1, 2, or 3?? @balielf making me feel pretty today 1, 2, or 3?? @balielf making me feel pretty today in all these gorgeous colors! 😍
#ad This past weekend I decided to do something re #ad This past weekend I decided to do something really fun for the kids and create a scavenger hunt for them with Kinder Joy eggs at the end! They had so much fun going throughout the house and the yard finding their clues and a special surprise was waiting for them at the end! They had so much fun putting their Jurassic World Dominion surprise together (David is obsessed with dinosaurs 🦖) as well as exploring the app that comes as a download from the Kinder Joy egg! Fun little surprises like these go such a long way and making the kids feel special 💗 
#KinderJoy #JurassicWorldDominion @kinderus
Now that we still have some sunlight hanging aroun Now that we still have some sunlight hanging around after the kids go to bed, my new thing is sipping a glass of wine on the back patio while making small talk with Josh and praying the kids stay in bed.
 
I've been obsessed with cleaning our house recently but I've been so good about it, I have nothing left to clean or tidy right now and I'm left to face the things I don't really want to think about like the fact that I miss my kids when they're at school or how I really want to fill this house up with some more of them 😅 

At any rate, one of my simple pleasures in life is decluttering and purging unused things and I feel like I've accomplished a lot!! What about you?
I've been DIYing my hair for five (?) ish years no I've been DIYing my hair for five (?) ish years now and while I can't claim I've always done it perfectly, I've found a great routine that works for my hair and saves so much $$$ in the process!! Are you brave enough to DIY your hair??
Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growin Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growing up, I thought it was pretty much all I was cut out to do, which ended up being false. But even though I've learned that I'm capable of so many other things, being a mom is still one of my highest aspirations. As we're getting our home ready for fostering, I can't help but think of how the little one(s) entering our home will feel but also how David and Evy will feel. How will they react if we parent slightly differently? Will they understand that we're working to build trust and connection or will they feel indignant? These are the things I pray about and also speak to the kids about in the days leading up. We're all excited but I have the feeling of heaviness that we don't and won't understand the burden until we're all already carrying it together.
I think this hairdo is perfect 👌 for anything y I think this hairdo is perfect 👌 for anything you want to do without getting your hair in your face: eating hot wings, riding on a boat, working out, the list goes on. Plus, you can wear it up ⬆️ or down ⬇️
Wife, mom, runner, writer, artist, or just the cle Wife, mom, runner, writer, artist, or just the cleaning lady?? ​😜
Josh is an old soul 🥰 and tonight he and I are Josh is an old soul 🥰 and tonight he and I are going to get to see a band from the 70s that he loves!! Any guesses who it is??
^^ Here's a fun hairstyle for a (date) night out 🌃
I think a sleek pony is honestly so cute for date I think a sleek pony is honestly so cute for date night OR work! I'm always wearing my hair up anyway, right?? Might as well make it cute 🥰
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Life & Finances, Work · February 9, 2016

How To Be Productive When You’re Overwhelmed and Freaking Out

I'll be the first to admit that sometimes life can get a bit ahead of me. Or, okay, maybe a lot ahead of me. Sometimes I freak out. Sometimes I shut down and pretend like I actually don't have anything to do! Yeah, don't do that. But instead of doing either of those things, here are some thing you can do to chill the heck out and get crap done!

I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes life can get a bit ahead of me. Or, okay, maybe a lot ahead of me. Sometimes I freak out. Sometimes I shut down and pretend like I actually don’t have anything to do! Yeah, don’t do that. But instead of doing either of those things, here are some things you can do to chill the heck out and get stuff done!

Go to sleep!

As much as you feel like you need to get that crap load of stuff done right now (even if it’s due in the morning- umm… stressful!) you might need to consider just letting yourself get some sleep! Up until becoming a mom, I was never a morning person. But even in college I knew that I was waaay less distracted and way more motivated to get stuff done in the morning. I find that there are a lot more distractions at night. We’re way more prone to surf the web, watch TV, get that late night snack and disrupt the workflow. Also, as much as I would love to push through my need for sleep, I know that I think and make connections way easier when I’m rested. So, give yourself a break, and pick it up in the morning.

Wake up early

I am never more proud of myself for being a better worker(/wife/mommy) than I am if I can manage to get my butt out of bed in the morning and stuff done. I love checking the first few things off my list before noon! I also feel especially entitled to get out and treat myself to a coffee instead of a home brew. Like I said in my last point, I’m about 10x more productive and motivated in the mornings than I am at night, even when I was a night owl!

For you mamas out there…

I know this might go against everything in your being at 7 (or 6, or worse…) a.m. but waking up BEFORE the kids are up will completely change the feel of your morning! Being an introvert, one of the things I miss most about my pre-mommy days is quiet and focussed mornings. But nowadays I’ve been using my baby monitor as an alarm clock. Waking up to a toddler’s coos or cries is a heck of a lot different than waking up on your own, getting that first cup of coffee, (drinking it while it’s still warm…) and setting out to do what you gotta do.

