Check out how to create a bound planner to be sold on Amazon using free tools.
Creating low and no content books is a great way for busy moms to earn a passive income on the side. Find out how.
Check out these ideas for everything from decor to treats to food and favors for a fun mermaid birthday party.
It happens to all of us. We have the best of intentions for an organized pantry. We plan to use things before they expire and keep things rotating. Then one day we look in our pantry and it's a mess. Something has spilled, other things have expired and our organized rows have become a jumble. When you don't have time to really take apart your pantry, here are some quick tips to help it feel more organized.
Have you ever looked at your overloaded closet and thought "I have nothing to wear"? I would love to overhaul my closet. I have been putting this off for a while. A long while. Usually you go through your closet and look at what you haven't worn in a while and use that to help you determine whether or not you should keep it. I couldn't really do that for a while. First I was pregnant, so nothing fit. Then I had to lose the baby weight so only some things fit. Now most things fit but I'm breastfeeding. That means even if they fit, a lot of high neckline shirts aren't being worn.
Have you ever felt like you cannot keep up with the influx of paper in your home? Every day more and more paper comes in, but who has time to go through it all. I though it was bad before, but now with kids, the amount of paper coming in has multiplied. I have found a system that I use to manage the influx of paper in my house. Now I know what to keep and where it belongs so I don't have piles of paper on my counters, dining room table, side table, and pretty much every surface in my home.
I hate cleaning. Plus sometimes it just feels like a wasted effort when the mess is back an hour later. And then if that weren't enough to dissuade you, the time it takes can be incredible. Hours to clean what takes my kids 30 seconds to dirty. On the other hand, the peace of mind that comes with a clean and organized home is amazing. You can physically feel the difference when you enter a clean room. It also does wonders for your mindset! So, in order to help you get in and out of cleaning mode more quickly, here are some tips to make cleaning go faster.
Do you ever feel like your home is being taken over by paper? I know I can't be the only one. Between bills, papers from school, instructions, loan documents, deeds, papers from church, calendars, warranty documents, and everything else, our homes are overwhelmed by paper. Paper keeps flooding in and then staying because when we don't know how long to keep things, we end up saving everything. We fall behind with filing things and we end up with stacks of paper all around the house.
So last week we talked about things you can do quickly to organize your house. I gave you five tasks that take 5 minutes or less, but make a big impact on how organized your house feels. Sadly, not everything can be done that quickly. Some tasks take longer to complete. Here is one tactic that can help you get a handle on the organization of paper and even errands.
It's the new year! Let's kick off the year by creating new habits that will help us be more organized throughout the year. These 5 things take 5 minutes or less to do, but the impact they will have on your home will be immense. You will feel more organized and your home will look cleaner with very little effort. Who wouldn't love that?
The new year will be starting in just a week and a half which means we are at the time of year where people are reflecting on the past year and making resolutions for the future. Did you set resolutions last year? How did you do with keeping them? Many times we set a resolution or goal for New Years and we make a big punch to reach it in the month of January and then our efforts slowly fizzle out. Or we write them down on a piece of paper that we never look at again until a year later when its time to set a new set of goals. Then were run around all year feeling super busy but with no direction and therefore accomplishing far less than we could.
I know, I know, it's not even Halloween and I'm talking holiday shopping. I'm the first to complain when I see Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving. I am all about giving each holiday it's due. Plus now that I have a child that can actually anticipate holidays, I don't need him pestering about presents so far in advance.
On the other hand, there is no logic to cramming all that shopping into the month of December. I mean with so many other holiday things to do like holiday parties and visiting Santa, who can possibly do all that and not stress?! Not I. For me, slow and steady wins the race. So, here are some tips on how I keep holiday shopping stress free.
If you haven’t started yet, start now. There are two big benefits to this; time and money. Starting early means you have months to get your shopping done instead of weeks. No pushing your way through over crowded stores. No running around on Christmas Eve. No rushing from store to store because what you want is sold out. Expense wise, you get to spread the cost of the holidays over multiple months prior to the holidays. Unlike spreading the cost over multiple months after holidays, this method does not involve paying interest.
