Family, Home, and Me with Tara

My old high school friend, Tara, is next up on our FHandM series. If you are a mom who is trying to juggle a million things on top of taking care of your child, you need to check out her blog, TurboMommy. She is a work from home mom with a beautiful 8-month-old boy and she covers organization tips she uses in running her household as well as stories about her beautiful little family.  

photo courtesy of Picture People

"As a work from home mom it is so easy to get caught up in the everyday hustle and bustle of taking care of a baby, home and work. Most days before I know it, it is 9 o’clock and my husband, Eric, and I haven’t spent any time together. So, Eric and I decided that his days off are family days. (Which are not the typical Saturday, Sunday. It changes weekly)

We block out technology and focus on spending time as a family.

Our favorite things to do include:

-Hikes at the local state park

-Walk/run/workout sessions at a soccer field

-Play board games

We have made the conscious effort to be 100% present in mind and in body on those days because nothing is more important than family. Everything else can wait."

"There are a few things I have discovered that make running my home a little bit smoother. When it comes to cleaning the house I found with a baby, I only have a short window at nap time to get everything done. So, I have to clean a little bit everyday, which is much easier and less overwhelming than doing it all at once.

My husband also reduces my stress level by helping me with Kolton when I need to focus as well as cooking majority of the daily dinners. We sit down every Sunday and plan our meals for the week." (check out her ingenious Weekly Menu Board!) "Then as long as Eric isn’t working the night shift he’ll cook dinner because he loves to cook. He is the type of guy that can throw things in a pan and it would be a gourmet meal.

photo courtesy of Tara

My husband is a huge part of keeping our family happy and running smoothly, and I could not feel more blessed because of him.

One thing that I learned when I became a mom was that the things that I took for granted before are the things that I now cherish the most. It is the simple things in life that give the most joy."

"When I was pregnant with Kolton I kept hearing about how I would never shower and never dress well again! I made myself a promise that I would take a shower everyday and not stray from my style just because I am a mom. I would be the young, cool mom.

At first the portable play mat and Boppy were the perfect solution. He would play or just sit while I was in the shower, and I could keep and eye on him. Trying to shower while he slept in his crib just made me rush and nervous.

Now that he is older and starting to be more mobile, the bouncy seat is the perfect thing while I shower. However, I can see the day coming where I have to get up before Kolton in order to get ready for the day. Until then though, I will enjoy “sleeping in”. (If you call 6 am sleeping in.)

photo courtesy of Tara

Taking a shower may seem like such a simple task but it is my time to put my self together for the day, which makes me feel so much more confident in myself.

I have known Kensie since high school, it has been so wonderful watching her family grow and flourish over the years. It means so much to me that she asked me to guest blog! Thank you Kensie!"

Thanks, Tara, for sharing your advice with us. Don't forget to check out Tara's blog, TurboMommy. Right now she is doing series of stories from when she was pregnant.

If you are interested in contributing to the Family, Home, and Me series, please email me at gracefullykensie [at] gmail [dot] com.