a decent sling or carrier. find your local sling meet and try a few out, or at least get some advice. a soft wrap sling is great for newborns. with baby happy and comfy in the sling, you can get on with some chores.
sweep, hoover and mop floors at the end of the day so you don't have to do it repeatedly. cut up old towels for cloths and have some in each room for dusting, mopping up spills, or using damp for cleaning.
we use a box or basket in each room to toss anything out of place in, then put it all way at the end of the day. 