Motherhood is a Balancing Act

I started Bumble in 1997 when I was single, no children and had no other responsibilities besides my work. I worked and was able to do “me” things in my free time. I would have lazy weekends snuggled under the covers with a good book. I would spend hours organizing my closet by color and season and I would wander shopping malls and explore new shops like a good fashionista. Now two decades later, I don't have nearly as much free time and I am happily married with two children and have lots of responsibilities that pull me back and forth between work and family life.

“My daily goal is to stay positive and to look on the bright side rather than mull over the stressors that might peek into my day.”

Balance between work and family is a constant struggle. However my daily goal is to stay positive and to try my best to look on the bright side rather than mull over the stressor that might peek into my day. I aim to stay organized and I make tons of lists and check off as I conquer each item. Sometimes when life gets in the way and I don't have a productive day, I try my best to focus on something positive that I did that day. There is always at least one and I always remind myself of that fact.

I am inspired by other moms and I am always interested in learning how others moms balance it all. We can all learn from one another by sharing time saving and organizational tips to make our days run smoother and to be able to enjoy more time with our families and of course, more time for ourselves.

Here are a five of my best tips that help bring me calmness to the chaos as I attempt to balance it all:

Tip 1: Keep it all in one place

I’m a pen and paper girl. I prefer to record all my family appointments, work meetings, reminders in a physical planner rather than on my iPhone calendar. So I am constantly seeing in one quick glance all my current and future to dos. Plus there is something about seeing handwritten notes that make it more personal. I like to use colored lettering pens, stickers and colored paper in my calendar. It’s the little things that make me smile. I'm a big fan of the Erin Condren planners. Plus she was a mentor to me at a recent conference and she gave me some great mompreneur advice. (Oh Joy! x Erin Condren- Floral Festival Collection)

Tip 2: Look for ways to keep home organized

Call me sentimental, but I cannot bring myself to throw away a single doodle or drawing that either of my kids have drawn. I had boxes that were overflowing in my craft room. It was making me feel crazed having all those boxes piling up in my creative space. Then I discovered Artkive and I am seriously addicted. I send them my kids artwork and they scan them into books that I can store and share with family. Plus I am able to turn any of their artwork into gifts like coffee mugs, pillows and sketchbooks. (Artkive App boxes)

Tip 3: Surround yourself with positive people

I surround myself with positive and uplifting people that make me feel loved, make me smile and people that I know have my back. It's about quality and not quantity for me. Somedays I feel like I can do anything and it’s all because of the positive energy that surrounds me. Sometimes you just need to clean house in more ways than one. I also enjoy positive inspirational books that I can grab and flip to any page when I need a quick positive boost like my new, Celebrating You book. (Celebrating You and the Beautiful Person You Are book by M.H. Clark. (Available at Swoozies.com)

Tip 4: Get a handle on meals

It’s all about the crockpot. It is a wonderful feeling after a long day to know that dinner is ready and waiting and all it took was some preparation the night before. I use to not understand why people would plan out their meals. Then I had a “aha moment” a sudden realization that if I plan out my meals not only would I have all the meal necessities in my pantry already because I shopped for them in advance, but that would also be one last thing for me to worry about each day. I've had the same crock pot since I got married, but I can't wait to get a custom Crock Pot. Apparently you can even put family pictures on it! (Create a Crock Pot)

Tip 5: Find shortcuts for your family's daily necessities

When I lived back east, I was introduced to grocery delivery and it was thee biggest timesaver for me. So I continue with the grocery delivery and I order all my basics from Amazon Fresh. Then I get all my meat and chicken delivered from a special local butcherie. I still like to go once a week to a local fruit stand to handpick my family's fruits and vegetables. I take the kids so they can learn how to pick out fruits and veggies themselves and they can also understand the importance of eating healthy. (Manassero Farms)