Tag Archives: Mommy Life

Rejoining the Ranks of Working Moms

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After six years of being home with my babies, I am finally back to work full time.  As you can imagine, making this decision was not an easy one for me.  Aside from just knowing that I would miss the flexibility that being a stay at home mom afforded me.  I also worried about being able to balance home and work efficiently and with ease.  As a self proclaimed perfectionist, I like for things to go just so.  Something that is much harder to accomplish, when you work for someone else outside of the home.  I’d love to say that I immediately found the solutions to make things run smoothly, but if I am honest, it is still very much a work in progress.

Here are a few things that seem to be helping us keep all the balls in the air, or at the very least stop them from rolling under the couch.

ALONE WE CAN DO SO LITTLE; TOGETHER WE CAN DO SO MUCH. — HELEN KELLER

  1.  Enlisting Everyone In The Struggle.  I will be the first to admit that being at home gave me the luxury of being picky.  This allowed me  to create a “Mom Will Do It” culture, and Mom did. It’s not like I did not know that I would regret it.   I did and I do. But, now that I don’t have many free hours in the day.  I have had to solicit the help of everyone in the household.  And, as much as I hate to admit that in this case delegating seems to be working, and is taking a lot of pressure of me. Check Out This Fun Money Chore System we’ve implemented (originally found on The Chic Site Blog.  
  2. Putting Everyone on The Same “Calendar”.  Thankfully, my girls are not in a lot of after school extra curricular activities, so I am not running them too many places.  But, we do have doctors appointments, dentist appointments, hair and nail salon appointments that all must be worked into the schedule.  Not to mention weekends with the grandparents, etc.  The Family Calendar strategically placed on the fridge in the kitchen keeps everyone abreast of what is going on.   For things that absolutely can not be forgotten, hubby and I share a Google Calendar.
  3. Having An Interested Partner.  I say interested partner because unfortunately I am privy to way too many situations where even though you have a partner, they tend to not be interested.  What I mean by this is that, they need to be just as committed to the success of the systems you put in place, as you are.
  4. Technology Is Your Friend.  If you have been following the blog for a while you know I set my sail by technology.  I use it as much as I can to make my life easier.  Since I can’t just pop up at the school during the day anymore, I have to find a way to make my presence felt.  This is where all the new fun and useful teacher apps come into play.
  5. Planning Ahead.  I honestly think this is the key to success on pretty much every front.  Even though you can not anticipate exactly what is to come.  You can plan for things that remain the same.  I try to prep my meals, plan out my outfits and the kid’s outfits for the week and stick to a regular schedule, when it comes to Laundry and Other Housekeeping tasks.  This makes my life just a bit easier.

What do you do to strike a balance between home life and work life?  What are your fail safes, I would love to hear all about it in our comments section below.

Peace of Mind Essentials for Hotel Stays with Little People

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Essentials for Hotel Stays with Kids www.stage-presents.com

I know you remember when spending the weekend or vacations at a hotel was a welcome treat.  The only thing you really had to think about what was what to pack and for how long.  Then, you became a Mommy and all of a sudden it seemed like every news program was feeding into your new found Mommy obsession with germs [esp. in hotels].  And then, in my case, you had a child that was allergic to daylight… (well, at least it felt that way) and had eczema and everything became a battle to avoid  germs.  Unless you are one of the lucky ones who live near all of your family and or can afford your own vacation home, hotels are a necessary evil.  Now, don’t get my wrong I still enjoy my stays at swanky hotels with the hubby, but my mind is not so focused on little people during those trips.

Even though I know full well that this is probably a battle I can not win, there are some essentials that make these trips just a bit more manageable in my OCD Brain.

HERE IS MY LIST OF PEACE OF MIND ESSENTIALS FOR TRAVELING WITH LITTLE PEOPLE

Lysol – I have a true love/hate relationship with Lysol.  Of course I love the purpose that it serves, but ugh the smell.  My compromise is the lemon scented one, it still has distinct undertones but I can handle it.

Disinfectant Wipes – Wipe down as many surfaces as you can that the kids will touch.  Which if your kids are like mine, that is every thing, lol.

Baby Wipes – Cause you can’t wipe down everything

Ziplock Bags –  Storage for pretty much anything.

Your Own Soap – I don’t know about you, but I hate most hotel soaps because they tend to be drying.

Pillow Cases – I sleep better knowing that the pillow cases we are sleeping on, have been washed by yours truly.

Flat Sheets – another OCD thing.

Garbage Bags –  Hotel garbage bags are always TOO SMALL.

Snacks/Juice/Water – This one is just about saving you from the mini bar/vending machine prices.

Hand Sanitizer – For When All Else Fails.

I know I am not the only panicked Momma going through this.  So I’d love to know what are your go to items for hotel stays with your little ones? Drop them in the comment section below, and if you know another Momma going through a similar struggle please share this post with them.

To read more about my adventures Road ‘Tripping” with Kids follow this link.

Keeping Up with the Changing Tides

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Keeping up With the Changing Tides - Returning to the Work Force

As most of my regular readers know, I have been home with my babies for the past three years.  I swear it doesn’t seem that long.  In August, the little one started Kindergarten, and I wasn’t sure what I would do with all my free time.  I decided that I would use this extra time to figure out a way to really monetize my blog and increase my Social Media presence for my Etsy Shop.  And, if you have ever done this or if you are in the process of doing that you know  … it is no easy feat.  I had my plan and I was working my way down my list.  Add more items to the Shop, Increase the Number of Daily Posts for Twitter and Instagram. Clean up My SEO on older posts, Re-write my About Me Page.  Just to give you the general idea.

