Time Management for Creative Moms

Managing my time well is one of those things that takes some work up front but makes life loads easier in the long run. I know a lot of people, including myself, can fall into the trap of wanting instant satisfaction. A lot of the time that looks like procrastination and giving in to whatever sounds good in the moment. It's a romantic idea to imagine being "free" from a schedule.

In reality, I've found that having a schedule of sorts is actually more freeing. It frees you from the trap of indecisiveness and a messy, disorganized home. When you plan your days, it dismisses your brain from having to make decisions in the moment and assures you'll stay on top of your responsibilities as long as you actually do what you've planned.

So my simple answer to managing time well? Effective planning! There are SO many different types of planners and printables out there for busy moms. One search on Pinterest will yield an overwhelming amount of options. There's also Target, Amazon, Etsy, and more. There are pretty designs and layouts for all types of binders, notebooks and printables. Just make sure that the kind you choose suits your needs well. I suggest trying out a few and pick the best one and stick with it.

Being a wife and mom of four boys with a home to manage, business to run and hobbies and interests to pursue (including this blog), I need a planner that can accommodate all those roles in a simple way. I like a clean design, not too minimal and not too visually cluttered. In other words, I want my planner to do some of the thinking for me in the simplest way possible. I was so happy to find the printables that I currently use (pictured in this post)! I've tried a lot of different kinds and these have suited me the best. (Sadly, these specific ones are no longer available but if you'd like to try them let me know via email and I'll send you a copy. Or you could always make your own version in Photoshop or Pages.)

Because I absolutely love seeing how other people use their planners, I thought I would show you my system and what works for me. Being a creative and busy mama can leave me scattered if I don't plan, but if my planning routine is too complex I'll end up overwhelmed and stop using it. So I've developed a process that's simple but includes everything I need. I use three sheets for planning- a daily plan, a cleaning plan, and a meal plan (done once a week).

The cleaning plan is fixed and is mainly for household duties as they are the bulk of my work throughout the day. First I wrote down everything that needs to be done around the house, categorized them into groups and assigned them to days. That's my cleaning plan, and it doesn't change unless we enter into a season where something doesn't work anymore.

I meal plan once a week, so I have a new sheet each week. I use this meal plan from Just A Girl and Her Blog. (It is password protected so if you want to download it you need to join her email list, which I would definitely recommend doing!) I write down every breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with snack ideas. Sometimes I stray, if I feel like making something different I do, but I always have ingredients for what's planned so I'm never stuck with the "what to do for dinner" question.

My daily plan gets filled out the night before, that way I have it ready to go when I wake up. First I check my calendar on my phone- my husband and I share it so we always know what the other has going on. I just peek at the week and if there's anything scheduled (appointments, etc.) for the following day I write it down in my time block area (labeled "schedule"). Then I peak at my cleaning plan sheet for the next day and write those down in my chores area, as well as meals from my meal plan sheet. The areas left are to-do's, notes and inspiration. These specific sections work well for the way I think- some days I use them, some days I leave them blank.

When all that is done I go back to my time block area and fill it out. This part is so important. It's where rubber meets the road and you actually write down when you're going to do everything. I consider my life priorities (God, husband, children, home, etc.) and time block accordingly. This is also a crucial step because it ensures that the most important people and tasks get taken care of. I don't like planning things in a super detailed way, so time blocking works really well when I go by the hour. Most days follow a similar rhythm, blocked in one or two hour segments, and it looks something like this:

-Breakfast time and cleanup.

-Focus time with boys (early morning)

-Chores (late morning)

-Lunch and cleanup

-Quiet time/ naps 

I always block at least two hours in the afternoon for quiet time, usually right after lunch. This gives me time to rest and recharge or tackle extra chores or creative projects. This block of time is my favorite because I really just do whatever I want to do- I don't plan out my quiet time. It's like an adult free-play. It's honestly sanity saving for me and I highly recommend all moms do it!

-Snack after quiet time

-Pick up my oldest from school

-Focus time with boys

-Dinner prep

-Dinner

-Homework

-Baths & bed

-Relaxing time with Dave
and my creative time

That is the norm for us, but of course there are days we stray and that's fine! Once the foundation of planning and rhythms are strong, straying here and there doesn't take us off track. There are days for bible study, mom groups, get togethers, extra curriculars for the boys, lots of outside play, library trips, running errands, etc. Each season looks a little different. For example, in the summer we go outside more and for longer periods of time than in the winter. Effective planning allows for the ebb and flow of different seasons. You will be a good steward of your time as long as you put to practice these elements of planning:

1. Plan around priorities

2. Use time blocking

3. Use the right planning tool

Doing these three things helps me have much more time to do the things I need and want to do in life. The biggest thing it helps with is staying on top of the house which is huge for us homemakers with creative hearts! I don't know about you but when my home is messy and chaotic it completely drains my energy. Ain't nobody got time for that! Planning this way helps me take care of my family and home while also being able to do the things I want in life, like photography, blogging, reading, writing and much more. 

