It is amazing what I can get done during nap times!!!
-Leah Hill The Way We Are
ha! it’s hard; i squeeze it in whenever i have a spare second….luckily one of mine is in mother’s morning out 5 days a wk so that helps….nap time, late at night, or early in the morning is when i try and blog, answer emails, work, etc.
-Shannon Darby Pink Wallpaper
All a matter of prioritizing…you make time for things you want to do. I’m thinking though that I may need to readjust my priorities because I have replaced blogging for exercise and tv..and let’s just say eye sight and booty are the first things to go when sitting down and starring @ a computer….Perhaps it is time to get back into exercise:-)
-Christina Brian Full House
We each choose how to spend our time, we make time for things we love to do. I love to blog and create so I make time for them. I try to get as much “computer stuff” done as I can while my children are napping + and school. There are also occasional late nights, but I never do it because I feel like I have to. I truly love what I’m doing so really, it’s more of a relaxation to me than anything.
-Danyelle Mathews Dandee Designs
I wrote about this in a post awhile back. I get up at five a.m. to have a couple hours of productive quiet time before the chaos begins. Also, now that both children are in school I am able to devote much more time to my work, but am done with work by the time the kids get off the bus. I do make sure my summer schedule is lighter, however, so as to have more down time with the kids. I find I need the break as well!
– Janell Isabella and Max Rooms
Part time childcare! I have a babysitter come for a few hours every morning and take the boys to the park. For me it is the perfect balance of mom-time and making time for me to get some stuff done.
-Jordan Ferney Oh Happy Day
My time with my kids is sacred. For the most part, I work only after they go to sleep. We get so little time with them as it is. Unfortunately, something’s gotta give, and that something is my sleep. I could not live without my iPad. I keep it on my nightstand so that I can quickly respond to e-mails without having to fire up my laptop.
– Krista Kiki’s List
I cannot wait to read how other designers/bloggers do it! I think it’s the million-dollar question. I’m not a great morning person, so my main work time is late at night after everyone goes to bed. If I don’t write my post the night before, I probably won’t have anything new on my blog the next day. I try to stay on top of email during the day between doing 101 other things. It’s tough, but I love it.
– Emily Clark 
Ooohh… THE Number ONE question emailed to me.
My REALLY short answer…
My amazing, awesome, sexy hubby… does the laundry.
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……..
lol
– Shelley Smith House of Smiths
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 Place
Mmmmm, 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 Design
Get 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.
– Stephanie Stephmodo
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.
– Autumn Design Dump
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.
– Jenny Little Green Notebook
I’d love to hear from you! How do you squeeze in blogging or your own business while still having kids?
I LOVE this post Kirsten! All these lovely ladies have provided great advice and summed up exactly how I feel myself, running a business and blog from home with a bub 24/7.
So nice to know I'm not the only one who struggles to do everything but loves what they do. Thanks for this funny and encoraging post!
Jxx
I agree, I have been reading each of these posts intently and since I don't have kids yet, I am taking mental note now. Thanks!
Great post, loved reading everyone else's answers. I remember when my kids would nap…but there were incredibly short naps! So I didn't begin working in earnest until my kids began school. It is truly a interesting struggle, being a mom working from the home, but the benefits are huge, I do believe! Janell
Great post! So glad I'm not the only crazy one who writes multiple posts at a time. If I get an idea, I'll just start a post and fill it in when I get a free moment. Working full time & adjusting to my first kiddo has been quite the adventure but blogging is such a release that it's worth the effort.
Wow, wonderful post. I am a little stressed thinking about how my life will change when we have kids. It is great to see how so many other ladies do it! My hubs does laundry too 🙂
Loved this post! Especially after I had a little breakdown about balancing it all last week 😉
It is so hard to find the balance but I also think as mothers we are too hard on ourselves when we don't do everything and do it perfectly.
Have a great weekend!
xo Jade
Great post. I loved hearing everyone’s answers. It's a hard thing to manage sometimes. I usually wake up two hours before my little girl does, then get things done at nap time. I also do about two posts at a time, I try to be one step ahead, so if I have to miss a day, or want to disconnect I can do so! I'd love to hear your answer!
As someone who wants to start blogging more and get my etsy store going I really needed to hear this. Perfect topic and timing!
Hi, I saw find your blog on Jenny's Little Green Notebook Blog.
I love this series you are doing. It is so fun to hear advice from decor blogging mommies. I just added your blog and all the designer mommies to my blog list. Thanks for the great advice everyone!
