Simplifying My Life (Before Baby)

Keeping things simple is an ongoing quest for me. But especially avant bebe, I begin to ask myself how I can make my routine a little easier.

It started with creating a new laundry system. And things like getting my weekly and daily homeschool routines down on paper.

There are a couple more things I’m working on in this area. One, a monthly menu plan.

This is something a lot of women do and find that it saves them a lot of time. I create a menu weekly, it’s one of the habits that keeps me sane. But at times I dread doing it. Sometimes I dread it so much I ask the family to do it. But they’re boring and always want the same stuff, which makes my inner French woman rebel.

A monthly menu would be less work than a weekly one, but with plenty of variety.

But the task is proving much harder than I thought it would be. Mostly because right now during my pregnancy, I don’t want to THINK about food. I don’t want to cook food. I don’t want to look at food. I don’t want to smell food. I don’t want to shop for food.

I just want to eat food. (Ideally, every two hours.)

Preferably, food that someone else has worried about and fussed over and cooked. (Lately, I’m having trouble eating food that I’ve prepared. It just completely turns me off.)

Which is interesting, to say the least.

Every time I sit down to try and work on it I start feeling nauseated and sick because I’m thinking about food. It’s a conundrum – because the whole point of doing a monthly menu is so I don’t have to think about what to cook as often!

Ah, First World Problems.

Another thing is errands and shopping. I’ve decided I’m not going to attempt to do errands and shopping with 7 children.

Last night Sadie asked me if we could go to the Zoo this year. And I said, yes, I would love to. And then I remembered that the last time I went to the Zoo, I had 6 kids with me and the youngest was only 1 or 2 months old. And at the end of that excursion I told hubby that my going was a huge mistake. My back and belly and girl parts were aching so badly by the end of that day.

And then I thought, I’m not going to do field trips for homeschooling after the baby is born without my husband with me or an adult helper. Because it’s just too much. I’ve taken a lot of kids shopping and on errands before, but it’s been a long time since I’ve had the combination of a 4 year old, 2 year old, and newborn. That’s tough.

So, errands and shopping will happen after hubby gets home. Or, I will leave some kids home with the 16 year old.

Finally, I’m simplifying my business by selling off a website I just don’t have time for anymore. At one time, I managed several websites and kept them updated with unique content. But no more. I can only handle this one. (It’s a recipe site, if you’re interested email me.) It’s better for me to have one site that’s my focus than a few that sit around gathering virtual dust.

I always say I’m going to do this, but this time I’m really going to do it: freeze some meals before the baby comes. If I have to outsource some of this to my sous chefs, so be it. They’re always in the kitchen cooking up something anyway.

Pregnancy is a great time to make goals and changes in your life. For one, you’re motivated by the unavoidable, un-procrastinate-able deadline of baby’s birth. Two, you’re usually blessed with a burst of energy at some point to make things happen.

How did you simplify your life before the birth of a baby?