a serial bloggin’ bullet-point maker…
erika
Hi all of you lovely Kincaid Parade readers! I am so delighted to be here today to share with you how I “made it work”…Honestly, all I can think of as I write this post is Tim Gun saying “make it work!” over and over. Oh Tim, you crazy man you.
Anyway!
My name is Erika and I’m the mama to an adorable ten month old baby girl named Eloise. She is pretty much amazing, and I think her poop smells like flowers, even (just kidding). I’m also the wife to a wonderful guy named Tyler and the human to two cuddly pugs named Oscar and Tilly. I’m what you would call a serial blogger. I have so many blogs, it’s insane. But, mainly I blog over at t.e. and baby and on Oops! I Craft My Pants. I also design blogs on The Fairy Blogmother. While I am incredibly lucky to be able to make a living while staying at home with my baby, as you can imagine, I am on the computer a lot.
When I first had baby E, it was super easy for me to do my work when she napped (because newborns nap all the time, hah!)…But, now that she’s getting older, I’ve been having kind of a rough time knowing how to balance life in general. Too often, I find myself on the Internet when I should probably be using my time more wisely…Whether it be playing with my baby girl, cleaning up the kitchen, whatever.
Here are the five easy steps that I took to create a more balanced life as a work at home mom, though, I’m sure these steps could apply to any mom (or dad!).
ONE: Always choose the baby.
When I look back in thirty years, I want to think of all the amazing time I spend with my daughter. I want to remember her giggles, her cuddles, and our special bond that only her and I have. I don’t want to look back and think “Oh yeah, my house was clean…cool…” or “I sure grew my online business a lot in 2012!”…Priorities, man.
TWO: Get off the stinkin’ cellphone.
I’m not a big phone talker, but man can I text. And email. And read blogs…And Instagram. And Facebook…and and and. I swear, it is so easy to just “check one little thing” on my phone and end up on there for way longer than necessary. I don’t want my baby to look back when she is older and think “my mom was always on her phone!” Again, it’s all about perspective, will those Facebook comments even matter in 20 years? Or, am I wasting precious time that I could be using with my family? (I even made a little cellphone screen saver to help with this issue, go here to read all about it.)
THREE: Make a to do list.
I’ve found that when I don’t have a to do list, nothing gets done in the day. But, if I have little boxes to scribble out, I am way more likely to list, I actually clean. I, for one, am a much better mama when I feel like I’ve accomplished something in the day. On the same note, change out of your PJs once in a while!
FOUR: Work when the baby is sleeping.
I have made this change this past month, and I feel so much more fulfilled. It helps me keep work work, and not my home life. Plus, I would much rather be hanging out with my baby (or husband!) than doing work when they are awake.
FIVE: Make time for you…EVERY day.
This one is a biggie. It’s so easy to get caught up in this crazy life. It’s so easy to be a mama, eat, sleep, and repeat every. single. day. And, it’s so hard to remember that “hey! I’m important too, darnit!” and take time for myself. But, I’ve found that even a simple bubble bath can leave me feeling so incredibly rejuvenated.
So…What about you guys? How do you balance working at home and family life? Any tips for me? I could sure use them! Please stop by my blog and say hi! I’d love to meet you!
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2 Comments
erika is one of my favorite bloggers :) and she is right! it is so important to have some me time!
This is a great post!
I actually stopped using IG and Twitter (won’t use it till next months and I am considering on not using it for awhile after that) but since I put that down I have more time to read my fav bloggers, blog myself, spending time with Judah, my goodness we have gone on so many play dates and adventures since I stopped. My biggest problem is that I never ever make time for me. Its hard. I think I get separation anxiety, but I know its something that I have to start making a priority.