Make a list but only be super specific when you have to be. For example, Tyler is at an age where he wants specific things. He wants to complete his collection of Ghostbusters mystery minis, and he wants certain Lego sets. Items for him are very specific. Hailey on the other hand is unable to voice her opinions. Therefore, her list might look more like: clothes, stuffed animal, educational toy. For my brother I might write model train equipment. Then anytime I find model train equipment on sale, I can buy him something and check him off my list. The less specific you can be for people, the better. Then you have a broader range of options and can find better deals. Of course, you want it to still be something they would want/need and like.
Make a spreadsheet listing each person or group of people you need to buy gifts for in the first column. For example, individuals I need to buy gifts for include, my hubs, Tyler and Hails, my nephews, my mom, my brother, etc.. Groups might be my aunt and uncle, Tyler’s teachers, etc. In the next column list what you plan on purchasing them. If they are getting more than one item, make a new row for each item. The next 3 columns are as follows: bought, wrapped, delivered/shipped. You could of course do this by hand, but I love the clean look of spreadsheets! Print out your completed list and bring it with you wherever you go. If you are not sure what to get someone, leave their line blank. You can fill it in when you get inspired. Now anytime you find something that someone on your list would like, you can check it off your list. No more over buying because you forgot you already got something. This also keeps track of your wrapping so you won’t get behind on that either. Check out my sample spreadsheet below. Note that this is not my actual list incase these people are reading my blog…
If you have been through any gift giving occasion with kids before, you know you will be bombarded with questions from relatives of what to get your kids. Be prepared. Once you make the list of things that you will be getting your kids yourself, make a second list of things that they want or need. Keep this second list with you as well or give it to your husband, but not both. You need to have a designated go to person for this list. You don’t want both parents giving items out because the whole purpose here is to avoid multiples of the same gift. Now when someone asks what to get your kids, your go to person can give them items from your list. Be aware that these people may not necessarily get the item you suggest to them, but you can hopefully prevent multiples of the same gift. You also avoid the texts back and forth “did you get so and so this?”, “No, OK then I’m getting it”, “OK so then what should I get them now?”…. You can always hold onto the list and if your kids didn’t get the item for Christmas, now you already have a list for their birthday!
I hope you find this list helpful! Do you have tips to reduce holiday shopping stress?? If so leave your tips in the comments!
Cheers,
Emily
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Between Holiday parties, meal prep, visiting Santa, buying presents, sending cards, the holiday season packs in a lot to do in just a short amount of time. This FREE guide will take the overwhelm out of the holidays.
Check out these tips for having a relaxed fun filled holiday season without the stress.
Check out the key elements to a perfect holiday night in with the family and how you can create the experience.
Check out this list of holiday gifts with everything you need for the entire family plus friends.
It is time to prep for the holidays! There's so much to do in the coming months between holiday get togethers, Christmas shopping, decorating, baking, card sending, etc.. It really can be a daunting time of year. To help you (and me) out, I put together a little planning guide to take us from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
There are so many ways to celebrate the holiday season. Here are the traditions that we hold near and dear.
With all the information out there on the harmful effects of sugar, I don’t want to be another person adding sugar to the mix. So here are some recipes for sweet treats that you can enjoy over the holidays with no sugar added!
Are you ready for the flood of toys and books and games that your kids will receive this Christmas? Here's how you can prepare!
I have scoured the inter-webs for videos of holiday DIY projects that are easy and elegant all at the same time. Things you are totally capable of doing and would be proud to show off in your home.
I don't know about you, but I already feel it. The mad rush that begins in October and doesn't end until the new year. Halloween is huge in my house. It's my husband's favorite holiday and it has rubbed off on me as well. October is a crazy month for us fill with events and activities for the season. There's Apple/Pumpkin Picking, Harvest Fest at the New York Botanical Garden, Boo at the Zoo, The Count's Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place, and of course Halloween itself. We also host a marshmallow roast every year around Halloween. On top of that, our 5 year wedding anniversary is October 29th. Are you feeling overwhelmed yet?
Then the holidays start with Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping, holiday lights shows, Christmas parties, visiting Santa, and Christmas itself. Add to that my sister in laws wedding in early November, and Hailey's baptism in December, and the next few months are packed. And of course there's still grad school and work and family and life. For these last two weeks of September I will be enjoying the calm.
