We are soaking up the final days of summer. It was my baby’s 1st summer of no diapers and no stroller (someone get the champagne!)!!! Partayyyyyyyyy!? We’ve celebrated with a full mix of travel, stay-cation and a zillion mosquito bites!

The Summer of Parenting Shortcuts?

When we’re home, Alexa’s on non-stop DJ mode per kids’ commands. You can imagine what that’s like. My 4 yr old’s fave pop song + his ability to say “Alexa play it again” thousands of times = Mom’s losing fight for sanity. I’ve been a little relaxed with the rules these days and implemented some summer shortcuts giving me the title of Fun Mom. We skip baths (thanks #swimmingpool ). We skip meals (thanks #snacksalldaylong ). And we’re totally off our sleep schedule (thanks #noschool ). 

The Summer of Personal Care Shortcuts

So, with all these parenting shortcuts on reveal, I figured why not share some personal care shortcuts too? Here are some simple ways to cut corners right while you enjoy this summer party.

#1  Dry Shampoo

You know when you need it. 

Of all the ones I’ve tried, my favorite is Aveda’s Shampure Dry Shampoo. My friend Leanne, co-owner with Jessy Smyk of Bloggers Live Boston, and I were discussing how it is trickier to use, but once you figure out your right amount, it truly revives your hair. The volume it gives me is fantastic.

*Tip: Whether you mist directly onto your head or apply with hand, work it in using hairbrush (not fingertips) in massaging circular motions.

Cassandra, my stylist from Influx Salon, loves Give Me Clean Hair Dry Shampoo from Eleven Australia. Batiste, Pssst, Dry Bar, Living Proof, Amika and Oribe are also very popular!

#2  The “Cover All Your Bases Quickly” Skincare Regiment

SPF combined with FOUNDATION or MOISTURIZER or HEV BLOCKER or ____ (insert any facial product)  ↔  Because we ALL need to be wearing sunscreen. And…an HEV blue light blocker.

I won’t expound upon the SPF topic because that’s like the “drink more water” topic: we all know we need it! I will, however, expound upon the HEV Block necessity in another post, but suffice it to say I found out last year (so late) that our phones and computer blue-light cause skin damage.

If I didn’t have makeup combos my application steps would be: SPF, HEV Block, Moisturizer, Foundation, Concealer and then all the other things that keep me from looking like I have one foot in the grave. But because my husband and kids are already in the car sweltering and rolling their eyes hard waiting for me. BB Creams, CC Creams, 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 products save time.

This is some of what I use (combinations determined by daily events):

• Murad City Skin Age Defense
• SkinMedica Essential Defense
• Colorscience Total Eye 3-in-1 (this and the above SkinMedica product were recommended to me from About Face Medical Aesthetics here in Stratham) 
• BeautyCounter Dew Skin from the fabulous Danielle Faretra 
• Chanel Vitalumiere (which arrives the next day in packaging that will make you believe you are QUEEN).
• A whole slew of antioxidant serums that I won’t list for the sake of time. Message me on Insta, I’m happy to share!

#3 Backyard Workout Moves

THREE MOVES: Lunge. Pushup. Triceps Dip.  ↔  Legitimate reasons exist for why we will skip our workouts. 

If and when you skip your workout, do the above 3 until they burn. Brace your abs and give it a try. I promise you’ll feel so good about yourself! These 3 moves work the back, front, upper and lower parts of your body. They can happen anywhere, in almost any outfit and against any piece of furniture you can lean on. Places I’ve done them: Bedroom, hotel room, backyard, playground. And most recently, in a NY I-90 rest stop parking lot because road tripping was making my booty as flat as a pancake. Not that it already wasn’t but…

#4  The Washcloth    

We are too tired or lazy to do a facial exfoliating scrub.

You get a 2-for-1 here with the washcloth shortcut. Clean + Exfoliate. Before bed. Because unfortunately, there’s no shortcut here, you MUST wash your face before bed. I don’t care if you’re exhausted or you partied too hard. Or if you can’t be vertical another second. I’m here to say, grab a washcloth and just do it. Clean skin during sleep is paramount to facial skin health. Even if you don’t use a single product in the day, wash your face to remove pollutants and dirt. 

* Tip and Disclosure: 100% cotton baby washcloths are the best. Why a baby one? It’s small and thin enough to work around your eyes and nose. Why 100% cotton? Other blends are too slippery and don’t give enough traction to exfoliate. Don’t forget your neck and chest. Makeup will stain washcloths over time.

#5  Meal Replacement Shake

Because the Ice Cream, Cape Cod chips and Pirates Booty keep trying to be my lunch.

We all know the healthy snacks rule. But quite frankly, sometimes we just don’t want to chomp on another????? Protein shakes to supplement or meal replace work wonders as a summer shortcut. It can be a healthy and quick choice that satiates you to defend against the munchies and eating all the Cheddar Bunnies that you just put out for your kids. It can also be used to lose weight if that’s your goal. 

My husband and I have been using protein shakes for decades. While we’ve tried several options, our favorite for both ingredients and taste is Beachbody’s Shakeology. Full disclosure: I purchased the coaching package, get the discount and stream many of my workouts through Beachbody on Demand. We swear by their products!

And there you have it! That’s a wrap, folks. ?? Summer Shortcuts work like a charm! Share yours in comments below! I’m here if you have any questions! Enjoy this beautiful August and happy Summer, Everyone ?