Being a first time mom is NOT easy. Heck, just being a mom is not easy!

Here are a few strategies you can use to save you time (and sanity, because we all need it).

1. Get up 20 minutes before baby does

If you are like me, and have a small baby at home who does not sleep through the night, this idea may seem unattainable due to the lack of sleep you’ve been getting. However, I promise you it will change the way your entire day will flow.
I get up 20 minutes before baby does so that I can have time to myself. As a new mom whose husband travels 100%, you might as well call me a single mom who also works full-time. To keep my sanity, I wake up 20 minutes early to have “mom time” which includes sipping my hot coffee during sunrise, but more importantly, allowing me to truly be in the PRESENT. Being in the present, and focusing on yourself for that mere 20 minutes to think about everything you are grateful for, or how on earth you have the sweetest baby in the world when college seems like yesterday is so important. It will automatically give you a different perspective on your day rather than waking up to a hungry baby, and focusing all of your efforts on your baby and work.

In that 20 minutes, you can also pick up your house, organize your closets, or do anything you need to that will eventually save you 5 minutes later!

With a clear mind comes a clear day.

2. Pump while getting ready or feeding the baby

This was HUGE for me as a new mom. I was SO tired from pumping, then bottle feeding, then pumping, then bottle feeding that I barely had enough time to wash those (godforsaken) bottles.

I finally figured out a way to hit two birds with one stone. One morning, I woke up, and literally had 45 minutes to get ready. Knowing that feeding took 30 minutes and pumping took 15 minutes, I would be going to work in my pajamas.

In a desperate attempt to save time, I put my baby in the bouncy chair on my bed, sat by him and hooked up the pump, and bottle fed him while I pumped. And guess what? I still made it to work on time.

To tell you that I was AMAZED was an understatement. That pure trick right there gave me 4 hours of time back in my week! Boom.

3. Tell your time what you want it to do!

Uhm excuse me? Life is not happening to you, it’s happening FOR you. Make time work for you!

In that 20 minutes of morning “Mom Time”, I RPM my day. In simple terms, I have an 8×11 sheet of paper that I write down every single hour in 30 minute increments.

I then pencil things in to each 30 minute time frame of items that I would like to get done, or accomplish.

Guess what? You now have a snapshot of your ENTIRE day and how it’s going to go. You are in charge of your day right then and there. You just told your day what you are going to do instead of going to bed that night wondering where in the hell that day went.

I also copy this schedule into my iPhone calendar and set alerts to notify me of when I need to be completed with a specific task. So handy!

Go momma, go!

4. Dedicate People to Do Things for You

How often do you tell yourself “I don’t have time” or even hear others say they don’t have time? I absolutely hate that saying. You ALWAYS have enough time, suck it up, Sally. But, time is money, right? Take 30 seconds and ask yourself “how much time did I have to take last week to clean my house/go grocery shopping/meal plan/mow my yard?” If your answer is “too much”, then you better be hiring someone to do that work for you.

I hadn’t realized how much effort I was putting into this until after my husband was traveling 100%. He was the one in charge of keeping the outside of the house looking nice, and I was responsible for the inside of the house (cooking/cleaning/groceries). With him being gone Monday-Friday, we found ourselves taking 10 hours on Saturday to do all of that, and that took time away from investing in us, as a married couple, and in spending time with our little baby.

To get those 10 hours back, all we had to do was pay $100 for a house cleaner ($50), grocery delivery ($12), and yard mower ($40).

What have been the best time-saving strategies for you? Please share in the comment section!

A new year, a new you! This time of year is always an exciting opportunity to start fresh, to start new, to remember all of the things you may have not been happy with last year, and to forget about those.

It’s a moment where you realize you have 365 days ahead of you, and today being the 1st of many exciting, refreshing, life-changing moments.

In thinking about New Years Day, there are a few things to reflect on and to try to incorporate in to your “new you.” Many people say “I want to work out every day”, or “I want to lose 20 pounds” and they think it’ll come quickly and easily. Well, guess what folks? Anything good doesn’t come quickly OR easily. It takes time, dedication and focus.

How to make it stick? Refocus on new resolutions every MONTH, instead of every year. By breaking these down every month, it will help you take baby steps to achieving a fulfilled life this year.

Here are the best resolutions YOU can make and focus on every day to become a better you!

1.Move… EVERY day

That’s right. I didn’t say “workout every day” or “lose weight”… all I said was MOVE. What does moving mean? It means to get off of your butt, and do something, ANYTHING. Go outside and walk for 10 minutes, get some fresh air. Stretch. Do yoga. Clean your house for 20 minutes. Guess what? The more you move, the more you’ll want to move. The more you’ll want to move, the more you’ll find that LOVE for yourself, and that LOVE of feeling good, which will motivate you to  EXERCISE. It’s that simple, folks. Just move. Move for 20 minutes a day. Period. Now… GO!