Kelly
Just found you through House of Smiths Now following!
Loved this post : )
I am glad everyone is enjoying the advice! I think these ladies are so smart. It is a tough job being mom and blogger and designer. I am still learning how to balance it all. I love being a mom and I love being a blogger.
My husband works a lot on the weekends so that is when I get most of my blogging done. I try really hard to get as many posts written as I can. That way when he is home during the week I am not on my computer the whole time. But that usually means that during the weekend I am on the computer a lot.
I also try and schedule all my design appointments on one day during the week when my husband is home. It's nice for my husband to spend the day with Jett and it's nice for me to get out of the house 🙂
I have loved reading all of these over the course of the week. So happy to know we are all in the same boat trying to fit everything in and do it well. Christina totally cracked me up with saying the eye sight and the booty go when sitting at the computer. Priceless. Have a wonderful weekend with your families, everyone!
hi kirsten! i actually wrote an entire blog post about this on monday- tima management seems to be something people struggle with, so i thought it would be helpful here is the link:
http://primitiveandproper.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-do-i-manage-time.html
I LOVE this post! It was so good for me to read. I don't have a home business; I work as a school teacher,but it sounds like I do all the same things. I do have a babysitter for my little man, but I've got his schedule so he's with me in the morning, napping 75% of the time with the babysitter, and home with me in the afternoons. I'm a mom first, teacher second. I use my sick days when I need to–I actually look forward to it. This is what works for me. I LOVE being a mom, and I LOVE being a teacher. I love what Shelley Smith said: Time is like money, and not everyone agrees with how you spend it. I'm a better mom because of what I do. Thanks for the awesome post.
that was really helpful! thanks for sharing!!
Kirsten, this whole series has been amazing … and I especially loved reading all of this advice!!
xoxo
Traci
Now THAT is a great question! I loved reading all the responses- I'm always curious as to how other women juggle it all. Thanks for sharing everyone!
Oh I missed this one! This is the million dollar question! I'm struggling with this myself…
This is an AWESOME post! [yeah…I'm a little late, but I just started reading through House of Smiths & happened to see this!] I don't have children of my own, but my little brother [who is 12] lives with me and I also take care of my goddaughter 4-5 days out of the week. I find it is somewhat difficult to manage time between teaching my goddaughter, blogging, reading OTHER blogs, taking care of my house, making sure dinner is made, helping my brother with homework, AND…just to make matters WORSE…I have my own photography business. This consists of me editing TONS of photos, which is VERY time-consuming! I do try my best to make sure I give an equal amount of time to everything I need to do, along with time for myself to have fun with one of my other hobbies [reading, baking, scrapbooking & watching my favorite shows on TV or Netflix]. I totally agree with Shelley…time is like money! And my boyfriend doesn't always agree with how I spend it, but at least I know that I'm getting things done! And I ALWAYS make sure my Ladybug is taken care of and my brother's grades don't slip because I neglected to help him with homework. THEY are my first priority…that's VERY important to me!
I just came across this post today and it was one of the best things I read all week. My answer is…late nights and early mornings 🙂
I just came upon this post by accident, and as so many things happen in life, it turned out to be perfectly timed. I'm glad to have read all the advice, and also to know that we're all in this same boat together. One thing that stands out to me, though, is how many of the commentors refer to young children — still of the napping age. Good for you all to be jumping into this while your kids are still that young! That's not an easy thing to do. My kids are older, in late elementary, middle & high school, and if there's one thing I'd like to tell all of you as your kids get older it's to learn those time-management skills now, while they're young, because life does not necessarily get easier when they're older! I don't get up to work before my kids because they are up at 5:30am. No way I'm working at 4:30, lol! But I do try to get the majority of my life taken care of while they're at school. So from 8:30-2:00 is the time that I work out, shower, take care of household stuff, work on design consults, write posts, answer emails, do my volunteer work, and eat (when I remember to eat, that is!). Then I try to catch up on reading, etc at night in bed. I LIVE with a notebook in my right hand (I mean paper and pen, not electronic, because I'm old school, lol!) so I can always take down notes or do a quick sketch while I'm waiting to pick up a kid. But again, it's all about prioritizing, making lists for myself, and managing the time as best I can.
Oh how I long for one of those knitted throws! I don’t think I would ever leave my bed if I had one of these beauties! (I’m currently coveting Anthropologie’s textured bedding range but I fear I might need to win the lottery before I indulge in a purchase!)