Bringing Home Baby: 4 Tips for Creating a Stress-Free Home

Just a few more months and we’ll be a family of four!

The truth is that there’s no scientific way to make everything go completely smooth with the addition of a new baby to the household, but there are some things in my control that I’m taking measures to iron out in the meantime.

One of the things I relished in when coming home from the hospital with my firstborn was having a space that was nearly spotless. I knew we would have guests dropping by to see the baby and that it was important to me to not feel the stress of walking into an untidy home, so I made it a priority to make my space exactly how I wanted it.

Although nesting is a usual part of most pregnancies, it’s not always easy to get around and bend with a big belly towards the end, but there are several things I’m doing ahead of schedule to keep up.

In honor of our 4th addition, here are the 4 items that I found most effective.

Invest in Organizers

If something has a place to go, I’ll put it exactly there. If it doesn’t, it gets stacked on a counter/couch/table until someone figures out what to do with it. Going through the house with paper and pen to determine how many bins and what sizes would benefit each room in the house is so much more helpful than you could imagine. My favorite container in the house is the “husband bin,” where I lovingly place all his junk for him to deal with because, honestly, who knows what that random wire attaches to or what this lonesome piece of hardware is for?

Clean Up Before Bed

No matter how good my intentions are of cleaning up each morning, it just doesn’t happen. Urgent email? Check. Call from school? Check. Friend in crisis? Check. Something else is always more important than getting the dishwasher unloaded or the toys off the floor. When I take a few moments to do these things before bed, no one is expecting an immediate response from me and there are no toddlers throwing toys and crumbs around in the wake of my cleaning.

Delegate Tasks

I made the mistake of trying to do too much a couple weeks ago and wound up at an emergency ultrasound. My body was screaming at me to slow down, and this time I listened. I created a shared note in my phone with my husband and wrote down tasks for each of us to accomplish — giving him things that involved lifting and lots of laundry (because the low height of the washer and dryer make them basically dead to me).

Fresh Air, Inside

Considering it’s snowy for a good portion of the year here, opening the windows doesn’t always cut it. A good smell wafting throughout the house, for me, is motivational — it makes me want to get things done. Instead of lighting candles or using messy scent canisters, I’ve been using Febreze Plugs Air Fresheners that I picked up at my local Sam’s Club. For a limited time, they’re offering 4 refills + 2 warmers for only $14.98! I opted for Linen & Sky scented, but they’re also available in Mediterranean Lavender, Gain Original Scent, and Hawaiian Aloha. 

This product wows me specifically because it offers 1200 hours of scent making for 45 days of freshness! While the “others”** fade fast, Febreze Plus mean low-maintenance upkeep and guest-ready freshness in high traffic rooms. It features dual chambers for odor elimination, that doesn’t just mask any unpleasant smells — it actually cleans away odors. Refills are compatible with all versions of Febreze plug warmers.

* on low setting
** Leading pluggable’s top scents, Nielsen sales 2017.

Here’s where I found them at Sam’s Club:

 

What scent will you choose first?