Before I became a mom, I remember feeling so busy all the time – running errands after work, meeting up with family and friends, and taking weekend trips with my fiance. Little did I know, my life was nowhere near as busy as I imagined it was. Having my son showed me that because now, between packing lunches, bath time and wrestling him into his pajamas, my life feels downright HECTIC some days.
Prior to my son’s birth, when I entered the organizing and cleaning stage of pregnancy, I started to read a book called A Simplified Life, by Emily Ley. This book goes through and gives advice on how to simplify several aspects of your life and the benefits associated with it. All from cleaning out your house Marie Kando style, cutting down on screen time, and how to simplify your household so that it’s a welcoming space for your family and guests. I know, it sounds like a lot, but I promise it’s not. She suggested small things that made a huge difference in my life and helped me place more focus on little things that make me happy.
I recently picked this book back up again, a year and a half later, and once again it inspired me to save my sanity.
It inspired me to reflect on the simple things that make me feel grounded, sane and happy. Those little things add up, and they help me get through my day. I encourage you to reflect with me, as I walk you through the small parts of my days that bring me joy and help keep my sanity in check.
Simple things that save my sanity:
- Those 10 minutes of “me time” in the morning: You know, those 10 minutes when you put in your contacts, brush your teeth and take vitamins. The house is still quiet, most mornings, and it’s the best time for me to mentally prepare for the day, make a mental to-do list and every once in awhile, I have a second to eat a bite of breakfast!
Q: What do you do in those first 10 minutes of your day that helps you get started or brings you happiness?
- COFFEE: Whether I make it at home or stop at my local Dunkin’, coffee is a form of self-care for me. The smell, the taste and that caffeine kick that gets me through the day are all reasons I love coffee. However, I do have to cut myself off at twp cups or else I start to get shaky and dehydrated. A guide that helped me balance my water-to-coffee ratio was Caffeine Catastrophe {and the Nutty Nutritionist}.
Q: Coffee, tea or water – which one helps you jump start your day and do you stay hydrated enough throughout the day? - Spending 5-10 minutes each day tidying up the main living spaces in my home: For some reason, those few minutes help me feel more organized, help keep clutter from piling up and it’s usually during this time I find that lost invitation or a bill I need to pay. This also gives me peace of mind knowing that if we have unexpected visitors, they won’t walk into a (super) messy home.
Q: What area of your home could use tidying up daily to ensure that you feel more organized and to avoid being stressed over it at a later date? Mine is my kitchen. It catches dishes, shoes, mail and my kid’s toys and dog toys always end up in there somehow, too. - “Meal prepping”: I use the term meal prepping loosely because I don’t really prep as much as I plan for weekly meals. If you are like me, and you TRY to provide healthy meals for your family, then you’ll understand why thawing meat in the morning, or even the night before you plan on cooking it, brings me joy! If the meat is thawed and ready to go by dinner time, I am less likely to throw in the towel and settle for pizza. (Don’t be fooled though, we love pizza just as much as we love chicken and veggies!)
Q: Meal prepping or meal planning, which one is more feasible for you so that you don’t have to stress over what to make for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day? - Sitting on my porch: I am mildly obsessed with my front porch. It’s a cute, quaint and covered space for me to catch a breath of fresh air and reset my mood if need be. It’s my go-to place for private phone calls, reading, enjoying a drink once my son is asleep and a place where I can catch up with my neighbors as they walk past – and let’s be honest, us parents know how important it is to have adult interaction.
Q: What room/area in your home is your go-to spot for relaxing? - Cleaning out my closet: Having a closet that isn’t packed full of junk and clothes you haven’t worn since college, a closet that only contains your basic necessities – doesn’t that sound great? After cleaning your closet, you’ll no longer have to sift through a bin of purses you haven’t carried in years to find those cute sandals you want to bust out for the summer!
Q: Are there items in your closet you could donate or give to a friend in need? I always post my items in my local moms’ Facebook group. If I can help a fellow mom out, it makes me feel better about getting rid of my stuff. - One-on-one time with my son: Those 60 minutes between bath time and bedtime are typically a pretty crazy time for most families, I’ve even heard it referred to as the witching hour! I try to focus on using this time to play with my son. It helps him burn off that last little bit of energy he has stored up from his afternoon nap and it makes me feel less guilty knowing that I consciously took time out of my day to focus solely on my kid.
Q: How do you/can you spend some one-on-one time with your kid(s) daily?
This is a list of just a few of the small things that help me keep my sanity. The full list is really long and is mostly things that I take for granted. I’m sure I’m not the only mom that needs to refocus on her own sanity every once in a while, so I challenge you to make your own sanity-saving list!
