Category: Tips

Favorite Home Hacks To Save Money

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Did you know a simple mindset shift could be all you need to start saving more money? It’s true.  There are so many ways you might be wasting money at home and you don’t even realize it.  There are a few things you can do that can make a big difference at the bank, plus be better for your family.  In today’s post, I’m sharing some of my favorite home hacks to save money.

Set Your Air Cooler

Do you have a programmable thermostat? If you do then this tip is perfect for you.  Take a few minutes to set your thermostat to adjust the temperature when you’re not home or in bed.  For instance, during the day when you’re out at work have the temperature either drop (for cooler months) or go up (for warmer months). Now you’ll be paying less to cool or heat an empty house.  You can also set the program to do this at night, too.

To make it easier and less of a headache, make sure the temperature readjusts back to normal about an hour before you get home or wake up. That way you won’t notice the change.

I love the Nest Thermostat for this because you can even control it from your phone.  That way if you’re getting home a little earlier or later than usual you can keep your temperature in the right zone.

Unplug Appliances You Don’t Use Daily

Do you leave your toaster plugged in all the time, but hardly use it? Unplug that sucker! Even if the appliance isn’t turned on, it’s still drawing energy from the outlet.  Go through your house and unplug any appliance you don’t use on a daily or weekly basis and that it’s not a huge hassle to plug in when you do need it.  If you something sitting on a counter that you can easily get to, then unplug it. However, if you have to move a very heavy cabinet to unplug your lamp in the family room then don’t worry about it.

Split Your Sam’s Club Membership

Do you have a Sam’s Club membership, but hardly ever go?  It could be because you’re afraid of where to put all this stuff after you buy it.  Especially if you have a smaller family.  For us, our family of three loves to buy in bulk but we don’t go through our nonperishable items that fast.   Talk to a friend, family member or someone to see about splitting some of those bulk items with.  Maybe your family of three doesn’t need a massive case of Q-Tips, so see about splitting that with your sister and her family.

If you love to buy in bulk check out my post with some great money saving tips.

Hang Dry Your Clothes

If you have space in your house or maybe a place to hang a line outside then start hang drying most of your clothes.  We do this a lot to keep our clothes looking nicer longer.  I actually talked about it in our Laundry Hack video.  You will save a bundle by having less clothes run through your dryer.  What is put in the dryer will dry faster, which means less run time.

Here’s a drying rack similar to the one we have. It sits in our guest room most of the time, but we can easily fold it when we have family staying.

Money Saving Apps

Make sure you use money saving apps on your grocery items.  I’m a huge fan of Ibotta and the Walmart Savings Catcher app. You can base the brands you buy off of what’s listed on your app before you go shopping, which can sometimes sway which brand to buy – you might be able to get the name brand cheaper after using Ibotta.  Or you can do your shopping like normal and then see if anything you bought is on the app. I prefer to scan our receipts before ever leaving the parking lot, but that doesn’t happen every time – thanks to a toddler I know.

If you do any shopping online, make sure you have Ebates.  It’s by far my favorite for doing any shopping.

Ask For Trial Periods on Your Satellite

If you still have satellite and have broken it down to a basic package then there might still be a chance for a free upgrade.  We recently gave up our satellite, but before we did we always had the movie channels for free.  All you have to do is call and asking if there is a promotion to try out a certain channel lineup.  Usually there is.  Sign up for the free trial period – typically 30 to 90 days.  Then make a note in your calendar to call and cancel before the trial ends.

Check Your Door Seals

Make sure the cracks around your doors are sealed properly, especially if you have dogs.  They tend to destroy a lot of door seals at the back door when they’re trying to get back in.  A quick way to do this is to close your door and stand a few feet back.  Can you see any daylight coming through the edges? If so, then you need to change out your weather stripping.   You can buy adhesive seals at your local store or online, like this one, and just apply to the missing area.  This will help keep cold air in and hot air out during those warmer months (and vice versa during winter).

Opt For Safer Cleaning Products

When our son was born I was a big fan of using natural cleaning products like vinegar and baking soda to do most of our household cleaning. Not only was it safer for him to be around, but it was lot cheaper too.  So next time you need to freshen your carpets reach for a box of baking soda instead of your scented carpet refresher from the store.  We actually have a dog that was super allergic to the store bought ones – her eyes would water and swell a bit.  But the baking soda has no effect on her at all.

