1. Make time for yourself - Every single night I take a bubble bath after Emerson is in bed. I usually watch a little TV on my iPad or sometimes I even use the time to take a 20 minute nap before going to bed :) I also get my nails done every 2 or 3 weeks. I'm usually only gone for about 30 minutes, but it's still nice to get out of the house and pamper myself. I go grocery shopping every weekend. I used to hate going grocery shopping, but now that it provides an hour out of the house by myself, I'll gladly do it!
2. Get some sunshine and fresh air - Emerson and I go on a walk every single day if weather allows. We have also been known to throw out a blanket at the park on the grass and play for awhile. Sometimes it will be a quick 30 minute walk, but other times I'll take advantage of the beautiful weather and I'll walk around our neighborhood for an hour and a half to 2 hours while he's napping.
3. Open up your house - When I get up in the morning I make sure to open the blinds. Letting in natural sunlight will almost always make my mood better if I'm in a bad one. I plan on opening the windows when the weather gets warmer.
4. Create a weekly chore chart - Before I had Emerson I was a neat and clean freak....actually I still am, but it is proving to be much more difficult to keep my house neat and clean on a regular basis. I also don't have as much of a desire to keep things picked up when I could be playing with my boy. A few weeks back I created a weekly chore chart for myself. I pinpointed certain chores around my house that were the most important to me and I designated a day of the week that I wanted to attempt to complete them. These chores are things that only take about 20 minutes to complete, besides doing the laundry, so they are things that I can easily get done during one of Emerson's naps. I can also do some of them while he watches me. He likes to watch me vacuum and clean the floors, especially when I dance and sing while doing it :) Here is my weekly chore chart that I created for myself:
Monday:
Kitchen
Wash towels & sheets
Tuesday:
Dust 
Vacuum
Wednesday:
Laundry
Tidy bedroom
Thursday:
Sweep & mop downstairs
Friday:
Clean bathrooms 
Clean showers & tubs
Saturday:
Laundry
Sunday:
Meal plan
Grocery shopping
Errands
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
5. Find more efficient ways to do things - There isn't a lot of time in the day anymore to do the things that I used to do now that Emerson demands so much of my attention. I've been trying to find ways to quickly stay organized. One way that I have kept myself organized in a 2 story house is to keep a small basket down at the bottom of the stairs. Throughout the day I throw things in the basket that need to go upstairs and I take it up on one of my trips. Then I can throw things in it from upstairs that need to go downstairs. It saves time and it is a lot easier to carry everything up at one time.
6. Find a mom's group and make friends - I have been getting pretty lonely here now that I have Emerson and it's just me and him at home all day, every day. I feel very isolated from my family, so it is really important to me to meet people. I have joined 2 mom's groups and have met one friend so far. I plan on going to more events to make more friends.
7. Call/text friends and family to talk - Being a new mommy can get lonely. It is really important to stay connected to friends and family even if it is only over the phone or through text messages.
8. Exercise - I walk every day if the weather permits. I also go to yoga 2 times a week. Every Saturday morning and on Thursday nights. Layton comes home early on Thursdays and gives Emerson a bottle so that I can get out of the house and go to yoga.
9. Have play dates - It's so helpful to talk with other mamas that are experiencing and going through the same things as you. I've made one friend in my neighborhood so far that has a son that is only 2 weeks younger than Emerson. It is so nice to get together/text each other and talk about our challenges and excitements. It's a really good support system to have.
10. Take a shower and brush your teeth every day - There have been a few days where I haven't gotten a shower in and I've felt kind of depressed all day. It's amazing what just stepping under some hot water for 5 minutes can do! I rarely do my hair these days or even put make up on, but just taking a few minutes to get clean can really lift my spirits. I also try and get my teeth brushed before noon now.
