I’m 5 months pregnant and living through kitchen reno after office reno after bedroom reno. When Baby Girl decided to announce her arrival, we decided to speed up our renovation plans because we didn’t want to dealing with all the dust, noise, and mayhem with a newborn. Smart right? Well, it’s meant a pretty constant stream of chaos, and lots of nights spent working away to finish things. So how am I staying sane during renovations? I’ll tell ya, it involved lots of “me” time.
Check out my DIY Holly Golightly Sleep Masks, why our new mattress makes a difference, or why we’ve slept in difference bedrooms before.
Making a Sanity Kit
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Before I launch into what I’m doing, I wanted to show you my sanity kit. I’ve gathered all my essentials into the pink caboodle, and keep them handy. Because we’ve spent a few nights in different parts of the house, this means I can easily assemble everything I need and tote it off to wherever we happen to be sleeping.
I’ve got a place to put just about everything, and it all looks hella cute, so I’m not complaining.
Routines During Renovations
Dealing with my anxiety this winter has meant I’ve got a better handle on my stressors, and it also means I know what I need to do to retain my calm and balance when my surroundings are anything but.
Other than my medication, it means creating rituals that I can enforce regardless of what’s going on. In this case, my bedtime routine is what I’m taking control of.
Routines are super important because they provide comfort in their familiarity, can be accomplished under most circumstances, and help create a sense of normalcy – even when you fridge is in your hallway, and there’s someone snuggling up with your bladder.
Bedtime Routines
My type of personality THRIVES on them. I need the comfort and structure of them, so instead of creating something overly complex that I have no chance of recreating regularly, I looked for a small slice of time in my day – bedtime. Getting quality sleep is something I’ve been struggling with since getting pregnant, and in an attempt to deal with that and the renovation insanity, I’ve worked a few things into my nightly dance.
I end each day with a hot bath, and then a small beauty routine, some aromatherapy, followed by podcasts in bed. Simple, right?
*The following product links are affiliate things. Thank you for supporting the brands that make PMQ for two possible.
When it comes to beauty, I’ve never been one for anything fancy, but I’m trying to carve out more time and be deliberate with the few minutes I have. I’ve worked a night serum into my skincare, am trying a rose quartz face roller, and have a Rosehip daytime serum even! Instead of using a whole towel to dry my hair, I even grabbed one of those hair towel wraps, so that if I have to sleep on wet hair, I don’t wake up looking like Hermione Granger.
I sleep with my face mask because I find complete darkness ideal, and I get a much better sleep when I wear one. Speaking of which, I’ve started spritzing my pillow with a mix that encourages rest.
*The following product links are affiliate things. Thank you for supporting the brands that make PMQ for two possible.
Other things like moisturizing gloves for when my hands are looking a little rough, nail polish for when I get a minute, and of course all the other stuff you’d expect to find in a renovation sanity kit like this.
I even snuck in some low sugar gummy bears as an emergency snack for when the pregnancy cravings hit hard. Caboodles are great for keeping these kinds of things hidden from a potentially hungry husband as well.
Staying Sane During Renovations
Finding your inner sanctum when you live in a hamster cage (wood shavings and all) will look a little different for everyone, but for me, right now, it involves taking care of my body with sleep, some skincare, and of course a clean bedroom.
I keep talking about how we feel like we’re living in a hamster habitrail system, and it’s because we’ve got certain spaces complete, but the hallways and other major spaces are just chaotic. At least the bedroom is calm, clean, and serene, and I take great relief in knowing that I can close the door at the end of the day (and the renovations stay on the other side).
