7 ways to get stuff done with a new baby

I have a 6-month old. His name is Phoenix. He is changing so fast that I can’t keep up with the new adjustments. Sometimes I find myself holding him with one hand and typing with the other. He wants to crawl, so he’s now crawling and getting into cords, and lately he’s been pulling himself up onto and over things.

Today he wasn’t happy unless he was on the ground, but he was crawling over the barricades I’d created out of pillows, so I had to keep picking him up. He wasn’t happy in his jumper, and I can’t work holding him,  so we packed up and went to Gramma’s house across town.

Thank God for Gramma.

On my way to my moms house I said to myself, “F this! I ALWAYS have things under control, this chaos is not me and it’s making me old ” . I knew I had to look up some tips so I thought I’d share with all of you !!!

1. Baby Gates

I was working from my moms house the other day and I put up long skinny pieces of lightweight lattice ( like for the garden) between pieces of furniture to keep him away from stuff while I worked. It instantly made me feel better. I could rest easy because I knew he couldn’t get hurt and I could turn my attention away from him for enough time to be productive.

All I did was use a loose piece of lattice (super light) and literally just wedge it between a bookcase and the wall. You could use anything. See the resources at the bottom of this post for ideas.

2. Nap Time

This is obvious, but if you can schedule your phone calls and other stuff during nap time, it helps. I like to put away all his toys and “whole-house-playpin” while he naps because it makes me feel like a normal person. Also I can haul ass and get a bunch of work done.

3. Delegate

If you’re a control freak like me, you expect your husband to read your mind. He should just know to do the dishes. Well I have news for you my friend. He won’t do them unless you spell it out very clearly.

Instead of saying : “Can you help out a little bit ?”

say, ” Could you please wash the dishes and put them away?”

4. Tidy in Levels

Start with broad tidying and narrow down like this:

1. Get everything in it’s own room (dishes in the kitchen, brush in the bathroom, etc)
2. Room by room, start putting things away in their homes (things need a home if you ever want your house to be clean, by the way)
3. LAST – organize drawers and closets. This is optional, and should be done after everything else is put away.

The point is to break down tidying into manageable levels rather than getting stuck on organizing a drawer when the rest of your house is completely in disarray.

5. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the act of being present in the moment. I really believe that it’s my happy place. There’s a quote that says “when you eat, eat. and when you drink, drink” I can’t remember who said it but it’s the simple process of just focusing on what you’re doing while you’re doing it and not trying to multitask too much. Multi-tasking, a lot of the time, is counterproductive.

6. Get up Early

Okay, THIS is somehow magic. I’m not kidding if you want “more time in the day” get up at 5 or 6. Baby is asleep and you get 3 or 4 free hours. It’s pretty insane just how much can be done in that amount of time.

Also, get up early rather than going to sleep late (what most people do) because in the morning life is more peaceful and it’s the start to the rest of the day. It’s the building block for the rest of the day.

7. Get Dressed in the morning

Another magical step. You’re more productive when you’re ready for the day. Some people say simply to put on your shoes, but I know I’m way more ready to take on the day when I am fully dressed . Bonus if your nails are done. You can type soooo much better with a fresh manicure.

Free Resources for work at home moms:

Pinterest search for baby gates

Mindfulness (I love this website)

How to tidy

How to keep a baby entertained