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carlowlou
loving my babies!
Member since 4/08 4594 total posts
Name:
Jen
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FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
I am about to become a FTWM for a couple of months. DD and DS will be watched by familly, some days at my house, some days at my moms. I also signed DD up for a little half day camp at her preschool for a month two mornings a week that my mom will take her to.
I have been a SAHM since DD was born 3 years ago and while I am excited to go back to work for a little while and get a nice paycheck, I am TERRIFIED about just how in the world our family life/house is going to run without me here every day. By that I mean, how am I going to get everyone ready in the morning, how am I going to cook, clean, do laundry and grocery shop and not be a crazy lunatic trying to get things done on the weekends? or am I just going to be a crazy lunatic for a few months?!
I know alot of you make it work really well and I looking to you for your good advice! thanks!
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Posted 5/17/12 1:23 PM  |
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Bella01
LIF Adult
Member since 5/11 3708 total posts
Name:
Mama
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
Pack everything you need the night before for the following day
Cook on weekends and freeze so all you have to do is warm up the food when you come home
Throw a load of wash every night so they don't just pile up
Don't stress! Everything will be fine!
Also don't feel bad to ask for help!
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| Posted 5/17/12 1:29 PM |
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FirstMate
My lil cowboy
Member since 10/10 7790 total posts
Name:
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
Posted by Bella01
Pack everything you need the night before for the following day
Cook on weekends and freeze so all you have to do is warm up the food when you come home
Throw a load of wash every night so they don't just pile up
Don't stress! Everything will be fine!
Also don't feel bad to ask for help!
All of this. Organization is key (even though I myself am far from organized. When I am though, my life is exponentially better).
Someone on LIF had reviewed ShopRite at home. I started doing that. The first time I did it, it took roughly 1 hour to set it up and familiarize myself with the site. Now it takes me less than 1/2 hour and I do it while I'm watching one of my shows. To not have to grocery shop myself has made my life infinitely better. It's a $10 fee but my grocery bill is about $40-$60 less per week without all of my impulse purchases. It is such a win-win and I can't encourage it enough.
Another time saving trick I have is to pre-marinate everything. I will take all of my meat and separate them into whatever I need for a given meal (i.e. 3 pork chops, 4 chicken breasts, 1 london broil, etc.) and put them in ziplock bags when I get home from the grocery store. I then prepare whatever marinade I want them in. Sometimes it's just italian dressing. I let them sit in the fridge over night and then I freeze everything. That way, during the week, I just take out the meat the night before, it thaws in the marinade again and then it's ready to be cooked without any additional efforts on my part. It's working out great now that BBQ season is here.
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| Posted 5/17/12 1:39 PM |
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alli3131
Peanut is here!!!!!!
Member since 5/09 18388 total posts
Name:
Allison
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
I guess I don't think too much about it cause it just some how all works out. I have never left the house late so whatever i do in the mornings work.
On daycare days I pack DS's bag the night before. THe other days my MIL picks him up and one day my FIL is here so I don't have to prepare things for DS.
Dinner....nice weather we grill, so that is what we have been eating lately (chicken, steak) or I make tacos and simple things.
Cleaning - as I go.
Laundry - a few loads during the week and a few on the weekends.
I do nto spend my weekends cleanign and doing laundry, I refuse to. My DH helps with many things and if I ask he will always help out.
Its not that hard you just can't stress and try to be perfect at it all.
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| Posted 5/17/12 1:48 PM |
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carlowlou
loving my babies!
Member since 4/08 4594 total posts
Name:
Jen
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
Thank you! this is all really helpful! I think I am forgetting that I will have to ask DH to pick up some slack. I know he will but I am used to doing most things myself during the day. love the idea of grocery shopping online. I'll definitely do that!
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| Posted 5/17/12 1:52 PM |
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EricaAlt
LIF Adult
Member since 7/08 22665 total posts
Name:
Erica
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
Posted by alli3131
I guess I don't think too much about it cause it just some how all works out. I have never left the house late so whatever i do in the mornings work.
On daycare days I pack DS's bag the night before. THe other days my MIL picks him up and one day my FIL is here so I don't have to prepare things for DS.
