I'm sorry that I've been pretty much not doing anything about homemaking; kind of. I've been spending more time with Princess and Hubs lately. Trying to get as much time in before we have the baby. I've even been neglecting our home which I am sorry for but I think it's been fun for Princess to play with me more than normal. Also to play outside more with our neighbors while Hubs and I have been getting to spend with the adults while the kids play.
Cleaning house has been hard pregnant. I've tried looking up different ways to do it while pregnant and having a toddler running around like a tornado destroying everything I clean up. Sadly, I never was able to find much in the topic. For those of you who need it I will give you what works for me.
I wake up in the morning around 7:30a if I have the energy to get up I go take a shower and get dressed. If I don't have the energy I pull out a book and read until 8a when Princess gets up. It's a great time to work on a pregnancy journal, read books on pregnancy and/or baby care, or just read a book that you have been wanting to read.
After I get up I get Princess and I breakfast. After breakfast I pull out my binder to see what I had planned for the day. Sometimes I even pull it out during breakfast if I really wanted to know what's going on. I check my emails on my phone while I read out my daily page, and cross out respond to emails while I look. If I have appointments that morning or if my mom comes over that morning, I try to get all my dailies done by the time that the appointment comes around.
The past few days I've actually started redesigning my daily pages for my binder to fit me and my needs. I hate having to write it all down and everything but it's going to be worth it. I think I actually got it down finally. I'll post my design once i get it finished and created.
What it looks like when I'm trying to plan out my days lol:
My dailies are things I do that are never changing. My Daily Pages are like my day planner that I have everything for that day {meals for that day, To Do list for that day, ect.}.
My dailies {now called Daily Home Blessings} are:
- Vacuum
- Swish and Swipe {taken from FlyLady swish the toilet(s) and swipe the counters}
- Sweep and Swiffer
- 15 min. pick up
- respond to emails
- Write out tomorrows goals
- Prep Blog or Blog
- Write out tomorrows goals
- Get and sort the mail
- Dust
- Toy pick up
- Unload dishwasher
- One load of laundry
Those are the things I make myself do on a daily basis. Even if I don't I will have Hubs help do it now that he's out of school. I do most of the cleaning while Princess is sleeping so she's out of the way. I do the toy pick up just before Princess goes to bed so she will start doing it on her own {hopefully}. Also, the load of laundry I do after I get her asleep for the night.
Next, I have the reminder to drink my water. Ten bubbles {I actually fail at this a lot lol} are my goal for the day. Remember that a water bottle is two bubbles also because they are two servings per bottle.
Followed by my reminder for my vitamins.
Next is my To Do section. This one scares me quite often. I usually use it as a this is what NEEDS to be done or also a more detailed list of my Daily Home Blessings i need done. Like, laundry I put write down if I need to do bedding or towels if they need to be done.
Today I just have:
- Laundry {blankets: baby and master}
- Organize Master Bedroom
Nothing too big; I did a ton of the end of the month cleaning yesterday.
However, I do also have a goals list if I get the To Do's finished to start in on but they don't need to be finished and are usually added to the next days To Do's if there isn't much to do that day {Ex. organize master bedroom on the To Do list.} Most of the time I will also give them to Hubs if he saids that he's bored and I haven't yet made him an I'm Bored Jar yet.
The goals list is:
- Wipe down kitchen table and chairs
- Wipe down cabinets
- Declutter
- Fold and put away newborn clothes
Dinner section is just what we are going to have for dinner and what we need to get out.
Lastly, I have an Idea and Inspiration part. If I read something that I think will inspire me for that day I will right it down or if I think of something that I think is interesting or come across something I will write it here.
Honestly, it's very very overwhelming to get it all done and I always ask for help. I'm not afraid of using my friends if they ask to help. I pull out the page and give people a chore. Thankfully, Hubs already claimed the kitchen as his "domain" or else that will never get down at all {it also saves me a headache because if I do it I tend to do something wrong and he complains about it.. a lot.} He also has to do the trash too.
I'm not perfect at all! I set high expectations for myself and I never meet them if I do I'm honestly shocked. It also means I got help that day lol. Sometimes, I go a few days without doing anything. Saturday I had a giant list, spring cleaning size list. Did I do it? Nope. Not at all. We spent the morning being lazy went to the part that afternoon and after the park went out for dinner, I passed out on the couch when we got home while Hubs played video games and Princess played with her toys. I even look at my binder that day, but sometimes taking a break like that is needed. I know I enjoyed the break and Princess loved getting out of the house.
Don't be afraid of asking for help! Don't be afraid or ashamed of accepting help offered also! It took me forever to get over my pride to do just that.
Also, this helps me a ton!
I love music and it helps me to feel in the mood to do the housework.
Which looking at the picture of my iPod on my Inspiration Binder brings me to the motto of the week!!
"There will be so many times you feel like you've failed but in the eyes, heart, and mind of your child you are super mom." ~Stephanie Precourt
I print out the picture of the motto of the week and put the weeks in the front of my Inspiration Binder. So when I go for my Homemaking Binder I have to pick up and move the inspiration binder off of it and I read it. So far, these have been helping me a lot. I know that I haven't been doing them for very long but it still helps me and I can only hope it helps you too.
Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup all-purpose
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugar. Beat in eggs. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Refrigerate for an hour. Roll into balls and flatten with a fork in a criss-cross pattern. Bake at 375 F for 10 mins. or when beginning to brown.
