Ten before ten

A little while ago my friend Lydia and her youngest son Myles visited from Canada to meet Micha. We spent a whole week just hanging out, drinking coffee, shopping and basically enjoying each others company and babies.

We also talked about how life changes with a baby, how busy it can get etc. One piece of advice she shared with me, that a friend shared with her, has been so helpful lately. She called it 'ten before ten'.

It's actually pretty simple : Do ten things before 10 a.m. every morning.

That includes: taking a shower, making the bed, bathing the baby, throwing in a load of laundry, feeding the baby, cleaning out the dishwasher etc. But also cleaning the bathroom or washing the windows. You name it, whatever needs doing counts! 

After 10 a.m. no chores need to be done anymore. Except maybe grocery shopping or running some errands.

For me it really helps to be able to relax when Micha goes down for his second nap of the day. During his morning nap I get myself ready for the day and try to do as many chores as I can before he wakes up. Then when he's awake I fold laundry or vacuum while he's playing nearby.

That way when he's ready for his second nap I don't have to worry about doing things around the house and I can just relax. Sometimes I write a blog post or read a book or take a nap (that rarely happens, I'm not much of a napper).

Just me and my boy folding the laundry

Before I tried this method I would always feel a bit guilty whenever I wasn't doing something 'useful', now I do all the 'useful' things in the morning, and in the afternoon I allow myself to kick back and relax.

It sounds so simple but it has really helped me find some balance in being a mother, a wife, taking care of my household and taking care of myself. That last one is pretty important too you know!

I'm so thankful for great friends and good advice, thanks Lyd! 

Do you have any good advice for new moms or have you received helpful advice yourself lately? Please share!

Love, Maria