You know the one. The Mum on instagram thats always out doing something. She's at sensory class, she's getting coffee, she's capturing sunset and living a life that feels somehow out of reach.
'How is she doing it?' We think to ourselves. 'She's glowing, she'd happy, she's out and about and living a life of adventure with her baby in that carrier.' You know Mama, if you feel stuck, trapped at home or buried under the weight of motherhood and housework you wouldn't be the only one. We all feel like that from time to time. But you know what? You can be that Mum. You need a bit of organisation, a sprinkle of not giving an eff about the chores, maybe a dose of caffeine and a generous handful of 'I deserve this'. Because you do. You do deserve to get out and about every day with your baby. You deserve to sip a coffee while it's still warm at a cafe, you deserve to take your hot Mum walk through the shops and you sure as shiz have earned a few deep breaths of fresh air simply sitting outside.
I've long been a daily 'get outsider'. In my 20's it was running and walking the dog. Now the running and dogs have been replaced with prams and bike buggies but the thing that remains the same is I am getting out. Not every day, but most days. As a new Mother I had an attitude that nothing would stop me, not a cesarean, not my baby and definitely not my chores waiting at home. I soon learned that getting out every day wasn't as simple as I had hoped it would be. Sometimes the chores in the back of my mind made me pretty anxious. I like a neat and clean home not just for aesthetics but also for mindset. You know what else? Angus wasn't always as helpful getting ready as you would hope (I'm kidding no one is expecting anything from their infants here) and had a real knack of doing a poo the minute we set foot outside the door. Sometimes my mindset sucked. The connection I had to Motherhood sometimes faltered and my inner voice would get bitchy 'what's the point Emma, you'll go, Angus will get upset, you won't be able to get a letdown and you'll have to come home'.
As the initial adrenaline of Motherhood wore off I found some techniques to lean on to get me out there. A positive mindset for starters 'we're going, and thats final'. Leaning on organisation helps too. There's set time for chores and they will get done, there's no issue with heading out of the house each morning. Mixing it up, maybe if it's raining and you're battling sitting on your front step might be your adventure for the day. I designed and made a pre packed travel light nappy bag so myself and my friends would always be able to just grab and go without stress. Not everyone can do that I understand but I did it so you don't have to. You can think about the example you're setting your kids, the world you're showing them and the confidence they will have with so much exposure to it. If all of that fails consider this. Your baby will be distracted and will hopefully quietly take in their surroundings giving your senses some desperately needed reprieve.
So my Mums, what have we learned? You can be that Mum. You are that Mum. You just need a little magic mindset dust, a baby go bag and a destination. Once you get there? Take a selfie.
Emma x
Emma is the founder and CEO of Angus The Label, Mum of two and Step Mum of two. A self described tree hugger Emma brings a particular bougie vibe to sustainability and minimalism through her company and loves to build community within her space.