Stop Wasting Time Moving Stuff Around
When I was pregnant with Aily (my 1 year-old), almost everyone I spoke to gave me ALL the advice. When it wasn't horrible labor stories (what compels women to scare the bajeezus out of pregnant women, by the way?), it was advice that I tried to take to heart. "Sleep when the baby sleeps," "Make freezer meals," "Don't wake a sleeping baby" - all helpful!
But I noticed in all of the advice-giving, there were common themes around how much our lives were about to change. Did you know once you have a baby you'll never sleep in again? And say sayonara to free time, romance and self-care, because once that babe arrives it's over!
I decided that I would choose the wisdom I was going to subscribe to when our kid arrived. I refused to believe that having children means that I always have to put my happiness last. If mom's happy, everyone's happy, right?
So in the effort to maintain balance and maximize my own happiness, I put systems in place to make my life easier when Aily came. Here are a few things that really moved the needle for me and freed me up to enjoy my sweet babe:
- Meal planning. Every weekend I plan my meals for the next week and grocery shop accordingly. Not having to worry about what I'm making each day takes all the guesswork out, and I know it saves us money.
- Fit4Mom Run Club. Regular workouts with other mamas that completely get me = worth the price of admission many times over. Plus the exercise is good for you, obviously. Check them out: https://twincities.fit4mom.com/.
- Regular tidying, Marie Kondo-style. Admittedly, I may find this more enjoyable than most, but it truly does help to stay on top of the mess so that I don't have to tidy AND clean every weekend. It just makes life easier so I can free up my time to enjoy Aily and Charley more. One big mess takes a lot longer to clean than a 5-minute tidy before bed each night. It's true, tidying up does spark joy (by keeping me from being all stressed out by clutter)!
Moms - what is the best advice you got before you had kids?
