Treading Water Giveaway!
Published by Kenna on Tuesday, November 06, 2007My son is now six months old. Now that the newness of parenthood is wearing off, and I'm starting to notice that a little bit of laundry should probably be done in lieu of 24/7 goo-goo-ga-ga play time, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. I am lucky to be blessed with two moms' examples to aspire toward, and lately I'm wondering how on earth they ever got it all done when we were growing up. Working full time, momming full time, fridge somehow always stocked with food, kids clean, house clean, and through it all I still have a lot of great memories spending time with my moms, and I remember seeing them relax every now and again too. Just yesterday I asked one of my moms how on earth she did it all and she said, "looking back, I have no idea how I did it all either!"
So I'm looking for ways to stay afloat. I'm buying an extra freezer for the garage this week, and plan to make a month's worth of meals for us to draw from using What's For Dinner? I met the author this past weekend at the Utah Women's Show, where I was a fellow exhibitor.
To stay on top of laundry, I'm trying to put one load -------- we interrupt the most boring post ever written for an emergency injection of participatory fun --------
Okay, give me your very best tip for saving time and/or money when it comes to anything in the domestic arena. I'll do a drawing one week from today and send the winner a bath and body gift set with a custom, one-of-a-kind fragrance that's to die for. If you're allergic to lotion or anything fragranced, that's okay! I've had a ton of allergic people tell me this particular product is the only scented thing they can wear. Totally safe for babies too! The rules are you have to leave an honest to goodness TIP, not just any comment.
Send this post to everyone you know who has or reads blogs. I want as many entries as possible... I need all the help I can get!!
I feel overwhelmed by the same things you mentioned 24/7. Don't be too hard on yourself, sometimes our memories of our chilhoods can be a bit exaggerated, especially since we don't remember being messy toddlers. But I'll definitely be checking back to see other tips that have been left, because I need advice, too. Also, I'll post a little shoutout for this giveaway on my blog soon. (Ha ha, so that the 3 people, I mean, millions of people who read my blog will come your way.)
Anyway, on to tips. I'm going to list some money-saving tips that have worked for me (some may only apply to Utah Valley residents):
-Buy and sell kid's clothes at Children's Orchard and Kid-to-Kid. (A great second hand store that has many name brands.)
-Be sure to check As-Is sections at furniture and decor stores (especially Ikea). A little paint and wood glue can fix almost anything.
- Have a garage sale to get rid of rarely used items. Big neon signs with clear directions will yield more than twice the amount of sales in my experience, versus hard to see signage.
-Sell and buy used items on KSL.com 's classifieds. It's completely free, and there is everything from baby stuff, exercise equiptment, decor, etc.
- Host a toy swap with other parents and exchange toys that your kid is sick of playing with. New toys without spending any money.
- Buy stuff that can wait until after Christmas, when there are lots of sales.
I never go to bed until the kitchen is clean. I hate waking up to stinky dishes. I prefer to do the laundry all at once so I can get my Tivo time in while folding/putting away. Then I don't feel quite so much like Cinderella. Best tip of all - find a balance that works for you. Dirty dishes and laundry will be there tomorrow.... your babies grow up so fast..... make sure you have plenty of play time too.
A couple of things that seem to take a bit of the stress away for me:
1. I clean the bathroom (except for the tub) while the baby is bathing. I'll do the sinks, floor and toilet all while she's playing. I use more milder cleansers so the scent won't irritate her.
2. I start a load of laundry in the morning before I leave for work. First thing when I get home is put it in the dryer. Then fold while watching t.v. or when baby is playing. If I do one load a day or even every other day I feel like I'm handling it alright and it doesn't seem to pile up.
3. I also start the dishwasher in the morning before leaving. Then while dinner is cooking I unload.
4. Baseboards drive me nuts. So instead of having a bucket of cleaning stuff follow me around, I grab a baby wipe and do a room a week.
5. One thing I've never been good at is making the bed. But I do now and honestly, coming home to a nice made bed, makes things seem a little chaotic.