Do you have any specific tips for time management or planning? If so leave a comment and let me know!

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." -Annie Dillard

-Lindsay

Why Am I Blogging?

I'm blogging because it's my way of showing up in the world. I write because I enjoy it, not because I need people to read it. I need to write it. I have a voice and it feels good to use it, even if nobody hears. Kind of how I like dancing even when I'm alone, especially when I'm alone. It's a form of creative expression- it doesn't need to be witnessed, it just needs to come out.

Who says I need to make money from a blog to spend money on it? Not a lot, but enough to buy a custom domain and pretty design. A beautiful blog makes me happy! Plenty of people spend money on their hobbies, even when they don't earn a dime. Why should it look nice if it's not making money? Because I want it to look nice. Isn't that enough? I think so.

Why do I write on a blog when I can write in a journal? If I don't need people to hear it, why bother posting publicly where anyone can read it? Because I'm hoping they do. I don't need them to, but I hope they do. Because the only thing that can one-up expressing creativity is sharing that creativity. Dancing with someone is infinitely better than dancing alone. Collaborating on a project is so much more fun than doing it alone. And sharing my thoughts is much more satisfying than keeping them to myself.

I write for myself. I don't need you to read it. But I hope you do.

"Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up." -Brene Brown

Mainstay

I don't think I've ever written about Kelly, and I'm not sure why.

Kelly is my best friend from childhood. We grew up together. It was actually more like a sisterhood since my mom watched her every day after school. She was a grade behind me but she was like my older sister, always watching out for me and scolding me when I was out of line. Kelly was always the mature one, who held down jobs for years (even in high school) and got great grades. More than anything, she was the one person who I knew would always love me. We were in the same group of friends, and no matter what drama ensued (high school girls, you know), Kelly and I were always close.

So why did I pick tonight to randomly tell you about her? Because I just watched the movie Lady Bird. You guys, it's so good. There's nothing directly special about it, except that it depicts the ordinary coming of age experience of a woman very accurately. It's gloriously nostalgic and humorous. There is a scene where the main girl and her best friend are at prom together and it made me think of Kelly and I at my last prom- she was a junior and I was a senior. We had been to so many dances together and at the end she looked at me and said "this is it... our last song of our last dance..." and we both started bawling. Such great memories. There are so, so many. Happy ones, sad ones, exciting ones, dull ones, hilarious ones, scary ones, angry ones... are there any other emotions? We've been friends for twenty-two years- through the beginning of periods, boyfriends, mutual friendships, engagements, marriages, children, spiritual awakenings, divorce, breakups, and just... life. We've been through a lot of life together. And this is what I think: not everybody has a friendship like that.

My friendship with Kelly has helped mold the person I am today. In her I have what, in some ineffable way, is a special kind of sister, but different. She has always been there, and will always be there. She knows me deeply and loves me despite my flaws and the embarrassing things she knows about me. I am at ease with her no matter the distance, time or personal change that's taken place. And it's all by choice- we weren't born into the same family and yet, we are family.

Kelly's baby shower.

My wedding.

Meeting her daughter, Grace, for the first time.

Awkward high school dance. :D

Our babies. #arrangedmarriage

This most recent picture was taken last October at a writing conference we attended together. Such an amazing time!

We've been friends for so long and it's always been so natural and normal that in everyday life I don't give it much thought- it just is what it's always been. But when I pull back and look at the big picture of my life, our friendship is like a visible road on a map, a main highway that stays labeled no matter how far you zoom out and is connected to all the vital roads. It's a mainstay.

My friendship with Kelly is one of the great elements of the story that is my life. I'm so grateful for her!

The Greatest Children's Poem Of All Time

I like myself!
I'm glad I'm me.
There's no one else I'd rather be.
I like my eyes, my ears, my nose.
I like my fingers and my toes.

I like me wild.
I like me tame.
I like me different
and the same.

I like me fast.
I like me slow.
I like me everywhere I go.

I like me on the inside, too,
for all I think and say and do.

Inside, outside, upside down,
from head to toe and all around,
I like it all! It all is me!
And me is all I want to be.

And I don't care in any way
what someone else may think or say.

I may be called a silly nut
or crazy cuckoo bird- so what?
I'm having to much fun, you see,
for anything to bother me!

Even when I look a mess,
I still don't like me any less,
'cause nothing in this world, you know,
can change what's deep inside, and so...

No matter if they stop and stare,
no person
ever
anywhere
can make me feel that what they see
is all there really is to me.

I'd still like me with fleas or warts,
or with a silly snout that snorts,
or knobby knees or hippo hips
or purple polka-dotted lips,

or beaver breath or stinky toes
or horns protruding from my nose,
or-yikes!-with spikes all down my spine,
or hair that's like a porcupine.

I still would be the same, you see...

I like myself because I'm ME!

I Like Myself! by Karen Beaumont

Introducing Isaiah William!

Before:

After:

My heart is full to overflowing!