I was seriously blown away (and flattered!) by the responses to my recent poll for topics asking for a post on how I “balance it all.” I prefer to keep my blog a positive little place full of our highlights, but there is definitely a lot that gets left on the cutting room floor! So let’s take a deeper, honest dive into how we are currently balancing all the things in life…
WORK: On one of my hardest days at the office my working mama boss told me “You’re a GREAT mom! You’re a GREAT employee. But you will never be both on the same day! And that’s okay!” TRUTH. So much truth to that. I am constantly struggling to balance being a good mom and a good employee. There are days I can’t pick up my sick baby (who desperately wants mama) from daycare until after an important meeting. There are nights I race through dinner, bath and bedtimes just so I can return to work. There are days I cancel all of my meetings and get behind in projects to be home with sick kids. There are many mornings I’m late to work because I can’t peel myself away from my babies at daycare drop off. There are conferences calls I can’t pay attention to because I’m on the other line with a teacher reminding me for the third day in a row I’ve forgotten to bring diapers. In fact, Thomas was sent home twice last week in pink shorts he borrowed from a girl friend because I forgot backup clothes. I could go on…
*Side note: I also recently wrote a post on A Day in the Working Mama Life! This is still a pretty accurate picture of our daily routine!
COOKING: I love to cook! But when two starving toddlers come barreling through the door at 6 pm we usually have somewhere between 3-7 frantic minutes before epic meltdowns begin. So Matt and I scramble to thaw blueberries, nuke chicken fingers, rip the film off lunchables or dump a can of whatever I can find onto a plate. But hey, they always get organic milk! Ha! As for the adult meals, I honestly don’t know what I would do without HelloFresh! We’ve been using this service for meals 3 times a week and on the other nights I usually whip up something easy like tacos, breakfast, cereal or Lean Cuisines.
BLOGGING: On a great week I like to write 3 posts, but as you’ve probably noticed there are many weeks that I can only scrap together a 5 on Friday! Blogging is my creative outlet and is a way for me to capture our family’s day to day life, significant events, recipes and more. I normally blog during the kiddos’ naps on Sundays or in bed at night. You probably also noticed that my blog is FULL of grammar and spelling errors because I’m usually exhausted by the time I sit down to a fresh page and a blinking cursor. Also, I want you all to know how much I love your comments on my posts. I do read them all and truly wish I was better at responding to them!
HUBBY TIME: You already know about the marriage commitment Matt and I made to spend more quality time together. Our marriage isn’t perfect but we are happy and are always working to keep each other first! Some ways we make our marriage top priority: we try to connect at least once throughout the work day (even if only by text or email), we always give each other the first kiss (before the kids) when we meet at home after work, we save our dinner until after the kids go to bed to eat together without distractions, monthly date nights out, we love to leave notes or small surprises for each other, at home date nights in the backyard and more!
So there you have it! I may be balancing it all but it’s definitely not pretty and we’re doing the best we can! I could absolutely go into a full post with more details on any one of these areas so feel to leave me a comment if you have any questions!
You are a great, strong mama, and a great example of a loving wife! I have the mommy thing pretty well under control (ha!), but definitely need to work on being a better wife. You inspire me! Thank you!
Great post. Thanks for the honestly. I'm a stay at home mom to a toddler and most days I feel overwhelmed and stretched too thin….so when I think about having TWO toddlers AND working? It is hard for me to even wrap my head around!
Love the idea about giving your husband a kiss before the kids when you get home! So often I go for my son after I arrive home because I still feel this guilt about leaving him in someone else's care while I am working. When in reality I also miss my husband during the day, I just don't feel guilty about it! ha ha! Thanks for the tip! xo
I love reading your blog and you have given me some great ideas! I'm a working mom of two – a 9 year old and 11 month old! I've always heard its a juggling act-sometimes the work ball is higher than the kid or husband or friend ball and vice versa. Keep doing what you are doing and remember the days are long but the years are very short!
Love reading your posts!!! Working mom too, and I just LOVED your first comment about being a great mom one day and great employee another day! so true!! I am always happy to hear more food suggestions for the kiddos. I have 1 year old triplets and I feel like its rotating chicken nuggets, pasta and puffs:) How is Thomas doing with his eyes? I can't even imagine the journey you have been on with him! he is the sweetest (so is caroline)! All best! Alyssa
One-year-old triplets??? I have just ONE one-year-old and feel overwhelmed. You go, mama! One thing my daughter likes to eat is rotisserie chicken. Just buy it already cooked and take the meat off. They are like $5 at Walmart! Yummy 🙂
What she said ^^^^^!!!!! One year old triplets?! Seriously, you win mommyhood.
