Happy Feet - with Happy Mama Happy Baby (Giveaway)

I have ugly feet. I know you're not supposed to say such things about yourself, we're all God's creatures yadda, yadda, yadda but I have conducted a lifetime long independent study and it's true. Even my husband admits that they're odd. He calls them my trotters; one of the things that he teases me about is that fact that such a lovely lady has such monstrous paws. I love this because I'd rather someone see and love the truth of me even if that's an ugly truth. 

I wish I could transfer my unconditional acceptance of this part of me to other parts of my self image - my slightly crooked smile, my broader than average shoulders and my 'girl you done had a baby in there' belly, perhaps one day I will. 

My mother was obsessed with feet, not in a slightly creepy, facebook spammer way, she just believed that if you took care of your feet they would, in future, look after you. This meant very regular trips to Clarks to stand in their insanely exciting mechanical foot measuring machine. It also meant that I sometimes had to forgo the shoe of the moment (Remember magic steps!) for their more sensible and comfortable counterpart. I have a distinct memory of my mother marching me back to a shoe shop because the pair we had recently bought had given me a blister. Even today she will sometimes surprise me with a new pair of shoes and unfailingly I know she will say she had to buy them because, 'the leather was so soft.' 

This story could end with me walking happily off into the sunset in a killer pair of boots but from everything a lesson can be learned and this lesson was a doozy. I learned from this process that love is an action. I love my feet because all my life I have shown them love. If I'm feeling low the first thing I do  is go for a pedicure and if I want to feel confident I dress my feet first. My mother never told me I had cute feet because, quite frankly, that would be a lie; what she taught me was to love them anyway. She told me and showed me that my tootsies were worthy of care and the care I have shown them through the years has allowed me to look past their 'imperfections' and accept them as the useful, valuable, shoe displaying things that they are. 

So I'm working on loving the rest of my body in the same way - not forcing my thighs into too tight jeans; actually using the tubs of moisturiser that I buy every month. If I'm diligent maybe my fullback shoulders stand a chance of being adored, if there's room in my heart for them too.  

This post is part of Happy Mama Happy Baby's 'Body Positive January' head over and see what else she's up to and be sure to join her Instagram party #realhappymamas

And now for a cheeky little giveaway! Look after your little ones feet with a pair of Dotty Fish, Starry Starry 
Night soft leather shoes (size 12-18 months). To win: 

Comment below telling me about your favourite pair of shoes 

and/or

join Mission Acceptance and learn how to love yourself from head to toe. Sign up here.

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