My Favorite Kitchen Hacks To Save Time and Money

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It’s no secret that the last thing I want to do after a long day at the office is cook.  Honestly, cooking is probably one of my least favorite things to do. I just don’t have the patience for it most days.  I’m one of those people that believe the higher the heat, the faster it cooks.  Now I know that’s not accurate and it just means you burn the outside of your chicken breast while the inside is still raw – I’ve done it enough times to know it by now.  However, I still think that this time I will find the perfect combination of fast cooking and a delicious ending.

Since I don’t like to spend too much time in the kitchen, but I still want to provide healthy meals for my family I’ve discovered a few kitchen hacks to save time and money, plus they make life a little easier.  Now some of these are common sense, but others are mind blowing.

Slow Cooker Liners

I’ve talked about these beauties in my IG stories before – they are my secret weapon to a fast clean up.  All you do is place a slow cooker liner in your slow cooker before cooking, add your food and that’s it.  When it’s time to clean up, just grab the bag and toss it in the trash.  No mess in your slow cooker, which means no scrubbing. Beautiful!

Bullet Blender

I use my little blender for just about everything.  From grinding, to pureeing, and to mixing.  I’ve been known to make batter in this beauty when I make banana oatmeal pancakes and it’s what I used to make all of our little guys baby food during the first year.  This handy tool is so much more convenient than hauling out the massive blender and then clean up is a breeze.  No more bulky canisters in the dishwasher and sharp, loose blades needing to be cleaned. I just unscrew the lid, throw it all in the dishwasher and walk away.

I have this magic bullet, I bought mine almost five years ago and it’s still runs like new.

Freeze Leftover Sauces and Broth

Whenever you have leftover pasta sauce, tomato sauce or really any leftover liquid then you should be freezing it.  Grab a cheap ice cube tray, pour your leftover sauce in it and freeze overnight. Then you can pop those tiny cubes in a freezer baggie, label it with a sharpie with the date and what it is and then voila.  Next time you go to cook a dish and need a little sauce, just throw a few of those cubes in.  You can even season them differently to speed up your cooking time.  I like to leave some plain and then season the rest for spaghetti sauce.

I actually use our old baby food freezer tray to freeze sauces in.  It works great!

Clean Out A Drawer For Entertainment

If you have a toddler at home then you’re going to love this kitchen hack.  Clean out a drawer of anything sharp and leave all those plastic lids, spoons and straws in it.  Then grab a stool or chair and let your little one go crazy.  They will be entertained the whole time you’re cooking, which means less whining and less getting in your way to make cooking easier.  Just make sure the drawer is far enough away from anything hot or sharp.

Clean Your Microwave Without Scrubbing

Again, I’ve mentioned this trick on IG before but it’s still a favorite.  All you have to do is grab a glass bowl or cup, fill it with white vinegar and microwave for 5 minutes.  Afterwards just take a damp sponge and wipe out the inside. All that nasty crud will easily wipe away without scrubbing.

Keep Your Bananas Fresher Longer

Did you know you can extend the life of your bananas?  All you have to do is grab a piece of foil and wrap around the bunch.  It will keep your bananas from turning brown so fast.

Throw A Piece Of Bread With Your Brown Sugar

If you ever go to bake something and pull out your brown sugar to find it as hard as wood then I have a trick for you.  Simply throw a piece of bread in your container before closing it.  The bread will absorb the moisture inside, keeping your sugar nice and soft.  Just make sure to swap out the pieces from time-to-time.  If you’re needing sugar now and didn’t throw bread in the container last time then simply microwave for a few seconds with a glass of water next to it.  The moisture in the air will help soften the brown sugar back up.

Stop Flipping Half Way Through

Does your recipe call for flipping the fries, rolls or tenders half-way through cooking? Well here’s a kitchen hack to save you from messing with a hot pan and hot food.  Throw your empty cookie sheet in the oven while it preheats.  Then carefully pull it out and add your food.  Since the pan is hot, it will prevent the need from having to flip half-way through.

Reheating Rice

If you need to reheat a leftover dish with rice in it, pour a little water on top first.  The rice will absorb the water making it taste fresh.

Laundry Money Saving Tips and Hacks

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Here’s the deal, Momma – I hate laundry.  I despise it.  I get all caught up on Monday and by Tuesday I have enough to do a full load again – and there’s only THREE of us.

