I used to be a somewhat fashionable person. No, I did not have front row tickets at Fashion Week or always sport the most up to date wardrobe, but I looked presentable most of the time and wore a lot of fabulous heels.

No more.

Between pregnancy, running (which has made me ultra paranoid about foot safety), my now larger foot size and motherhood, my shoe closet has taken quite a beating in recent months and even though I have a large number of shoes, I usually alternate between Converse sneakers and my running shoes.

Shameful, I tell you.

Yesterday I left my house with the remnants of a banana mashed on my shoulder (and some in my hair), a shirt I don’t even like and the ponytail I wore to bed still in my hair. If I am thinking about the way anyone looks, it is my children. I want them to look their best because they way they look reflects on me almost more than the way I look.

It is like some secret badge of honor among mothers to look the most harried, the most exhausted, the most “mom-like” but I have had enough. This fall, I am implementing a new policy and am going to work on looking my best. It won’t be easy, especially given financial constraints, but I think between some of the cheaper, trendy stores, I should be able to find some clothing that makes me look decent.

If only I had the time to actually get dressed.

Look for posts on good park-going shoes that are also presentable as well as clothing that looks good and allows for easy, discreet nursing. Many future posts will now be dedicated to my new quest to dress well with limited time and two children under three. Hopefully I will have tips that will help other moms not end up looking like this: