hahahahahah... yup. It's true.
And no, you can't have him :)
Okay, even though that's a HUGE chunk of time saved... that's not ALL of it...
The REALLY BIG one, is...
I - LOVE - WHAT - I - DO.
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't look around and say... "What the HECK am I thinking!" LOL
But there also isn't a day that goes by that I don't stop, at some point during the day and wonder "How lucky am I !? "
:)
Life is short. And goes by too quick, and no matter what... my Family always comes first.
Blogging, decorating, and my vinyl business are ways for me to help out my family, not only to make a little money for us, but also... because they make this Momma HAPPY! :)
And you know what they say... "If Momma ain't happy........" lol.
I've found something that is MINE... that I have a passion for and that also keeps me feeling GOOD!
And no. I'm not talking about the times in my week when I break down crying because my house is mess and I have 200 new emails in my inbox, or when my three year old sneaks under my desk and flips that lovely RED SWITCH, to OFF, on my computer, and I lose EVERYTHING...
(yes, this has happened twice. And I literally had to LOCK MYSELF in my bathroom for about 20 minutes, so as not to BEAT my child into her next life)
........just keepin' it real.
I'm talking about the times when ...
* I find myself literally laughing out loud, crying or nodding along while reading peoples comments left on our blog.
* I get the opportunity to connect with extremely talented women, that inspire me EVERYDAY, all over the world!
* I experience peace and therapy from writing my thoughts down...the good, the bad, AND the funny :)
* I Create something new, that I am proud of, and get to share it!
or
* Finding out that you and a few thousand other ladies can relate to and feel the SAME way about things... that YOU DO!
So I guess that my answer to this question REALLY is...It's hard. Anyone who tells you different... is a liar. LOL.
There will NEVER be enough hours in the day.
Kids, church callings, a house, a husband, school, business, blog..... It's all just part of who I am, now... It's what makes me tick...
* Nobody can be the BEST at everything. I'm still working on this one, but I think I'm coming to terms with that. LOL.
- Someones house will ALWAYS look better
- Your neighbor/friend/co-worker will always make more money than you...
- And you can NEVER give ENOUGH time, attention or LOVE to your kids.... because even if you try your HARDEST, you'll almost ALWAYS feel like you could have done more.
SO... just DO YOUR BEST!... and if YOU feel good about what YOU'VE accomplished at the end of the day... then that's ALL that matters :)
If I've learned one thing in my adult life so far... it's this...
Time is like Money... You'll never agree on how other people decide to spend it :) ~Shelley Smith haha
hmmm... I think that needs to be in vinyl somewhere........
As a new blogger, I am finding myself really having to set some boundaries. The other day both my kids came down with their toy computers and sat down next to me on the couch. They wanted to be like mommy. Oops. Not sure I want that to be how they view me. So now I blog when I first get up in the morning, I wake up about 45 minutes before they do and enjoy a hot cup of coffee and some alone time. Great way to start the day. I also make use of nap time. I either work on a house project or sit down at my computer. As a stay at home mom, it's nice when the husband can swoop in and take over for a bit and I find a quiet hour to myself. Everyone gains from that. Like everything, it's a major balancing act.
- Courtney Fernan A Thoughtful PlaceMmmmm, I’m looking forward to everyone else’s answer to this question. I didn’t blog and I limited my design projects when my children were very small, partly because they were very demanding and partly because I served as the president of my local mothers of multiples club. It has gotten easier now that my children are in preschool and my volunteer commitments have diminished – but the tradeoff is that they no longer nap and they now have afternoon activities. I take appointments while they are in preschool, but I struggle to find time to blog or actually do my design work. Right now, I stay up too late and drink too much caffeine. I certainly couldn’t blog or run Traci Zeller Designs without a wonderfully supportive husband and trusted, reliable babysitters who we consider family. While I don’t have a set child care schedule, it helps to have someone to call on when I just can’t get it all done by myself. Henry and Charlie are also starting to play very well independently – which is delightful, not only because it allows me to do some work but because I love to hear them enjoying each other’s company.
It is a constant juggling act. I get up an hour before my son. This is my time for prayer, shower, and blogging. Its a great way to get a jump start on my day and feel refreshed. I work my business during his naptime or at nights when he is asleep. With kids you always have to be flexible with the unexpected so I am not hard on myself if I miss a day of working my business.
- Anna Liesemeyer In Honor of DesignGet up early...when they sleep. I have a netbook so I can snuggle on the sofa with them while they are watching a movie and I can check emails etc... I try not to be plugged in all the time.
I like Gabrielle Blairs advice to allocate time to be at home and then time to work. Don't try to mix them or you'll find you don't do a good job at either. I think about this a lot and try to either work after my kids are in bed or hire a babysitter.
I didn't start my blog until my kids were all in school, and so I have quite a bit more "free" time than I have had for the last 11 years!
I break up the work. I like to get several posts started with the chunks of time that I have when my kids are at school. I will scan pictures, or find pictures, and then start anywhere from 3 to 10 posts. As I have time throughout out the week, I will flesh out the posts, one at a time. All appointments for consultations and other design work is done while my kids are in school. It may sound a little old fashioned, but no matter how busy I get, I always want to be there for my three children when they get home from school.
My daughter hates my laptop and slams it closed every time I open it so I do all of my e-design and blogging when she's napping or asleep at night!
If my daughter is awake I find it almost impossible to design or blog. I try to keep my work/blogging to early mornings, afternoon naps, and bed-time. Separating my time allows me to give 100% attention to my daughter or my clients.
It's all about scheduling and compartmentalizing. I wake up early and work before the kids get up and I stay up late and work after they go to bed, sometimes until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. It's not easy to be a full time mom, a full time blogger and a full time decorator. Being a mom is the priority for me, and sadly, that's the job with the least obvious deadlines and the most flexibility. How easy is it to turn on Nick Jr and get a couple of hours of work done without having to pay a sitter? For me though, that's not the point, and I'm not happy when I find myself there. Recently we hired a part time nanny who comes in on Tuesdays and Thursdays and that is really helping me, both in my ability to get things done and in feeling more comfortable with the amount of work I am taking on. By compartmentalizing this way, I feel like I am a much more present mom during the rest of the week.
There are just too many good things to do with our 24 hours in the day. It's easy to feel guilty or frustrated or overwhelmed, but I'm getting better about taking things in stride and focusing on only the best things. My motto is 'I can't do it all, but I can do a lot.
