Dress well, smell good, and take care of your skin, hair, and nails.

When you look better, you feel better. In one of the affirmations in my new book, Dear Lauren, Love Mom: 31 Days of Affirmations for My Daughter, for Myself, and for YOU (available on Amazon.com), my friend, Sister Iris Ade says, “Don’t Hate. Decorate!” Even though you’ve gained the COVID fifteen, even though your gym was closed, even if you’ve been eating out of boredom, you can look great! Get up every day, shower, and “etceterize” as if you were going out.  Use a scent you love. Gently cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize your skin. Even if you can’t learn to use makeup that complements your features at cosmetics counters right now, there’s always  YouTube. Once you have the idea, you can try your skill with items from drug stores. Get updated measurements for well-fitting undergarments.  If you haven’t yet tried Busted Bra on 53rd Street in Hyde Park Chicago, you have to try it. They will see you by appointment. Once you purchase and know the feel of a few great bras, you can work with affordable online lingerie retailers to fill your lingerie drawer. For regular clothing, there are amazing online retailers and now that some of us are in phase 4 of reopening post- COVID,  there are affordable options for every kind of fashion and every body type at Goodwill, Ross, and other discount retailers.

Now might be the time to get used to not spending thousands of dollars on weaves and nail shops. Natural hairstyles can be a gorgeous, cost-effective, low-maintenance option (look at all the TV journalists who’ve gotten that message). Natural nails are beautiful when well-shaped with moisturized cuticles and yes, you can do your own pedicures. Make it an event for yourself with your favorite scents, colors, and a pumice stone.  You can find affordable products for skincare, to enhance your curls and twists, and beautify your nails (some of them are already in your cabinets). Have fun with it and remember, there’s nothing you can’t learn on YouTube.

 

See you next week. In the meantime, get your daily hug from Dear Lauren, Love Mom: 31 Days of Affirmations for My Daughter, for Myself, and for YOU. Give a copy to everyone you love and want to encourage and make sure one of those people is YOU.

drcheryladmin

Dr. Cheryl spent almost 40 years teaching and practicing geriatric medicine while raising a family and walking with her mother on a 10-year journey with Alzheimer's disease. In retirement, she is a professional speaker and consultant on family caregiving and how health systems can offer compassionate and appropriate care to people who live with chronic medical conditions and demonstrate cost-effective use of health resources. She also guides women to commit to self-care, set appropriate relationship boundaries, and reclaim their joy. Dr. Cheryl is also a multi-published author about these topics and also an author of romance fiction for grown women.