mountaintopsmama

14 Mar, 2023

Blog

Weekly Meal Plan 011

When I first started meal planning years ago, I remember the hardest part was finding and learning recipes. I found that making things I knew how to make and adding in a new recipe or two each week allowed me to slowly build up my recipe stash and helped me gain the knowledge of cooking and confidence I needed to be more consistent with meal planning. I have enjoyed sharing these weekly meal plans with everyone and I hope having the links and some tips and modifications makes finding meals and learning a little easier!

This week’s menu includes:

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Breakfast

Meatloaf, Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes

Make Your Own Pizzas

Grilled Chicken, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli

Savory Hand Pies

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

We’ve been making these specific lettuce wraps for years, since before we had kids. We loved them then and we still love them now! This recipe truly is a 30 minute meal and now that we’ve made it so many times, it’s more like a 20-25 minute meal for us.

https://lilluna.com/chicken-lettuce-wraps-2/

Modifications:

I don’t use fish oil, but extra soy sauce instead. It’s just not worth buying when I’m not going to use it in anything else.
I have used different lettuce if on hand but the butter lettuce is the best because of the shape of the leaf and the mild flavor.
I always use more mushrooms and water chestnuts than it calls for and it’s just as good.
I use a minimal amount of sriracha because my kids eat this, too. When it was just my husband and me, we loaded it up!
I’ve used ground ginger instead of fresh because I didn’t have fresh on hand. I usually keep a big ginger root in the freezer now so I’m never without the fresh.

Breakfast – Casseroles and More

There are so many different options when it comes to making breakfast for dinner. Most nights we do this we use whatever we have on hand and usually end up making pancakes, omelets, biscuits and gravy, bacon, eggs, breakfast tacos, etc. When I plan ahead we like to make a breakfast casserole! I love a good breakfast casserole and since you can prep them ahead and let them sit overnight it’s nice if you don’t feel like making something the night of. Below are two of the breakfast casseroles we’ve made most recently, one is savory and one is sweet.

Easy Sausage Breakfast Casserole

https://thefoodcharlatan.com/easy-sausage-breakfast-casserole/#wprm-recipe-container-28994

This is a pretty standard base recipe I’ve used several times. I like the sausage in it but have also done chopped bacon. I also typically use whatever veggies I have on hand or leftover, a “kitchen sink” version, if that makes since.

Berry French Toast Casserole

https://www.joyousapron.com/wprm_print/2578

There’s nothing about this I changed because it is just DELICIOUS.

Lipton Souperior Meatloaf, Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes

My parents have been making this meatloaf for as long as I can remember! It’s really easy, good and moist. (Because nobody likes a dry meatloaf!) I like meatloaf made differently as well but this is the recipe we use for a standard meatloaf dinner. The key is to make it the day before so it can sit in the fridge overnight! As for green beans, sometimes I get fresh ones and blanch or roast them and sometimes I get them out of a can and heat them in the microwave! Same thing with the mashed potatoes, sometimes I make them homemade and other times I am not beyond cooking some instant mashed potatoes. It really depends on what we have going on that night. This particular night we had a sports practice so we went with canned and instant.

https://www.liptonkitchens.com/recipes/souperior-meatloaf-3/

Modification:

Mix 2/3 ketchup, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1 tsp of dry mustard
Spread on top of meatloaf after forming loaf in pan

Make Your Own Pizzas

We love making pizzas. I have found that when I let the kids be involved in making dinner they are more inclined to eat their dinners. My kids are actually really good eaters but sometimes they just aren’t interested in their food. It’s usually either because they’re not that hungry, and that’s fine, or because it weirds them out to look at it! So if they can see what is going into their dinner, they seem more interested in at least trying their food.

Sometimes I like to make my own pizza crust, sometimes I buy crust but usually I buy naan flatbreads for the crust. Here is the gist of what we do:

Naan Pizzas

mountaintopsmama

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Olive oil
Naan flatbread
Pizza sauce
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Toppings (pepperoni, peppers, onions, mushrooms, sausage, olives, etc.)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.
Place naan on baking sheet.
Lightly coat naan with olive oil.
Spread pizza sauce to cover naan.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over sauce.
Put on your toppings of choice.
Top with a little more mozzarella.
Bake until pizza is cooked through and the cheese is melted.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli

I honestly couldn’t tell you what we did to the chicken because my husband made this dinner, but it was perfectly moist and delicious! Usually he raids the spice cabinet and comes up with some concoction. Whatever he did, it worked! He also grilled the broccoli and baked the sweet potatoes but I’m still going to include some recipes that I’ve either used before or are similar to something I’ve done before.

Grilled Chicken

For the chicken I have used a couple of these marinades and they were good:

https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/7-chicken-marinade-recipes-freezer-friendly/#wprm-recipe-container-18563

I also recommend getting a good meat thermometer if you don’t have one already! We used to always overcook our meat but having one of these was a game changer and takes the guesswork out of it.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I love sweet potatoes in any form, my husband can take or leave them and my kids like them for the most part. Knowing this, I’m always trying to find a new recipe or way to make them to try and convince everyone else to love them as much as me! Most recently, this has been my favorite recipe:

https://www.julieseatsandtreats.com/roasted-sweet-potatoes/#wprm-recipe-container-66173

So simple, so good. And everyone liked them.

Modification:

I used half of the pepper recommended (as I always do in any recipe) because I’m sensitive to taste and it really doesn’t take much for me!

Roasted Broccoli

This recipe came from the back of a Taylor Farms broccoli floret bag:

Garlic Broccoli

Taylor Farms

Print Recipe

Ingredients

6 cups broccoli florets
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp sriracha

Instructions

In a large pot of boiling water, blanch broccoli for 3 minutes, until tender. Combine cooked broccoli, garlic, soy sauce and sriracha and stir to combine.

So easy, so good.

Modification:

Instead of blanching, I like to roast the broccoli! It takes longer though so when I’m limited on time, I blanch.

Savory Hand Pies

These hand pies were a new recipe I tried. I like to try new recipes frequently and I usually make those on Sundays. We just tend to have more down time on that day of the week and new recipes can take longer than anticipated because I am just unfamiliar with them. These were really good! Think chicken pot pie, only ground beef, and instead of a pie crust, a pastry puff with less mess because they’re contained in the pastry puff. They were time consuming so if you’re looking for a quick recipe, this is not it! Very delicious, though.

https://thecozyapron.com/savory-hand-pies/

Modification:

I mistakenly only bought the one package of pastry puff but had a package of Pillsbury Mini Pie Crusts in the freezer. I made 4 pies with the pastry puff and then used the mini pie crusts in a muffin pan to make actual mini pies for the kids. They were a big hit!

I hope including all this is helpful! Follow along on my Instagram page @mountaintopsmama for the weekly menus, updates on blog posts and so much more!

