1. My Diaper Bag Checklist- This is a very small card (about the size of a business card) that I created to put into the side pocket of Silas' diaper bag. It may seem silly, but I can't tell you how many times I would have left the house without a vital baby item had I not looked over the list before leaving home. It' been a lifesaver. (You may be looking at the last item on the list and wondering why in the world is "LION" a vital baby item.. haha.. good question.. well, Silas has a couple of stuffed toys that comfort him when he's fussy and one of them happens to be a lion so hence the last item on the list. Also, that second to last item, the Ziploc bag, is a lifesaver as well. We have frequent "explosions" in the car or while out shopping so having a sealed bag to put the contaminated items in really saves the day! And by the way, on the back of the card I've jotted down several extra items that I want to be sure to remember for overnight trips.
2. My dishwasher! I'm finally living in the 21st century, yall! (Haha) I had never had a dishwasher until Kevin and I moved into our current apartment back in June. Friends, I must admit that I didn't use it for a while because I didn't know how! (Growing up we didn't have a dishwasher.) Well, I finally bought the detergent for it a couple of months ago and now I'm saving SO MUCH TIME by utilizing this handy appliance. (Don't laugh) My evenings are a lot less hectic, and I get to spend extra time with my little one instead of scrubbing dishes! Dishwashers work for me!!
3. This book! Of all the "baby books" I've read, this is the one I refer to the most. My favorite part about it is that it includes a chapter on "extreme fussiness/colic." This book was a lifesaver during Silas' first three months and even now it is helping me to deal with some "post-colic" sleep problems. (It was recommended to me by parents of non-colicky infants though, so it's a great read for ALL new parents!) I love that that Dr. Weissbluth discusses some of the popular approaches to sleep problems and gives pros and cons to each. I love that this book will be useful to me for a LONG time because it discusses SO MANY topics. I love that it contains some biology and scientific research to back its ideas. And, best of all, I have seen for myself that what Dr. Weissbluth recommends works. (He actually had an extremely fussy/colicky baby HIMSELF so he writes from experience as well. Love that.) I have underlines and circles and highlights all over my copy. All that to say, it works for me!4. Consistent Bedtimes for Silas AND for Me- It's common sense that a consistent bedtime for a baby is a good idea, but I've learned that a consistent bedtime for myself is also VERY important and makes life MUCH easier. There's always work to be done around the house or catching up to do on email or blogging, but I've learned that when bedtime comes around I need to drop everything and get REST! My days go much smoother when I'm well-rested. REST works for me!
5. Flying - Go to that website to see what I'm talking about! I WAS living in CHAOS (Can't Have Company Over Syndrome :-) until I started flying lessons about a month ago! If you've never heard about this website, check it out! It's FULL, I mean FULL, of information about how to get your life more organized and your home more orderly. And its all broken down into BABY STEPS (can I get an Amen!) I've put into action a great bedtime and morning routine, and I've also slowly been decluttering our apartment. Most days (I still have my off days, of course) I have full confidence that my home is presentable, that everyone has clean underwear (ha!), and that we won't be starving when dinner comes around! Go get yourself a flight plan and make life easier! It works for me!
6. E-Mealz - Check out this website! I joined e-mealz even before Silas was born because I have such a hard time planning out our weekly menus. Now that Silas is here I REALLY appreciate this service, and I'm still willing to pay $5 a month to have a complete 7-day meal plan specific to our needs AND a printable grocery list every week that includes everything I need for a full week's worth of meals. It actually SAVES us money in the long run because we have a PLAN when we go grocery shopping. Kevin and I choose the low carb meal plan and tweak it a little to make it more budget friendly. We usually have leftovers for lunch so we're covered as far as meals go. The meals are SIMPLE and, so far, TASTY. This service DEFINITELY works for me!
Ok, that's all I can think of for now. I'm learning that each new season of life has it's own unique challenges and that finding ways to make those challenges less challenging is always a plus. Now I must turn in for the night to get my much-needed REST! It works for me!
P.S. Please leave a comment on this post if you have things that work for you because they might work for me too! :-)
G'night!
