Simplify.

My Mom and Dad have recently remodeled/redecorated their entire house. Walls have been torn down, floors have been replaced and even the ceilings have been, um, reinforced. (Long story.) Anyway, upon our visit home this weekend, I discovered that the only thing in the house that hasn't been totally replaced or improved is the shower in the downstairs bathroom. They built the house just before Kelli was born, so it's very weird to see the only home I knew as a child to be so vastly different.

Anyway, my Mom bought one of those little word decoration thingys for the kitchen that says "Simplify," and it inspired me to post a few things that I've learned in my almost 8 weeks as a Mom that have helped to simplify my life.

- Laundry: I do at least one load a day now instead of waiting until the weekend to do it all. It makes the weekends more enjoyable and also helps to keep a good supply of Alex's clothes/burpcloths/bibs clean.

- Bottles: We keep a big bowl in the sink and whenever a bottle is dirty, we drop it in the bowl with warm water and soap. Whoever is at the sink next usually washes them up and puts them on the rack to dry. It's never overwhelming, which is nice.

- Night feedings: After I put Alex to sleep for the night, I put the Boppy, a bib and a burp cloth on the chair I feed him in. I also set a glass of water out for me. Then, in the kitchen, I have the bottle prefilled with 4 oz. of water so when I wake up it's just a matter of grabbing Alex, dumping in the formula and feeding him. Leaning out the process!

Those are just three little things, but I think they've each helped tremendously. Take this knowledge, go forth and prosper.