making room for baby

as i think i've mentioned before, we live in a "cozy" home.  a small kitchen with eat-in area, a comfortable living/family room, two bedrooms, one and a half baths, and a partial basement with another living area and separate laundry/utility area.  this means that ben and baby sister will be sharing a room - not so common these days, but i think our kids will survive.  this also means that our space is limited and since i easily feel overrun with clutter and stuff we are trying to do some serious sorting and organizing before baby arrives.  i initially planned we would have a garage sale this fall, but with jake and i both working extra hours and a long list of things to do we decided to simply donate our unused items.  this has also reduced some of the stress i usually feel with having a garage sale because i always feel like i need to go through everything before the sale.  by just donating items, i'm able to sort as i go, make a list of the items, box them up and take them as time allows - much less rushed without a specific garage sale date.  

 

and the more i think about the way we are handling our cleaning, sorting and organizing - the more i start to want this to carry through to other areas of my life.  i think i have often thought i needed to do everything to the max or not do it at all - and i'm starting to realize that's just not going to happen.  i can't be super mom and wife, betty crocker, martha stewart, extreme coupon shopper, handmade workaholic and blogging professional all at the same time.  i do wish i could because i would love to say everyday ben is learning and being creative, jake and i still feel like we're on our honeymoon, i make gourmet meals all from scratch and using my homegrown organic produce, i arrange fresh-cut flowers from my yard, spend zero at the grocery store because of my couponing skills, i have an incredibly successful handmade shop and a blog that is just amazing.  but that's just not happening! 

so it's time to refocus on my goals and priorities, and what is realistic and achievable for me.  honestly, i'm not really sure at this point, but i have created a list of goals for each month from now until the baby arrives. these goals include a variety of items - some big (like restocking my etsy shop with new items) and some small (like washing curtains).  but most importantly they are all things i really believe i can accomplish - without feeling like i have to be a superhero.  

taking several months away from the computer and sewing machine has been good for me in many ways.  i think i've been able to reevaluate what i hope to accomplish as a wife and mother, and what is truly important in my life - and feeling stressed out or pressured to be someone or something that i'm not is definitely not important.  so for today i will do my best to accomplish what i can, as well as i can and be content with the results. because one day...  all of our wallpaper will be scraped, our garden and yard will be immaculate, our home will be clean and tidy, our laundry will be finished, our meals will be more than sandwiches, i will have all the time i want to sew and create, and the years will have flown by.