When I was a little girl my job was helping my mom fold our clean clothes.  I would pretend I worked at a fancy boutique and would fold clothes for customers (I know, weird!), but now that I’m older folding clothes is the last thing I want to do.

But as a mom and a wife I only had two options when it comes to laundry – I could either avoid it at all costs, but that would mean my husband would have to take care of it.  And he likes to dry some of my nicer blouses too often.  OR I would have to become more efficient at it so it didn’t consume my entire weekend.

I went with the second option.  Thank goodness!  So in today’s video I’m sharing my go-to hacks to save money on our laundry, our clothes and save space since our laundry room is in the middle of our kitchen.

You can watch my laundry money saving tips online or down below:

For more money saving laundry tips check out:

My favorite laundry detergent and fabric softener.

How to make your own dryer ball to save money.

Here’s the magnetic ironing mat that we use since our room is tiny and we don’t have a room for a huge ironing board. I bought mine back in college, I actually went back and looked at my Amazon order history … I purchased it July 2014… almost 4 years ago and it’s still just like new.

Insanely Easy Packing Hack

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Want in on a BIG secret to make your life a little easier when it comes to traveling?  I’m talking about any type of travel, too. Overnight visit, weekend getaway, vacation, work trip, whatever you have coming up.  This one trick has been a genius lifesaver. 

We’ve been following this tactic for a few years now, we just update it as we change and once our son was born.  You can watch the video online or down below for our insanely easy packing hack:

If you want more packing hacks, check out this post for packing your toddler and this one for packing for a work trip.

Simplify Your Morning Routine

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Raise your hand if you love routines and order. I know I do! I love knowing exactly how long it should take me to get something done, how often I need to be doing a load of laundry and what my day is going to look like from a quick glance.  However, Moms if you’re deep in the trenches then you totally get why toddlers don’t like routines and usually throw a wrench into our perfectly planned days.

BUT we still need our routines that simplify our days.  WE NEED THEM! Because when you come home after a long, hard day and your house is a mess a routine can help you tame the chaos and re-center yourself. 

In this post, I’m going to talk about a few routines you can create to simplify your mornings.  Let’s face what happens in the morning is what sets the tone for our whole day. If we feel rushed while getting ready then we feel stressed and anxious the rest of our day – and that’s no good.

Recently, I shared our evening routine for our toddler and it has made a huge difference at our house.  It has made our evenings a little more calm and it’s been easier to put our little man to bed each night.  I will admit though, it all started when we spend a few days sleep training our son when he was just a baby.

Let’s get into today’s post – simplify your morning routine – because the sooner you can implement some of these tips then the quicker you will get results.  I do want to share a disclaimer – I try to follow each of these every day, but I’m not perfect.  When you have kids, you have to accept that you won’t be perfect 100% of the time – it’s impossible! In an earlier post, I shared details about how I schedule my day by blocking my time, but here are more details in my schedule blocks. 

Now, you’ll notice some of these routines actually happen at night or the day before, which has been a huge blessing to my mornings.  I actually consider anything that makes my mornings easier part of my morning routine.

Here’s your Sunday routine:

Each Sunday evening or any free time you have during the weekend, spend a few minutes planning your outfits or even laying them out for the next week. I don’t have a ton of space to lay out each outfit for work the next week, but I can at least plan out what I am going to wear. 

If you’re like me and don’t have a ton of free space to lay out clothes, then here are a few things you can do: create a space in your closet that you can physically hang clothes for the week or you can make a written list in your planner with each day’s outfits.

Prepping for the week includes making sure your clothes are washed, pressed and ready to be put on within seconds. Make sure to think of every aspect of an outfit that’s going to be needed – obviously a blouse and pants or skirt, but also include an undershirt, tights, shoes, jewelry, etc.

Here’s your evening routine:

Review your to-do list for the next day. This way you can make sure everything is ready to rock-n-roll the next morning.

Make sure to look over your meal plan for tomorrow’s dinner so you can defrost any meat and get a head start on the meal. 

Make lunches before going to bed and have the lunchbox packed with anything that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. 

Your morning routine:

Try to get up at the same time each morning – even if you don’t have to. That way your body can get used to following the same routine each morning, too.  

Follow the same steps each morning to help make everything more streamlined:

  1. wake up and shower
  2. put on makeup and style hair
  3. get dressed
  4. review any appointments that you have today
  5. make breakfast
  6. wake up kids and get them dressed

By following the same steps in the same order, you can have getting ready down to a science. You’ll know exactly how long it takes to do each step, which means you’ll know when you’re running behind.