Happy cooking!

mountaintopsmama

25 Jan, 2023

Blog

I Thought I Had It Together and Then I Became a SAHM

Going from working full-time to staying at home was a huge shift in our family dynamic. It has overall largely been a positive one, but it has definitely been an adjustment, most specifically for me. You know what I have noticed about myself since I have been staying at home with my kids this past year? I get frustrated…A LOT. I thought I knew myself. I thought I was calm and collected and it took a lot to make me mad enough to “lose it”. I thought I knew my faults or challenges and had been working on them and made progress. When I was working, that might have been true. I did have it together at work! But I quickly realized my job had been a lot easier than being a stay at home mom and I just assumed my mental confidence and “togetherness” would transfer over to my stay at home mom life. I was so wrong! This past year has been so fun but also extremely challenging for me. I have had to learn and relearn so many things about myself. I learned that where I was self-aware of a lot of my faults, and I thought I had them under control, I had never had them tested like I have being home with my kids.

Our kids have our traits, good and bad. The bad ones push our buttons as parents in a way nothing else can, mostly because they got them from us. Seeing all those traits and annoyances that exist in myself amplified in a toddler is very tough and very frustrating! Do you know how hard it is to not argue with a toddler? How hard it is to see one of your faults in your child and try to correct it in them only to realize you have to correct it in yourself too? And then how hard it is to actually correct it in yourself? When a tantrum happened, one of the kids got upset, something didn’t go according to plan or maybe even the dog was just underfoot all day, I was getting frustrated. So I started doing some thinking. Why was I getting so frustrated? But more importantly, why when I got frustrated was I having such a hard time letting it go? I spent a lot of time this past year trying to answer these questions in order to be the best version of me. After trying lots of ways to get my frustration in check, here are a few things I’ve been doing that have helped most significantly.

Organization and Routine

If you are someone that has read anything else I’ve posted, this will not come as a surprise to you! The number one thing that helped me with having more control over my frustrations was getting organized and having a routine. (For some helpful tips on this click HERE.) A routine gives a sense of predictability; it helps everyone know what to expect, lessening tantrums around the unexpected. It can also help you pinpoint why you or your child might be upset, i.e. being hungry or tired if it’s a meal or nap-time. For me, having less visible and mental chaos prevents me from being overwhelmed or overstimulated. If I am ever either of these, it’s not pretty. I can very quickly become short-tempered or frustrated with just about anything in my way. I’m not proud of it, but it’s a fact. My kids, specifically one, is very much like me in this respect so being organized and having a routine helps them as much as it helps me!

Self-Awareness

Know your faults and triggers for frustration and work on them continuously. Knowing these and how to cope with them can help keep your frustration in check. Me? I am a night owl. I like to stay up late and I always have! But I also know that if I stay up too late for too many nights in a row, I’m going to have a short temper and everything is going to frustrate me. When I reach this point, I have to force myself back into a “bedtime” routine in order to get the rest I need. Another trigger for frustration for me is seeing one of my not so flattering traits come out in my kids or see them do something they shouldn’t that I know they’ve watched me do. It immediately makes me frustrated! So instead of getting really upset, I take a step back and look at it from their perspective. I acknowledge what they did was wrong, admit they might have seen me do this, apologize for that and work together to find a solution on avoiding this behavior in the future, for all of us. They need to know we’re not perfect. When we get down on their level and admit what we showed them was wrong, and then apologize, we’re teaching them to take ownership of their actions and to acknowledge the problem or issue and figure out how to solve or overcome it.

Resetting

When you do get frustrated, take a minute to reset. When the kids get frustrated, I have recently been telling them to pause, take a breathe and count to ten and it seems to help them! So I decided I should take my own advice. When I inevitably get frustrated, I have made a huge effort to take a breath and assess the situation before I go handing out discipline. Just this brief time I am taking to reset makes a huge difference! It prevents me from making assumptions as to what happened and who is at fault. It also helps calm the mood because I have come in with an even tone and an open mind. We are the adults, we set the mood.

Picking Your Battles

If you find yourself constantly getting onto your kids, take a minute to think about why that is. Are they really being difficult, or is it your attitude causing this reaction? If it’s the latter, before getting onto your kids, ask yourself if it’s that big of a deal. Why did you say no? Is this really a battle worth fighting? There are many, so be selective. Sometimes I just wake up in a mood or maybe I got frustrated earlier that day and just can’t shake it. When this happens, I like to reevaluate my mindset and try to reset. There comes a point when some arguments are just not worth it. If I’m just nitpicking, I need to stop and really decide if it’s a battle worth fighting. So I just ask myself, “In the grand scheme of things, is it really that big of a deal?” If it’s not, then I move on.

Making Time for Yourself

Lastly, I have been forcing myself to take more breaks away from the kids, even if it’s just a short trip to the store by myself. I have been making sure to take the time to do the things that I like or want to do whether it’s reading a book, creating, or just watching a TV show I really like. It is so easy to forget to prioritize anything for yourself within motherhood so I have been very intentional with my downtime from the kids. I do not want to waste that time; I want to be able to do the things that I enjoy doing! When I do take time for myself, I usually come back very refreshed and able to handle a challenging situation with grace instead of frustration. When I’m in the “thick of it” for too long without a break away, all of the little frustrations build on top of each other and can cause me to get very frustrated at whatever little thing finally pushed me over the edge. So I like to think of time away as a planned reset.

While this all sounds great, I realize it is so much easier said than done. Obviously, now, I’m still getting frustrated. Not as much as when I first started staying at home, but still frustrated. To a certain degree, it’s impossible not to. The biggest difference now is, I realize my frustrations are there. They are valid. However, I am gaining control over them so I don’t overreact, take these frustrations out on the kids or make something worse than it needs to be. Will these things cure me of all my frustrations? Heck no. But it sure does help! Life is frustrating, kids are frustrating, I even frustrate myself sometimes! But focusing on having a more positive mindset will eventually become a habit and it won’t be quite as hard to calm my annoyance when something happens, it will be second nature. Once that habit is established, my hope is that I’ll be able to overcome my frustration much more quickly than I do now.

If this is something you struggle with, what do you do to calm yourself in a moment of frustration?

mountaintopsmama

10 Jan, 2023

Blog

5 Daily Habits to Set Yourself Up for a Productive Day

Do you ever think there is not enough time in a day to get it all done? I’m here to tell you that there is. Staying at home with my kids is great. It’s something I never knew I wanted to do or thought I could do. I have found though, being productive is very difficult when I am with my toddlers all day. When I first quit my job and started staying at home, I noticed I got so much less done being home all day with my kids than I ever did in the few hours I was home after work before. How was that even possible?! The math did not add up. So I tried different routines and ideas to maximize my productivity and spend my time most efficiently throughout the day and I have discovered it comes down to two things…being organized and starting the day with a positive mindset. If you can master these two things, you can gain control of your day. Everyone’s routine will be different because every person’s priorities are different but if you are struggling to get motivated each morning or having trouble getting anything accomplished throughout the day, here are a few simple things I do to set myself up for a productive day that might help you, too!

