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Written by Lydia @ Frugal Debt Free Life, Contributing Writer
I don’t think she meant anything by it. This woman standing in front of me at the preschool Halloween party.
“Do you work or are you just a mom?”
I know she didn’t mean anything by it. It was a more a reflection she saw of herself than of me. See, she had labeled herself as “just a mom.”
She told me she quit her job after her daughter was born.
“I don’t regret is for a minute, but I miss the creativity,” she said.
And I nodded along.
The whole drive home I thought about it. I thought how sad it was that she labeled herself “just a” anything.
But don’t we all do that? I’m just a mom. I’m just a teacher. I’m just a … fill in the blank.
But we are more than just one thing. Caretakers, cooks, teachers, people tasked with the nurturing of little people. And oh, what a wonderful, exhausting, beautiful and messy task it can be. It’s important work, ladies. Don’t label yourself as “just a” anything.
But I thought about the other half of her statement too, “I miss the creativity.”
I felt that very deeply.
I have always leaned toward the creative. Before I became a stay at home mom I was a news reporter. I loved writing. I loved meeting people and telling their stories. And to be totally honest when my oldest son was a baby, I missed it.
I craved for a creative outlet to express myself.
So what is a creative type to do when she feels like “just a mom?” How does a mother nurture her own creativity?
1. Carry a journal.
I like to carry a simple notebook with me. If you ever see me out in public, it’s in my purse. I carry it to church, to the supermarket, the park. Everywhere.
I jot down ideas, make to do lists, create goals and just dump out everything on to paper before it leaves my brain.
2. Connect with other creatives
One Sunday morning I had the privilege of working in our church nursery with a fellow stay at home mom who had been an art teacher.
We discussed messy houses, painting, writing, sewing and blogging. It was so nice to talk to someone who was just as scattered and messy as me.
3. Take the time to do what you love
If you love to write then write. If you’re a painter, pull out your brushes and paint. Don’t say you don’t have time. If you have time to cruise Facebook, then you have time to focus 15 minutes on something that speaks to your soul.
4. Find things that spark your creativity
Go for walks, take a drive down a back road, people watch in the pickup line at preschool. Whatever it is that gives you a germ of an idea and sparks inspiration, go to those places.
Make your creativity a priority in your own life.
How have you sparked creativity and became “more than just a Mom”??
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]]>The post Finding Harmony and Productivity for the Work-At-Home-Mama appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
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Written by Karli @ Feed Me Mama, Contributing Writer
More and more mothers are turning to working from home in order to maintain the family budget but still stay home with their children. Whether it’s working for a network marketing company or hand making goods for an Etsy store, mamas across the country are finding ways to be home with their little ones- but it’s not always easy!
I am one such mama, and I am here to tell you- it is NOT all rainbows and butterflies and paychecks here in Work-At-Home-Mamaland. It is quite possibly the most difficult and taxing thing I’ve ever taken on- but it has been so worth it.
Today, I want to share with you some of my top tips for increasing productivity and joy as a work-at-home-mama! I hope that integrating these attitudes and routines graciously into your family will be as much of a blessing to you as it has been to me.
Top tips for increasing productivity and joy as a work-at-home-mama:
Make a priority list
It has been paramount to finding harmony within my home for me to really, honestly decide what my priorities are in my life. Once I declared that my daughter and her happiness and development were more important than my business, that helped me make daily decisions about where to spend my time. I have a written list of my priorities in my office, and it has really helped me focus on what matters most.
Take strategic planning retreats
Once a month, or perhaps once a quarter, carve out an afternoon or a day to plan your next weeks/months out ahead of time. Consider big events and goals that you will need to attend to, and things that may distract you from them as well. Being prepared will help make your day-to-day life run more smoothly.
Set measurable and attainable goals
This is key to feeling successful and keeping yourself motivated! Whether it’s a certain number of sales, a rank advancement, a number of blog posts, or releasing a new product, set goals for yourself. Then, break that goal into smaller goals! In our house, we ask: how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time… 
Set business hours.
This is another really important part of being a wahm. For you, setting aside business hours might mean hiring a babysitter for a few evenings a week or asking a friend to watch your kids in the mornings. Like me, it could mean that your business hours are simply “naptime”….whatever that looks like for that day! You can be as flexible or structured as you need to be, depending on your schedule and priorities, but having these set hours enables you to turn off “work mode” and focus on family during the other parts of the week, and truly be present with them!
Look for “harmony” rather than “balance”.
Work and life balance is a buzz phrase these days, but I want to challenge you to take it further- prayerfully find harmony in integrating your work into your family. If your kids can help you stuff the pillows you are sewing, or your husband can help you talk through a business proposal, let them! Seek to let everything you do be done out of love.
Be willing to throw it all out the window.
One of the most important traits of the happy and successful wahm is the ability to be gracious with herself. Some days, business just doesn’t happen because family and homemaking need to come first. And that’s okay! We are blessed to be able to make those decisions.
Do you work from within your home? What steps do you take to increase productivity and also be present with your family?
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