Too stressed to sleep?

When I’m stressed, I feel the need to think about and plan out every detail so I know exactly what’s going on. And what sucks is, most of the time this happens at 1 a.m. So. Instead of lying in bed and pondering all the stuff you have to do the next day- write it down! When I do this, it is like I am literally taking the ideas from my head and placing them on paper, freeing my mind to chill the heck out and get some sleep! I use an app called Google Keep for all my list making and reminders. It is one of the best apps I have ever stumbled upon in my smartphone life. You can create checklists, location reminders, time reminders, picture reminders, everything you need to stay organized and keep yourself on track. Check it out here.

Set reminders throughout the day

One of the biggest problems with being stressed and having too much to do is feeling like we need to remember everything at once. Well, that’s kind of impossible and you’re probably setting yourself up to forget stuff and make mistakes. Just sayin’. Instead, try to think about your daily schedule and plan timed (or location) reminders for when you need to be reminded about a certain task.

Here’s an example of how I do this: I know that at work in the morning I’m going to need to send out an email, so I set a reminder for 15 minutes before I need to do that. I also know that when I get home I need to remember to call my mom. So I set a location reminder so that when I pull in my driveway my phone says, “Beeboop! Call your mom!” That was my impression of a ringtone…

Anyway… know your schedule and try to declutter your mind by only thinking about tasks when they need to be thought of. You’ll find yourself way more focussed and way less overwhelmed.

Change your context

So I know that “working from home” sounds super great, but honestly, I can’t get any work done from home before 7 pm when babe goes to bed. And even then my attention is split between work, my husband, my dirty house, the dog, and whole lot of other random crap. Getting out and going to a place like a library or coffee shop says to my mind, “Hey, you’re here to work. Let’s get to it.” In a setting other than my home I am way less needed (big one there) and way less prone to be distracted by personal life.

Instrumental music

One of the best things to get the creative juices flowing. OR if the thing you have to do is incredibly boring, spice it up a bit with some tunes. My favorite things to listen to while I work lately? Rodrigo y Gabriela. But that’s just me. I LOVE Spanish guitar. It wakes me up and get’s me focussed! Others find that classical helps them focus when writing or working on difficult tasks. Check out this superb article on what to listen to when you work.

What do you do to calm down and get stuff done? What music helps you focus?? Leave your suggestions in the comments and share with friends!

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In: Life & Finances, Work · Tagged: crazy, life, mom, momlife, morning person, multitalk, night owl, overwhelmed, productive, sahm, stay at home mom, stress, Work, working mom

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Comments

  1. Maggie says

    February 9, 2016 at 6:03 am

    love all these ideas! I’m going to wake up early tomorrow. 🙂

  2. Amanda | Maple Alps says

    February 9, 2016 at 8:14 pm

    Changing context is a huge one for me. Sometimes I’m most productive at Starbucks 😛

  3. ashley Lee says

    February 10, 2016 at 2:32 am

    Even though my toddlers sometimes wake before 7 am, I feel so much better when I wake and start my morning before they wake up! If I can get my coffee in peace.. It is going to be a good day! 🙂

  4. Amy Jones says

    February 10, 2016 at 5:32 pm

    I think these are all great tips! they’re so simple but we always forget to do this when we’re stressed out or don’t think it will help and the truth is that when we follow this tips the final result of our work is so much better

  5. Natalie says

    May 9, 2016 at 2:43 am

    you always have such helpful stuff! so glad I subscribed to your blog! from one Woman to another!

  6. Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says

    June 2, 2017 at 9:20 am

    I love and agree with these tips. I am a blogger and stay at home mom too and had gotten into a good routine of waking up at 6 am to have 1.5 hours before little kids wake up. Yesterday and today6, I tried to push it to 530am. Problem is my little ones must sense I’m awake and,the sleep getting up earlier too. They draw, write or read until breakfast but still my time isn’t as uninterrupted as I’d hoped.

  7. Veronica says

    October 10, 2018 at 9:44 pm

    Thanks for the Tips! I’ve read that music can help to improve productivity before I’ll need to test it. When I need some productivity tips and methods to test, I look for them here: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KanbanTool2009 . Check it out, I hope you;ll find the website useful as well.

  8. Mojoblogs says

    October 30, 2020 at 8:10 am

    Waking up early is hard especially when you’re not a morning person. But it will be a great start if you want to be more productive. Thank you so much for this helpful list.

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Hi! I'm Chelsea and we're the Damon's. We spent the last two years in WA state paying off student loans and just bought our first house in SC! I love a smooth black coffee, Josh's first love is the Seattle Sounders. Our kids are huge dorks and constantly make us laugh and we all love spending as much time outside as possible.

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Now that we still have some sunlight hanging aroun Now that we still have some sunlight hanging around after the kids go to bed, my new thing is sipping a glass of wine on the back patio while making small talk with Josh and praying the kids stay in bed.
 
