I’m sitting here sprawled on the sofa in 30 degree heat, baby spread eagled and snoring on my chest, Lilla our white polar bear of a cat purring by my side. Summer is having a last hurrah, and to be honest, I would much rather it packed it’s bags for good for 2016.

These days, since the birth of my daughter (herein known as ‘E’), it’s a monumental achievement if I can make it out of the house before midday, a rare occurrence that I remember (or bother) to brush my hair, or achieve anything vaguely non-baby related. E is approaching three weeks old and these early days are demanding. I know it won’t always be like this but I do miss routines and the ability to just potter at will.

A return to a new normality will come, I know that. But for my own sanity, I need to achieve a little something every day. Otherwise I feel like I’m just existing – sleeping, eating, a human milk bar, nappy changer, zombified parent who watches the days slip by.

A few weeks ago I invested in a bullet journal (“bujo”), which has been  used since to help track spending, baby shopping before the birth, meal planning, task lists, and so on. It’s been invaluable and a bit of a revelation. In a good way.

But where I was box ticking several items and achieving several tasks a day before E’s arrival, at the moment it’s a different story. Over the last week or so I’ve come to realise that there’s just no way I can do what I was doing before. So to retain my sanity I’ve decided to do keep it simple; do one thing each day.

Today, that task is weeding the front garden. Tomorrow, it might be sorting out the washing and putting it away. On Saturday, I might aim to plant up two plant pots for Autumn. The hope is that these baby steps will keep things rolling and I’ll head into winter having just about kept on top of things at the Smallest Smallholding.