Hacks saving my life right now.

$37 worth of baby/toddler medicine. 

Which cost 5x as much as the mucinex I would give to Wells if he were sick. And it would actually work.

I had a moment this week again. It was I should really make sure I work out at night. I have been doing yoga a lot of mornings as it does help to set my day in the right direction. My routine is to listen to The Bible Recap while I clean up the kitchen at 5am and, then, once everyone is up and watching TV with their cups of milk, I do a 10 minute yoga video locked in my room before getting ready for school. 

But then, my complete lack of sleep has thrown this off, so it's been hit or miss. So my idea was Wow, if I would just exercise, I would feel more energetic. This, in a vacuum, is true. However, I'm kind of back in this place where I don't think I can ask one more thing of myself. It sounds dramatic but I can feel my body rebelling. I cannot ask it to do one more thing that gives energy instead of stores or replenishes it. 

Anyway. That's the state of things. 

There's not one thing anyone can actually do to help unless you want to be a live-in housekeeper. I have a friend who offers to take the kids after school (I would only take her up on it in case of an emergency but it's the offer that means the most). Sutton has the best people in the world taking care of her each day. Scott actually sleeps with Sutton on the couch most nights just to keep her quiet. I am the problem. If she sees me, she loses her mind and wants held and wants to cry and whine. He, on his own, can keep her quiet. She has been sick on and off for two weeks so the reasoning is it's just a phase. I hate that phrase more than anything. It doesn't feel like a phase while you are up 8-10 times a night for no discernible reason and this will go on for an indeterminate amount of time. 

Needless to say, I have strategies to cope. Here they are:

+Keurig + this giant box of kcups.

I found that taking the time to clean, refill, and set the coffeepot each day was stressing me out. Plus, sometimes on the weekends, I just want one cup of coffee. I don't want to make a full pot. For awhile now, I've just been setting the pot for 8 cups each night and it brews in the morning and that's it. Our pot is also five years old and has lived in PA, KS, and MO and I can't say that moving has been kind to it; it doesn't always work right. 

However, taking even a 10 minute task off my plate gives me some relief a lot of nights when I'm trying to clean up the kitchen (which meant the kitchen had to be cleaned up at night and not in the morning). 

The Keurig is super helpful in this way. It brews in 2 minutes while I brush my teeth and put my contacts in each morning and there's no prep and no clean up. 

It's the little things. 

I also got this giant box of kcups from Costco for about $30. Saves me remembering to buy them each week and much more cost-efficient. 

+This big bag.

All my stuff goes into this tote and it's very easy to transport a toddler back and forth to school if I'm not juggling 4 bags. I cannot recommend it enough. The toddler would probably fit into it too. 

+Walmart brand diapers and wipes.

Luckily, Sutton is not picky about her diapers and wipes. I buy the Walmart brand. They're the cheapest products I've found and the diapers don't leak. With Wells, I think I used mostly up&up because we lived practically next door to a Target. I really like the commissary's store brand too (Tippy Toes?). Also, very cheap. There is no need, in this economy, to be buying Huggies or Pampers. Like, the reason just doesn't exist. 

In addition, the Walmart grocery pick-up I mentioned last week. I would not survive without grocery pick-up. 

I'm sure there's more to mention, but those are the 3 at the top of my mind right now. 

What's saving your life right now?