Great post! It's always nice to hear that other struggle a little with their time. I also find that other people always underestimate the effort involved with blogging!
Your house is so cute! 🙂 Thanks for sharing. The working mom struggle is REAL. Sometimes I'm not a good employee because I can't stop scrolling my phone for all the pictures of my daughter all day long. ha! And… I am definitely late to work a lot because of the daycare dropoff. She recently started crying when I leave and reaching for me with the big tears and I cannot handle it. Keep on keepin' on. You're doing great!
We have a 20 month old son and we do so many of the same things that you do! My husband and I always eat dinner after he is in bed, and I don't sweat his dinners when we walk in the door, whatever I can get on his plate fastest! You are always such a sweet reminder that we can only do so much, but that we can be happy while doing it! Your blog is such a happy place, thank you!
I love your honesty my friend – and you really are balancing it all so well. You can be very proud of the wife, momma and employee that you are x
There may be days when you can't be a great worker and a great mama on the same day–but just remember that you're ALWAYS a great person!
I would LOVE to hear more about how you kick butt as a wife! The stories you share about you and Matt are so sweet and so inspiring to me. I'm already planning on ordering some games and starting the at home date nights!
Great post! I'm always in awe when I read about supper club and waiting til the kids go to bed to eat dinner and date nights! It's very inspiring, but I have to wait for football season and recruiting is over to get my husband back to implement some of these things.
Full time working with two kiddos two and under is tough stuff! I know I struggle with feeling like I don't have a ton of full time working mama friends and so many of my girlfriends are home with their babes, or helping with daycare field trips and things that I'm missing. (not to mention the nights that I don't even get to put my kids to bed because of work functions : ( #mamaguilt ) Then that makes it hard to do things for myself without feeling guilty, like the gym or girls nights. You're doing awesome!
I absolutely love your blog and your outlook on life. It is so refreshing when social media is so negative and full of complaints. You balance mommy life and working woman life with such grace!! Xo
I love reading your blog. Your so honest and real and thats awesome. Wish I lived in the Charlotte area so we could be real life friends. Keeping doing what you're doing momma! 🙂
Fabulous post! Love your honest portrayal of real life! Thank you so much for sharing!
Your post reminds me of a study I'm doing on Ecclesiastes right now. You have a great outlook on life, contentment and joyful heart! It really shows through your posts. I'd love to read more about your blogging journey and how it has evolved. Or maybe the funny things non-bloggers wouldn't know about! 🙂
I love all of the ideas for hubby time! I feel like they're all things that used to come more naturally until the kids started sucking up all free time 😉 I'm going to pick up some card games/Bananagrams or Table Topics like you've talked about before… they seem like great ways to interact with each other rather than staring at screens, like we tend to do. Does anyone have recommendations for games that are good for 2 people?
I love your honesty, Christina! And I loved this post!
I absolutely love your blog and your honesty. Thanks for sharing so much with us! 🙂
Being a Mama, wife, daughter, sister, friend, employee is no joke and it is HARD. You make it look easy friend!!!
You're amazing! Thank you for sharing this honest take on it all 🙂 I love reading your blog. It's so refreshing how real you are!
LOVE this post! And I can relate to so much. I am a working mom with a four year old and while I only have one kid, I feel like I'm drowning more than half the time. People always comment on how they don't know how I do it all and I'll be honest, I don't! My kid watches way more iPad that he should, we eat way more frozen chicken nuggets and chick fil a than we should, but we are all happy, healthy and loved and that's what matters most — just like you guys!
This post is exactly why I love your blog – because you're real. I'm not a mama, but I constantly feel like I'm wearing too many hats and juggling too many balls… but you make me feel like I can handle it… Love that your boss is so real, too!
You do a fabulous job, my dear!
I love this post! Your bosses quote is great! You are definitely doing a fantastic job balancing it all! I just had my second baby and most days are still a struggle. It's great moms like you that are an inspiration to me!
This sounds really familiar and I don't even have 2! You go Mama! I adore your little slice of heaven of a family you have and you've always been one of my biggest blogging influences – happy Wednesday friend! Xo
You're a rockstar, Mama!! It's always fun to read posts like this. Life isn't easy, but we can sure make it fun 🙂
I think you are pretty amazing!!! Don't ever doubt that!!!