Breaking Up the Monotony

Before Pearl was born, I had a very busy and creative job.  I was designing all different types of product and had plenty of variety in my day-to-day activities.  Staying home with a baby isn't generally like that.

My life these days basically goes...feeding, diaper change, nap time (hopefully), play time, repeat.

During nap times, I rush around trying to get a whole list of things done.  I have really gotten burnt out by doing the same things every single day.
This week I decided to do a few simple things to break up the monotony.

If you are also a SAHM and feel a little like you are living in the movie Groundhog Day, maybe some of my ideas can help you too.

1. Re-Decorate

It doesn't need to be anything huge and you can just move stuff around that you already have.  Pearl and I spend about 80% of our time in the living room so while she was playing, I swapped out some photos and moved items around on our fireplace mantle and on our bookshelves.  I even ended up with a pile of stuff to put in our garage sale.  This was the mantle after I finished...

 
 2. Have Fun in the Kitchen

I hate cooking so much and to be honest, I rarely do it.  We signed up for a CSA and got our first box of fresh vegetables this week.  Having a box of veggies (some of which I have never even cooked before) was a fun challenge.  I actually cooked a few times this week and came up with new ideas just because I didn't want any of that food to go to waste.  It turned into a creative endeavor that I actually enjoyed.

3. Create Something New

I have been making a lot of bibs lately and doing the same sewing steps over and over again has started to get to me.  So, I decided to come up with a new item to put in my etsy shop.  I haven't actually sewn any yet, but patterning is my favorite part and I finished that this week.

Anyway, it doesn't have to be a sewing project.  You could knit, crochet, scrapbook, paint, draw, write, etc.

4. Make it Special

I had a couple of birthday presents to wrap this week.  I decided to make that a creative challenge and created fun name tags instead of just throwing something in a gift bag and attaching a card.  I'm trying to think this way more often in anything I do.  Is there something you could do with a task that needs completed anyway to make it more creative and special?

5. Play Music!

I have found this week that even while following our regular routine, Pearl and I have more fun when there is music playing.  Pearl has some serious moves.  I think she is the only person ever who doesn't look awkward dancing to Sufjan Stevens or Radiohead.  Watching her dance has been so fun, and having music playing in the background improves my mood as well.

-Kira