How to Prepare for Busy Seasons of Life

It’s almost laughable to write the words ‘prepare’ and ‘baby’ in the same sentence, right? Like no matter how much back end work you put into prepping for this change, you’re thrown into a world of (beautiful) unknowns. So I guess what I’m really saying is that I’m working to curb the adjustment and create a mindset allowing me to welcome this new season of motherhood.

Today marks my 39th week and 4th day of pregnancy – meaning baby #2 could grace us with his arrival quite literally any day now. Truthfully I’m still pinching myself that the time is actually here – this pregnancy flew by. Likely due to a combination of toddler chasing, pandemic-surviving, and the busyness of working from home. It’s been wild!
Regardless, he’s surely on his way and I’ve spent the last few weeks ‘preparing’ for the whirlwind to come. Today I’m sharing the steps I’ve taken to manage this transition – and the same steps could be taken to navigate any upcoming season of overwhelm.

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ORGANIZE

Home

Welcoming new life to our home for us meant first and foremost creating a sense of organization – via deep cleaning through and through. Mind you – we’re still neck-deep in our upstairs farmhouse renovation, so there’s an element of chaos here that feels undeniable. Creating a clean and welcoming lower level feels grounding and reduces unnecessary mental burden from the pending projects. And truthfully – cleaning + simplifying my physical space always lends me mental clarity when I need it the most. I’ve worked to:

• Clear visible clutter
• Purge unused clothing + household items
• Organize closet spaces
• Deep clean floors
• Shampoo couches
• Wash all bedding
• And of course – the onesies are folded, the diapers are stacked, and the bassinet is waiting. Full nesting mode happening over here!

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Business

On the business end of things, I’ve worked to clear clutter + create margin in the following ways:

• Close out all client projects
• Wrap up open emails
• Batch work + schedule future content
• Settle into a resting mindset

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OUTSOURCE + SIMPLIFY

Two humans, two businesses, and a looming pandemic means that the number of to-dos is high, while my mental resources and sense of normalcy feels low. 

The solution? Outsourcing. Sliding any and all tasks off my plate that can be better accomplished by someone/something else.

I’ve shifted all shopping to pick-up format – complete game changer, friends. In fact, I’ve reformatted how I manage all household tasks.

Sundays are spent preparing for the week ahead by meal planning all weekly meals. I grab my favorite cookbooks + pop open my Pinterest board to plan the meals ahead. I plug these in my planner and I’m on my way! From these meals, I create a weekly grocery list with any needed ingredients. I add in any additional household items to the list and then head over to my store apps to plug in for Monday pick-up. Voila! All my shopping is complete and I’ve given the boot to the mental load of meal planning throughout the week.

I’ve also set up auto-pay or online pay for all household bills + payments, which are all reflected in our Google Calendar. No extra legwork, no paperwork shuffling, + no guesswork each month. One of my favorite ways to simplify finances during busy seasons!

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CREATE JOY

Ahhh my love for creating moments of joy – the very reason With White Space Co. exists. I’ve worked to create extra room for joy + margin in the season ahead by tackling the following:

Setting expectations and clearly communicating them.

Navigating life with two little humans? An adjustment for us all. Any season of change requires new expectations + open lines of communication. Between all involved – toddler included!

Giving grace

Again navigating life with two little humans – I’ll be working to give myself grace along the way. Knowing that work will look different, time management will change, and different demands will be placed on me along the way. I am consciously working to release expectations + let myself flow through the change with grace.

Creating a joy kit 

Leaning on joy in any moment, day, or season of overwhelm can be so powerful. Seeking joy is a way of intentionally pulling yourself out of any negative feeling and sitting into a positive experience – if only for a matter of minutes. My joy kit includes:

• Fresh coffee for grinding into espresso
• A crackling, woodwick candle
• A Hulu re-subscription for This is Us binging
• New cozy pajamas
• New essential oil blend + essential oil bath soak – BLISS!
• The White Space Planner – ready for me to dive into 2021 with intentionality + gratitude!

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This little kit I can turn to when I’m needing a quick pick-me-up. All costing $20 or less, but guaranteed to lift my spirits + mindset!

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There you have it – small but mighty steps I’ve taken in the areas of ORGANIZING, OUTSOURCING/SIMPLIFYING, + CREATING INTENTIONAL JOY. All steps that can be applied to any season filled with change – seasons that require a shift in priorities and a reset in many ways.

Stay tuned for the arrival of baby + updates on #whitespace living as a mother of two!