I don’t know about you, but nap time is both the most amazing and horrible part of the day for me. It’s a combination of a break I desperately need and a chance to do all the things I said I was going to do during yesterday’s nap time but didn’t actually get to.
Lately I’ve been trying to more productive during this time, but it is HARD. So I sat down and tried to figure out what I can do during those brief times I don’t have a baby attached to my body.
Maybe you’re a “sleep when the baby sleeps” kind of person, you do you, mama, this is a judgment free, get your nap on zone.
I fortunately have a kiddo that sleep 12 hours right through the night. No it isn’t lucky, no we weren’t blessed with a baby that came out sleeping well. We worked HARD for those 12 hours. We tried countless methods and even more sleep sacks, wraps, etc. After about 4 weeks of waking up every hour on the hour to feed the baby I was desperate. We landed on the TakinCaraBabies method and I was a game changer for us.
All that being said, I get a good amount of sleep at night, so daytime naps for me just throw off my sleep schedule. After lots of nap times spent brain dea
d on the couch and lots of guilt for not getting anything done in my house I decided something had to give. I couldn’t just be vegetable for 4 hours a day and feel accomplished. I blame it on my dad, he is the same way.
Welcome to 10 productive things you can do from your couch or bed while your baby sleeps:
1. Clean out your purse/diaper bag
These are two dumping zones for me. They collect old puffs, old bottles, and as embarrassing as this is, dirty diapers from being on the go. Get yourself a plastic bag, a couple diapers, wipes and outfits and get that mess cleaned out and organized.
2. Make those calls you dread
Call the doctor to reschedule the appointment you set 2 months ago, but no interrupts your kiddo’s new nap schedule. Call about the prescription you need refilled, call all the places you’ve put off for so long. (or maybe you’ve got your life together and make those calls as soon as they come up, if so, 5 gold stars for you and proceed to #3)
3. Unsubscribe from emails you no longer want
Man do I get sick of getting emails from places I no longer visit. No thank you Victoria’s Secret, my mama jugs don’t fit any of your bras and any of your other products will likely cling to all the wrong places.
4. Subscriptions
Remember that time you signed up for Ipsy and now you have 800 pounds of makeup and 1000 brushes you’ll never use. Cancel that. That gym membership you’ve had for 5 years and haven’t been to in 4.5 years, cancel it. Save yourself some dollars for the important things in life like a bottle of wine and some cookies.
5. Fold all the laundry
Now don’t misunderstand what I just said. I said FOLD the laundry, not DO the laundry. There’s a big difference. My laundry gets done, it just doesn’t get folded. Put on the episode of Grey’s Anatomy you missed last week and fold it.
6. Budget
It took me several years and multiple attempts to finally build a budget spreadsheet that works for our family, but I have finally gotten it down and there’s nothing better to me than taking 30 minutes to go through it and make tweaks as needed.
7. Get your calendar together
If you know me you know I am a religious planner. I’ve got my mama planner and a giant calendar that my hubby custom made for our kitchen. Once a day I like to take a look at what’s coming up and add in that doctors appointment next month that I put in my phone and will DEFINITELY snooze the reminder on.
8. Take care of you
Self-care, me time, whatever you want to call it…it’s important. For me that means cleaning up my nails. Before the stay at home order was in placed I was at the nail salon every two weeks to get my nails and toes done. I loved it. Now I don’t paint my nails at home often, but I do love to file them, clip them and keep them in shape so I don’t give my baby girl stab wounds when I tickle her.
9. Organize your computer
All those pictures that are in one giant folder, organize them. That desktop that is covered in icons, organize it. Organize all the things.
10. Meal plan
Get a list together of all the meals you want to make and start to build a shopping list.
So there it is. 10 things you can do that are productive and involve limit time away from your couch or bed. The baby gets a nap, your body gets to rest, and you don’t end the day feeling like a blob that should have done the dishes.
What do you during nap time?
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