Questions Answered

A couple of weeks ago I asked in this post if there were any topics you'd like me to write about and I really appreciated all of your sweet comments.  Yall are so nice!

Here are a few questions and the answers..

1.  From Courtney - As a working mom of two, I'd love to know more about how you balance life and work. I love reading about your family because our girls are almost the same age and Grady is just a few months older than my boy!

Balancing life and work is HARD!  And my work fluctuates so much that I never know what the day will hold.  I never have two days that are the same.  I could think it's going to be a low key day and then have big issues on a building that is under construction.

Honestly, staying organized is my biggest tip.  The ways I do that are below in #2 but I'll be honest, a lot of days are a circus.  My kids are my number one priority over work.  Always.  Always.  Always.  And I'm incredibly thankful to work for people that believe the same thing for their family.

Leaving my office at 3pm-ish makes me a better mom.  Getting to work from home a couple of days a week make me a better mom, wife, friend.  Exercise makes me a much nicer human being so thank you Kevin for the Peloton.  I also love to run Mills after the kids are in bed.  Girl's nights during the week after bedtime are so good. I also refuel by going out with Kevin on the weekends and taking the children to the pool or to birthday parties.  Those are FUN things and they keep me in check.  I am a much better employee when I'm doing other things that fill me up.  I've done the days of million hour work weeks, I've done the traveling and right now, I'm not in a place in my career where I want to do a ton of that.  



2.  From Mary - i'd love to see how you keep yourself organized! You're juggling so much and I'm curious if you've found a great system at work and home! Love your blog :)

I'm glad it appears that I seem organized because I don't know that I am all of the time.  Here are my top tips:

1. I live and breathe by my Outlook calendar on my phone and if it's not in there, I won't do it.  This is for work and home!

2.  Also as part of my Outlook, I use the Notes section all of the time - grocery lists, Target lists, questions for my kid's next well check.  If I think of something, no matter where I am, I can slip it in my phone. 

3.  I hit it hard at the beginning of the week and try to get all of the things done Monday and Tuesday so if something comes up Wednesday or Thursday, I have the capacity to do it.  AKA - I have groceries for the week by then, I have difficult things done at my work by then, I have errands done for home stuff (cleaners, sending boxes back).  Anything I can do early in the week to make Thursday Friday easier, I'm getting it done.

4.  I plan ahead big time.  Gifts for the next month have been bought a month ahead, anything I need to do for Molly Anne's school is done etc. etc. I am not a wait until the last minute kind of girl. 

5.  I don't watch a bunch of TV.  I know this sounds silly but I don't waste time in front of my TV every night...only when Bachelorette or American Idol is on.  Other than that, I waste my time on Instagram stories instead, ugh.  Haha.  But really when my kids go to bed at 7pm, I go to town on house work...cleaning floors, wrapping up laundry, wrapping gifts, prepping dinner for the next night, putting away toys or swapping some new things out for them to play with.  

6.  I do laundry almost every day but I don't make it be a big task.  I swap it when I think about it and fold it when I get to it.  And if clean laundry is ready to be folded and I haven't gotten to it, a laundry fairy named Kevin folds it and puts it away.  This has been a HUGE help.

7.  I pick my battles...I had to learn to do this especially after Grady was born when my home workload basically tripled haha.  Our bed is never made, workout clothes are my best friend, fancy dinners aren't going to happen for a few years etc.  Things that don't really matter!

This is all I can think of right now but it's a pretty good list!  



3.  From Loving Incredible Food while Living in Normal - I enjoy the day in the life posts. I think its great to see how you balance being a full time mom and a full time employee outside of the home! I can also see how much you love and prioritize your family! Do you mind me asking what interventions you have used for your little boy because it does seem a little strange that he isn't crawling/talking yet but my niece was much the same and because of early intervention with the state she was able to progress out of therapy by the time she started school last year! Let me know if I can provide any advice! :)

Honestly I think I'm doing all of the right things for Grady by taking him to his regular pediatrician appointments and to physical therapy every other week which I've done for a year at this point.  At times, it's been every week as well depending on what we are working on.  I've followed all of the physical therapists recommendations and I'm doing all of the things as best I can.  I noticed when he was 4 or 6 weeks old that he had torticollis so I think I was all over it from the beginning.  Yes, it is strange that he didn't crawl until 13 months but all children are on different schedules and timelines and develop differently.  Grady is talking.  Glad your niece is doing great and thank you for your offer!