Altering costumes: T's Halloween is in so, in the next few weeks I will slowly be taking it in. The character he wanted to be didn't have a costume in toddler size, so there is a lot to take in... I ordered a plain dress for my costume and once it arrives, I will need to add a few extra touches for my character. Hailey's costume is ordered and some pieces have arrived. Luckily, her's doesn't need much work. As for the hubs, he likes to take his costume into his own hands... Note: I am being purposefully vague here. I want you to really enjoy the big Halloween costume reveal!
Planning our weekends: There are a lot of activities that we want to pack in to a short period of time. This is especially true in October. In the next 2 weeks I will be prioritizing the activities we want to do most and try to schedule times to do them. Since my husband works weekends, this may be difficult. We may recruit grandma to join us for the more minor activities and make sure the hubs is there for Sesame Place and Pumpkin/Apple Picking. My husband already took the day off for Halloween; it's that important.
Start Holiday Shopping: Holiday shopping starts now. If we see something that T seems to like in the store, we make a note for his Christmas list. Hails is a lot easier seeing as how a 4 month old doesn't really make demands regarding toys. Also, presents for friends and relatives starts now. If we see something someone would like we just pick it up and save it for the holidays. This also goes for holiday outfits. If we see something now, we just pick it up and save it.
Plan for Hailey's Baptism: We are not having a huge get-together, but we will have a little reception for family and close friends after Hailey's baptism. So nothing crazy, but there will be invitations, food, and some decor. Oh, and of course, cake. Definitely something DIY which I of course will share here!! So, the planning for that will start now!
That's it. I mean it would be silly if this was a long list. It wouldn't be calm, it would be just as stressful as the coming months. These four things however can really help us to enjoy the experiences of the holidays instead of being bogged down by the stresses. I always get my holiday shopping done by the latest, Black Friday. This way in December I can enjoy the holidays and just have to do some wrapping. I like to have our October events planned so we are not stressing about fitting everything in, but instead enjoying the events. As far as November, I am lucky to have 5 sister in laws and a wonderful mother in law, so Thanksgiving is never stressful for me. I bring my always requested dessert which you can find here, and maybe a side or two. Everyone chips in, so it's not so overwhelming.
So, are you enjoying the calm before the holidays? What are you doing to make the holidays less stressful? Share in the comments and let's help each other out!
Cheers,
Emily
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Tips to increase your energy and organization to get through a busy day.
It can be hard to balance kids and work, when you are working from home. Here are some tips that can help.
Check out this collection of tasks to help you stay on top of your home and your work.
Tips for getting the important stuff done when the kids are around all day every day!
It can be hard to manage life as a busy mom and it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Check out these ideas to make better use of your time.
Check out my favorite solution for clearing up your inbox and avoiding all those email notifications!
Here are 5 ways you can save time during the holidays and still get stuff done. It's all about prioritizing what needs to get done by you versus what just needs to get done.
Find out why 90 days is the best time frame for achieving goals and why you need a 90 day planner.
Creating a weekly schedule involves putting in time up front, but it saves you so much time in the long run.
Check out the simple process to make and effective schedule that you can actually stick to. Includes daily schedule examples.
Grocery shopping is a hassle, especially with kids. Either they don't want to be there, they don't want to sit in the cart, or they want you to buy things that you don't want. Or their carrier takes up so much room in the cart, there's hardly any room for food. No shopping trip highlights this more than when you try to shop in bulk. How can your child pass by a bulk sized box of cookies?! On the other hand, there are many great benefits to shopping in bulk. You can get a better price and you can shop less often. I have found an app that allows you to get the bulk prices you love without ever leaving the house and no membership fee! Let me tell you about it.
Boxed Wholesale - Boxed is an app for people who like wholesale prices without the hassle of going to a wholesale store. Through this app you can purchase non-perishable bulk items that will be delivered right to your door. Shipping is free on your first order as well as on any order over $50. Believe me, it's easy to get an order over $50; I have yet to pay shipping.
Boxed is great for bulky items like paper towels and toilet paper, as well as cleaning supplies, k-cups for your keurig, cereal, and snack items. I get T his chocolate milk boxes, Annie's Mac and cheese, and Belvita breakfast biscuits. There are tons of items to shop for on a regular basis as well as seasonal items. For example right now they have a bunch of back to school items. The prices are comparable to Costco, but no membership fee.