Plan Ahead

I will say this over and over again! Planning ahead is so important for time management. One night a week I sit down and plan out our week including meal planning, events and activities, tasks I would like to complete, etc. Each night I will check my planner to see what we have the next day so I know what to expect. Each morning, I check again as a refresher so I can fill my free time with the things I need and want to get done! Having a plan ensures I’m not scrambling around trying to remember what I had to do or where we need to be. (If you want more insight on how to get more organized click here to read my post on 5 Tips for Getting and Staying Organized!)

Pack Your Bag

When I was working, I had a decent commute. That meant whatever I needed for the whole day needed to come with me like my work tote, lunchbox, diaper bag, workout clothes, etc. I got in the habit of getting all those things ready the night before and I have carried this habit over to staying at home! Every night, I double check the diaper bag. I make sure it is fully stocked with the normal things like changes of clothes for the kids, diapers, wipes, and snacks. I make sure my wallet is handy, my keys are where the are supposed to be and that whatever devices I might need (phone, headphones, tablet, etc.) are charged or on the charger. We may not have anything planned outside the house the next day, but having a bag ready ensures way less chaos if you do end up leaving the house on a whim. If you have kids, you know getting out the door with everyone and everything is way harder than actually going somewhere! You will have the opportunity to do more if you are ready to go and the burden of getting out the door won’t become a factor in deciding whether or not you can go do something last minute.

Pick Up the House

First, I never go to bed with a mess! The last thing I want to see when I wake up in the morning is a mess to clean up. It immediately puts me in an annoyed mood and I do not like starting my day that way. To manage this, so I am not spending my entire day and night picking up, I consistently straighten up throughout the day. I have seen and heard a lot of SAHMs that feel the same way about messes that I do (they don’t like them) and have a hard time being in the moment and playing with their kids because all they want to do is clean up the toys they have out. Something I have been doing is letting the kids make the mess and I join in the fun. Then I have them help me pick the mess up afterwards before moving on to something else. This allows me to be present with my kids while we play and it teaches them to pick up after themselves. It’s a win, win. After the kids go to bed, first I will pick up any toys not put away. Then I will clean up the kitchen from dinner which consists of putting any leftover food away, putting any dirty dishes in the dishwasher to wash overnight, wipe down the counters and put on the coffee for the next day. Lastly, I finish by straightening up. I will fold blankets and fix pillows on the couch and mostly just put away whatever random items have shown up on the counters and tables back in their homes. Side note, my husband helps with these things at night so be sure to ask for help if these things are important to you! I have done this routine for so long I do it without even thinking about it and I can move through it very quickly. It might seem tedious and time consuming but it’s not once you make it a habit!

Get Ready

I am not a morning person. I have tried so hard over the years to be but I am just not and quite frankly, I really have no desire to be! And that’s okay. Knowing this and embracing it has helped me find ways to make the mornings less difficult. I have found that the act of getting ready has been crucial in establishing a good mindset for my day since staying at home with the kids. Getting ready is going to look different for everyone! For me it looks like this:

1. Take a shower. I like to take a shower in the morning because it helps wake me up. Some days, mostly when I have to be somewhere earlier than normal the next morning, I will take one at night. I know myself, and getting up a little earlier is not as easy for me as it probably should be at this point in my adult life. But taking a shower at night means I gain some time back in the morning.

2. Fix my hair. I have unique hair. It can take me about 5 minutes to fix my hair unless I have to wash my hair and then that’s a much longer process. I rarely ever wash my hair in the morning if I have to be somewhere because I know how much extra time that will take and like I said before, I’m probably not actually going to get up any earlier to do that.

3. Put on makeup. I put on makeup almost every day. I’m not talking about full make up though. If I’m just at the house, I put on the bare minimum which for me is foundation, brow gel and mascara. Some people think I’m crazy for fixing my hair and makeup every day even when I’m at home but if I don’t do this, I feel tired. My hair gets flat and I have to wash it more often and my skin gets oily and I just don’t feel fresh. There is nothing wrong with not fixing your hair or not putting on makeup, but for me to feel awake and ready to take on two toddlers, I need to do this!

4. Get dressed. Getting dressed looks different every day for me and mostly depends on what we have going on that day. I don’t have to put on “real” clothes but I absolutely need to get out of the clothes I slept in. I remember when I started staying at home about a year ago and stopped working that I had to invest in some more “lounge” clothes. All I had were dress clothes and a few lounge clothes and that was not going to cut it staying at home. It is very hard to want to put on actual clothes with young kids because they have the tendency to use your clothing as their napkin, wipe or tissue. Am I right? So even if we have somewhere to be that day, when I’m getting ready in the morning, I will put on fresh lounge or athleisure clothes and lay out my regular clothes. Then when it’s time to head out the door, the last thing I do is change into those clothes. When we get back home, one of the first things I do is change back into those clothes. This act of getting dressed helps me feel mentally ready for the day.

5. Make my bed. The last thing I do when I’m getting ready is make my bed. It seems like such a small task but nothing says, “I’m ready for the day!” like a made bed! It’s a good visual reminder every time I see it made throughout the day that I already accomplished something that day and it keeps me motivated to do more. And even if I don’t accomplish anything else the rest of the day, I at least did that.

Making Time for Myself

I am extremely lucky that both of my kids still nap and nap at the same time. Most days, nap time is reserved for me and something that I want to do for myself. I don’t always spend the entire time on myself but at least a portion of it. I rarely use the time to talk or catch up with anyone because I truly enjoy listening to the silence for an hour or too. Having this time to recharge during the day and focus on something I enjoy doing or want to do is such a good way for me to reset my mind so I can continue being present with the kids for the remainder of the day. Everyone’s day looks different but make sure when planning your day you include time for yourself!

All of these things, planning ahead, keeping a bag ready, keeping the house picked up, getting ready and making time for myself each day are all small things that help me manage my time and be mentally prepared for each day. These habits and routines have allowed me to find the times throughout my day where I can be most productive. If I can start a day fresh with a positive mindset and be ready to take on whatever the day is going to throw at me, I have found I can be present and productive. I don’t have to have a clean house or spend time with my kids. I can have a clean house and spend time with my kids. It doesn’t have to be either/or. With time management and routine you can free up a lot of time throughout the day to be productive and get that to do list done! What do you do to set yourself up for successful day?

mountaintopsmama

17 Nov, 2022

Blog

We might all be decorating for Christmas, but it’s still fall, y’all, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner!

Fall is my favorite season for so many reasons other than pumpkin spice. We get to celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving, it’s the time of year work starts becoming less demanding for my husband, days are shorter so our family spends more time at home together, the air is crisper and fresher and it’s a time to start thinking about winding down the year. It’s also the calm before the storm, AKA Christmas. Fall is so beautiful and peaceful (even more so on the mountain!) and it makes me immediately want to sip hot tea by a fire curled up with a book or sit on my front porch swing and just listen to the sounds of fall. But let’s be honest…I have two toddlers and that’s rarely going to happen!

