We have almost survived our first winter with a busy toddler being stuck indoors most days, and I’ve learned a couple things over these past few months that I wish someone would have shared with me. Being a stay at home mom is a BUSY job and if you’re not careful it can become super lonely. I crave socialization and so does Verity. We are pretty needy girls ;) I am definitely one who gets energy from being around others and having projects. I run my beauty business from home, and though it’s the best because of flexibility, if I don’t take time to pause and make plans with friends, I can feel super off and I become stressed more easily.
In order to plan small things like coffee dates with friends, walks with girlfriends and date nights, I have to make sure I am managing my time as much as possible! I will never ever say that I have mastered this whole work from home thing, nor the art of having a very busy toddler but I have worked super hard to manage our time so that I am as present as possible with Verity, get work done throughout the day and manage the household. Below are 5 tips on being productive while at home.
Time Block:
Set aside a certain amount of time to a certain task and stick with it. This is SO hard for me. I’m the type of person who starts picking up the living room and then see the mess in the dining room and begin to bounce from task to task. Setting a specific goal helps me stick to just that one job! And when I set a timer on my phone, it motivates me to complete that task in that time frame.
Wake Up 20 minutes Before the Kid(s):
Now, this is going to be more difficult for me in the coming months with baby #2 arriving in May, but this has been crucial for me. Every morning I wake up before Verity and I have my quiet time Bible study in bed. This time is so precious to me, it helps me get my mind focused on my purpose and regroup myself for the day. I change it up every couple of months, but lately I have loved reading plans on The Bible App. Below are some of my favorites.
Glimpses of Grace: Treasuring the Gospel in your Home
Combating Anxiety with God’s Word
15 Days in the Word with John Piper
Deeper Into Scripture: Acts
The Heart Of A Worshiper
Prayers for Unity in Your Marriage
Having a Schedule:
We are not super strict on schedules in our household. We agreed before having Verity that she would become a part of our world and that our world wouldn’t just revolve around her. We love that she just comes with us wherever we go and she has always been pretty chill and flexible because of it. We are pretty busy throughout the week nights with bible study groups, worship practice and family nights, but on days and nights that we are at home we are pretty adamant about naptime and bedtime being at the same times. This keeps her well rested and happy and it keeps this momma less stressed and allows free time for me to catch up on work around the house, time for a workout, go live for a makeup tutorial or just have some ME time haha. We love keeping Verity’s bed time on schedule when we are home because it gives Jason and I time to reconnect after she goes to bed. We love to spend time together even if it just means watching an episode of The Office and laughing together.
Play Centers Throughout the Home:
A week or so before Christmas I realized just how stir crazy Verity and I were becoming at home. She was having meltdown after meltdown which led me to have meltdown after meltdown. I knew she was so bored just being stuck in the house! I started following some bloggers on Instagram who organized different play centers throughout the home to rotate their kids through throughout the day. Most kids were older than Verity, but I thought it couldn’t hurt! I decided to turn our spare bedroom into a play room/guest room when grandparents come visit. We sold the furniture we had and purchased a couch that folds out into a little bed. This freed up so much space for play. I purged and organized Verity’s toys and set up different “learning centers”. Here are the learning areas I created:
Coloring/art: This is by far Verity’s favorite area in the room. We got the children’s table and 2 chairs from IKEA and it is the perfect size for toddlers. We store her coloring books, crayons, markers and water paint brushes above the table in two wire basket storage shelves that I found at Big Lots for only $8 each! Table and chairs linked below
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50178411/
Play Kitchen: Another goodie from IKEA. We got this kitchen as a gift for Verity for Christmas and it has been a hit! I love watching her use her imagination and get creative with cooking and preparing food in her kitchen. I’ll link the kitchen and food below
Kitchen: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60319972/
Food: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70185750/
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30185747/
Toys & puzzles: We got a storage cube from Walmart to store all of Verity’s toys without all of the clutter. We got some super cute wicker storage bins to separate toys and keep them organized and it helps the room stay a little more put together. I pull out one bin at a time and we play with those toys and then rotate when she gets bored. It’s worked super well for us! I’ll link the storage cube and storage bins below
Storage cube: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-Homes-and-Gardens-8-Cube-Storage-Organizer-Multiple-Colors/29741117?selected=true
Storage bins: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00138432/
Put Your Phone AWAY: It’s hard for me to admit this, but this one is the hardest for me. 1. Because I work 90% from my phone and social media. 2. Because I love to communicate with friends and family. BUT I realize that I am much more happy and productive when I have present moments with Jason and Verity. I put my phone away for at least one hour a day to spend time playing with Verity with undivided attention. It has made her and I so much closer! I love the bond that we share from our one on one time. When Jason gets home we try to stay off our phones and spend quality time together as a family, especially at dinner time!