I've been obsessed with cleaning our house recently but I've been so good about it, I have nothing left to clean or tidy right now and I'm left to face the things I don't really want to think about like the fact that I miss my kids when they're at school or how I really want to fill this house up with some more of them 😅 

At any rate, one of my simple pleasures in life is decluttering and purging unused things and I feel like I've accomplished a lot!! What about you?
Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growin Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growing up, I thought it was pretty much all I was cut out to do, which ended up being false. But even though I've learned that I'm capable of so many other things, being a mom is still one of my highest aspirations. As we're getting our home ready for fostering, I can't help but think of how the little one(s) entering our home will feel but also how David and Evy will feel. How will they react if we parent slightly differently? Will they understand that we're working to build trust and connection or will they feel indignant? These are the things I pray about and also speak to the kids about in the days leading up. We're all excited but I have the feeling of heaviness that we don't and won't understand the burden until we're all already carrying it together.
Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over here and I think it might be working 😉 Today the kids had TWOsday at school and they were so sweet. David wore a tie (I don't exactly get how it tirles in to Twosday but the kids were happy so..) and Evy "twinned" with a couple of sweet friends in her class. It's so sweet when you see your own kids building their own friendships. It just loosens a little piece of anxiety I've had about parenthood since David was still in my tummy. How did you spend your TWOsday??

Sandals @naotfootwear 💕
Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Jos Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Josh in a quiet house - the kids slept over my parent's last night. Got up, raced to clean the kitchen as fast as I could while my coffee was brewing. The coffee won this time. 

I recorded a Reel while getting ready. Went to the place where we were going to meet my fam a bit early so Josh and I could get in a walk. Then we got coffee, went to a huge antique store (sadly left with nothing but took pictures of my faves so I can remember to come back) and went to lunch with the kids and my parents. Love easy-going and fun days like these 🖤

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1, 2, or 3?? @balielf making me feel pretty today 1, 2, or 3?? @balielf making me feel pretty today in all these gorgeous colors! 😍
#ad This past weekend I decided to do something re #ad This past weekend I decided to do something really fun for the kids and create a scavenger hunt for them with Kinder Joy eggs at the end! They had so much fun going throughout the house and the yard finding their clues and a special surprise was waiting for them at the end! They had so much fun putting their Jurassic World Dominion surprise together (David is obsessed with dinosaurs 🦖) as well as exploring the app that comes as a download from the Kinder Joy egg! Fun little surprises like these go such a long way and making the kids feel special 💗 
#KinderJoy #JurassicWorldDominion @kinderus
Now that we still have some sunlight hanging aroun Now that we still have some sunlight hanging around after the kids go to bed, my new thing is sipping a glass of wine on the back patio while making small talk with Josh and praying the kids stay in bed.
 
I've been obsessed with cleaning our house recently but I've been so good about it, I have nothing left to clean or tidy right now and I'm left to face the things I don't really want to think about like the fact that I miss my kids when they're at school or how I really want to fill this house up with some more of them 😅 

At any rate, one of my simple pleasures in life is decluttering and purging unused things and I feel like I've accomplished a lot!! What about you?
I've been DIYing my hair for five (?) ish years no I've been DIYing my hair for five (?) ish years now and while I can't claim I've always done it perfectly, I've found a great routine that works for my hair and saves so much $$$ in the process!! Are you brave enough to DIY your hair??
Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growin Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growing up, I thought it was pretty much all I was cut out to do, which ended up being false. But even though I've learned that I'm capable of so many other things, being a mom is still one of my highest aspirations. As we're getting our home ready for fostering, I can't help but think of how the little one(s) entering our home will feel but also how David and Evy will feel. How will they react if we parent slightly differently? Will they understand that we're working to build trust and connection or will they feel indignant? These are the things I pray about and also speak to the kids about in the days leading up. We're all excited but I have the feeling of heaviness that we don't and won't understand the burden until we're all already carrying it together.
I think this hairdo is perfect 👌 for anything y I think this hairdo is perfect 👌 for anything you want to do without getting your hair in your face: eating hot wings, riding on a boat, working out, the list goes on. Plus, you can wear it up ⬆️ or down ⬇️
Wife, mom, runner, writer, artist, or just the cle Wife, mom, runner, writer, artist, or just the cleaning lady?? ​😜
Josh is an old soul 🥰 and tonight he and I are Josh is an old soul 🥰 and tonight he and I are going to get to see a band from the 70s that he loves!! Any guesses who it is??
^^ Here's a fun hairstyle for a (date) night out 🌃
I think a sleek pony is honestly so cute for date I think a sleek pony is honestly so cute for date night OR work! I'm always wearing my hair up anyway, right?? Might as well make it cute 🥰
I video called Josh last night with this hair in a I video called Josh last night with this hair in and he asked, "Are you wearing pigtails??" And I was like, "No! .. well. Kind of."

I thought this style was super cute!! And a really quick way to do something *different* with everyday hair. Would you try it??

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