Getting ready for a baby in your home involves more than just baby-proofing. Sure, locking away dangerous cleaners, protecting electrical outlets and blocking stairs are all good ideas, but you will discover that adding convenience for your sake will help you keep your sanity. Taking care of a baby takes up a lot of time, so anything you can do now that can save you time later will make mommy-hood that much easier.
1. Cut down on the time it takes to clean your hardwood, tile or linoleum floors by investing in a quality steam mop, if you don’t already own one. Babies need clean floors to crawl on, and yet they are always creating sticky messes. Mopping itself doesn’t take so long, but the dry time will really mess with your schedule.
2. Save your grocery bags. Babies provide many great opportunities to reuse your plastic shopping bags. They are great for keeping soiled clothes or bibs separate from dry ones in the diaper bag. They are also sometimes the only thing that will contain the stench of a poopy diaper, even if you’re using a deluxe diaper pail. Simply toss the stinky diaper into the bag, tie it closed tightly, and then toss.
3. Boost your storage. It starts with all of the clothes, bath gear and toys. Then Christmas comes along and suddenly you’re wishing you bought stock in Babies R Us. Organized storage is the only thing that will prevent your home from becoming overwhelmed with your baby’s things. My favorite is the nine cube organizer from ClosetMaid, which is available at Target for around $45. They come in a wide variety of colors and they are perfect for storing just about anything, especially if you use the corresponding canvas totes, which are sold separately. These are the perfect containers for books, toys, and other small items that would otherwise be lost.
4. Create a grocery list template on your computer. Organize it by aisles to make shopping go faster. Each week print it off and post it on your fridge. Keep a pencil nearby to circle items as they run out.
5. Place a basket of baby essentials in each area of your house. Keep it stocked with pacifiers, burp rags and other small items that are both frequently used and frequently misplaced.
6. Organize your closet and bathroom so you can get ready in the morning faster. You’ll appreciate it once you have two people to get dressed and ready in the morning instead of one.
7. Consider buying a deep freezer and start batch cooking. Once your baby arrives, you can have grandma come over on a Saturday and help you cook enough food for the entire month. For the rest of the month, you’ll only need to pull a meal from the freezer and heat it up. It will save you a lot of time and the hassle of trying to prepare a meal when you’re needed elsewhere every five minutes!