Now that I have kids, fall is all of these things but also so much more! It means being out in nature and teaching my kids about how fall happens, going to fall festivals and pumpkin patches, trick or treating, doing crafts surrounding fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving, decorating with pumpkins everywhere, and baking and cooking seasonal things that do, sometimes, include pumpkin spice. Don’t worry, I’m no Scrooge.

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m an organized person. In keeping with my planning mindset, I have in our weekly schedule to do at least one or two crafts/activities or “science experiments” because my kids enjoy doing them so much. We may incorporate what we’re learning in our preschool curriculum or it may just be something cool I came across. However, my favorite thing to incorporate is the current season or holiday that is approaching.

If you love fall as much as we do and your kids enjoy crafts and activities, here are several great options that we’ve done!

Outdoor Activities

With the colors and cooler temps that usually come with the fall season, it’s such a great time to be outside. Some of the outdoor activities we enjoy doing in the fall are:

Nature Walk – Just walk around, look and talk about what you see! My kids love just going outside and looking around at the trees and wildlife. It’s a good opportunity to talk about what occurs to make fall happen or incorporate learning ideas. Some questions you can ask are:

What colors do you see?
Which tree is larger and which is smaller?
Can you pick up 20 leaves and count them out loud as you go?

Nature Scavenger Hunt – I recently made a fall nature scavenger hunt for my kids to do. Click here for a free printable copy! I suggest taking a container like a bag or egg carton on the hunt so you have somewhere to put the items you find and can keep!

Fall Handprint/Footprint Crafts

When my oldest was born, I accidentally started a tradition with handprint/footprint cards. Each holiday we do a card and send them to family and close friends. They kids have fun painting themselves and I have just as much fun completing the cards with faces and designs. Here are some of the fall and Thanksgiving cards we have done over the past few years.

Crafts with Leaves/Nature

Using nature to craft is a two for one deal! You get the kids outside in nature while they collect their craft items and then they get the fun of crafting with something they put effort into finding. Where we live we have a plethora of nature items we can use for crafts. Here are a few ideas we made using leaves or acorns. Get creative! Sticks, rocks, grass and berries are also good nature items to use. Leaves in fall are a classic and can be used in so many ways. Don’t be afraid to get that paint out and get messy!

Fall Painter’s Tape Crafts

Using painter’s tape is so easy and fun! For fall you can use it to outline a tree, leaf, turkey or an acorn and then paint them with all the fall colors. Here are a couple ideas to get you started.

Decorate Pumpkins

The sky is the limit when it comes to decorating pumpkins. You have a variety of options on the type of pumpkin you buy, like styrofoam or paper mache, and also the type of material you use to cover your pumpkin. We have used paint, stickers, crayons or colored pencils and most recently tissue paper. With tissue paper you can either wad the tissue paper up and glue it on or you can lay it flat and decoupage it on. We did the latter most recently on a paper mache pumpkin and it turned out so cute!

Hopefully these will give you something to do with your kids as we close out the fall and Thanksgiving season and gear up for Christmas!

Happy crafting!

mountaintopsmama

22 Sep, 2022

Blog

5 Tips for Getting and Staying Organized

Let’s talk about planning, y’all. Some people do it and love it, some do it out of necessity but hate it, and some don’t do it at all. Me? I love planning. I love organizing. But I also know it doesn’t come easily to everyone. However, being organized is extremely beneficial. Being organized can give you control back over yourself and your day. It allows you to manage your time more efficiently and gives you a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. It can also help you feel less overwhelmed when thinking of what all has to be done. All these together will increase your productivity and leave less room for negative thoughts surrounding failure, doubt and guilt from not getting done what you set out to do.

I have always been an organized person, even as a kid. For example, I recently took a trip down memory lane in my parent’s attic and found an old set of dolls. Apparently I named each of them and then divided all their belongings into Ziplock bags. On each bag I wrote their names to make sure each doll always had their items in one place. I also remember having this American Girl Christmas tree. It came with so many tiny ornaments! I counted each type of ornament, sorted and labeled them all so that while I was disassembling the tree each year I could make sure none went missing. I did this with everything! But I imagine I did it then for the same reason I do it now. I am an individual who likes to have control of my surroundings. I like to have things in their place and be on a routine so I know what to expect. If my surroundings are a mess, my brain is a scrambled mess and until the mess is gone, I cannot think straight! So organizing and planning has always been therapeutic for me.

As we get older, we tend to take on more responsibility. For me, this meant I had to try even harder to “get it together” and then keep it together. With added responsibility, I feel I am more prone to anxiety, depression and just being overstimulated and overwhelmed by all that is happening around me. But, I refuse to be fully overtaken by any of these emotions. Any time I find myself migrating towards any of these feelings, I reset and go back to the basics. In all stages of my life so far I have used my simple planning/organizing method. I used it when I was in college and single, then when I was working and married, next, when I was working, married, had kids and finally, married, had kids, and staying at home full time. No matter what stage I was in throughout my life so far, I have been successful using just a few basic ideas to plan and organize my life in each of those stages.

Over the years, my “ideology” to getting and staying organized in life can be summed up in the following:

Plan Ahead
Set Realistic Expectations
Prioritize
Be Consistent
Be Adaptable

Plan Ahead

First things first. Get yourself or make yourself a planner. Some people can use their phone or computer or just a simple notebook. I have never been good at using an electronic calendar. I get a kick out of physically crossing something off a list with a pen. Just deleting something off my phone or adding a check mark on my phone just does not do it for me! I need an actual planner that is laid out in a weekly and monthly format. I have used several different planners but my all time favorite is Erin Condren’s Softbound LifePlanner. I have the larger version (8×10) but they do have a smaller version that’s the exact same. This planner is plain with no extra frills like stickers, colors, quotes, etc. I have used those in the past and Erin Condren has those as well, but I have found now that I have more to manage I need something much less busy, and the one I have been using is exactly that.

For me, planning ahead is taking the time once a week to plan out the coming week. Right now, every Sunday night I sit down and intentionally write out what I need to have done on what days that week. Included in my planning are:

Appointments or activities scheduled (gymnastics class, soccer game, library story time, dentist appointments, social engagements, etc.
Preschool for my oldest (what lessons of what subject)
Activities to engage the kids in (crafts, outdoor play, games, etc.)
Meal planning (based on what activities we have in the evenings I plan what meals to make each night)
Make a grocery list/order groceries to pick up
Finances (pay bills, edit budget, etc.)
Exercise (what days and types of exercise on those days)
Household chores/projects to be completed

On the last week of the month, I write out the next month’s budget so that weekly I can check it and hold us accountable. Any time I schedule an appointment or vacation, no matter how far in advance, I always put it in my planner so I don’t forget. And a few things I track annually are birthdays, holidays, and important dates. Reading this might seem a bit overwhelming at first, but below are some guidelines I follow when planning all the above to ensure it is not too much.

