Two Weeks to Go: A Quick Guide to Prepping Your Home for Your Newborn | Tucson Birth & Newborn Photographer
Are you expecting a new baby in the next few weeks? The anticipation can be exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. I’ve been there, and I’ve got you! As a mom who's been through the newborn phase a couple of times, I've gathered some unique ideas and tips that you might not have thought of before!
1. Declutter your home
Decluttering your home can sound like a daunting task, especially when you're expecting a newborn! But it's easier than you think to get your home ready for your newest addition. I know that I feel SO much better when I declutter my space, and it is always worth the effort for me!)
The 'Five Things Tidying Method' from the book How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis can help make easy-ish work out of decluttering your space before baby arrives.
Choose two or three rooms that you frequent most often (most likely this will be your living room, kitchen, and bedroom). Think about where you will be feeding, changing, and snuggling your baby. Room by room, follow these steps.
Photo by Sarah Kiser Photo
Step 1: Grab a trash bag and collect all the garbage in the room. Don’t take out the trash just yet, as more trips out of the room leave more opportunity for distraction and not finishing your task.
Step 2: Gather up all the dirty dishes and place them in the sink, or in a bin if you’re in a room other than the kitchen. Don’t wash the dishes yet – see step 1.
Step 3: Use a laundry basket or hamper to collect any laundry in the room. To eliminate decision fatigue, don’t worry too much about if it’s clean, kind of clean, or dirty. Start fresh and put it all in your basket to deal with later.
Step 4: Put back the items that have a place. If the items belong in another room, just place them in a basket and set next to the door to deal with later.
Step 5: Gather all the things that don’t have a place. This is when we make 3 piles, “Keep, Donate, Toss” and put everything into 1 of those piles. Organize the “keep” items, throw away the “toss” items (or recycle if possible) and give away the “donate.” I love using my local Buy Nothing group to rehome items.
Don’t forget to throw out the trash, do the dishes, and start a load of laundry! Move on to the next room and feel the peace that a decluttered home brings.
Ask a friend to come over and help. They’re less attached to your things and can give you some helpful feedback. (Shoutout to my friend and Tucson, AZ doula, Ellie Anderson with The Motherhood Chapter, who helped me reorganize my space and gave me the tough love I needed to rid my home of unnecessary items!)
By following these simple steps over the course of just a few days or a weekend, you can quickly create a stress-free and comfortable newborn-ready environment in your own home.
Sarah Kiser Photo
2. Batch cook
The thought of cooking a ton of food in one go can be intimidating, but batch cooking is a lifesaver, especially when you're getting ready to welcome your newborn into the world. You'll thank yourself later!
Here are a few simple steps to follow to get started:
Step 1: Plan out your meals. Choose recipes that are easy to make in large quantities, and make a list of all the ingredients you will need. Soups, casseroles/pasta bakes, beans, breakfast burritos, muffins, pancakes, and waffles all freeze beautifully.
Step 2: Go grocery shopping. Try to do this a few days before you plan to start cooking, so you have everything you need on hand.
Step 3: Set aside a block of time to cook. Depending on how much you want to make, you may need several hours or even a full day to get everything done. Consider getting the help of a friend or family member to make it more fun!
Step 4: Cook in batches. Prepare one recipe at a time, and portion it out into individual servings. Use freezer-safe containers or bags, and be sure to label everything with the name of the dish and the date it was made.
Step 5: Freeze your meals. Once everything is cooked and portioned out, place the containers in the freezer. They will keep for several months, so you can have a variety of meals ready to go whenever you need them.
By following these steps, you can create a stockpile of nutritious, homemade meals that will make the first few weeks with your newborn a little bit easier!
If this feels daunting, may I suggest a fill the freezer party? Have a few friends make their favorite freezer friendly recipes in as many batches as there are friends (if you have a group of 5, everyone makes 5 large batches of their favorite recipe). Everyone swaps their recipe, and then you have a stocked freezer but you only have to make 1 big recipe.
I have even more tips for you to get ready for your baby’s arrival, so read on to part 2 of this post!
Sarah Kiser Photo
I hope reading Two Weeks to Go: A Quick Guide to Prepping Your Home for Your Newborn has given you some solid ideas! If you’re still looking for a Tucson, AZ Birth and Newborn Photographer, learn more about my birth photography and newborn photography packages.