I'm Not a Desperate Housewife

My honey and I have gone (or currently going) through a lot of firsts this year. He finally graduated from Idaho State University with a Bachelor's degree in computer science. This was an eight-year endeavor (he kept changing his major), so when he finally was handed his diploma in December, we were pretty freaked out because that meant we were finally growing up. Thankfully, he had a job waiting for him after graduation, so we didn't need to stress about that too much. Only that his first professional gig was in California, which meant we had to make our first big move away from family and friends. To top it off, we found out I was pregnant with our first child, which made the move that much more difficult. Hey, when it rains, it pours, right?

Honey and I have been married for almost five years now, and throughout our marriage thus far, I was the one who primarily supported the two of us financially while he was in school. We had agreed early on in our marriage that when he was done with school, we would reverse the roles - he would be the breadwinner and I would take care of the home. Finally that day had come. At first I tried to fight it, but Honey convinced me it would be best to get used to it now because I wanted to be a stay-at-home mama anyway.

We packed up as much as we could fit in our Hyundai Sonata and left for California. It was definitely a transition (bigger population, more diverse culture, etc.), but we settled in pretty quickly. At first being a housewife felt like a much-needed vacation. Going from working full time to nada will do that to you. But, it also made me start acting very lazy, so nothing around the house was getting done. I would just lay in bed all day and play on the Internet. And, when you do that all day, you start feeling bored and unfulfilled, which can really make a negative impact.

After a month of this sloth, I had had enough. I'm an adult with a baby on the way, I have to set up positive habits now! I thrive with structure - I love research, lists and schedules. So, I decided to make a daily schedule to encourage myself to get up and make the most of my day while Honey was at work. It has helped me immensely, and I encourage others to try it out themselves if they feel they are in the same rut. Take a look:

When I wake up:

• Have Breakfast
• Exercise
• Shower
• Get dressed for the day (even if you're staying at home, dress like you're ready to go out the door any minute - it helps you stay motivated)
• Relax for an hour online (get emails, Facebook, Pinterest out of the way, etc. That's really all you need in a day)
• Open the blinds and let the sunshine in (I read in an article how this also keeps you motivated - and it really does help!)
• Prepare lunch for Honey and myself (he comes home for his lunch break)
• Set aside distractions (especially the laptop and phone) and focus on spending time with Honey during lunch
• Do the dishes after he leaves
• Tidy up the rest of the apartment 
• Do something for yourself. This could be anything from reading a book to watching a movie to working on a hobby - just something that makes you happy.

When Honey gets home for the day, we do the following together:

• Take out the trash/recycling
• Check the mail
• Work on laundry (I still struggle doing this by myself, it's my least favorite chore)
• Make dinner
• Spend the rest of the evening together doing whatever
• Bedtime

I know this will change once we have our baby, but for now it works for us. I'm always open for suggestions though! How do you keep yourself sane if you're a housewife? Please comment below!