Set Realistic Expectations

To regain control over your day, increase your productivity and better manage your limited time, I highly recommend having a plan for your day. However, there is such a thing as over-planning your day. I have been doing this for so long that it takes me no time at all to get my week planned because a lot of things become repetitive. I have also learned what details and specifics not to include in my weekly plan. It can seem really nice to go hour by hour and detail out exactly what you want to accomplish in those time frames but I have found I would always fall short of those expectations. I tried to do too many things in too little time and that’s just setting yourself up for failure.

So, set realistic expectations. The key is to start small and if you find you have extra time to include other things then, by all means, do it! Know yourself and organize your day in a way that makes the most sense for you. For example, I am not a morning person. I have tried so many times throughout my life to change this and have never succeeded. So, I do not plan for myself to get up early and do all these things because I 100% know that they will not get done. On the other hand, I am a night owl and can accomplish so many things between 10 pm and midnight and it makes way more sense for me to complete tasks then. Once you have figured out what you actually have time to do in a day and when it makes the most sense to do them, prioritize your daily tasks.

Prioritize

There is a big difference in needing to get something done and wanting to get something done. When planning or organizing your day, be sure to prioritize the tasks that need to be done or have to be done and complete those first. Once those are done, then you can focus on other tasks you want to do. When I plan out my week, on each day I write the tasks that have to be done on that specific day. On each weekly spread in my planner there is a notes section. In that section I include items I want to get done that week. Any task in that section I am unable to get done, I carry over to the next week. I have found keeping these types of task separated and off of a specific day somehow allows my mind to acknowledge they are optional tasks. Prioritizing this way can be hard, especially if the task you need to get done is not nearly as enjoyable as the task you want to get done. Be mindful of this. You are only hurting yourself when you push those “need” tasks off until the end of the day and running short on time!

Be Consistent

Consistency is key. Once you have established a plan, stick to it! You will not regret it. Getting organized is not easy and takes a lot of self accountability and self control. You are the only person you are reporting to and no one is forcing you to do this. But you can absolutely do it! The more often you sit down and plan, the easier it gets and eventually becomes second nature. It is such a relief once you have a plan to just open up that planner every day and already know what to expect.

I recommend checking your planner each night in case there is something you need to prepare for the next day. For me, this might mean I need to pull some ground beef out of the freezer to thaw for dinner the next night or making sure the diaper bag is fully stocked if we are leaving the house the next morning. I then recommend checking your planner every morning, just to refresh your memory and ensure nothing gets forgotten or overlooked.

Be Adaptable

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when planning is, be adaptable. Life will inevitably get in the way of your plans and you will have to change them. Maybe something will become a priority task that wasn’t before, maybe your child will get sick and you can no longer do half of the activities you had planned that week, maybe you woke up and just cannot get it together and you scrap the whole day, or maybe you had an employee quit and now you have to account for that person’s duties. Having a plan is just a guideline, an attempt to control the narrative of your day. But if you expect that things will change, and they will, you will be read to quickly adapt your plans when they do. Life is messy and unpredictable. By planning we try and make as much predictable as possible, but there will always be something that we weren’t expecting. Don’t let things out of your control control you. Embrace them and simply alter your plans to make it work.

I truly believe that being organized can be a game changer for people in all stages of life. There is a level of clarity and peace that comes with it. Am I perfect and do I always have everything in order? No. But I definitely practice what I preach. The majority of the time, even after all these years, you will find me planning once a week in an attempt to control the chaos around me and following through with my plans each day. Being adaptable was one that took me a while to grasp. I didn’t like when things changed but now I have come to expect things will always change and that has helped tremendously. Planning and organizing are something I love to do and help others with so if you are someone who struggles with this, I hope this helps get you started!

mountaintopsmama

1 Sep, 2022

Blog

Well…I never thought I would say this, but I am emotionally attached to a tractor. If you know me at all, in general, you know I am not a very emotional person. For me to be emotionally attached to anything is pretty comical. And you know, it’s actually not even a tractor…it’s just a really nice lawn mower that we have always called “the tractor”. When we moved into our old house, we had a pretty large yard. Half of the yard was a slope, some of which was pretty steep. Turf is my husband’s life so, naturally, he got a pretty sweet mower.

But this isn’t just a mower. It is so much more! Yeah, it can mow, haul and do all the things that a mower does. (Ha! I know my husband is cringing at my description of what a mower does.) But there are so many memories wrapped up in this tractor. My kids LOVE this tractor. Any time they hear it turned on they know it’s their dad and they always want to go out on it with him. It’s a climbing gym to climb on and sit in the really cool chair. It’s a Photo Booth for me to capture all their excitement. It’s joy rides on the street, around the yard or down to the fire pit to roast some hot dogs and marshmallows. It’s helping their dad doing yard work and exploring nature. It was loved it so much that for the next two years my daughter got different levels of her own tractors; a sit and scoot and then the real deal. We had our own fleet! Once we had Griffin, he took over the sit and scoot and just recently mastered the little motorized tractor.

And then we moved.

We still used it, but not like we did and we didn’t need that kind of mower anymore. We have a bigger “yard” but being on the mountain a good majority of it is wooded. So…we decided we had to sell it. We told Loralei and Griffin we were going to have to say goodbye to it soon. Griffin doesn’t understand yet but Loralei wasn’t happy about it. Although we decided we needed to sell, we didn’t immediately list it. At this point we had all gotten so attached to this inanimate object that we just couldn’t do it yet. But then one day we just did it. It didn’t sell super fast and I think secretly we hoped it wouldn’t so we’d have to keep it.

We had several people show interest but each time it never panned out. Then, this past weekend, one of the buyers circled back. He was going to be in the area and wanted to check it out. He came by while the kids were napping and while he was here decided he wanted to buy it!

Good news, right?! Ugh. It should’ve been. But we were not emotionally prepared for it to be gone that minute, that day. The kids didn’t get to say goodbye or have one last ride around. I didn’t get to take a picture of our fleet with my husband and kids on their tractors. And my husband loved that thing, his pride and joy. I was devastated. No, I didn’t cry but I totally could have. Why am I so attached to a tractor? Is this normal?!

Whatever. I don’t care if it’s normal. That was a great tractor and we made so many awesome memories with it. Griffin just today noticed it was gone. My husband took him in the garage to get something and he pointed where it had been sitting. He said his version of “tractor” several times like he was asking, “Where is the tractor?” Loralei hasn’t noticed it just yet, but she will. She’s very sensitive but also can be pretty reasonable. So her reaction will either be pretty upset or just completely shrug it off. It’s a toss up!

We took this picture sitting on the tractor soon after deciding to sell it.