6. Last (but not least), every morning before before leaving I clean up the living room. Fold blankets on the couches, put the small decorative pillows on nice and put away shoes and toys laying around. Coming home to the main living area all clean really sets the tone. At least for me:)
oops. #5 should read 'a little LESS chaotic'
My tip is this: Never make your husband homemade sugar cookies for his birthday because then he learns that you're capable of making them and demands them on random, non-special, occasions.
In other words, set no precedent for cooking or cleanliness. This way, no one feels overwhelmed and everyone is happy.
I think the worst thing a woman/wife can do is not to expect anything from their husband. Why are they exempt from housework? Put the guy to work (this is a general advice). When they vacuum or do any housework, or cook or whatever, NEVER, NEVER, EVER criticize him if the work is not up to par. You will notice that your work load will increase because you think that you can do the work better than him, and you actually re-do the work that he did. Who cares if he doesn't do the work the same way you would do it, at least he is doing it, that's the most important thing. Who's to say your way is the best way to do something.
To answer your question on my blog, a 6 pound pumpkin will make around 2 cups of puree, give or take.
My best homemaking tip is to do as much as you can at once.
Like when I decide to clean one bathroom I then do both at the same time. Going back and forth from each one. Sounds time consuming but it really isn't.
OK. I love Marja's advice. I was so the wife that didn't want my husband to do anything because he 'didn't do it right'. Now I'm so grateful when he steps in and helps out (which he does a lot). Even when he puts the baby's bottles on the top shelf where I can't reach!
#1 tip: Don't keep anything you don't love. Re-gift it, send it to D.I., throw it out, whatever. Everything needs to earn its place in your home. Otherwise, you house will end up like mine....
tip: take one room and tidy it. Do no other rooms that day. The next day pick another room and tidy that one. That way you can keep on top of the clutter but not have an entire house to clean every couple of days.
Okay, here it my two cents...but you already have got great advise...
One thing that helps save us money and time is when I do my major grocery shopping. I sit down before I go, look through my cookbooks and plan couple of weeks of meals. I write down ingredients I need, and stick to my list. I usually go about once a month and spend between $100 and $150.
One time saver I have done when it comes to cleaning the house is I have one job I do a day. I use to do it all on Saturdays, but that was too stressful. I do laundry on one day (sometimes 2), clean bathrooms another day, dust another day, etc.
Hope this helps! I love reading everyone elses ideas! Thanks Kenna
oh...p.s....I love Chante's advice about making the bed. I do that and it makes a huge difference. I might have clothes still on the floor, but if the bed is made, then it makes a huge difference
I have a 4 1/2 month old so I am sooo with you! What makes it even more difficult is that for the first 2 months we lived very close to my parents so the grandparents gave us good breaks on the weekends. We moved about an hour and a half away and I don't get those breaks anymore. Here is my typical day. I get up early in the morning to pump (I have to express so my little one has milk since I'm going back to work soon). I lay down again until he wakes up unless I get up to fix my hubbie breakfast/lunch. If so, I go back to sleep after hubbie leaves. Hubbie helps by taking the dog out in the morning and the evenings. Baby wakes up which means I wake up and nurse/feed him. I pump right after to maintain a sufficient surplus. I make breakfast and baby goes in the swing. (a Swing or bouncer is a MUST!). He's usually entertained enough for me to eat and do the morning dishes. If I have to go out I also use this time to bring him and the bouncer in the shower so I can take a quick shower (literally 5 minutes). We usually have some time and I read to him or play with him. He usually eats again and then baby goes down for his first nap. I pump a second time. This is also when I try to get things done (bills, laundry, cleaning, etc. etc.). He wakes up and we take the dog for a nice long walk and then come back and he eats and I pump a third time. At this point, I use the time to either go to the grocery store, catch up on a show while I'm starting dinner etc, etc. Hubbie has been a wonderful help and he usually comes home in the evening early enough to help me out and this is when I get a lot of stuff done around the house while baby and daddy play. Daddy will feed him and change him and bathe him and I'll cook dinner, clean up the kitchen and we usually have to take turns eating because baby has a fussy time in the evening around the same time. I pump a 4th time and usually around 8-9 baby has another feed and then goes to sleep. Unfortunately I tend to stay up late getting things done for myself (checking emails, taking a long bath, etc.) or spend time with hubby since he is home and baby is asleep. So, to sum it up, I take naps with my baby (I forgot to mention that). He takes longer naps when I nap with him and it helps him sleep at night. A baby who doesn't nap well during the day has difficulty winding down at night. I also try to get things done when he is asleep (sounds contradictory but I don't sleep at all of his naps). Hubbie is a big help and I try to accomplish one thing here and there rather than having a whole list of things.
