Making life easier

If you have kids and/or dogs, heck -- even if you have neither, you know that weekday mornings (and probably other times of the day as well) can be a whirlwind.

We have to feed J breakfast, get him dressed, get his lunch ready, and try to leave at the same time everyday. Luckily, he can't get out of the crib yet so dressing him is relatively easy. But when it comes time for socks, shoes, and a jacket, he can't stop crawling away. Ugh!

We have to take both dogs out to relieve themselves. And they can't seem to keep to their own sides, crisscrossing in front, creating a tripping hazard in the dark. Try finding their "gifts" camouflaged with fallen leaves/branches, also in the dark. And did I mention it's frigid outside? After they're done, the dogs need to be fed. And before we leave for work, the puppy needs to be cordoned in the kitchen with a mentally-stimulating activity so he doesn't chew the place apart. In the middle of the day, we also come home to let the dogs relieve themselves again.

So, yes, we were both stressed...maybe me a little more…

So my husband devised a plan...and then we revised that plan and think we've got a pretty good one.

We've been blessed to both have jobs close to home. We also found a daycare really close to my work, so commuting isn't a factor. I have horrible road rage.

I've also been blessed with a husband that will alternate grocery shopping and cooking responsibilities.

So, the week that _____ cooks:

• The other gets J ready for daycare in the mornings. 
• _____ takes the dogs out in the mornings. 
• _____ comes home at lunch to take the dogs out. 
• And this is my favorite part...during lunch, since we live so close to work, _____ has time to prep ingredients for dinner. _____ can wash/cut vegetables, marinate meat, set the timer for the rice cooker, etc. It makes the afternoons soooo much better. We can eat sooner and J is less cranky because of it. And a happy baby is a happy family.

Just goes to show that with a open communication (thanks hubby for initiating this conversation!), we can make our lives a bit simpler and more efficient.

What small (or big) steps have you taken to make your life easier?