Don’t check social media first thing in the morning. Wait until your little ones are up and dressed to get on social media. You can lose so much time by scrolling on FB and IG, so make sure to avoid it until you are completely ready.

Don’t check emails until you’re at the office. Again, this is such a time sucker. For me, I have personal email, work email and then business email that I like to check.  I try to get to work a few minutes early each day so I can check my personal email and business email before my work day starts.  If I spend too much time before I’m finished getting ready on the computer or my phone then I almost always run late.

Make breakfast easy on yourself. Try not to over-do it on breakfast during busy mornings. Sure you want your little one to eat a healthy meal, but who has time to cook a gourmet breakfast each morning?  Here’s a few tips to make breakfast simple:

  • cook a big batch of scrambled eggs on Sunday and put in the fridge for the week
  • make a batch of freezer waffles to pop in the toaster on the weekends
  • grab fruit at the store for those easy morning breakfasts
  • find simple foods your little ones can finish in the car when they take FOREVER to eat

These simple steps can really help create order in your morning routines. As a mom who is constantly running around from meeting to appointment to family time and everything else I need something that I can follow each day to help tame the chaos.  

 

Tips for Buying in Bulk

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Do you buy in bulk from any membership stores? We love Sam’s Club at our house (not that we have anything against Costco, but they aren’t as close to us). I’ve been a member since college thanks to my Dad’s office extending me a card. These days my purchases are much different than at 22 (which usually consisted of wine, chips, and sorority necessities for any events).  Nowadays we like to buy meat when they have it on sale, bread for lunches and any other frozen meals that are a good deal.  We also stock up on dog bones a few time each year.  

Watch the video online or down below for some of my best tips for buying in bulk:

We’ve learned with this whole budgeting thing that it’s best to buy certain items at wholesale clubs, but you have to be careful. Some items are more costly per unit and the expiration dates make it hard to use in time. Here are a few of my favorite tips for buying in bulk:

Buy Non-Perishable Items

We love buying toilet paper, paper towels, detergent and so on in bulk. If there isn’t an expiration date then sign us up. Most food items we tend to not buy in bulk. Since our little guy doesn’t eat a lot, it’s just the two of us consuming majority of the food.  Now while I love a good bag of pretzel crisps, it doesn’t mean I need 2 giant bags that size of my head in my cabinet.

In contrast, if you have a larger family and you go through 5 gallons of milk in a week then by all means buy in bulk.  You need to know your family and what is best for you. If they have a really good deal on fruit, but you know your family won’t eat it before it goes bad then don’t buy it (but you can freeze it and make smoothies out of it).  You just need to know what works and what won’t work. 

Compare Unit Prices

Most prices on store labels will have a unit price or a price per pound on it. Make sure you compare those to the ones at your local grocery store. Just because it’s in a bigger package at Costco or Sam’s Club doesn’t mean it’s always a good deal. 

Don’t Buy On Impulse

This is one of the worst mistakes you can make at a wholesale club. Just because it looks like a good deal and you get excited about it, doesn’t mean you need to buy it. Make sure you think your purchases through.

Have A Plan

This tip goes with the previous one. Before you step foot into any store have a list of what you need. If you don’t have a list it’s like you’re going in blind and with no direction. You end up putting things in your cart that you don’t need nor really want, which means you spend more money. That money could go to other parts of your budget, so make sure to stick to your list.

Shop Around and Know The Prices

Do your research. Before we go to the store I will search for the bigger, most expensive items we want to buy online. I will compare the unit prices from Sam’s Club to Amazon to Walmart. That way I know without a doubt I am getting the most inexpensive item possible.

Split With Someone

If you find an amazing deal on a case of toilet paper, but couldn’t imagine going through that much then split it. Find a family member or a friend to go in with you. I used to do this in college.  I would go in with a friend on some toilet paper and paper towels every few months.  We would split the cost and the items. That way we had enough to last us and didn’t have to hid extra toilet paper under our bed when it wouldn’t fit in the cabinet.

Tips For Packing For Your Next Work Trip

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What happens when you have to go out of town for work? Well if you’re like me, you probably put off packing until the last minute. You try to stuff everything into a small back just to arrive at your conference with wrinkled clothes. Well … that was the old me.

The new me is all about being prepared, looking my best and only bringing what I need.  And the best part?

