Hello everyone and welcome to my very first blog post!

As a  proud mommy to an energetic and rebellious 1 year old, who works out of the house with my son home with me, I often get asked “How do you do it”? ”How can you possibly get work done with a mobile child on the loose, demanding your attention all day”? Well, I have to tell you all… it is HARD! My hours are sporadic and some days are more productive than others, BUT it is possible and it is worth it to both contribute financially to my family and to also provide daily time and attention to my growing boy.

Now I hate to burst some bubbles here, but I must be honest. There is no fool proof method or master strategy that works like a charm every single day. Children are wildcards! They are unpredictable and stubborn, however there are ways to juggle both roles, without sacrificing your work, the happiness of your children or your sanity. The key here is a plan and develop a daily routine that both you and your little one(s) can become accustomed to.

Here is a snapshot of a day in my life as a work at home mom (WAHM). This schedule is so important for productive “office” days (for me this is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday), with non-work days saved for fun outings and play groups. I hope this post is helpful for you in establishing a routine that suits your needs as well!

7:00 AM: Wakey Wakey!
Get out of bed, take a shower and get ready for the day! Doing this all before the baby wakes is the key to not wasting nap time. (Although I have to admit, some days I have a lazy start or the baby wakes before me, which diverts the “‘getting ready”‘ step until later in the day).

7:30: Clean-Up & Breakfast Prep
Time to head downstairs with the little guy. I usually put him in his highchair or play pen, while I clean-up from the night before, empty the dishwasher (which we have to run every night to handle all the bottles), prep breakfast and begin to enjoy the most integral part of my morning routine: COFFEE!

7:45: Breakfast Time – For the Both of Us!
I find that eating while the baby eats is the best way to ensure that I too get to enjoy some breakfast. This also allows me to joke and play with Mason; who is very hyper and happy in the morning (he did not get his morning temperament from me ). Once done, I let Mason play for a bit while I clean up.

8:00- 9:30: Playtime!
During the first bit of playtime, I quickly get caught up on work emails and begin to outline my tasks for the day. When it comes to task planning,  I am all about creating lists; and not the electronic kind, but real pencil and paper, bullet-ed lists, written in order of priority. Once this is done I get on the floor and play with my favorite little guy. The play piano, gym tunnel and sing along books are some of our favorites.

9:30 – 11:30: Nap-time / Work-time
Once Mason goes down for his morning nap, I get right to work in my home office, tackling the items that I outlined earlier. Most days the morning nap is the longest one, which is great for cramming in some office hours!

11:30 -12:30: Lunch-time
I find that taking a good long lunch break is very important for every work from home professional, regardless of whether or not you have little mouths to feed.. This long break allows me to rest my computer strained eyes, spend some QT with Mase and to also catch up on any house work that I may have.

12:30 – 1:30: Work-time / Play-time
My home office set up is perfectly for working and also keeping an eye on the baby. The finished basement doubles as a family room / playroom (with the biggest “baby jail” that I could find) and is also the location of my office nook. During this time, Mason plays in his play pen while I do some light work. I say ”light” because my little guy is very loud and energetic and likes to ensure that I am watching and responding to all his impressive skills.

1:30 – 3:30: Nap-time / Work-time
Afternoon nap is when I dive back into all the work that I started earlier in the day. Many days this nap can be as long as two hours (amazing – i know!) and other days it is as short as 30 min (or non-existent at all). The length of this “work cluster” will dictate whether or not I will be returning to my office later that night (insert sad face).

4:00 Dinner Prep 
By this time I am ready to take another break and Mase and I head to kitchen and begin to plan and prep dinner. Mason is a huge help in this process, typically opening all the cabinet doors and throwing Tupperware all over the floor and laughing in amusement. But hey, pick your battles mama!

5:30 Dinner
Daddy is home and we all enjoy a family dinner together!

6:00 Bath & Family-time:
After dinner is all done and cleaned up, the hubby and I tag team the nighttime routine; bath, playtime, story time, bottle and bed. I just love spending time as family of three!

7:00: Bed-time / Work-time
After Mason is down around 7PM, I may head back to my office to get another hour or two in, depending on how productive the day has been.

8:00PM: RELAX!
Finally… quiet time with my hubby!  I usually make it until about 10PM, when I then stumble up the stairs and head to bed, only to wake and do it all over again. But as I said, it is soooo worth it!!

Thank you so much for reading my first blog post! Feel free to comment below with any questions or feedback or if you prefer, contact me directly.

– B