2. Be Grateful

If you’re not grateful for your life every day, how will you find peace with your life? Be happy about everything you have. Too often, we find ourselves seeing how messy our house is, how our husband leaves his socks on the floor every single day, how there is your child’s throw up on your sleeve. Guess what? You HAVE a house, a safe haven, a place to call HOME. You have a husband who married YOU, who chose YOU for better or worse, to love you forever. You’ve created so many life adventures together, and have so many exciting moments to go! You also have a beautiful child, who you get to call “yours”. Be grateful that you can create that life, that beautiful child who will forever call you “mom and dad”.

3. Take Care of Yourself

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the daily chaos we call “life”. We are always trying to do it all and to cram to much in to our already packed schedule. This leads to burnout, unhealthy eating, stress and loss of self. Please, if you don’t remember one thing in this entire article, remember to TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. If you aren’t in a good state, how can you be good for your children, your husband, God? Guess what folks, it’s not possible.

Every morning, take 10, 20, 30 minutes to be in the now. Sit in your safe haven (a place in your house you feel most at ease in, most comfortable in), and just be there. Sip on coffee. And remind yourself of what day it is today, where you are now versus where you’ve been, and how to make today GREAT.

Also, don’t forget to pamper yourself. It’s amazing what a simple hair cut or manicure can do for the soul. The better you feel about yourself on the inside will reflect on what people see on the outside. If you physically take care of yourself, you’ll feel more beautiful, and thus more confident to take on life by the horns.

4. Travel & Be Adventurous

There is never enough time to go out and LIVE your life. Do fun things. Experience adventures. You can always stay at home and go to the same places. Don’t do that. Go LIVE. Pick one place per month that you want to go to that you’ve never been to, whether it’s 10 minutes away, an hour, 3 hours, and GO.

5. Feel my Emotions

Be in tuned to you, yourself and your emotions. Know what you’re feeling. Be in the NOW with your job, family, life. Truly feel what makes you happy and unhappy. If there is something unhappy going on, change it.

6. Be more Present (Less Phone Time)

That’s right… Put that damn phone down. It’s time for you to sit in REALITY for once. Have you ever just turned off the TV, hid all electronics, and sat on the couch and thought about your life? Do you realize that it’s 2016? It will be a rude awakening when you realize how fast life speeds by and you don’t take one second to soak it in. Don’t forget to sit with your husband, and just talk, as well! My husband and I always take 30 minute after dinner with no electronics, to just be with each other, whether that be playing SlapJack, or another fun game. Also, this is a great time for reflection with God! Thank Him for what you’ve got.

CHEERS to a NEW YOU in 2016!

Having a baby = brand new life, out with the old life.

New life that I am not quite sure how to balance and manage. Every time I try to “schedule” things I would like to do (or need to do), something pops up. Before I know it, the day has lived itself… I haven’t lived my day.

Claire Diaz-Ortiz wrote a spectacular book called “Design Your Day” in which she describes how to be more productive, set better goals, and life your life on purpose.

She first starts out with the following steps:

1. Find your overachieving Word of the Year = Vibrant

2. Start process of setting and reaching your goals using SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, Timely)

Goal #1 God: Spend 100 minutes each week with God. This would be 15 minutes each day. I will spend these 15 minutes just before I go to bed at night and will do the “Becoming a Woman at Peace” Devotional

Goal #2 Marriage: Smile every day in my marriage with “Fun Loving You” book + The Dating Diva’s, read a daily devotional with the “Night Light” book, and let Chad know how much he’s appreciated using “The Marriage App”

Goal #3 Physical: 30 minutes to 1 hour of activity/day with Barre3 + monitor progress with The Daniel Plan App

Goal #4 Personal/Mental: Become a professional novice photographer with my G7X and Lightroom (2 hours each week). Do the Gratitude Journal at beginning of work day (15 minutes), and write 1 blog every week

Goal #5 Family: Have “Family Day” at least once a month

Goal #6 Friends: See a friend once every two weeks

Goal #7 Financial: Follow the monthly budget, use cash

Tools I Need:

• Goal #1: “Becoming a Woman at Peace” Devotional App ($8)

• Goal #2: “The Marriage App”, “Fun Loving You” book ($10) + “Night Light” book ($10) + Dating Diva’s

• Goal #3: Barre3 ($15/month) + The Daniel Plan App

• Goal #4: Lightroom ($10/month) + G7X + Gratitude Journal + WordPress

• Goal #5: Family!

• Goal #6: Friends!

• Goal #7: EveryDollar App + Cash

So, I’ve got a starting point, I’ve got SMART goals, I know where I’m going.

I am going to be adding more to this blog post as I go throughout this SMART planning session, but let me know what you think about my goals, and stay tuned for more updates!