This app definitely saves you time: you don’t have to drive to a store, shop, wait on line, checkout, load up your car, and drive home; gas: you don’t have to go anywhere - your order comes to you, money: you are getting wholesale prices, and sanity: you avoid the hassle of going to a wholesale store with your kids! There are no membership fees and the delivery is fast.
The customer service at Boxed is great. I once had an item inadvertently missing from my order. I emailed customer service who got back to me quickly and allowed me to reorder the item for free. The reps were very nice and accommodating. I also love the hand written notes in each package thanking me for my order. So personal!!
Another great feature is the Boxed rewards program. For every dollar you spend on an order, you get 1 boxed rewards point. 500 points = $5.00 off an order. This allows you to get an even better deal! Boxed is always coming up with new freebies and discounts to add to your order. With one order I got a free selfie stick with my order and with another order, I got a free flag. On my latest order I got a free can of juice and a free roll of toilet paper. This free app is available in the Apple Store as well as on Google Play, so whether you're Android or Apple, you can get it.
Bottom line, it's a free app that allows you to get bulk prices and free shipping on the items you need. There is no reason not to get it!
Click this link to get $15 off your first order of $60 or more on boxed!
Have a great Labor Day Weekend!!
Cheers,
Emily
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As busy moms, we put pressure on ourselves to do it all. There is so much on our plate and not enough time to do it in. We have jobs to do, kids to nurture, husbands to support, houses to clean, not to mention meeting our own needs. Having the kids around constantly can make some of these tasks near impossible. The problem is, often times we don't have people we trust or the resources to pay for someone to watch our kids. I recently came across a new app that solves this problem in a really smart way. Komae to the rescue!
Two easy to use apps that you can use to help make money doing things that you already do.
Last week we talked about creating an evening routine in order to have a smoother morning. You can read about that and get the free printable here. With school starting in a few weeks, many of us will be changing up our morning routine. This year T will be enrolling in an early learning program for the first time so there will be new things to add to our routine. The following are the steps to follow when transitioning to a new routine.
1. Perform a brain dump of everything that needs to get done in the morning. This should include absolutely everything including what you already do now.
2. Once you see everything listed out, dole out the tasks to who will accomplish them. Maybe mom dresses the baby and dad helps dress the toddler. Maybe mom puts lunch in the bag while dad puts the baby in the car seat. Everyone shock have jobs to do and they should know what they are. This will help mornings run much more smoothly. There will be far less confusion.
3. Put together a schedule. With more things to do in the morning it's good to put together a time table of when things should get done. This way you know if you are on time or not. Everyone should have their own schedule. You don't want to have to look through a bunch of items to figure out what you need to do. Have a toddler who can't read? Use pictures to create his or her morning routine. For example toucan have a picture of toothpaste and a toothbrush followed by a picture of clothes and then a picture of breakfast.
4. At least a week before school, have a trial run of your routine. See if anything needs to be changed or times tweaked. Practice until you think it's just right.
5. Build an extra few minutes into your routine for the inevitable mishap. Things happen. The baby has a blowout just as you're leaving the house or the toddler spills juice on his school clothes. It's best to have a few minutes built in to accommodate these types of events.
Are you ready for back to school or are you dreading it? I just registered T yesterday and it got very real. While I'm excited for T to make new friends and have stories to tell of what he did, I still can't believe how fast he's growing up.
In the meantime, we will enjoy whats left of summer.
Cheers,
Emily
Let me send you a whole list of tips to help you make more time for yourself and your goals! Plus you will get weekly emails with more tips and advice.
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Tips to increase your energy and organization to get through a busy day.
It can be hard to balance kids and work, when you are working from home. Here are some tips that can help.
Check out this collection of tasks to help you stay on top of your home and your work.
Tips for getting the important stuff done when the kids are around all day every day!
It can be hard to manage life as a busy mom and it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Check out these ideas to make better use of your time.
Check out my favorite solution for clearing up your inbox and avoiding all those email notifications!
Here are 5 ways you can save time during the holidays and still get stuff done. It's all about prioritizing what needs to get done by you versus what just needs to get done.
Find out why 90 days is the best time frame for achieving goals and why you need a 90 day planner.
Creating a weekly schedule involves putting in time up front, but it saves you so much time in the long run.
