When Less Is More

As a busy mom, I am always trying to find ways to simplify my life.

Less dishes?  Tell me how!

Less Laundry?  I'll do it!

I wanted to share with you a few things that I have done to simplify my day-to-day.

Bottles and Sippy Cups

After learning the hard way and having a sink like this:

I vowed to never to do it like this again!  I learned my lesson.

Now, whether I am pumping or using formula, I never have more than 3 bottles...EVER!  I have to admit, I was little skeptical of my own idea but it made my life SO much easier.  Not only did I not have a sink full of bottles but it FORCED me to clean them almost immediately which meant that I usually did one or two other dishes while I was standing there.  It really helped with not letting the dishes get out of control.

So, once the kiddos got to the sippy cup stage, I refused to have this:

For some personalities, that works.  For me...O.V.E.R W.H.E.L.M.I.N.G.

So, each of my kids has 2-3 sippy cups.  One is for water and then the other one is for juice or milk.  There is no specific designation, I just always have a water cup going and they get a cup of juice with breakfast and usually a cup of milk at some point throughout the day.  At the end of the day, its super easy to round up the cups and pop them into the dishwasher.  Works for me!

Dishes and the Dishwasher

Dishes, oh, dishes.  You can ask my mother and she will tell you that I HATE doing dishes.  My father-in-law, whether he knows it or not, always has this special way of doing the dishes when he visits.  There is no better gift.  I don't know what it is about it, I just HATE them! 

Anyways, given that they are necessary, I have had to learn to love accept them.  What I have discovered is that even if I don't do the dishes all throughout the day, I DO NOT sit down at night until they are done.  Period.  My kitchen has to be done before I sit down to read, watch TV, go to bed, etc.  For me, there is nothing worse than waking up to work.

As of now, I only have three kids (yes, yes, I'll cover the whole 'how many do you want' question another time)  so, generally, I only have to run the dishwasher once a day.  I have struggled to find the 'perfect' time to run it and have finally decided that starting it right before I go upstairs for the night is the best.  This way, I can load it all throughout the day, unload it in the morning, and then start all over.  My bottles, sippy cups, bowls, and spoons are always ready in the morning for breakfast. 

Clothes

If you haven't read it already, here is my clothing system.  In short, at the beginning of each season/size, each child gets:

8 daily outifts

6 PJs

1 Extra Pair of Jeans

2 Church Outfits

Any seasonal pieces necessary

Seriously, a lifesaver on the laundry front but also on the organizing and shopping front!

Without a doubt in the world, I have found that less is WAY more when it comes to most kid things.  The more I have, the more chaos there is.  So, simplify, simplify, simplify is the name of my game.  Sometimes it requires more immediate discipline on my part but in the long run, it makes my life so much better.  And lets face it, there's some truth the saying, 'If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy'. 

The Well Fed, Well Rested Baby - Eating/Milk

So, I've already told you about Dr. Denmarks tips for sleeping.  I also wanted to share her tips for eating because, similar to her sleeping plan, her feeding plan has made our lives SO EASY!

First of all, Dr. Denmark teaches a routine that is based around the 6, 10, 2, 6, 10 schedule.  Meaning, you are AIMING (meaning, your goal) to feed the baby at these times during the day.  Now, when you first have a baby, the baby will probably eat much more frequently than every four hours.  Especially right after birth, the baby is trying to gain back the calories that he/she just burned during delivery. 

The biggest key to remember in the first few weeks is that you are teaching the baby to eat a full meal!  (Full meal = nursing both sides/finishing a bottle)

One of the best quotes that I have heard about parenting comes from the 'On Becoming Babywise' book.  They basically say that you are parent from day one.  The baby doesn't come out knowing how to eat and sleep, it's YOUR job to teach him/her. 

So, once the baby is eating full meals, you are most likely on a 3-4 hr feeding routine.  Obviously there are growth spurts and other things that will throw this off but it should always get back to the every 3-4 hour routine within a few days.

This feeding GOAL has always helped me have something to aim for after having a baby.  Instead of just being a constant milk machine, I know that I do have a goal that I would like to reach.  It definitely helps on those days when you feel completely depleted. 

In another post, I will tell you about Dr. Denmark's take on babyfood.  Trust me, if you have a little one who is on or will be starting baby food soon, you want to read the next one.  It will make your life SO MUCH EASIER with a guaranteed balanced diet for the babe. 

Man oh man, I sure do love my Dr. Denmark!