Once upon a time, I was youthful and adored all things beautiful. I longed to be fancy. But now? Well, they say you’re only as young as you feel, but when my kids are counting the wrinkles on my forehead (“Mom, did you know you have—one, two, three, four, five—six wrinkles on your forehead?”), it’s tough to feel young. At some point, pretty things turned into a chore and started to lose their charm. And fancy? Honestly, I’m too tired for fancy.
Whenever I get a bit nostalgic about my younger, prettier, fancier self, I remind myself of how different life is now. This little game of comparing then and now is a favorite pastime for every exhausted parent. So, let’s indulge for a moment, shall we? It might even distract us from the wrinkle-counting!
Here are 10 ways fancy then differs from fancy now:
- Fancy back then meant spending an hour getting ready to go out, wine in one hand, flatiron in the other. Fancy now is a three-minute shower, hair thrown into a ponytail, and whatever clean-ish shirt I can find.
- Fancy then was a tiny Prada clutch that held just a phone and credit card. Fancy now? An impulse buy from Target (because isn’t everything from Target an impulse buy?) that can fit a wallet, three books, Legos, an expired gift card, markers, and even a butter knife—twice! But, of course, I can never find a pen when I need one.
- Fancy then involved long, wine-fueled dinners with my husband before heading out for dancing and fun, followed by sleeping off the hangover all Sunday afternoon. Now, fancy is any meal where the waitress doesn’t offer crayons for the kids and sleeping in until 7 a.m. on a Sunday.
- Fancy then was brunch with mimosas and Bloody Marys. Fancy now? A Pumpkin Spice Latte with an espresso chaser.
- Fancy used to be about picking china patterns for a bridal registry at Macy’s. Now it’s all about plastic utensils and plates with cartoon animals on them.
- Fancy then meant wearing designer jeans, a sparkly top, and those “wow” stiletto heels. Fancy now? Yoga pants that are miraculously free of yogurt, coffee, or other mysterious stains.
- Fancy back then was splurging on Chanel eyeshadow, Nars blush, and La Mer moisturizer after browsing Sephora for hours. Now, it’s a tub of Nivea, drugstore mascara, and that wrinkle cream I keep forgetting to apply (hence the six prominent forehead wrinkles).
- Fancy then included regular mani-pedi appointments. Now? A quick polish change while my kids splash around in the bath.
- Fancy back then was luxuriating in nine hours of sleep on 300-thread count sheets. Now, I settle for five hours of sleep—anywhere. And I mean anywhere. (I’m really exhausted.)
- Fancy then was all about fine wine, rich chocolate, good books, loud music, warm hugs, and deep conversations because life’s too short. Fancy now? It’s still about those things, just with a touch more chaos.
We might not be as young (or as energetic) as we once were, but we can still embrace fancy today. And by “fancy,” I mean slipping into our coziest sweatpants, adding an extra scoop of sugar to our favorite spiced latte, curling up under a blanket, and sneaking in a nap. Did I mention I’m really too tired for fancy?
Feeling inspired? For more insights, check out this post. Also, if you’re looking to boost your chances of conception, take a peek at this article for great tips. And for a deeper dive into insemination methods, this resource is excellent.
In summary, while our definitions of “fancy” have evolved over the years, we continue to find joy in life’s simple pleasures, even if it looks a bit different than it used to.