Top 5 Tuesdays, wherein I pick a random category and give you my Top 5. Duh.
This week's category: The Top 5 Things Every Mama Needs
1. A support system. I feel lucky that mine stretches across boundaries of home, state, country, and interwebs. The biggest parts of it are most definitely:
The Moo
This week's category: The Top 5 Things Every Mama Needs
1. A support system. I feel lucky that mine stretches across boundaries of home, state, country, and interwebs. The biggest parts of it are most definitely:
The Moo
& The Nana
2. Tinted moisturizer. I've just discovered this magic little potion that hides all kinds of sleepy uglies and is probably the only reason that passersby don't think I'm homeless. Bonus points in this category for those mamas who find a way to include mascara & lip gloss in their get-ready routine, too. Most days it's the moisturizer and vaseline for me, but I'm workin' on it.
2. A stop-crying plan. That works. It's proven to be of vital importance that I have one or two sure-fire ways to keep Natalie happy (whether in public, before bedtime, when I'm trying to make a phone call, or just to save my sanity). Our standby is storytime--Natalie loves books, and reading a stack of them to her is pretty much a guaranteed way to keep her happy in the short-term. Other ways to buy us some happy time include peek-a-boo playtime with her Pooh Bear, snuggles with her Seahorse, and bathtime.
3. The ability to get dressed in under 5 minutes. The days of taking my time to go through my closet, try on and discard outfits, or contemplate shoe choice has passed. Unless I have that lovely support system in-house on weekday mornings I'm usually scrambling to get myself into clothes in 5 minutes, max. It's a learned skill, and I consider it a vital one for all mommies.
5. Alone time. At a minimum, I need 15 minutes each day, and a solid hour each week, just to myself, with no baby and no responsibilities. On a daily basis that 15 minutes is usually reserved for coffee or trashy magazines or blogging. Mikey has been a savior in this department, and is always a step ahead of me in offering to take Natalie with him to run errands after work or on the weekends so I can have some blissful quiet (well, itunes-blaring) time all by my lonesome.
Those are my Top 5. What are yours?
So this post got me thinking about things I couldn't do without. And what things wouldn't be a repeat of items you've already listed (like support system -- oh my gosh, does every mama need a support system!). So here are my Top 5:
ReplyDelete1. The Internet. My babe has goop in his eye? Not napping well? Having teething problems? I just turn to my trusty pal Google for answers. And it's reassuring to read up about moms who are learning about this baby-taking-care-of thing just like me!
2. A Self-Entertainment Plan. If my babe can entertain himself for 10 minutes, it's a beautiful thing. We've got a used exersaucer (dubbed the spaceship) that a friend passed onto us, and it is wonderful to sit back and watch the babe figure out how all the gizmos work.
3. Sheet protectors. A friend gave me one of these before my babe's birth and said it saved her life. It seems just a simple thing -- a waterproof cloth you put over the mattress. But trust me, it's magical. Late night blowouts? Just whip the sheet protector off and put the baby on the sheeted mattress underneath. No bothering with changing sheets at 1 a.m. while the babe squalls at the top of his lungs.
4. A good alerting system. I cannot relax unless I know the baby monitor is up and running, and that no matter where I am in the house, I'll be able to hear my babe wake up. Plus, I can get so much stuff done instead of waiting near the babe's room, listening for the slightest sound. I know some moms forsake the baby monitor, but it's vital for me.
5. A car. When all else fails, just put the babe in the car and drive. As much as I would like to not waste gas and pollute the environment due to random driving, it works. By golly, does it work.
oh my goodness you are so right about those essentials! #2 & #5 are so important in my household, and i'm just now learning that sheet protectors will be vital... after a couple of nights of major leaky diapers!
ReplyDeleteI love you, Hil!
ReplyDelete