Check out the simple process to make and effective schedule that you can actually stick to. Includes daily schedule examples.
With the summer quickly coming to a close and the new school year started in just a few short weeks, routines have been on my mind. This will be the first year that T will be attending an early childhood program in the morning. This means that 2 days a week we will have to get him ready and out the door for school. Our routines have been making a lot of adjustments lately: from one kid to two kids, from maternity leave to back to work. This will be the last big change for a while, hopefully.
I have written about useful apps in various blog post throughout the past year. They range from an app for maintaining password security, apps to help you relax, apps to help you make money, and an app for printing photos for free. Today I want to talk about an app to help you maintain your lists. The app is called Wunderlist and it really is a wonder app.
Wunderlist: To-Do List & Tasks - 6 Wunderkinder
Wunderlist is an app who's sole purpose is to create lists. The basic use is to create various checklists for pretty much anything for which you need a list. They offer suggestions like a to do list, a shopping list, and a wish list. You can also create your own. I created a list for my Things to do Before 32 post. I also have a list of household projects to get done, a grocery list, blog post ideas, a list for each kid of things they need, gift ideas for the hubs, etc..
For each list item there are a variety of ways to enhance it. You can star the most important items so that they are easy to find. You can also arrange your list into your preferred order. Other features include adding a due date, a reminder, add sub-tasks, add notes, and even adding a file. For example, for my blog posts list, I can add a file to create that post. For a grocery list you can add a note about whether you have a coupon for the item. Depending on the particular list some of these items may not be necessary, but they are good to have.
Another feature that I like is that when an item is checked off it is removed from your list, however there is an option to show completed items. This is great for lists like grocery lists. I am regularly buying many of the same grocery items. With this feature, I can show the completed items and uncheck the things I need to purchase again. That way I don't have to type out a new list every time. It also reminds me of things I might want to check the levels on before I go to the store.
My favorite feature however, is the ability to share lists with other people. As long as your friends and family download the app, you can share and modify lists with other people. For example, there are several grocery items which I buy for the family which I do not eat, like my husband's seltzer. Therefore I may not know when it runs out. But with this app, I can share the grocery list with my husband and he can add that item. If he's in a store he can also purchase an item and check it off the list.
You can also share different lists with different people. Therefore, I can create a list of items my husband happens to mention he wants. I can then share this list with friends and family and when a holiday or birthday comes up they can just refer to the list and know what he wants. My husband on the other hand cannot see this list. This is a great way to share lists of things for the kids with the spouse and family members. Since everyone can check items off, you can also eliminate duplication.
I use this list all the time. In fact, I just checked this post off my list of blog post ideas. As a busy mom, there are so many things I need to do, buy, and keep track of. This app helps me keep these things organized and share the responsibility with other members of the family. There is also a paid version of the app, but thus far, the free version has fulfilled my needs so I have not used it.
Do you utilize lists to keep track of your tasks? Let me know in the comments.
Cheers,
Let me send you a whole list of tips to help you make more time for yourself and your goals! Plus you will get weekly emails with more tips and advice.
You have successfully joined our subscriber list.
Tips to increase your energy and organization to get through a busy day.
It can be hard to balance kids and work, when you are working from home. Here are some tips that can help.
Check out this collection of tasks to help you stay on top of your home and your work.
Tips for getting the important stuff done when the kids are around all day every day!
It can be hard to manage life as a busy mom and it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Check out these ideas to make better use of your time.
Check out my favorite solution for clearing up your inbox and avoiding all those email notifications!
Here are 5 ways you can save time during the holidays and still get stuff done. It's all about prioritizing what needs to get done by you versus what just needs to get done.
Find out why 90 days is the best time frame for achieving goals and why you need a 90 day planner.
Creating a weekly schedule involves putting in time up front, but it saves you so much time in the long run.
Check out the simple process to make and effective schedule that you can actually stick to. Includes daily schedule examples.
Having a newborn is exhausting. With round the clock feedings, it's easy to feel like a glorified beverage dispenser. Add a toddler to the mix and you are on duty 24/7. And yet for the most part, I managed to stay active on my blog , complete one graduate level math class and am in the midst of another one. Also, I haven't given up socializing to do it. Hailey, Tyler, and I have attended 2 baptisms, a baby shower, a gender reveal party, a graduation party, and 2 bbqs all in the last month. We also visited the zoo and the park. I'm not magic, I promise. So how do I do it?