Dinner....nice weather we grill, so that is what we have been eating lately (chicken, steak) or I make tacos and simple things.
Cleaning - as I go.
Laundry - a few loads during the week and a few on the weekends.
I do nto spend my weekends cleanign and doing laundry, I refuse to. My DH helps with many things and if I ask he will always help out.
Its not that hard you just can't stress and try to be perfect at it all.
This exactly
Lots of help from DH and just get into a routine.
Grilling, pasta, pizza, crockpot... anything easy
Always have bread in the house for DS for lunch and the same few snacks... fruits, goldfish and pretzels to always pack
Do a quick cleaning each night while the boys are relaxed watching TV or having dinner. Don't really need to clean as much since lately we've been outside and no one makes a mess inside. LOL
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| Posted 5/17/12 1:52 PM |
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
Don't let DH slide on helping. He either needs to help with chores or watch the kids so you can do them.
Do a little each night and it won't seem to bad.
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| Posted 5/17/12 1:52 PM |
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Bella01
LIF Adult
Member since 5/11 3708 total posts
Name:
Mama
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
Also prep food the weekends.. Slice onions, chop garlic, marinate (like someone mentioned)...this will save you time on weeknights.
And do some shopping, calls, chores on your lunch break if you can.
Message edited 5/17/2012 2:02:54 PM.
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| Posted 5/17/12 2:01 PM |
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ItsaJoya19
my cup runneth over
Member since 1/10 2949 total posts
Name:
E
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
Totally agree about packing the night before. I make sure everything is ready to go down to the bottle bag in the fridge so all i have to do is throw an icepack in and go...
Don't sweat the small stuff. I would get reeeeeallly overwhelmed trying to keep my house perfect, getting all the laundry done, do all the food shopping, bathing DD every other night, etc. But honestly, sometimes things don't get done and IT'S OK!! It's not easy to be out of the house 35+ hours a week and when you are home you want to spend it with your kids. The house will get cleaned, it won't be a mess forever. You'll find something to eat if you didn't make it to the food store, DC can skip a bath here or there...
And absolutely ask for help if you need it!!!
Message edited 5/17/2012 2:07:10 PM.
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| Posted 5/17/12 2:05 PM |
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Xelindrya
Mommy's little YouTube Star!
Member since 8/05 14470 total posts
Name:
Veronica
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
For me its simple
Make absolutely positively NO expectations of anyone or anything.
Trying to plan for this or that or think ahead of this or that just leads to stress. Things will happen. You do your best to prepare but frankly, none of that matters in the moment. As the moment happens you just live through it the best you can and forget any best laid plans. I always figure what I do in those chaotic moments are the ones that I should have planned for all along anyway haha. Enjoy that moment!
I live by the ‘meh’ attitude as much as I can.
My house is a mess? Sure, who cares AJ loves helping pick up stuff.
Dinner is relative to what’s thaw or who’s cooking. Who cares? We’re fed and all laughing at the table about AJ’s day.
I miss ALL of my shows and my TV is primarily stuck on DVR or Disney channel. Meh, who cares? She and I know all the words to the songs now and we talk about “just like on (fill in show name here), remember?” Plus honestly we only really watch in the mornings these days.
Money is to be spent. I pay for AJ’s lunches instead of wasting time or stressing on what to think of to give her. She gets to experience new foods, textures and is content. I’m not making lunches. I work so I can spend money to make our lives easier.
Time with the kiddo is paramount to all happiness in the house. EVERYTHING and I mean EVERY SINGLE THING is utterly important. No matter how important it may seem. Parties, play dates, trips, cleaning, etc. None of it matters if AJ isn’t happy so I don’t stress it, I skip them. If we stay at home all weekend and do nothing but color, fine.
Work is at work. Leave it there. I shut it off when I get home. I may complain to hubby about it for an hour later in bed, but when I walk through that door I remember WHY I work and she’s worth all of my attention. None of those pea brains I work with come home to her. None of their stupid gossips and idiot rants matter to her, why should I bring them home?
Give yourself breaks. I sit in front of the computer and veg for about an hour. He does the same with his laptop. We trade off who entertains her that hour. We need alone time. Non-kid related stupidly selfish empty headed, waste it if you got it, time.
