My Every Day Non-Negotiables

 Hello friends!

Today I want to talk about those daily to-do list items that I consider non-negotiable in my home. These tasks make our home run smoothly no matter what the season (pregnant, postpartum, solo parenting while my husband travels for work, swamped by the holidays - you get it).

These things help me keep my sanity, feel productive, and keep my family on track. Let's dive in!

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1. Getting dressed and fixing my hair

Starting with a responsibility to myself, because #SelfCare, right?

When I was newly postpartum with my first baby (okay, probably newly postpartum until like...four months in) I didn't get dressed. I wore the same dirty robe and nursing bras every day. My hair was always in a messy rat's nest of a bun. I looked awful and I felt awful. 

When I did start getting dressed, I didn't take the time to choose clothes that made me feel pretty. I threw on whatever worked and moved on with my day. As it turns out, I had postpartum depression and didn't know it. I remember waking up one morning when my oldest was about a year old and going into my closet, excited to wear something pretty.

And there was nothing. Nothing fit anymore, and I had never bothered to purchase anything new that fit and made me feel beautiful. I looked at the few dresses hanging there and thought, "Where's all the pink? There's no pink. Who am I anymore?" 

Fast forward a bit to being newly postpartum with my second baby (like less than 24 hours postpartum) and I was freshly showered, in a comfy-but-pretty dress, and feeling good. I promised myself things would be different after I realized how important getting clean and looking put together was to me. It made such a big difference in the way I looked at myself and my competence. 

I now lay out a dress the night before and make sure to keep up with washing and putting product in my hair (most of the time, anyways). This makes getting dressed quick and easy each morning, and my hair is presentable without needing to resort to the daily messy bun.

2. Laundry

I do at least one load of laundry every day. This includes washing, drying, folding, and putting it all away. Laundry doesn't collect on beds, couches, or chairs, our favorite clothes are always ready to go, and the entire routine is built into my morning. I don't have to expend much mental energy thinking about it, and I'm never behind.

3. Making the bed

This is more for visual peace than the smooth running of my home, I think. I love to see a made bed. I don't need it to include beautiful throw pillows, artfully draped blankets, or multiple layers of quilts, but I do need the covers spread nicely and the pillows fluffed up a bit so they don't have that shape of your head still indented from last night's sleep.

4. Dinner

I make dinner after breakfast every day. This might be making a full meal from scratch, but it could also be pulling leftovers out of the freezer or planning a pizza night. Whatever happens, doesn't need to take up a ton of time or be overly complicated, but it does need to take shape as a firm plan for what our family will eat for dinner. 

This keeps me from scrambling at 4:30 in the afternoon when kids are starting to get cranky and I'm losing steam. I will die on the "make dinner after breakfast" hill.

5. Set up the coffee pot

I put fresh grounds and water in our programmable coffee pot every day and set the timer for 6:00 the next morning. Without a doubt, Morning Me thanks Afternoon Me for making that effort.

6. Load the dishwasher

I don't leave dirty dishes hanging out in my kitchen sink. I load the dishwasher after every cooking session. If the dishwasher is full I run it, unload it, then rinse and repeat (literally, I guess). I do my best not to get lazy or procrastinate dealing with dirty dishes. Dishes aren't my favorite chore, but I know future me will always appreciate the work I do on our dishes right now.

That's all for today! Let me know in the comments below what your daily non-negotiables are!

All the love,

Emily

P.S. Feel free to contact me at admin@tulipsandbasil.com!