What’s Saving My Life Right Now: 2018

This is a fun little linkup hosted by Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy.

It’s always a good idea to think about the good things in our lives, even if they’re small.  Here’s my current list, mostly newborn-centered because that’s my life right now.

Drinking coffee out of an actual mug.  Yes, travel mugs keep me from having to reheat my coffee for the billionth time, but there’s something about sipping from an actual mug that just makes me happy.  And when I do actually get to drink most of a cup without interruption, it’s a little extra light in my day. (Also, I don’t actually reheat my coffee. I dump it back in the pot, mix it around, and re-pour, because I’m the only one drinking it. I’m not sure if that’s genius or gross, but it’s what I do.)

Library due dates.  I’m in a season where reading is taking the back burner to a lot of other things, but having a deadline means that I do occasionally still get a book or two read, if only because I have to take them back soon.  Also helpful? Library holds, which allow me to pick books at home and just grab them at the checkout desk when I’m trying to corral the children.

Nursing clothes that actually fit.  For my first four kids, I bought whatever was on sale at Target and Walmart, because they were nearby and the prices were low.  But I was never totally happy with them, because my cups runneth over, ahem.  Since I had gotten rid of all baby/nursing things before Sarah was born, I had to buy new stuff this time around.  And I searched for more than just the cheapest price.

I found some nursing tanks for around the house on Amazon, made in larger sizes.  And I just ordered some actual go-out-in-public nursing tops from Latched Mama that are actually my style and still nursing accessible.  Sometimes it’s worth spending the money, especially on things you’ll use every day.

Baby bags. I’m not sure what these are actually called, but we call them baby bags.  They’re basically a long-sleeved garment on top, but the bottom is just a big bag things that zips up.  The baby stays warm like being wrapped up in a blanket, but there’s no blanket.  My babies have all lived in these for their first winter.  The only drawback is that they don’t work with carseats, so the baby, like me, has to put on actual pants.

The 10-minute rule.  I heard about this on an Instagram story from Beth Anne of Brilliant Business Moms.  Her point was that even if you have a lot going on, you can still find ten minutes a day to move forward with whatever you’re working on.  She was focusing on business stuff, but it applies across the board.

With newborn life and nursing, plus homeschooling the other kids, plus food and household stuff, it can feel like I have no time at all.  But there are at least a few times a day where I can find a pocket of 10 minutes to work on something blog-related, to read a bit of a book, to chop up some fruits and veggies.  It’s only 10 minutes! and that’s totally doable.

Sleep.  This is the most important thing saving my life right now.  Over the past couple of years, I’ve discovered that I’m at my best when I get about 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep.  That’s totally not happening right now, but what is happening is that my husband is letting me sleep in as long as I can.  It’s usually only until 7:00 or so, but when you consider that I’m sometimes in bed before 9:00pm, depending on Sarah’s sleeping, and that the rest of the kids wake up around 5:30, it’s a pretty big deal.  I may not be getting 9 hours, and it may not be uninterrupted, but I am getting enough sleep to function, and that’s huge.

Just for fun, tell me one thing that’s saving your life right now, big or small!