Like most working mothers, the term "not busy" is not in my vocabulary!  As a matter of fact, most friends and family would classify me as "too busy", and they couldn't be more right.  Most of the time, I struggle to catch my breath!  That being said, I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.  I am very blessed with a loving husband, two beautiful and rowdy boys, and a job that I love.  It is hard work, though.  Very hard. 

I may be a controller at the world's busiest airport, but the real stress and hard work begins when I step through my front door.  Cleaning the house is neverending, the laundry heap is end-less, and cleaning pee of the toilets and walls surrounding stopped being gross a long time ago.  I have mastered the five-minute "out of dryer" fold, mopping the whole house in less than twenty minutes (thank you Swifter!), making lunch while simultaneously cleaning out the microwave, and folding a bed while my four-year-old insists on jumping on it.  I am a HUGE fan of any type of food or cleaning supply that promises fast, speedy, and good.  I am able to knock out a week of grocery shopping and misc. errands in one two-hour outing....WITH my hyper four-year-old.  (Exercise for the day occurs doing this as I usually end up in muscle failure trying to keep him from turning the grocery store into his jungle gym.)  The only casualties in all of this are the socks and me:  the socks are all dumped in a huge family basket for us to pick out when the time comes, and I have officially let myself "go".  Since I am the queen of fast and effiecient, though, I have a system for faster sock recovery.  My ten year old wears ankle socks, husband tube or crew cut, my four year olds socks are obvious, and mine are never white.  I love the wild and crazy sock patterns and have refused to buy typical white ones.  It should be easy to find a match, but sadly, isn't.  Our pile of socks is large enough to completely cover my little guy when dumped on him laying on the floor!   Fixing my appearance, though, is the one "problem" I have chosen not to fix.

Ten years ago, I was beautiful and well put together.  I was physically fit and thin, outfits put together with cute shoes to match the cute outfit, complete with awesome hair, makeup, and jewelry.  Fast forward to the present, and I am lucky to have the energy or time to put makeup on!  (The last time I took 5 minutes to put makeup on, husband absent, ended up with my four-year-old smaking my ten-year-old over the head with a chair in a WWF moment, resulting in a hospital trip and a concussion.)  I am not complaining, though.....I am happy because I have discovered the Power of Mismatched Socks!  About a year ago, I was scrambling to find a matching pair of socks to throw on and rush out of the house for a pediatric appointment for my youngest.  I gave up and grabbed two mismatched socks, threw them on, and prayed no one would notice.  Embarrassed and worried, I spent the fifteen minute drive to the office worrying that other parents in the waiting room would stare, point, and laugh at me.   What happened once we arrived was that I didn't have the time to worry....Jackson was in fine form and was appropriately wearing me out.  Grocery shopping afterwards was a continuation of the waiting room, and after we arrived home and I was in complete muscle failure, I realized that I didn't worry about my socks at all.  As a matter of fact, no one was paying attention to the socks.  This revalation was empowering to me.  I decided to continue the experiment and not wear makeup on my next outing.  Same effect.  The third outing I threw my hair up, had no makeup, and wore mismatched socks.  The result?  I didn't feel any less of a beautiful woman!  How freeing it was to not have to worry about when I would find time to put myself together!  How wonderful that I actually felt beautiful without having all on all of the products the media practically requires us to have on!  The Power of Mismatched Socks turned my life around and inspired my own personal revolution.  I no longer feel like I am required to wear makeup to feel beautiful, or have gorgeous hair when I don't feel like it.  A cardigan accompanies a tank top or tshirt and my favorite pair of slouchy jeans.  If I am not wearing my Chucks over my mismatched socks, I am wearing flipflops.  Other than my wedding ring, I rarely wear jewelry unless I feel like it!   When I feel like dressing up, wearing makeup and all of that jazz, it is because I feel like it and have the time, not because it is the social norm and I need to do so to feel good about myself.   I can honestly say that more people have noticed my smile and happiness than have ever noticed my outfits, or makeup, or hair. 

I am proud to share with you my revalation and revolution.  Ladies, see what the Power of Mismatched Socks can do for you!