I still pack last minute.

Yep, I sure do.  Want in on my secret?

It’s all about what to pack, how to stay organized and how not forget anything! You can create an easy packing system to help you manage just what you need to bring with you – no matter how long your conference is going to be, this one tip can help with a 2 day trip to a 2 week trip.

You can watch the video online or down below:

I love sharing new tips and tricks as I figure them out. This one is no different. I travel a lot for work, so I like to stay organized. I found that it helps by creating a list before I start packing. This list serves as a reminder of everything I need to bring and then when I get there, it’s a guide to remember what day I planned to wear what. It really saves time while I’m on the road and away from home.

I don’t know about you, but I tend to sleep so good when I’m in a hotel. I don’t know if it’s because it’s nice and dark, the temperature is (usually) easy to control and for work trips I typically have the place all to myself. I find myself sleeping in until the last possible second before jumping out of bed already running behind. By bringing a list of what outfit to wear, it really helps me to not feel rushed in the mornings.

You should try it!

Check out these other helpful posts:

How To Do It All As A Mom

What To Pack For Your Toddler On Your Next Trip

Tips For Traveling With A Toddler

What To Bring On A Road Trip With Your Baby

What To Pack Your Toddler For Your Next Trip | Tips To Staying Organized

It’s no secret I love to-do lists and planners. I pretty much have my whole life over on Google between using the calendar to keep our lives organized and with having our expense tracking on Google Sheets. I love having my life organized and detailed out.

There should be no surprise then that I have a go-to list for when we travel with our young son. We travel quite a bit, between visiting J’s family, to seeing friends and just getting away for awhile. We love going on adventures.

I realized early on that in order to not forget anything, I would need a list. With working full time, running a house, being the best mom I know how and a wife – I needed help.

I put together a list over on Google (duh!) and every time we go on a trip, I pull it out and print it off. In this list is a detail of everything we need to bring for no matter how long we’re going to be gone or no matter which part of the country we’re going to be going to.

You can watch this video online or down below to see exactly what I like to bring along on any trips for our son.

For more information you can check out these posts:

Tips For Road Trips With A Toddler

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Traveling With A Baby

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How I Get It All Done

how to do it all as a mom

Tips for Traveling With a Toddler

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With the holiday season fast approaching, we are planning for some road trips to see family.  Now that our little man is almost 17 months old (cue tears!) we travel a little differently than when he was first born.  Long gone are the days of him sleeping most of the car ride and we’ve replaced those peaceful days with fighting the car seat, boredom and counting down the seconds until we reach our destination.

I make it sound just horrible traveling with a toddler, don’t I? It’s really not that bad.  Sure some trips are better than others.  Some days he’s a peach in the car and entertains himself with a small toy and a few snacks.  Other days he can’t stand his car seat and is sure to let us know how unpleased he is.

But as I’ve told him over and over, Mommy and Daddy have to use the car seat because it’s the safest place for him to be.  He usually fights me, but I at least try to reason with him (HA!).

With J’s family living a few hours away, we tend to travel on a regular basis.  I wanted to share with you my tried-and-true travel hacks with you.  I want you to be prepared for those long car rides you’ll be facing and nights away from home.  Plus this time of year usually means the roads aren’t always the best, especially with temperatures dropping below freezing at night.  So I like to make sure we have our little guy nice and calm during road trips so that it makes driving a little easier on us.

Not too long ago I shared some of my go-to tips when traveling with a baby.  Now as he’s gotten older and a little more independent some of my tips have changed.  But if you have a younger baby then these tips could really help you.

Let’s get into today’s post – tips for traveling with a toddler.  Now don’t worry I am going to cover everything from the car ride to staying the night.  So let’s do it.

What to bring in the car:

Snacks

Few Favorite Toys – I typically bring one (or two) that makes noise and the rest are silent. I either bring a few balls, books or stuffed animals.

Diapers and wet wipes for any changes – I like to leave a few of these outside the diaper bag so I don’t have to dig around for an emergency stop.

Towel – in case there is a mess that needs to be cleaned up or we have to do a diaper change in the back seat.

iPad to watch movies

What to bring for overnight stays:

Pack-n-play – that way when it’s bedtime your little one has a place to sleep that’s all their own.  