I say all this to say, it’s okay to be sentimental sometimes. I really do have to remind myself of this. We will find so many other things to make memories with but we’re making those memories all together and that’s what’s really important. It does feel a little like an end of an era, though. But isn’t this the definition of parenthood? Kids move from stage to stage without you really knowing they have moved, until one day you do notice. It is sad to think they’re past a stage like feedings, or rocking them to sleep at night and not knowing that that one feeding or that one night rocking your child to sleep was the last time you would do that. It’s almost like we mourn that phase, even if it was a hard one, because that just means they are on their way to growing up. But it’s also exciting because this means they are doing something different and entering a new phase. I have realized since having kids that it’s normal to feel happy AND sad and many more emotions at the same time about things…A LOT. So make sure to really treasure those little moments because they are so special and fleeting! And what are the kids saying these days? Feel all the feels? Do it. It’s ok to be an emotional wreck sometimes.

mountaintopsmama

26 Aug, 2022

Blog

We have had a lot of rain recently and that means getting creative to keep the kids busy in other ways than playing outside. My kids have an incredible amount of energy, as most do, and need to stay moving. I just want to bottle up all that energy and take a shot of it every once in a while. Ha! At their ages, 3 and 1, their attention span isn’t long so we need a pretty steady change of pace. If you are in need of some rainy day activities to stay busy and active, look no further! Here are some ideas:

Cooking/Baking

We like to cook/bake for real and pretend. Sometimes we actually bake cookies or something simple and other times we pretend to make “banana stew” in the play kitchen. In case you were wondering, banana stew is mostly made with carrots.

Creating

Creating comes in many different forms. Some ideas are crafts, painting, coloring, stickers, etc. I come from a long line of artists and creators and I have learned to have a pretty good stash of art and craft supplies at the house. It is almost as important as a fully stocked pantry! Priorities, am I right? Having some basic supplies on hand makes it quick and easy to throw a craft together or make some art.

Playing with Toys

Most of our toys are organized in cube storage. I don’t mind having a play area visible but I can’t handle having all the toys in view. I immediately want to hide it all! Storing toys in cubes allows us to have a more controlled playtime and less mess when we’re not playing. We go cube to cube and pull out toys and play until we can’t play anymore. They can switch cubes but I usually have them clean up the one they were using first. This keeps it organized, teaches them to clean up after themselves and it’s also something, at this age, they think is fun!

Basement Playtime

We have an unfinished basement that we use for many things. There is a workshop for my husband and I have my treadmill and some weights in an area. But the majority of it has become a sweet indoor play space for the kids! My husband built a climbing wall for the kids that we keep there and I have collected little things over time that I use to make an obstacle course. Even if you don’t have an open space like this, you can do an obstacle course anywhere!

Dance Party

My kids love music and sometimes we just turn on some jams and dance! My husband started the dance party tradition, which should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me. Any rhythm or moves the kids have definitely did not come from me! When I cook dinner, he usually takes the kids outside or down in the basement or workshop to hang out to give me a break. He loves music and always plays it for them. Now my daughter even knows how to turn on Alexa and her favorite thing to say is, “Alexa, play Billy Strings from Laura’s Pandora!” It’s quite impressive.

Read

For our books, I also use cube storage. In both the kids’ rooms they each have a bookshelf where we keep their books. I keep the holiday or themed ones inside of cubes and the every day books on the shelves in between. Some day we go section by section and just read books! We’ll read them, talk about them, pretend we’re in them, etc. Sometimes we’ll put on some themed clothing, like Halloween pajamas, and read all the Halloween books. We have lots of books, but both my kids love them so much.

Dress Up

It is always fun to play dress up whether we’re Elsa from Frozen or the pups from Paw Patrol! Or anything else in between. My daughter has really gotten into dress up recently so she’ll put on every piece of play jewelry she owns, grab her magic wand and slide on her huckles (high heels) to become “the prettiest princess in the land!”

Go Somewhere

When there is lousy weather you can always go somewhere. My obvious favorite is Target but since the closest is an hour away now it isn’t always practical. Just know that going somewhere just to browse and have a change of scenery with two toddlers can be extremely dangerous for your wallet…don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Sensory Bins

My husband is pretty handy and made us a sensory bin type table out of some scrap wood he had. We’ve used them with water, kinetic sand, bubbles, etc. and we’ve used it out in the yard, in the basement and on the screened porch. It’s versatile and can be put anywhere because it’s very lightweight and more importantly, the kids love it.

Board Games

I grew up in a family who always played board games or cards and loved it. We might all be just a bit competitive, too, but I hope my kids end up liking them as much as I do! At this stage, it’s difficult finding something both of the kids can do but right now, Hungry, Hungry Hippo is our favorite. When I get one on one time with my oldest who’s nearly 4, we play more advanced games.

Screen Time

Some good old fashion tv or screen time doesn’t hurt every now and again. I try to mix it in with some other activities because my kids tend to get a bit cranky after binging for an extended period of time. But everyone is different! We will watch tv shows, a movie or even put music on the tv. My daughter likes to do things on my iPad like puzzles, coloring or watch a show of her own. Screen time is also a super minimal preparation option for when mom needs a break too!

These ten ideas are great indoor activities. I will say though, sometimes the best thing to do when it rains is to still go outside! Obviously, you wouldn’t want to do this if there was thunder or lightning but, the kids love it. They splash in muddy puddles like Peppa Pig, look for bugs, play with the water table or walk around with their umbrellas just because. It can get extremely messy so, for this option, I have to be prepared for everyone to get dirty, but my kids LOVE getting messy!

Depending on how long the activity keeps their attention, sometimes we do one of these activities and sometimes we do several of them. If you find yourself getting stuck inside on more rainy days than not, hopefully this gives you some ideas on what to do to keep the kids engaged. Or, if you are like me, to help you not go insane being cooped up all day!

mountaintopsmama

11 Aug, 2022

Blog

How I drove 5300 Miles with a 3yo and a 1yo and SURVIVED

Yes. You read that right. I decided to take my two toddlers on a three week road trip across the country to visit some family. We live in Georgia and they live in Oregon, so you can do the math. Would you believe me if I said the kids were mostly better behaved the whole time we traveled than when we are at home?! It’s true. I couldn’t believe it. In case you’re wondering how we survived, or if you are thinking of taking a long road trip with young kids, I’ve narrowed it down to six basic things we did to make this road trip a success.

Notice I said “we” did. I don’t mind traveling by myself with the kids, but for this distance I definitely wanted a travel buddy. I am confident that every single person I told I was going to do this trip questioned my sanity except for one…my mom. Which was good because I wanted her to go with me and she wanted to come! It also helps that my mom and I have traveled a lot together and travel well together. If you’ve traveled much at all, then you know that you can’t travel with just anyone. So pick wisely if you’re doing a longer trip!

