5 Minute Pickup

Do any of you (all two of you) ever feel overwhelmed by the destruction your children can cause in your home?  I'm talking every book off of the shelf, 50 packs of fruit snacks on the floor, poop on the couch, and crawling on the counter... all in 10 seconds flat?

I would consider myself someone who likes to have a clean space.  In college, my dorm room always needed to be clean, or at least picked up, in order for me to accomplish any type of school work.  It might have been 50% procrastination, 50% neat freak, but regardless, it needed to be neat for my brain to function clearly.  Well, not much has changed in the past 4 years.  I still find myself internally losing my crap when my house is in shambles.  This happens at least once a day. 

I have two people in my life that I need to thank for today's post. First, is my step mom, Annette.  The second, is my Mom, Mary.  Annette has a spot for everything.  It's not just the main floor in her home that she keeps spotless, but every bedroom, every bathroom and even the laundry room is spotless.  Nothing is left out, and everything has a "place".  My Mom, on the other hand, is a little bit more "lax", if you will. She isn't messy by any means, but she isn't as concerned with neatness, as others may be (sorry, Mom). However, my Mom taught me an important life lesson when I was young.  Every Sunday, after church, my brothers and I would have to clean our bedrooms in order to play outside or go anywhere.  It was the rule of the house.  Starting my procrastination at a very young age, I would always drag my feet.  My mom would always say, "Set a timer for 10 minutes, and see what you can get done in that time. You will be surprised".  Much to my surprise, she was right.  Are mom's always right? Yes, yes we are.

I think this "method" worked for me, because I am a competitive person (when I want to be).  But there was just something about this that motivated me to get stuff done. And to get it done FAST.

I would love to have a 100% clean and spotless house.  And someday, I will. But, right now, at this point in my life, I don't. And I won't.  With an 18 month old and a baby due any week, it's just not a reality for me. 

So, I wanted to share what has been working for me over these past few months, and what will continue to be my "go to" until chaos has left our home... so, in 18 years.

During Benson's nap time, I pick 3-4 rooms that need to be "cleaned".  I turn on some music, and I set a timer for 5 minutes (per room), and I get to work.  It's amazing what I can accomplish. ***DISCLAIMER*** - this method will not work if your child is not contained in a high chair, crib, bed, etc.  Talk about 2 steps forward, 8 million steps backwards.

To give you a visual of what 5 minutes can accomplish...

This is our living room BEFORE:

This is our living room AFTER:

 YES! This took just 5 minutes.  I even had time to get out my cleaning supplies, and ended up extending my time limit to dust! The things that excite me these days, are unreal.


This is generally my "checklist" for the rooms...

Kitchen:
- Put away items on counter (usually bills, cups, papers, etc.)
- Wipe down counters
- Put away items on floor (usually toys, toys, or toys)
- Load/Unload dishwasher

Bedroom:
- Make bed
- Take water glasses to Kitchen
- Pick up anything on the floor (usually husband's clothes and towels)
- Put away 1 basket of laundry

Bathroom:
- Clean toilet (and shower if you have time.  However, I usually clean the shower when I'm in it. Is that gross?)
- Wipe down counters
- Clean mirror
- Change towels

Living Room:
- Pick up items on floor and put away (We keep our toys in the living room, so usually the floor is hard to see. This takes a majority of the 5 minutes.)
- Dust furniture and window wills

Mudroom:
- Put away shoes
- Hang up jackets that get thrown on railing (Thank you, husband)
- Shake out rug
- Wipe down doors (Again, thank you, husband)

At least 3 times a week, I vacuum our downstairs, which is our main living space.  Our Golden Retriever, nor our son, has any mercy on our souls.  I also mop once a week.  This can be done instead of picking a room to clean. 

I hope this helps all of you mama's who have lost hope or given up on the cleanliness of your homes (and your minds).  I know that for myself, I can't think if my house is a mess.  This helps me have a clear mind, as well, as it doesn't make me feel overwhelmed at the thought of cleaning my ENTIRE HOUSE.  That gives me anxiety just thinking about it.  Us Mom's need to take life one step at a time!

Comment below with your "before" and "after" pics!! 

lactation smoothies

Seeing as I am due with baby boy #2 in just about five weeks (gasp!), postpartum life is in the forefront of my mind.  In fact, it consumes me a majority of the time.  I am already a mother to my handsome, loving, easy, baby boy, Benson.  He is 18 months old.  We are well adjusted to life with one boy, who, did I mention is SO EASY? I am not saying that there aren't days when I want to strangle him (not seriously), but for the majority of the time, I have nothing to complain about.  Needless to say, bringing home baby will be a big adjustment for all of us, as is to be expected.

I have spent the past three months trying to prepare, the best that I can, for this baby's arrival.  Let's be honest though, how much can you really prepare?  The list of the things I have "prepped" is endless. But, today, I wanted to share with you a recipe that will hopefully make postpartum life, just a little bit easier.

When Benson was born, he had jaundice very badly.  In fact, it was the worst our pediatrician had ever seen.  I was unable to breastfeed him for the first five days in the hospital, because I was unable to hold him as he was receiving constant photo therapy.  Instead, he was fed through a catheter, which broke my little heart.  ANYWAYS, before I get all sappy over here (thank you hormones), that was just the beginning of my breastfeeding "troubles".  I hung on to nursing for six months, but it was a roller coaster of a journey.  I'm praying that with this baby, nursing will be super easy and my body will cooperate.  Just in case things don't go as planned, I have prepped Lactation Smoothies, which are supposed to help boost breast milk supply.  Below is the recipe and directions.

Lactation Smoothies 

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon almond milk (you can use vanilla or plain)
• 1 container old fashioned oats
• 10 bananas
•  5 cups frozen strawberries
•  Flax/chia blend (ground flaxseed works too)
•  Nut butter of your choice
•  Honey (optional for sweetener)
•  Quart size freezer bags

Yields: 10 smoothies

Directions:

• Label and date freezer bags
• Place 1 banana, 1/2 c strawberries, 1/4 c oats, 1 tbsp flax/chia blend, 1 tbsp nut butter, 1 tbsp honey and 1 c almond milk into freezer bag. 
• Close bag and freeze up to 4 months.
• When ready to blend, simply put contents into blender and blend.  You may need to add 1/4 water to help blend.  

 

All of the ingredients in these smoothies are beneficial to nursing mamas.  Here's why...

• oats - high in iron
• bananas - potassium 
• strawberries - iron, potassium, calcium and magnesium (win!)
• flax seed - omega-3 fatty acids
• chia seed - fiber and omega-3 fatty acids
• nut butter - protein 
• almond milk - calcium, vitamins E & D

 Not only are these smoothies healthy for you, but they taste delicious too! That's a win-win in my book.


Comment below if you have tried any lactation smoothies that have helped you! I always love new ideas!

Thanks for reading!