Welcome! My name is Brittany Kelly. I am a mother of 3 who is currently expecting my 4th child. I would like to share with you how and why I started my personal blog.
People always told me that motherhood changes you into a new (and hopefully improved) person. Still, no one really understands that until they are in the situation. I know this was true for me. My husband and I planned our first child together, and I was beyond excited. I always wanted to have a ton of kids. To my surprise “well intended” people told me that I wouldn’t be able to be my “girly girl” self anymore. They said I would need to trade in my heels and makeup for converses and baseball hats. Now, there is nothing wrong with these two things, but they just aren’t ME. My weight fluctuated to places I never knew it could go, and my confusion about who I would be on the other side of pregnancy made me concerned about my future. How could I be the best mom ever and still be Brittany Kelly?
After delivering my son, I became obsessed with being there for his every single moment and milestone. However, when I looked in the mirror I didn’t recognize myself. I had gained over 50-lbs, and fell into the trap of believing the people who said I wouldn’t have time for makeup anymore. One day it just dawned on me that this just wasn’t true! If I wanted it all then I could have it all. This was the beginning of my thorough research into diet and nutrition. I lost the baby weight and grabbed my high heels. My son saw the happiness and delight in my eyes as I slowly became comfortable with myself again. I realized that it was immensely important to be intrinsically happy in order to be the shining role model for my child that he deserved.
For my second pregnancy I decided to make a big change in my eating habits. I gained less than half the weight I did during the first pregnancy. I played around with different maternity looks. It was more fun, I had more energy and I knew that the way I lived my life was in my control. This was the time I developed My Manicured Mama. I noticed that when I went onto other mommy-to-be forums, or mommy forums there was a lot of shaming going on if you ever mentioned that you cared about the way you looked and felt about yourself. People were quick to label those moms as “selfish” , which quickly silenced their concerns. I wanted to develop a place where women could speak freely about pregnancy weight gain concerns, maternity fashion, transitioning into motherhood, and creating a balance in their lives.
The balance is a major key to real happiness. This genuine happiness and self-acceptance is contagious in your household, believe me! Once mommy is happy, everyone else seems to be a little more at peace. Newborns sleep better, husbands are sweeter, toddlers have less potty training accidents (well, these are my hopes lol). So, share with me in this journey to be the best mommy ever and when the babies go to bed to give yourself some special treatment (whatever that may be). I am BK, and I like breastfeeding, science, shopping, early education, high heels, nutrition, housekeeping tips, and getting manicures. No shame!
After beginning the My Manicured Mama journey in 2014, I decided to revamp my website and content. If you have been here from the beginning then you will notice the changes. I hope you like them! It’s really about my lifestyle and interests sectioned off into the categories of home, early education, parenting, and health. These are my passions. Let’s share with one another!