As far as money, I look at the grocery ads and see which store has most of the items I need on sale and shop there. I use coupons, I shop online and price compare, I shop at the Children's Orchard and consignment stores. Hope some of this helps!
The biggest tip: you don't have to have all the cool stuff in baby magazines. Our parents didn't and apparently we turned out okay.
My other advice is to shop second hand as much as possible. Thrift stores, Ebay,etc. Because some crazy mommy is spending $100 on baby clothes and maybe you can get her worn-for-two-month hand-me-downs...
Don't worry about having the Gap and Gymboree clothes. Money is so tight after you have a new baby, I shopped at the 'Gently used' kids clothing store by us and it was fabulous.
Hey you! I saw one of your comments on meisha's page. It has been so long! I've really enjoyed reading your blog.
As for tips, my best trick is to sit down and divide up significant house work into 15 minute segments. I am always surprised at how much I can get done when I have 15 minutes to focus on housework. It makes the incredibly daunting task of cleaning seem so much less overwhelming! That way, if you're tired, all you need if 15 minutes and you're done! And if you've got an hour, do four segments and you'll feel super proud of yourself.
If you're an organized sort of person, cleaning schedules can be wonderful. I assign myself one room to pay particular attention to organizing and de-cluttering that room as I have time throughout the day. Then I do one 15 min segment (or more depending on the size of your house) and that's it. It is so easy to manage that way. There are all sorts of things you can do with a cleaning schedule.
Do a few loads of laundry everyday so it doesn't build up. Buy extra meat and chicken. Cook it all at once. Wrap it in recipe portions to freeze and that will be one less step to do for several dinners. To save money you can cut your fabric sheets in half and use less laundry soap that called for. Try a schedule!
I love my Roomba vacuum. I just pick up all the toys and trash in a room, then set it to clean it while I'm gone. Then when I come home, there's a nicely vacuumed room (unless it got stuck on a sock somewhere).
I love the frozen lasagna from Costco. It's only 10 dollars, and it saves about an hour of time that it would take to make my own.
I don't know if you have already done the drawing, but hear is my little advice. I haven't read everyone else's yet, so I hope it is something new. I am a list person, so that is what helps me get things done. I make a list of all the things I need to get done that day and I number it from most important to least important. If I don't get it done that day I roll it over to the next day. I love to cross things off my list. P.S. you need to add my email to your private blog.
Ok my tips are. Buy a magnetic calandar to put on the fridge (Dry erase) This way you and Steve and Carters "to do's" can all go up on one spot for the entire family to see. This is great for monthly planning of events. Next you can keep two laundry baskets-one for colors and one for whites and when one looks full, throw it in. No time needed for sorting. Nightly before bed you WILL feel LOADS better if you just pick up the random toys and papers in the living room and kitchen table (I DO), I too make a grocery list after I have looked in my freezer, seen what I have, picked out meals and find out what ingredients I am lacking. Saves money if you stick to it. I also recruit James any time I want help (I hate to UNLOAD the dishes but don't mind loading) so he helps whereever I ask him too. GOOD LUCK.
LOVE U See you Thurs.
ps. one other thing is I make a list of what I need to get done that week as far as errands go and this may sound crazy but I do things according to location. If they are all in Orem I take the furthest exit and do everything on one side of the road first and then everything on the other next on my way headed home.