First, I prioritize. Family is first. So I make sure that we spend time together and go on outings. We are lucky that my husband is home during the day, so we really get to make use of my time away from work. After that is grad school work, after all I'm paying for that education so I want to do well and learn the material. Third is the blog. While I love blogging and sharing my knowledge and experiences, family and school come first. I work hard to stay consistent, but if something has to give, it's that. I mean how much sense would it make if I prioritized blogging about being a mom over actually being one? And how useful would what I say really be?
Second, I try to get as much sleep as possible. No one likes a cranky and exhausted mommy and a sleepy mommy is inefficient. So as I mentioned in my last post, my husband and I have a schedule of who is on duty at night. While I still have to wake up for the feedings. I am able to pass the baby off to my husband to put her to sleep and I can go straight back to bed for her middle of the night feeding. Then I am on duty for her early morning feeding. I also take a nap every once in a while. Without sleep, us moms get foggy, cranky and scattered. We snap at our loved ones and forget what we need to get done. It's better to have more sleep than more hours to get stuff done. With more sleep, we can use the hours we have better!
Finally, do things while you feed the baby. When you are feeding the baby you are stuck in one place for a good amount of time. Use that time. For me, I often use that time for studying or writing blog posts. Sometimes I use it for social media. Other times I stare wonderingly at my baby girl. But with 8 feedings a day I have plenty of chances to do all of these options. You might like to use that time to read, catch up on tv, or pay bills. Whatever you can do whilst sitting or with one hand is a good option!
Obviously, there is no pressure to get everything done when you have a newborn. To be honest, the house cleaning has been lacking recently. The toys are sometimes left out and the mopping and dish washing has been inconsistent. But, I'd rather have quality time with my family than a pristine house.
I was lucky enough to have a very smooth delivery, so I didn't feel like I needed a great deal of recovery. Therefore, I was comfortable mentally and physically to get back into things. However, everybody and every delivery is different. It's important to not push yourself beyond your abilities. No matter how smooth the delivery, it was still a delivery. Your body underwent a major event and you now have a new baby to care for. It's totally ok to cut yourself some slack. If you do have something you need to get done, use these tips to help you get it done.
Next post we will be talking about a fun Fourth of July craft project. See you then.
Cheers,
Emily
Let me send you a whole list of tips to help you make more time for yourself and your goals! Plus you will get weekly emails with more tips and advice.
You have successfully joined our subscriber list.
Tips to increase your energy and organization to get through a busy day.
It can be hard to balance kids and work, when you are working from home. Here are some tips that can help.
Check out this collection of tasks to help you stay on top of your home and your work.
Tips for getting the important stuff done when the kids are around all day every day!
It can be hard to manage life as a busy mom and it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Check out these ideas to make better use of your time.
Check out my favorite solution for clearing up your inbox and avoiding all those email notifications!
Here are 5 ways you can save time during the holidays and still get stuff done. It's all about prioritizing what needs to get done by you versus what just needs to get done.
Find out why 90 days is the best time frame for achieving goals and why you need a 90 day planner.
Creating a weekly schedule involves putting in time up front, but it saves you so much time in the long run.
Check out the simple process to make and effective schedule that you can actually stick to. Includes daily schedule examples.
Procrastinating is easy. We all do it. We even rationalize it. I can either do that one difficult thing or a bunch of easy things. We tell ourselves that getting more done is better. Often times however, it is that things that we procrastinate on that will help us move forward the most.
Eat That Frog is a fantastic book by Brian Tracy about ways to stop procrastinating. It is a quick read but really life changing. It teaches you how to get the most important things done. This saves you time and energy. I have found this book to be invaluable.
One of the biggest tips in the book is where the title of the book comes from. Essentially, it says to get the big task, the one you want to put off or avoid, done first. Often times we want to work up to the big task. We do the easy little things first. This means that the big task looms over our head all day. It may or may not even get done. Then the next day comes and we do the same thing all over again. It's a vicious cycle. The things we really need to do get delayed far too long or don't happen at all. Obviously, this is not good.