1. Find someone as crazy as you are to go with you. Check!

Once you know who is going along for the ride, sit down and really think about what the kids’ and your limits are. How far can you travel before you have to stop for a break? Do you/your kids travel well? What sorts of things keep your child entertained while in the car and how far are you willing to go against your normal rules (like screen time, etc.) to keep them entertained? I would recommend you try out some shorter trips first so you can better answer these questions. When I was working, I commuted to and from work every day, depending on traffic, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, so my kids were accustomed to the car. We also traveled quite often to places 1.5 hours to 6 hours in the car so I had a fairly decent idea of how the kids would do. At least my 3yo. My youngest didn’t commute very long before I started staying at home but he never really cared about being in the car seat for any length of time.

You also need to know your mental limitations. Can you be in an enclosed space that long with your kids for days on end? It’s definitely not for the faint of heart! I mentally prepared myself for this trip for a long time. I decided that I would say “yes” more, take frequent breaks and not get in a hurry. Then throughout the trip I continually reminded myself of these commitments to keep them fresh in my mind and help me not get frustrated.

2. Know your limits. Check!

Once you know that you and the kids can handle traveling, start planning! Not everyone likes traveling with a plan and some may prefer more spontaneity and that’s okay. That being said, in my experience with young kids, having a plan, especially if you already have a pretty specific daily routine with them, is a good idea. And plan I did. I can’t begin to tell you how much planning I did. I did so over an extended period of time so it didn’t consume me but I took my time with it. I mapped out what route we should take going and coming back, where we could stay overnight, where to eat, where to take breaks, fun things to do, places to see, were we would get gas, what to pack, what kind of vehicle to rent, etc. all while trying to stay as low cost as possible. While I planned there were a few key things I considered, number one being weather. We were traveling across the country at the end of March/first of April and that meant we would most likely see several different seasons of weather along the way. So I planned for that. We brought rain gear, snow gear and spring/summer gear and we used every bit of it! When I planned for things to do, I made sure to have outdoor and indoor activities in case of bad weather. For the distance we were traveling, and the extended time we were traveling, I wanted to be prepared for whatever would come our way.

3. Plan and pack for everything; have options. Check!

While planning I made a list of what all we should bring. The number one item I was so glad we completely overpacked were the toys. It was excessive and we totally went overboard, but I’m really glad we did! A lot of them made noise so that got tiring to hear but they really kept the kids entertained. A huge shoutout to my mom for sitting in the backseat of our rental van sandwiched between two huge totes of toys the entire trip and entertaining the kids…and yes, she wanted to do this over driving. So I let her!! If you have toddlers, you know their attention spans aren’t super long so there was a constant shuffle of toys back and forth to keep it interesting.

4. Bring toys/entertainment, and lots of them. Check!

The number two item we went crazy with was snacks. Bring snacks. Be sure to bring healthy snacks that are more filling as well as some fun snack options, for the kids and for you! We brought a cooler and packed food for lunches and some breakfast items. For most of our breakfasts, we took advantage of the breakfast the hotels offered. We found packing lunch items made it easier to stop when we needed and not have to worry where we were going to find food. Some of the places we were passing through or visiting were literally in the middle of nowhere and didn’t have any options. If we were close to our next stop but also getting hungry, snacks were a great way to hold us over while also allowing us to stay on schedule. Plus the kids loved it because, well, snacks are life.

5. Bring all the snacks and food. Check!

Even with all the planning and packing and preparing, the biggest takeaway I could give you would be to have zero expectations. I think it’s important to be prepared for as much as you can, but that also means being prepared to have nothing go as you planned. My kids usually do great in the car but who knows what they would do after so many days in a car! Luckily, mine did incredible but this was something I was a little anxious about before the trip. It really starts with us as the adult. I feel we have the ability to set the tone each day with our kids and I tried to set the tone every day positively, going with the flow, zero expectations and that way when something didn’t go as planned we were able to be flexible and take it in stride. And because we knew our limits, we would often pause to take a pulse check and see how everyone was feeling. Did we really need to stop and see that monument or go by that playground? Or was the better option just getting to the hotel to relax and watch TV because everyone was exhausted?

6. Have zero expectations and be flexible. Check!

I have always loved traveling and was so excited to get to share this kind of experience with my kids! I was absolutely blown away at how well they did and honestly, how I did, too. It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns 24/7 but, overall, we all did amazing. And let me just add that my mom is a saint! I never doubted her being able to do it; she has way more patience than I do. For someone like me who lacks a bit of patience, preparing mentally and “checking in” with myself regularly and resetting my attitude when necessary helped the most. If you are someone who loves to travel but doubts whether you can still do so with kids and keep your sanity, I’m living proof that traveling with kids can be done. So get out there and see the world!

mountaintopsmama

4 Aug, 2022

Blog

You know what? This past weekend was weird. We had such a fun weekend packed full of activities but, at the same time, it sucked. We picked wildflowers, celebrated with yummy sweets, crafted, went to church, played, etc. but I also spent a lot of my time keeping the peace and walking on eggshells with my kids.

One of the kids is in full blown threenager mode and the other is in a stage 5 clinger phase. My husband came home from work on Saturday and after the kids were down for a nap I drove to Target (keep in mind the closest is an hour away…ha!) just to walk around and feel “normal” without anyone saying my name or pulling on my shirt or needing me or throwing a tantrum. Of course, all I did was buy stuff for the kids because that’s what invades my mind even when they’re not with me, am I right?!

I’ve been trying to do a better job of giving myself a break when I start reaching a certain level of frustration with the kids. They’re learning, I’m to teach them and knowing that patience is not my strong suit means I need to admit when I need a break and take it. When I was working, I always told my employees that we are obviously human and sometimes certain situations, in our case, customers, can push us to our limit. If this happened, I told them to let someone know they needed to step away for a minute to reset. This is something I’ve been trying to implement for myself now that I am at home. This “reset time” can help me cool off so I don’t escalate any potential tantrum or situation. Instead, I can mediate and keep a level head the next time one inevitably comes around. I also need to show my kids patience and understanding (easier said than done) and help them work through whatever the problem/situation might be.

Let me say that my husband is all for me taking breaks and encourages me to take them. I’m the one who struggles to step away and will usually talk myself out of taking one with one excuse or another. I honestly sometimes just wish I were able to take a break in a room somewhere at home, but it’s like the kids can find me anywhere! Part of my struggle is I don’t really want to get out until I’m actually out. But if I am in the house, the kids only want me. My husband tries so hard but they just will not let him do anything right now without a fight. If I’m not there, they are usually angels and have the best time. So if I leave, I get a break and he and the kids get to spend time together. Win, win.

I realize that kids go through so many different stages as they learn and grow. Some great, some not so great. I also realize that every end to every phase just means they’re getting older and older so I try to really soak in the positive in both kinds of phases. For my threenager, where her attitude and talking back are extremely frustrating (wonder where she gets that from….ugh), she is also learning independence and that she has a voice and a say. I have to help her understand her feelings and teach her how to communicate these to others instead of just using mean words and actions in a reaction to a feeling. This is extremely difficult for someone like myself who is not too keen on talking about my own feelings. The positive is that she’s learning independence and is strong willed and in our world today, she will need that.

