March 31st, 2010

Finding the Time

When I decided to shift to my niche, I asked readers to leave a question for me to answer in a blog post. It’s my way of encouraging a discussion and exchange of ideas and tips. The first question/comment comes from Jeanine aka NaturalMomma. Here is what she had to say:

Hi Kristina!

I have a ques­tion. How do you find enough time in your day for home­school­ing and writ­ing and meals and …?

I am mak­ing a bit of a switch, myself, in that I am want­ing to write more, work one-on-one with clients less all in an effort to (1)live my pur­pose and (2)take my biz to the next level.

But as I have begun to spend more time writ­ing mini-books and blog posts and reports and email follow-up mes­sages, my son has begun to hate my computer!

Jea­nine

My immediate response to Jeanine was a short reply which read, “You are not alone”. I stand by that still. You are not alone Jeanine no matter how it feels. Before becoming a work-at-home mom, I worked full time as an  English teacher (9th grade) and for my daughter’s first year, I was also finishing grad school. I was a wreck.  I left the house at 7:30 am and returned home most nights after 9:00 pm. On the nights that I was home earlier she was in bed by 5:30-6:00 EVERY NIGHT! I kid you not. I barely saw her and I was miserable.

After making the transition to WAHM I thought that life would get easier. I thought that I would have more time for her, but when you work from home it is even harder to draw boundaries at times. I was working 40-50 hour weeks trying to build a web design and consulting business and that left VERY little time for anything else. And again I was miserable.

Then I tried to restructure my life according to worked for so many others. It wasn’t until I took Michele Dortch’s “Get Your Groove Back eClass*” that I was able to put things into perspective. Michele runs The Integrated Mother blog and network and provides so many tips to help working moms of all kinds figure it out. But for me it was the eClass that allowed me to focus on what I wanted and what I needed to do to make my life work.

The bottom line is this, you have to redefine what “getting it all done” means for you and not for anyone else. As much as I wanted to be supermom, I learned that my house is not always going to be neat and that dinner will sometimes have to be cereal and fruit in a bowl. My daughter, who will be four in April, HATES my computer, but she has to learn that sometimes Mommy has to work.

The biggest step that I made in the last 6-8 months is that I set a schedule. I sent an email to current clients outlining my EXACT schedule. Because my husband is off from his job Sunday-Tuesday, Sunday and Monday are our weekends. I do not work unless it is an emergency. Here are my office hours and the message I send all clients:

Sunday and Monday
Closed
Tuesday
By Appointment Only
Wednesday-Saturday
9am-10pm; 1pm-5pm

Please direct all business related calls to my business line. Voicemail and Call Forwarding are activated on this line. And as always, you can reach me by email.

I try not to work while she is awake and I am home alone. My husband schedule affords me that (he begins working at 3pm). If I need to do so, I have special activities for her just for those times. For instance, she gets to watch Wall-E on my  portable Blu-Ray player in her room. This is a treat for her because she does not have a TV in her room and NEVER gets to use the portable player. At other times I allow her to paint alone (makes her feel like a big girl) or play a game on my laptop. Don’t get me wrong, she still manages to need me the most while I’m in the midst of a call with a client, but I also inform my clients that I work from home and that every day is “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” for us.

I left teaching because I wanted to focus on my daughter and because I wanted to build a business on my terms. While I can compromise every now and again, my work hours are pretty much set in stone. You wouldn’t try to get the oil changed on you car after the garage is closed, right? It’s not different. If it’s a problem for a client, then I refer them to someone else. I would rather lose a client than lose my mind!

For house duties these are some things that help:

(1) Weekly Meal menus: plan ahead

(2) Crockpot: especially in the cold weather. We eat a lot of soup, stews, and chili. But works well for Pot roast, oatmeal and more.

(3) Counter-top electric roaster:  Cuts roasting time by almost 1 hour for a full chicken. Less energy used than the oven. Easier to clean.

(4) Homeschool Fun Basket: educational supplies/activities that daughter does n0t play with daily. Handy for emergency distraction.

(5) Music: take 10 minutes and dance like crazy with your child. Gives him attention and allows for you to get some exercise and stress-relief.

(6) Include your child in as many household activities as possible. My daughter loves shooting baskets with dirty clothes into the washer. She puts the silverware away when the dishwasher is clean. She feeds the dog.

(7) I give my daughter a damp cloth and she dust the wooden furniture. She’s been doing it since she was 2.

Jeanine, I hope this helps. There is no exact science; trial by fire is the only method that I know of for figuring this out. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Just take things day-by-day and it will work out.

April 20th, 2009

Plan it Out Thursday: The Bedroom

I know; it’s not Thursday. But, I started this project LAST Thursday and because it it a massive one, I gave myself a week to complete it all. So look for the update to this post on Thursday, April 23, 2009.

Before I get to the video, let me explain exactly what the problem is with our bedroom. We moved to this apartment in April 2008. It is the nicest place we have ever lived and the only place that I really ever felt like calling home for longer than six months. So, when we moved, I vowed that I would unpack fully and decorate, and keep it clean and presentable. Of course, life does not understand these kinds of promises. We never fully unpacked and while I clean, it has never been the way that I want.

My bedroom is the messiest and the most embarrassing place in the whole place. I never let anyone in my bedroom and when I usually start cleaning it, I am so overwhelmed by the mess that I give up.

But not this time. I decided on Thursday of last week that I was going to tackle my bedroom once and for all and make sure that I declutter and make it comfortable. I wanted to document the process partly because I wanted my husband to see just how much work needed to be done and partly because I really wanted to see the difference.

The video below will show you what our room looked like 40 minutes into the cleaning process. It is not a pretty site but it will be.

