Tips for Working Out of House

I'm SOOOOO far from an expert on how to make this whole working-out-of-the-house Mom thing work. I've only been doing it for like 7 weeks-ish. But, in that short, short time I have found (ok, learned the hard way) several things I think are worth sharing...

1. Tell yourself you have to leave 5 minutes earlier than you really have to. Then, maybe, with a little luck, you'll be close to on time.

2. Do as much shit the night before as physically possible. Right when I get home from work after I nurse Bailey while we're making dinner, I try to pack lunches, prep bottles, pack anything Bailey needs for daycare (extra outfits, bibs, etc.).

3. Accept that you just can't do it all. That was and still is VERY hard for me. I'm learning (slowly and painfully) that I just can't do everything. I can't do laundry and take the dog for a walk and keep Bailey on her schedule and take a shower at night and have quality time with the Hubs and watch TV and pump and workout and, and, and... I just can't. Sacrifice's have to be made. Prioritize and decide what's most important that night. Do what you can when you can.

4. Wake up 10 minutes earlier than you think you need to. This is more for mental sanity than anything. It's literally the only 10 minutes of quiet I have all day. No dog, no baby, no Hubs, no students, no co-workers, no phone ringing. Just quiet. Of course, it's pre-6am so there's that. But, as big of an extrovert as I am, I need a few minutes each day of complete quiet. It helps me collect myself and get mentally ready for the day over a quiet and perfect cup of coffee. Plus, everything takes longer when you're sleep deprived so it gives you a cushion.

5. Ask for help. Again, this is tough for me. I want to be able to do it all. By myself. And, I just. can't. So, I'm getting better at asking the Hubs for help (and hello- he WANTS to help!). He's a big help in the morning by waking up B and changing her and then he takes all my crap (pump, diaper bag, daycare bag, my purse, gym back, etc. OMG I HAVE SO MUCH STUFF) out to my car each morning. HUUUGE help.

6. Accept that you will forget something. My first day back, I forgot the lunch I so diligently packed for myself the night before. Oh well. $6 later, I had a lunch. Not something I want to make a habit of, but there are worse things in life than forgetting your lunch. Shoot-- I think as long as I remember the baby, I'm golden for the day.

7. Wear a robe over your work clothes, even if you don't get into them til the last minute.

If I pick up Bailey, even for 5 seconds and even with a burp cloth over my shoulder, I WILL get spit up on in the morning. It's just a fact. Wearing a robe over my clothes saves me having to change 67 times before leaving for work. Oh, and put your hair in a pony til you leave the house that way if baby pukes on you, it HOPEFULLY won't get in your hair. Nothing more cool than puke smelling hair.

8. Take a few minutes to play with the baby before work. Even if it's just 2-3 minutes. It makes the whole day start so much better and it makes all the rushing around in the morning and the sleepless night worth it.

9. Don't speed to work. You might be a few minutes late. It'll happen. It'll be OK. Going 40 MPH over the speed limit isn't really gonna get you there much sooner and it might just get you a ticket or in an accident (KNOCK ON WOOD-- neither of these have happened to me!). Not worth it.

10. Try to get into a routine. At least for me, doing the same thing in the same order every morning helps my sleep-deprived brain not forget anything... or at least not forget as much. Routine is good.

11. Utilize weekend. Long gone are the lazy "relaxing" weekends. Weekends are now the GET SHIT DONE days. Shopping, cleaning, errands, meal prepping. Anything and everything you can do to help save time during the week. Shoot, if I could shower for the whole week over the weekend, I would. Someone figure out how I can do that.

12. Relax when you can. Yes, getting 10 less minutes of sleep BLOWS. I know that. But, spending 10 minutes at the end of the night just chatting with the Hubs and having a beer goes a LONG way to keep me sane.

13. Accept that shit's going to go wrong. You're going to be late sometimes. You're going to have poop in your hair or spit up on your shirt. You're going to be more tired than you could imagine. You're going to snap at your husband for nothing. You're going to forget the damn paci at home and turn around and go back for it. It's OK. Life will keep going. Cut yourself some slack. Be gentle with yourself. It will all be OK. You'll get better and better at this work and mommy thing each day. I promise.