Instead, eat that frog means you get the big overwhelming task done first. This does several things. First, it ensures that the important thing gets done in a timely manner. Second, it does wonders for your mindset and energy. Instead of spending your day weighed down by the thought of what you are putting off, you have a renewed sense of accomplishment. You know that you accomplished the really hard thing, so your other tasks appear that much more manageable.
So now that we know that we need to get out most important task done first, we need to determine what that task is. Thus we need to prioritize and assess our goals and the things we need to do. This book delves in to how to determine what exactly is the task that needs to be done first.
There are tons of great practical tips and advice in this book. I definitely recommend checking it out. You can click on the link above to get it from Amazon. Go check it out!
Happy Weekend!
Cheers,
Emily
Let me send you a whole list of tips to help you make more time for yourself and your goals! Plus you will get weekly emails with more tips and advice.
You have successfully joined our subscriber list.
Tips to increase your energy and organization to get through a busy day.
It can be hard to balance kids and work, when you are working from home. Here are some tips that can help.
Check out this collection of tasks to help you stay on top of your home and your work.
Tips for getting the important stuff done when the kids are around all day every day!
It can be hard to manage life as a busy mom and it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Check out these ideas to make better use of your time.
Check out my favorite solution for clearing up your inbox and avoiding all those email notifications!
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So today is May 10, 2016. I was hoping that today's post would be a joy filled birth announcement with pictures of our brand new baby girl. Well, Hailey has other plans. Apparently, my womb is so comfortable, she has decided to never leave... Tyler was 3 days past his due date. Hailey clearly was determined to beat that record. Now that she has beaten his record, I have no idea what is holding her back.
As any mom knows, the last month of pregnancy is already an exercise in patience. You are becoming progressively more uncomfortable and you're ready to meet your baby. Plus there are just so many things that you are missing, like having a lap, sleeping on your front, drinking wine, having a hot dog, having sushi, not being swollen, having a deli sandwich, etc.. The list goes on and on. During your pregnancy, your due date is like the light at the end of the tunnel. You think, I just need to make it to that date and then I will have a beautiful baby and things can start getting back to where they belong.
When you exceed your due date, it is hard to see beyond your impatience. This year, it seems like everyone I have ever met became pregnant. On top of that, in the course of the last week, 5 people I know delivered their babies. FIVE. One of them on my due date. Some of them were even early. For someone who is already impatient, this only adds insult to injury.
In light of my need to relax and just let Hailey come when she is ready, I have put together some tips for practicing patience.
Deep breaths have the power to increase your calm and slow down your heart rate. When you are impatient, you create your own stress and in my case stress can actually delay labor. Practicing deep breathing can help you reduce your impatience. This is a great time to take a yoga class or go for a nice swim. Take a bath or a long shower if you can. Anything that makes you more relaxed.
A great way to increase patience is to distract yourself from whatever it is you are waiting for. If you dwell on whatever it is that is making you impatient, it will only increase your impatience. Find something to distract yourself like playing with your kids, de-cluttering, grad school homework, anything that will take your mind off of what you are waiting for. I am supposed to take my last final this week. So I have studying to distract me. Of course I also have the concern that she'll finally decide to come when I have to take my test, but my professor has stated that arrangements can be made.
Remind yourself that the thing you are impatient about is beyond your control. Instead, think about any benefits or positives in the situation. In my case, I have several positive thoughts to help me through my impatience. My baby is definitely not a premie, so we don't have to worry about the health issues that can come with that. We have gotten extra time to finish any last minute preparations for Hailey. Tyler gets a few extra days being the only child. I didn't have to spend Mother's Day in the hospital. The later she comes, the more of the summer I have off on maternity leave. This very much links back to looking at the silver lining which we talked about last week.
When you are waiting on news or results, its easy to be consumed with the waiting. Instead take this time to figure out plan B. What will you do if the answer is what you wanted? What will you do if it is not? In this case, I know that my doctor will not let me go past 42 weeks the latest and every few days I will schedule an appointment to make sure Hailey is OK in there. Knowing that I will not go beyond May 20th still seems like forever at this point, but at least its a maximum. Hopefully, Hailey decides to make her exit much earlier.
There are some great resources out there about things you can do to increase your patience including here and here. However, many of these tips are for developing patience for some future situation. These four tips are for the here and now. If you are already in a situation where you are impatient, these tips can help you relax and be more patient.