February 4th, 2009

Plan It Out Thursday: An Interview with Professional Organizer Krista Colvin

ETA: The giveaway has been postponed.

If you have been scouring the internet for information on how to get organized, then you have probably come across my special guest, Krista Colvin- lifestylist; organizing maven; and media personality. She is the brain behind The SHEbang, Organize in Style, and The O Myth (BlogTalk Radio)- all great tools for helping everyone take control of their lives.

A Little Background

I first met Krista at The Integrated Mother Network, when I frantically called on my fellow mothers to help me get it together. Krista was a calming voice in a very turbulant storm and cautioned me, with warm but stern word, to “Slow Down!” It was then that I realized that she was someone who could definitely help. Not only is she chock-full of resources, and funny, she was generous enough to offer some cool deals to my readers.(see below the interview for details).

In this interview, Krista tells us what it means to be organized and gives everyone (even men) insight into what it takes to “get it together.”

MOTR: What does it mean to be organized?
Krista: Your “things” have a place to call their own! That makes finding + putting things away soooo much easier.

MOTR: Organizing always seems like a daunting task What is the best way for one to get started organizing his/her home?
Krista: Start on a small and emotionally low risk project. Then work your way up to more emotionally charged areas. A kitchen pantry is a great example. It’s simple to sort, purge and put back together. The emotional risk is low because no one is attached to expired food. Your clothes closet and childhood keepsakes… well those are filled with emotions and are best dealt with after tackling a project or two!

MOTR: In general, who do you believe is better at organization? Men or women?
Krista: Wow, I’ve never been asked this before! Hmmmm, a loaded question and I don’t even have a strong opinion on it! I’m going with “Depends on the individual”… how’s that for a politically correct, good-for-nothin’ answer

MOTR: A friend told me that she is very organized at work, but her house is a mess. Why do you think it is so difficult for us to organize our lives both in and out of the home?
Krista: I see this a lot. First cut yourself some slack because a girl can only handle so much . You need to be able to chill somewhere right? It’s difficult to maintain the whole shebang… we are busy living life. I have 10 items that if knocked out each month help you stay on top of it. It’s available via an email I send out to my newsletter peeps.

MOTR: What item do you think is the most important tool needed to organize one’s life?
Krista: A plan! I believe you can do it all… just not in one day.

MOTR: What five items would you feel lost without?
Krista: Lipstick, wedding ring, iPhone, glasses, coffee.

MOTR: The economy has everyone in a pinch. How can you make organization inexpensive?
Krista: I’m amazed at how many unused organizing products clients have laying around! Also peek in your cupboards because so many items can serve a dual purpose. A ceramic bowl or the crystal dish you received for a wedding gift can be used to house your keys + sunglasses. I suggest gathering these up in one locale to assess what you already have. Then pick the best product for the job.

Plus… you’ll be amazed how much space you really have once you purge all those “not so loved” items from your drawers, closets, and cupboards. So workin’ with what you’ve got is by far the least expensive way to get it together!

MOTR: I know that breaking bigger things down into smaller jobs is better at times because it is less overwhelming, but sometimes it is hard to do that when everything is a mess. Is it more effective to tackle one problem at a time or to try and organize everything all at once?
Krista: Oooh girlfriend… one thing at a time! Truly you can do it all… just not in the next 5 hours. You can tackle an entire kitchen at once but not the kitchen, the pantry, the linen closet, the master bathroom. You’ll wind up feeling Overwhelmed (yes with a capital O) and want to just curl up and take a nap in the nest you created.

MOTR: I have to ask because I really am trying to convince my husband that we can afford to do this. What are your thoughts on hiring a housekeeper?
Krista: I’m ALL about hiring someone to help you keep your space clean… ain’t nothin’ wrong with calling in the ladies. A man WOULD never hesitate to hire help… so why do we. Personally I hired ‘the ladies’ because it was way less expensive than couple’s therapy… and girlfriend you KNOW what I’m talkin’ about!

MOTR: I am trying to teach my daughter to be organized now while she is young. Do you have any tips for teaching children (as young as 2) to be organized?
Krista: Dedicate a home for their items- for example:

• Bunny + Blanky sleep here and you can find them when you want to nap.

• If you spill something here is the place the rags are in… then they can help clean up.

• Sippy cups live in this drawer… Bring me one and I’ll hook you up with some juice!

Wow- how’s that for a starting point? Before I get to the Giveaway, I have to say “thank you so much, Krista, for agreeing to do this interview and for your patience (I am really turning into a goober).”

January 29th, 2009

Plan It Out Thursday: Making Lists

Normally I would post this at Midnight, but I have a pinched nerve and it is very difficult for me to sit at the computer. Well, better late than never.

Are you ready to Plan it Out? If you aren’t sure what this is all about, check out my explanation from last week. And when you decide to join, please add your name and link to your Plan It Out Thursday post to  Mr. Linky below. If you add your link and DO NOT write a post about your plan, I will delete it because while I am all for link love, I can’t stand when people don’t follow directions!

Let’s talk about lists. I like to write things down and with the explosion of digital organizers, I find that I am always on the look out for ways to combine written lists with digital ones. When it comes to keeping organized, I love my PDA. I have a PalmPilot and it keeps my calendar, contacts, and to do’s all together and handy. However, I recently discovered a great new digital tool that I love. It is called SPRINGPAD, an online notebook great from organizing everything from recipes, to play-dates. I only wish that I could sync it with my PDA somehow.

I use SpringPad for everything. I have created several pads so that I can organize all areas of my life. Take a look below to see what I mean. And then head over to SpringPad’s Demo so that you can see it in action.

Do you make lists? What are your favorites list-makers to help you keep organize? Write your Plan It Out Thursday post and then add it to Mr. Linky below.