I am in serious need of some parenting advice, y’all. When Cora was still breastfed, putting her to bed for the night was a breeze. She was out like a light within 10 minutes, and would maybe wake up once a night, but getting back to sleep was a snap. Now that she’s boob-free, it has become infinitely more challenging. I suppose it’s my fault, really, because for the first two years of her life she never really had to fall asleep by herself. But now she simply won’t drift off to sleep unless she’s utterly exhausted. She also resists naps all day until late afternoon, which means she then wakes up raring to go until midnight or later if we let her.
To fall asleep, I have to literally lay in her bed with her until she and I both fall asleep. Then when I wake up, typically a few hours later, I creep out of her room and sneak downstairs in the middle of the night. Sometimes she wakes up within a couple hours and I have to go back upstairs, bring her back down to our bed, and try to catch a few more precious Z’s. The whole process makes for a very disjointed night, and I never feel that she or I get enough of a solid chunk of sleep. It has also completely erased any time my husband and I have for each other late at night, and you can forget about completing chores, blogging tasks, or anything else productive at that point as well. But I’m not willing to force her to cry to fall asleep, and she’s old enough now that she’ll just hop right out of bed and come running to me if she’s not fully asleep yet.
It also doesn’t help that we travel so much, because I’m sure her room doesn’t really feel like her room yet. It’s not like this is the bedroom she’s slept in every day for her entire life, so I get that she doesn’t feel comfortable enough to just drift off yet. So what would you do? Reserve a weekend to work on it with her and avoid tears? Talk her through it and give her a prize if she stays in bed all night? Buy one of those clocks
that turns from night to day as a way for her to know that it’s time to go to bed/get up? I think it might be like weaning and potty training and be MUCH easier than I’m expecting, but I want to hear from you all first!
The major downside to all this toddler bedtime routine madness is that it leaves me almost zero time for an adult bedtime routine. And by that I mean a personal skincare routine. If I’m crawling from one bed to another in the wee hours of the morning, the last thing on my mind is washing my face or dabbing on a bit of lotion. That’s where BijaBody is a lifesaver. The last time I mentioned their amazing products, I was recommending sipping tea like a truly gorgeous English lady. But they also make two creamy skincare solutions that work best specifically at night time, and I have become fully addicted.
The first is the Daily Body Treatment, which is a super-powered anti-aging lotion from heaven. Seriously, if heaven had a smell, this would be it. It’s like honey and a vanilla cupcake got together and made the most fantastic baby ever. I put just a couple dabs on my arms and décolletage and it dries almost instantly. Perfect for then slipping under the sheets and drifting off with the loveliest scent surrounding you and your very youthful skin. According to the BijaBody website, the ingredients in the Daily Body Treatment are proven to show the same results over 30-45 days’ use as retinol, which is the cream of the crop when it comes to anti-aging. Boom shaka-laka.
The second part of my ideal bedtime routine would include the Bedside Manner Lip + Hand Treatment. I can send you a picture of my bedside table right now, and you can see that I really keep it right next to me. As a woman, I know that the two areas people will notice the most when I inevitably start to age will be my hands and my lips. This protects and improves them both with one smooth swipe, and I love that it continues to work while I’m sleeping. My lips are always buttery smooth when I wake up, and I only need to apply a tiny bit to the backs of my hands for them to feel rejuvenated as well. Easy-peasy beauty routines. It’s pretty much what I’m all about. That, and getting my toddler to finally sleep.
BijaBody is giving away a Daily Body Treatment and the Bedside Manner Lip + Hand Treatment for one lucky Haute in Texas reader! These are the best bedtime routine beauty products I’ve been able to find, so be sure to enter to win!
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So give me your advice, fellow parents and insomniacs! How do I get back my nighttime routine so I can make BijaBody (and my husband I guess 😉 ) a more regular part of my evening?
XO,
A
