.ailanaj.com!)