Fast forward three weeks and I get a call from the School System where I used to work at, asking if I was interested in being a sub for a few days.   I wasn’t sure honestly what to think of it.  I was not sure if I would be able to keep up with the blog and my Social Media postings.  (More on that in another blog to post later this week.) But, I knew that it would be a way to stack away some extra money for Christmas.  Two days turned into one week and then two.  Turns out I forgot more than I thought about the balancing act that comes with being in the office all day and then having to come home to Job #2 (Mommy).  If it sounds like I am complaining honestly, I am not.  I was super grateful for the opportunity.  I just had to readjust thankfully on a learning curve.

Lucky for me,  I have a pretty amazing husband, who never misses a beat.  I have to be to work by 7:30,  which means Dad had to be on duty for the drop off and lunch detail.  I tried the first couple of days to make the lunches the night before, but that was short lived.  I get off at 3:45, which means I was leaving the office just as the girls were getting off the school bus.  So by the time I got home they had been there for about a half an hour.   It is a little harder to extract details about their day, but I pulled it out of them.  On their news front, baby girl was the line leader, and our oldest daughter, is loving Math right now.

When I get in the house, I have about 30 minutes to unwind and then its homework time.  I am normally wrapped up in that for a good hour.  Then its time to make dinner.  On a good day I can cook and get out of the kitchen by 7:30.  And, then its TV time.. bed time.. and prep for the next day.

When I was a full time working mom, I couldn’t  imagine how full time stay at home mom’s filled their days and after being at work for a couple of days, I cant imagine how working mom’s balance it all.  its a catch 22.  I guess the point of it is all is that, no matter where you fall on the spectrum the Mom Job is no joke and we adjust as needed to make it work.
A Woman Is Like A Tea Bag You Can't Tell How Strong She Is - Eleanor Roosevelt Quote

Things I want my girls to know

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Things I Want My Girls to Know - www.stage-presents.com

Parenting is one of the hardest jobs out there.  Like most parents out there, I often find myself wishing that I could protect my girls from all the pitfalls that lay ahead.  I am sure it’s not much different than what my own mother must have felt while watching my sister and I grow into young ladies.  But, I must admit that it’s only now, that I am a parent of two young girls that I am I even starting to get a glimpse into the sheer panic that she must have felt.  I remember thinking that my parents were too hard on us or that we  were way too sheltered.  I had lots of opinions on the best way to raise myself.  My son now 18, almost 19 felt the same way, and, I’m sure my girls will too.

As a woman, I often think of what I could tell my own little girls that would help them to avoid some of the pain and heartache that I went through.  Knowing all too well, that just because I tell them doesn’t necessarily mean that they will listen, and that they won’t have to find their own way.  Over the years, I have started keeping a list of things to tell them, which eventually turned into a Pinterest Board on my Personal Page here.   And, I am pretty sure that the list will get longer as they get older.  My long term plan is to have these quotes and words of wisdom put into a small book that they can carry with them when they leave for college.  Here are just a few of my favorites..

1.  Be Yourself.  An original is always worth more than a COPY.

2.  If you can’t be kind, be quiet.

3.  Don’t let someone dim your light, simply because it’s shining in their eyes.

4.  Comparison is the thief of joy.

5.  I hope you know, you are capable, brave and significant, even when you feel like you’re not.

6.  Someone who is worthy of your love will never put you in a situation where you feel you must sacrifice your dignity, your integrity, or your self-worth to be with them.

7.  Rudeness is the weak person’s imitation of strength.

8.  Hope is the little voice you hear whisper “maybe” when it seems the whole world is shouting “no”!

9.  Laugh when you can, apologize when you should & let go of what you can’t change.

10.  Beauty without Intelligence, is a masterpiece painted on a napkin.

The Educated Child Quote

Photo Source: Pinterest

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I am sure there are things that you want to tell your little ones as they grow.  What are your thoughts?  Consider sharing your quotes or Words of Wisdom with us in the comment section below.

Fun Friday – What’s In Your Bag??

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Fun Friday Post - What's In Your Bag?

I always find myself intrigued by the many and varied Instagram, and Pinterest posts on “What’s In Your Bag?”  So, just for fun, I thought I would do one as well.

What's In Your Purse - Contents of My Purse

 

I thought I kept a lot in my bag, or at the very least that my bag was Heavy, but some of you have me beat.  My list is kind of small.

  1. iPhone w/Personalized Case (shhhhh.. don’t tell hubby I have way too many phone cases.)
  2. Business Card Case – Never leave home without it, you never know when you will need to plug your business.
  3. Cosmetic Case – (I’m not a big makeup person, so for me, its just Lip Gloss, Eye Liner, Mascara and More Lip Gloss.)
  4. iPad (It’s like an extension of my arm, when I am not at home.)
  5. Glasses(cause, I am pretty blind), and my Favorite Pen that the Hubby Got Me in Year One.  And, even though it’s not pictured here, I normally carry a spare pen, because I don’t share my special one with anyone.  And, baby girl’s Epipen Jr. (She has severe food allergies.)

NOTE:  After I wrote this, I thought I should go back and add that this is what is in my bag, after I pull out all the receipt, spare coupons, and, when I am traveling alone.  With kids in tow, there is normally 2 mini packs of  Kleenex, Hand Wipes, Candy, and Occasionally Some Bags of Chips, or some other On The Go Snack.  We are passed the age of Diaper Bags, so my Bag tends to double at times.  Yeah me…

OK, so I shared.  Now, it’t your turn.  What’s in your Bag?  Link Up Below.  I can’t wait to see what special things you have in your bag.