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| Posted 5/17/12 2:28 PM |
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Linda1003
love my 2 boys
Member since 8/08 10923 total posts
Name:
Linda
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
You are going to be a crazy lunatic on the weekends.. 
But there are ways to make it a tad easier:
set everythin up the night before
cook some things on the weekend
I clean and do laundry on the weekends b/c im too tired to do them during the week.... so yeah.. crazy lunatic here!!!!!
good luck to you at your new job!!
ETA: PEAPOD ONLINE FOOD SHOPPING!!!
Message edited 5/17/2012 2:57:34 PM.
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| Posted 5/17/12 2:50 PM |
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blu6385
Member since 5/08 8351 total posts
Name:
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
i have been doing it for over a year know and still dont have it down pack 
I prep everything for daycare for DD the night before.
If i am bringing lunch in this also happens the night before.
DH get DD up and gets her dress and gives her a cup and hangs with her till im ready to leave (she eats breakfast at daycare and when she took bottles he gave her one)
DD is picky eater so dinner for her is one of the 4things she likes.
Dinner for us well i have not got this down pack but mostly because we never know what to make 
I have been a little better at this since joining WW so i can make sure i have things i can eat
DH does dishes since i cook
Laundry i start on the weekend and do some during the week. what usually happens is a throw a load in, dry it and i will fold when i get around to it which is usually at night while i watch tv
Cleaning DH does, it his "job" i have to get on his case sometimes but he does.
in the end it works out and i just go with the flow
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| Posted 5/17/12 2:54 PM |
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rkl1130
LIF Adult
Member since 10/07 1476 total posts
Name:
Rose Ann
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
Posted by Bella01
Pack everything you need the night before for the following day
Cook on weekends and freeze so all you have to do is warm up the food when you come home
Throw a load of wash every night so they don't just pile up
Don't stress! Everything will be fine!
Also don't feel bad to ask for help!
This!
It's really not stressing the small stuff. You can't control everything, so don't try.
* Cook as much on weekends and/or prep as much as you can. If I can't do it, no big deal.
* We put in a load of laundry just about every other night...sometimes before we leave in the morning so that it doesn't pile up.
* I have accepted that my house is messy and will stay messy. It's life and our house is lived in. We pick up messes as we go though.
* I pack everything the night before and lay out things the night before - DD's stuff AND our stuff. If I can do a whole week's worth, I will.
* I leave work at work. Once I leave the office, I'm gone and I don't look back. That time is for my family and those boundaries need to be set.
* If you wanna help, great because I'll take it!
It's a learning process and as you go through it, you'll figure out what works best for you and your family but don't stress about it.
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| Posted 5/17/12 4:09 PM |
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chikita315
Love
Member since 8/06 7945 total posts
Name:
M-lo
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
Just marry another FTWM! LOL
I always say, when I come back after I die, I'm marrying myself.
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| Posted 5/17/12 4:23 PM |
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rkl1130
LIF Adult
Member since 10/07 1476 total posts
Name:
Rose Ann
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
Posted by chikita315
Just marry another FTWM! LOL
I always say, when I come back after I die, I'm marrying myself.
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| Posted 5/17/12 4:35 PM |
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donegal419
St. Gerard, pray for us.
Member since 7/07 7650 total posts
Name:
K
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Re: FTWM give me your best tips for making everything run smoothly!
jen, you've seen my house on numerous occasions, so don't ask me for advice! lol...
sean doing 99% of the cooking and doing most of the grocery shopping helps a lot.
i do leave out their outfits and pack or leave out lunches and snacks the night before.
laundry is usually done on the weekends... sean does yardwork at the weekends when needed.
and sadly, cleaning is tough to get done. we're both beat when we get home, but i do try to tidy up a little bit each night. the house is so small, that i feel it looks a mess no matter what i do. their crap is everywhere! in terms of deep cleaning, it usually ends up that i stay up late one night when i can't take it anymore and just bang it all out. i usually clean the bathroom when M is in the tub!
you're going to be just fine.... :) talk to you soon!
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| Posted 5/20/12 10:04 PM |
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