Mom Style + On Being A Stay At Home (Working) Mom

Happy Wednesday, friends! Today, I am sharing something a little different.  I’ve had this idea for a blog post on my mind for a while now.  Now that it’s been a little over 9 months since I quit my job to stay with our little guy, I thought I would share what my experience has been like.  I have been working on the blog for about 6 months now.  I took 3 months after we moved to get settled and then I started working on getting the blog up in July and officially launched it August 1st.  I sometimes can’t get over how fast the time has gone by and how I get to spend majority of my days with him.  Yes, he does go to school 3 days a week (half days) but majority of the time he is with me.  At 2.5 years old, he’s busy, persistent and learning so much.  I love having him with me and I am so thankful I am able to stay home with him, but I also crave to be working.  Working on this blog daily allows me to use this outlet in a way that I never thought I would be capable of doing.  Honestly, the days fly by (as well as nap time) and at the end of the day, I still have things I want to work on for the blog.

My days currently consist of 100 different jobs that are never fully completed.  From the laundry, the dishes, making food (I feel like I do this all day!) to picking up after the little one, to finally being able to sit down in the middle of the day to get work done, I feel like there’s always something to do.  But guess what?! I love it! As much as I love a good day of catching up on shows laying the couch, I crave staying busy! I love having a to do list and scratching things off.  I love when I have activities planned on the calendar – it gives me something to look forward to.  At the end of the day, I feel more fulfilled knowing I tried my best at getting everything done, even if it didn’t.  Of course, the laundry stays piled up and there’s dishes in the sink pretty much all day, but I know I am working on something for myself and that makes me happy.

I have come to realize that a lot of it is about balancing and planning.  Balancing my time I have on the computer and time I have with him.  Separating those 2 times during the day are definitely hard for me.  I work well in the morning, but he naps in the afternoon so I am trying to get better about using my time wisely.  I am not on anyone else’s time clock, but my own. Things are always a work in progress but I feel like if I write out what I am working on here, then that may help to stick with the process.  I also hope it gives other moms encouragement and ideas of ways to make their lives easier that they hadn’t thought of before.  Do I feel guilty looking at the computer and working while he’s awake? Of course! I read a blog post last week by a mom who runs a side business at home while taking care of her 2 children.  She wrote The Imbalanced Balance here.  Blake really brought a whole new perspective to this reality of working from home and not feeling guilty about opening up a computer in front of them.  I struggle with this daily but need to remind myself that he is seeing me do something that makes me happy.  He may not understand it yet, but he will in time.  So with all of that here are 4 ways I am working on trying to be a better (working) mom that’s organized and patient.  Because you have to have a lot of that with a toddler!

1. Sunday sit down. I am using Sunday evenings to sit down with Andrew and plan out our week.  We meal plan together, discuss any bills that need to be paid and any activities going on outside of the home that we need to prepare for.
2. Waking up early.  Last week was a doozie but I have been trying to wake up early most mornings to sit at my desk and have quite time with a cup of coffee before the little guy wakes up.  That gives me time to check my email and work on blog posts.  The house is quiet and my mind works so much better in the mornings than it does in the late afternoons when he’s napping.
3. Putting my phone down.  This one is so hard and I am working on it.  Can’t say that I am winning at this one currently but the effort is there to get better at it.
4. Setting aside time for myself.  As a mom, we all know it’s so hard to get time to ourselves.  If I get free time on any given day, I will choose to go to Starbucks and work on the blog or go to a store to try things on for the blog.  I am trying to set aside time, even if it is 1 hour a week or every other week and do something for myself.  And this means doing something other than sitting at my computer working (which I really enjoy doing.) I attended a yoga class for the first time in months last week.  It set the mood for me the rest of the day and I loved it.  I felt energized and ready to work.  I am going to work on doing more things like that for myself to help me be a better version of myself! 🙂

All of that lead me to this outfit I want to share with you!  During the week, you can pretty much find me wearing the same things.  When I get something new that I love, I pretty much wear it every single day for a week straight.  This time of year, it’s leggings and sweaters.  It’s an easy go to that doesn’t require that much thought.  I wore this tunic sweater (40% off today!) Monday and I’m wearing it again today but threw a vest over it this morning.  This is also one item you can wear year after year!

Tunic sweater | leggings | sneakers (out of stock – similar, similar)

If you have ever tried anything from Loft’s Lou & Grey line, then you know everything is super soft! The length of this sweater is perfect for wearing with leggings and you could even throw this on with regular jeans or white jeans! These leggings are my most worn leggings!  I seriously wear these at least 3-4 times a week!  I throw these shoes on with everything! I even wore them with white jeans and a denim jacket over the weekend.  Sadly, they are sold out but I linked similar ones I found!

Whew, that was a long one! If you are still here, thank you! I enjoy sharing this side of my life!  I would love to hear your thoughts on being a working mom with littles – even if you work in an office! I think it’s something we can all connect with because at the end of the day, whether you are a stay at home working mom or working in an office, being a mom is the hardest, most rewarding job!  I hope you have all the best day!

xo