Some pregnant mammals prepare for their newborn by seeking the lowest spot of shelter. Others pace, hoard, or literally build nests. We humans clean, purge, scrub, alphabetize, and label.
It’s a powerful instinct, driven by hormonal forces deep in our primordial brains.
“The contents of a junk drawer are a historic cache of information about a person. They raise questions about what makes us happy, what objects hold sentimental value and what makes us who we are—much like a time capsule or a scrapbook.”- The Junk Drawer Project
I’m obsessed with drawers right now. Not the sexy kind. I’m talking about junk drawers.
“We must consciously look at areas of our lives that need cleaning up, and then methodically and proactively do so. And then keep doing it.” - Daniel Levitin, The Organized Mind
We take in five times as much information today as we did in 1986. In this age of information overload, it’s critical that we build and organize our lives to work with our human brains, so that we can reduce the burden on our minds and lives.
As an urban dweller, I can solidly declare that my BRF (Bitchy Resting Face) is epic. The key is not making eye contact, and fixing your lips into a cranky-Gucci-scowl. Like this:
I wouldn't talk to me. I'm guessing you wouldn't either.
The word “Mom” should be synonymous with the word “Multitasker.”
So, it’s no surprise that the liquid gold of motherhood, breast milk, is also the ultimate multitasker. Of all the things I am looking forward to about having my second child in just a few weeks, breastfeeding is near the top of the list.
Nutritional benefits aside, I remember some of the fantastic ways that I used breast milk, outside of straightforward feeding. And, when you’ve got a newborn, multitasking is elevated to a new level of importance in your life.
Sensational news and cheap reality television often salivate to cover the heartbreaking subject of hoarding and hoarders. Compulsive hoarding is a recently recognized psychological disorder, causing people to excessively save items that others may view as worthless, and have persistent difficulty getting rid of or parting with possessions, leading to clutter that disrupts their ability to use their living or work spaces.
I made one huge mistake when I had my first daughter: I was so focused on being healthy during pregnancy and birth that I neglected the things that happen right after birth, like YOU GO HOME WITH A BABY.
Yes. A rookie mistake, I admit.
It seems obvious that one should organize themselves and their lives in preparation for a new family member. Somehow, I didn’t get this memo. That’s why I found myself wasting time on quite a few of the following 10 time wasters you need to stop as a new mom. Nearly all of them, in fact.
I was staring at the small, squishy, plastic bottle the nurse had handed me. I’d just conquered birthing my daughter, and was preparing to go home from the hospital.
“This will be your best friend for the next few weeks” the nurse explained, softly.
“Every time you use the washroom, you’ll want to fill this with warm water and squeeze it over your perineum.”
When it comes to thinking about my own demise, I used to try not to think too hard. Being a mom changes things and with babies and mortgages, a little bit of worrying is inevitable.
Now, when it comes to kicking off, there are a few things most of us want to avoid. An early death tops the list for me, but other than eating well, not smoking and avoiding doing your own electrical work, there isn’t a whole lot you can do about that.
It’s inevitable. The day, or night, will come when your daughter will start her period. The signs are evident that it is about to happen any day now. To you, and to her as well. Because if the signs are there ‘the talk’ should have taken place already.
If you wait until ‘the day,’ you have missed the window of opportunity. She needs to know, soon, that being a girl means being prepared.
I vividly remember taking my precious two-month-old for her first set of immunizations. Along with other new parents, we paced nervously in the waiting room of our family doctor — awkward, over-prepared, and truly heartsick for having to do what we knew would protect our daughter from preventable infectious diseases. Rationalization makes the needle-prick sting less.
I’ve recently moved into a very tight workspace. 'We can smell each other’s brand of deodorant' kind of tight.
I happen to share my new desk space (a.k.a. folding table with two computer stations) with a wonderful desk-mate, thankfully.
But, as I look around the office, it’s easy to see trouble brewing. It’s easy to spot where conflict will arise, solely on the state of people’s workspace habits.
Hindsight is always twenty-twenty and so, with this letter, I am giving you the gift of foresight.
This is the letter I wish I could have sent to myself several weeks ago, as I grappled with the guilt, thrill, and anxiety of going back to work after eighteen months at home with my daughter.
Life moves pretty fast around here. In the last three years, we have:
In the next six months we will:
If your head is spinning then, believe me, my everything is spinning. One of the most complex byproducts of this period of rapid change is the challenge around budgeting.
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” -Plato
Organizing a successful playdate is an exercise in anti-planning.
This is not a birthday party, a job interview, or a bat mitzvah. Playdates are fun, organic — can be messy — and will benefit and teach you more about your child than you could ever imagine.
On Friday, April 4th, Erica Ehm, creator and publisher of Yummy Mummy Club won Ontario’s Leading Women, Building Communities award. This awesome award acknowledges women who "demonstrate exceptional leadership in working to improve the lives of others in their communities.”