Blanket – it’s nice to have something that smells like home and can be a comfort to them

Extra Clothes

Favorite Bottle or Sippy Cup – my little guy still loves a bottle in the morning.  We’ve been able to replace everything else with a sippy cup, but not his morning one.  Since he takes medicine I prefer not to fight him just yet.  

Favorite Foods – you pack snacks or non-perishable foods you know your little one likes.  This works great if you’re eating out a lot or not sure what meals will be prepared.

Bedtime Routine – it can be hard to stick to a similar routine that you have at home, but try.  Your little one loves having a routine and it makes it a lot easier on them if they are being put down about the same time each night and follow the same steps they would at home.  For us, it’s bath, brush teeth, have some water, snuggle for a bit then be laid down.

Morning Routine – again, try to stick to the similar routine you have each morning.  I know it can be hard, but just do your best.

If you plan on flying with your little one, then check out my tips here to make it so much easier on yourself and your child.

How To Balance Life When Your Have Kids and a Career

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I had been working on this post about how to balance life for a very long time.  I’ve had the idea scribbled in a notebook for months.  I’ve had a draft started, but not finished for weeks.  Yet here I am completely changing the whole premise of this topic.  

Let’s get real for a second – when you have kids there is no balance.  Sure you can feel like everything is rocking and rolling for a few days, maybe even a few weeks, but it will come crashing down at some point.  I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but it does.

For instance, I started this post off (then deleted it) talking about how to find balance you need to be a planner.  You need to have a list of everything that needs to get done, be able to know when to delegate and when to say no, and you need help.  But that was before our little boy spent the better part of 3 hours nonstop crying last night.  No idea why.  He just did.

I’m tired.  I’m dragging and I sure know that today is going to be rough.

It’s 8 am and I’m already sipping on a Diet Mountain Dew (it’s my version of coffee).  This post was supposed to be finished last night so it could go live this morning, but that didn’t happen.  Because no matter how hard I try to plan, prepare and schedule my day – it doesn’t always play out like I hope.  So instead of finishing this post last night, I sat in complete darkness holding my crying boy in my arms until he fell asleep.

And there is no place I would have rather been.

Truth.

So maybe work life balance isn’t a fine balance act.  Maybe it’s having the ability to say no to some things so you can say yes to more important ones.

My son, my family and my well-being comes before anything else.  So on days like yesterday, I have to reschedule everything I had planned for the last 3 hours of my day, I have to go to bed later than I normally do and I have to wake up earlier than I thought was possible.

But to me balance isn’t doing it all and being perfect, it’s choosing what’s perfect for me.

I may not get it all done in the time frame I dreamed of and that’s okay.

You may not either and you have to be willing to accept it.  There are a few things you can do to help you not feel pressure to do things you HAVE to do when things you WANT to do come up.

  1. Plan your day.  I use Google calendar to plan out my family’s life.  Everything task, appointment, and reminder are scheduled in my calendar.
  2. Keep a running to-do list.  I am someone who will obsess over something until it’s done.  I have found that when I write a task or an idea down, then I can turn my brain off and focus on what I was supposed to be doing.
  3. Be okay with change.  Days don’t always go as planned and you have to be willing to accept it.  Let’s face it as Moms no two days are the same.  And if you think they can be, then just spend time with a toddler because they will correct your thought process in less than an hour.
  4. Build in buffers.  For me that means going to be later or getting up earlier (preferably not within a 12 hour period, but that’s mom life).  I also try to keep my lunch hour free to do other work.  I work full time so when my lunch break comes I usually run home to write posts, record videos or edit them.  This gives me some flexibility when my evenings or mornings don’t go as I hope. 
  5. Know your priorities.  Sometimes we get wrapped up in the hustle of life.  We get frustrated when we have to stop mid-thought to dig a toy out from under the couch just for your little one to do it all over again.  At those moments, just stop and remind yourself every day they are learning something new and one day they will be able to reach for a toy under the couch themselves and that day will be hard.  You may not realize it at the time, but it will be.  When our little one could finally hold his own bottle, I was happy until the day came that I wanted to rock him to sleep for nap time and he didn’t need me to any longer.  He could hold his own bottle and lay down on his own.

I may not be perfect with work life balance, but I don’t think anyone can be perfect when they’re a mom.  No matter if you’re a mom who works away from home, works from home or in between.  Any woman who mothers a child, runs a household and is making a difference will never have a perfect balance act.  And at the end of the day when you watch your little one sleep you realize that it’s okay because they are more perfect than you could ever imagine.