Fingers crossed that Hailey is here by Friday. If not, I will definitely be continuing to put these tips into practice. In the meantime, I am gratefully accepting any prayers and positive thoughts that Hailey will grace us with her presence.
Cheers,
Emily
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Tips to increase your energy and organization to get through a busy day.
It can be hard to balance kids and work, when you are working from home. Here are some tips that can help.
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It can be hard to manage life as a busy mom and it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Check out these ideas to make better use of your time.
Check out my favorite solution for clearing up your inbox and avoiding all those email notifications!
Here are 5 ways you can save time during the holidays and still get stuff done. It's all about prioritizing what needs to get done by you versus what just needs to get done.
Find out why 90 days is the best time frame for achieving goals and why you need a 90 day planner.
Creating a weekly schedule involves putting in time up front, but it saves you so much time in the long run.
Check out the simple process to make and effective schedule that you can actually stick to. Includes daily schedule examples.
For anyone who read Tuesday's post, you know we were having a crazy week over here. To update you all, my brother's surgery went well. He is able to walk on the foot and is scheduled to come home sometime today. Fingers crossed that everything heals well and he doesn't get another infection like last time.
As far as T goes, he is back to peeing comfortably on the potty. No more middle of the night emergencies or holding it so long he pees his pants. On top of that, he actually loves his medicine and asks for it throughout the day. Can't complain about that!!
As for me, I completed both tests and already got the grades back for one of them. I got a 91!!! Yesss!! The other grade will hopefully be coming shortly. Then I have to take one last test next week and the semester is over. Of course I registered for summer classes, but we can worry about that later.
And Hailey? She seems perfectly content to stay exactly where she is...
We had a lot of little victories this week. Since each one is tiny, they can be easily overlooked. But each one is important to the person who achieved it. An essential aspect of self care for busy moms is to recognize and acknowledge the small victories. When we too quickly shift our mindset to the next challenge after a small victory, our life becomes a seemingly endless series of challenges. Who can maintain a positive mindset when that's what you have to look forward to?
Instead, take some time to celebrate your mini victories. You can always move on to the next challenge tomorrow. A small victory is a victory nonetheless. Hopefully, when you move on to the next challenge tomorrow, you can do so with renewed energy because you took the time to celebrate today.
Here are some ways to celebrate your mini victories. Share your victory with your family. Let them be proud of you. You deserve a pat on the back from loved ones. Have a special dinner or special dessert. It doesn't have to be crazy but something you wouldn't normally do for yourself. Go get a manicure. Take an evening off from grad school/blog work/whatever other work you do in the evening and let yourself relax.
It doesn't have to be an elaborate production. Small victories call for small celebrations, but definitely celebrate. And make sure you tell people about your victory so you can have people cheer you on. Nobody wants to have a me party (The Muppets Movie, anyone?)
Tonight we will be celebrating my bro's successful surgery, T's ability to pee pain free, and my completion of my 2 tests. For us this will mean takeout and dessert. We rarely have dessert with dinner, so this is a real treat. Maybe we will be so relaxed and happy Hailey will come! Fingers crossed!!
Have a wonderful weekend and celebrate yourself!!
Cheers,
Emily
Let me send you a whole list of tips to help you make more time for yourself and your goals! Plus you will get weekly emails with more tips and advice.
You have successfully joined our subscriber list.
Tips to increase your energy and organization to get through a busy day.
It can be hard to balance kids and work, when you are working from home. Here are some tips that can help.
Check out this collection of tasks to help you stay on top of your home and your work.
Tips for getting the important stuff done when the kids are around all day every day!
It can be hard to manage life as a busy mom and it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Check out these ideas to make better use of your time.
Check out my favorite solution for clearing up your inbox and avoiding all those email notifications!
Here are 5 ways you can save time during the holidays and still get stuff done. It's all about prioritizing what needs to get done by you versus what just needs to get done.
Find out why 90 days is the best time frame for achieving goals and why you need a 90 day planner.
Creating a weekly schedule involves putting in time up front, but it saves you so much time in the long run.
Check out the simple process to make and effective schedule that you can actually stick to. Includes daily schedule examples.
Here are 5 ways you can save time during the holidays and still get stuff done. It's all about prioritizing what needs to get done by you versus what just needs to get done.