A New Year, New Inspiration, and New Ideas for the Same Old Problems

While pregnant I had rosy visions of a happy baby, clean house, and dinner ready when Hubbs got from work. I thought that I would have time to make tons of DIY toys and activities for the baby, the laundry would always be done and I would have time for a beauty regimen similar to what I did pre-baby and an exercise routine that rivaled Allyson Felix (I do have a jogging stroller after all.) Basically the quintessential Pleasantville housewife sans cooking in heels and the apron.
My reality at this point is nothing like that. My priorities are the same but I have realized that being home with Ladybug and Smushy has redefined every expectation of motherhood, adulthood and what it means to be on call twenty-four hours a day, every.single.day. I usually don't check off any other priority except for the first on my first: Make sure Ladybug is safe, fed and happy.
Sadly, one of the major failings of being at home is the fact that no matter how clean (or how messy) the condo starts out in the morning, it will look like a tornado hit 45 minutes after Ladybug woke up. We are working on picking up toys with a catchy clean-up song but when push comes to shove, my little Ladybug is a whirlwind. She also wins on the energy scale. The more tired I am, the more she wants to bounce off the walls; the more productive I feel, the more she wants to be held and have a dance party or snuggle.
I truly can't blame it all on my little bundle of energy because, if I am being honest, I would note that the condo looked like a college dorm before Ladybug was born. Hubbs and I have been slowly renovating various parts of the condo so there is always that mess. With the reno mess is the never ending pile of laundry that spreads across our floor like flooding water. In a week, no matter where we went during that week, we end up with a sea of clothes. There is no way all of the clothes get worn, it would be like four or five outfits a day. Since our condo is only 900 square feet, it doesn't take much to mess it up and our constant lack of routine has made the condo super chaotic and overwhelming to be in.
After 21 months of feeling like I am in WAY over my head with managing our home, I decided that the first step to conquering my housewife woes was to make a home management binder. I found numerous ideas about what it should include and am still narrowing it down to make it most usable for me (more on this to come once I stop over-thinking it and put it together.) While researching, I came across a blog entry that inspired me to actually get going on this. The writer set eight goals for herself  and is using them to begin her year long expedition for a cleaner more clutter-free living space. The organized housewife is hosting a challenge that I plan to follow and participate in: Declutter 52 Things in 52 Weeks. Sounds reasonable, right?

Hubbs, Ladybug and me this past November.
My family is my inspiration to make things better and to be a better mama, friend and wife.