For my stage 5 clinger, it is extremely exhausting and overstimulating to be constantly needed, to be pulled on, slobbered on, snotted on, and to only have the use of one arm to do everything because I’m constantly holding him. But I revel in his snuggles and the knowing that soon, he won’t want me to hold him and cuddle him or rock him to sleep.

We don’t have to enjoy every phase or moment to be a good parent. Some truly just suck. But I think it’s important we hold on to the positives in the hard stages to help get us through in a more graceful manner. So that’s what I’m trying to do.

One of my brothers recently said to me that there are two different kinds of fun. Fun 1: The fun where you are actually having fun and enjoying the moment. Fun 2: Where you’re not enjoying the moment because it’s insanity (most everything with young kids) and then later you look back and think, that was really fun.

We are definitely in a Fun 2 zone most of the time right now. The kids love it in the moment and that’s what matters but man, it’s exhausting. These hard phases come with so many emotions for the kids and the parents and there are constant ups and downs in just one day or one hour. Let’s be real…sometimes in just a few minutes. There are times at the end of the day when I sit down and feel as if I have been on a literal roller coaster and am so spent emotionally from all the ups and downs. But it’s all so worth it. And it really is fun. Fun 2 type fun, but fun.

If you’re in the Fun 2 zone right now, I’m right there with you. I get it. Just be sure that at the end of the day you do reflect back so you can recognize the fun that was had, even if you didn’t feel it in the moment. I find it nice to ask my kids after a day is done if they had fun and find out what they enjoyed most. It’s a good reminder to them of the positive in the day, but also a reminder to me that all the things I do for them and plan for them they do usually enjoy.

Only you can choose for yourself which things to remember about the day, the positive or the negative. Don’t remember the tantrum that was thrown, instead remember how you helped them move past what was causing the tantrum and use their response to build upon for the next time. Choose the negative and you set yourself up for failure. Choose the positive and you set yourself up for growth.

Parenting is hard. Don’t forget to give yourself a break here and there. You deserve it! I did this weekend and will try and continue doing so more regularly. Taking a break is not selfish. Taking a break allows us so many things like doing something for ourselves, not feeling needed, time away to be excited about going back home and appreciate the time with our families. For me, it gave me the time to reset my mindset by removing myself from the situation to calm down and really think about what I was frustrated about. I was able to look at the situation more objectively and know how to better move forward with my kids. I believe doing this more often is going to make me a better version of myself and allow me a clear mind so I am able to tackle the difficult moments, days and phases while not hopping on the emotional roller coaster quite so often. I am looking forward to it!

mountaintopsmama

29 Jul, 2022

Blog

Back to Basics

Are you an organized person or does mess and clutter make more sense to you? I am one of those people whose state of mind reflects their surroundings. So if my house is a chaotic mess, my mind is a chaotic mess. I am a very organized person (might even be a teeny, tiny bit of a control freak……) and when my mind is in a state of chaos I cannot function properly. I always feel a bit out of sorts until I can get everything straightened out and have a really hard time just leaving the mess. I can deal with a bit of organized chaos for a time, but not long. Now that I’m not working, until recently, I was struggling big time to get anything productive done after we moved because of the chaotic state of everything around me and my total lack of time management.

The first 6 months after this move were extremely challenging for me as I adjusted. I had just left a career in retail banking and was used to a very structured and organized day, at work and at home. I organized my day in a way that maximized productivity and efficiency; not a minute wasted! I function better on a routine and so do my kids and even though I’d managed to get my kids in a good routine, I had not done so myself. I wasn’t getting myself ready in the mornings or mentally preparing myself for the day and this made me feel rushed and unable to accomplish my goals for that day. I would then stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning, while everyone else slept, getting done whatever I could and sleeping minimally. Being tired every day left me irritable and short tempered and I started to realize I was taking it out on the kids and my husband and this was not fair to them. I was making myself and everyone else miserable. I went back and forth between feeling like I was on vacation with a lack of motivation to do anything productive and feeling overwhelmed because I was overdoing it physically, mentally and emotionally with unpacking, painting, decorating, organizing, reorganizing, exploring our new city and, of course, entertaining the kids. I could not find the right balance.

I finally took a step back and began thinking of ways to work the problem instead of focusing on the guilt of not being able to measure up to my own standards as a mother/wife/responsible adult. I thought, “If I were still working and one of my employees was struggling with this problem, what would I suggest they do to change this behavior?” Approaching my challenges at home with the same approach I took in the past at work was a game changer! Why had it taken me so long to do this? With this mindset the answer would be easy. First I would ask them what it is they are doing differently that’s causing this behavior. My answer to this would also be easy, everything. But more specifically, I have no routine. Next I would ask them how they established their routine before and can any of that be transferred over to staying at home. My answer again would be easy, of course it could! My position when I left my job was a management role and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought to apply my work mentality to my new “job” until now. Managing this household has many parallels to managing my branch and I decided this was how I needed to start approaching every day at home in order to find the balance I needed.

I have always been a planner. I actually love the act of planning because it makes me feel less stressed, more organized and way less overwhelmed to have everything laid out. It’s therapeutic for me. While I was working, I not only planned out meetings, calls, appointments etc. for my job, but also everything at home. Once a week I would sit down and plan my week. I liked to keep up with doctors appointment for the kids, myself and my mom, since she watched them during the day, activities and events, etc. I wrote out which days I could workout and what kind of workout I should do and kept track of the bills/finances. I also meal planned for a week and ordered groceries online to pick up.

For the life of me, I could not figure out why I wasn’t doing all these things anymore. I changed that very quickly and immediately got out my planner. It might sound time consuming to take the time to plan all this out every week, but it really isn’t, especially when you get in the habit of doing it. I sit down one night a week and plan it all, including ordering groceries. Then the entire rest of the week I just have to open my planner and there it all is. I don’t even have to think about it. I spent more time trying to remember everything I needed to do and still got nothing done than I ever spent during my planning time. It’s been a few months now since I started back with this process and I feel SO much better. I have been so much more productive, way less overwhelmed or stressed and can finally be present and enjoy this time with my kids instead of worrying about all the things I needed to get done.

Being a stay at home mom takes a lot of self accountability. No one is paying you to get things done and you may not have a deadline coming up for all that laundry, but you still have to get it done. When you put these tasks off it just builds and builds and that’s when it starts to get overwhelming, like you just can’t keep up. And then what about that quality time with your family or time for yourself? How can we fit it all in if we’re stressing over things undone? Now that I’m able to be with my kids all day every day, I want to make the most of it. Taking the time to get organized and making it a habit allows me to maximize my time with my family and to truly enjoy the time we get together. That’s what it’s all about. If you struggle to get organized and be productive, then follow along for more tips along the way on getting organized and hopefully it will help you get there too. We deserve to keep our sanity AND enjoy the life we’re building!