I think all people are beautiful. Even if not conventially- there is always SOMETHING about someone be it physical or mental. There is always something in everyone that is beautiful.

Before I had children- I felt beautiful. I did. Cocky- maybe?I felt strong & smart & interesting. I never had a want for confidence. I just HAD. IT. (Thanks Mom & Dad!)

And I cared more about what I looked like. I took ENDLESS amounts of pictures OF MYSELF! (Thank you Friendster & Myspace for coining the term Myspacepicture! -yes, one word.) I wore make-up and got dressed and basically woke up when I wanted everyday- got pretty and went to the mall.

And when I went out, I looked like this:
or this:

Or even this:

(gratuitous Emily pictures. Yeah, it’s my blog)

And like I said- regardless of if I really WAS as great as I thought I was- this post is about confidence. And I had it and loved posing for pictures and feeling cute and all that crap. And believe me. I am not nor ever have been perfect. I have weighed up to 215 pounds in my life. (Wow- did I just say that aloud!?) I HAVE. But, I have always felt good about myself. And when I stopped feeling good? I just did something about it to feel good again.

Being a mother makes feeling good about yourself harder. I know that. While I still generally feel great about myself- I look more inward for that confidence instead of my outward appearance. That doesn’t mean I suddenly feel disgusting or ugly- but it does mean I don’t take as much pride in my appearance that I once did. I never wore make-up daily- but I definitely took the time to at least try to be presentable.

Now? I have three kids. So far today? I have fed and changed three kids. Played with Hudson for a few hours. Fed & changed him. Put him down to nap. Then? did some dishes and then it was time to feed and change the twins. And here we are. It’s 3 PM. I am taking my naptime to “visit” with my internet friends, answer emails for work etc.

What I haven’t done? Put on a bra. Brush my teeth. Or my hair. Or changed my pants- yet this weekend. Oh, is it Monday? Yeah- these pants are 3 days old.

My point? Because as usual I have one- even if it took 20 minutes to get here- is that I need to take the time to at least take care of my skin. So I don’t wake up in 10 years crying because I look 50 instead of 40. When with a bit of help & care- I could probably still look 30!

And luckily for me & YOU- my best friend Lisa is a skincare/make-up guru as well as a seriously amazingly awesome person. And she is going to start doing a spot on this blog about just that! How to feel as beautiful on the outside as you do inside – with tips and trick to get the most for your money and the most beauty in the shortest time. Because we are Moms. And we can’t spend what we once did on product and we don’t have the time to apply all that product either!

Lisa will start this blog spot hopefully in the next week or so. I figure- by writing this intro- she will have no choice but to start!

I will introduce Lisa more in the first installment of “Bee Beautiful” but you can follow her on twitter in the meantime. @LeeseMarie47