Hi everyone and welcome back to the blog!

What a week!

I started back to work this week and we are trying to get back on our “school year” routine over here!

Starting back to work is a somewhat of a slow start for me. I will not start teaching until later in the month so, I’m excited to ease back into things and meet my students & families, soon!

Brewer also went back to his wonderful, part time, church program this week and day 1 was not easy…. for me! He was all smiles and he absolutely loves it. But my mama heart hurt. I definitely shed some tears but the week has gotten easier as it’s progressed, which I’m so grateful for!

Okay, so that’s a little glimpse into my week. It’s been a bit busy getting back into our routine!

On Monday, I also blogged about encouragement for teachers but really, this is beneficial to lots of careers/ motherhood.

Check it out, here:

Encouragement for Teachers

Now onto todays blog post..

Balancing All The Things!

Does this image feel like anyone else at times? Lol

Now that we’re getting back into the school year, I thought what better time to talk about balance and routine.

Disclaimer: I do not balance everything perfectly because.. well, we just can’t be good at everything. We’re all just trying our best!

I’m going to share some things that work for me and I’d LOVE to hear from you all too!

~

First and foremost, I have to always remember where my priorities are:

First… is Jesus! Always, always, always. Everything else in life will align if I’m putting Him first!

How do I do that?

I put Jesus first by spending the first part of my day with him and I’m able to reflect on his word and my quiet time throughout the day. I have a plan for how I spend that time. I usually set a plan at the beginning of the year with a devotional that also allows me to dive into the Bible each day.

Jesus also lives in my heart. I have a relationship with Him. That is always at the forefront of my mind when I’m making decisions, speaking to people, thinking, and going about my day.

I did a blog post many years ago about how to have a relationship with Jesus.

You can find that, here:

A Relationship with Jesus

Next to Jesus, my family is the MOST important thing in my life!

These people are my ministry!

My top priorities will always begin at home with serving the Lord through being a wife & mommy!

How do I do that?

I do my best to nurture the family that the Lord has given me. My boys get the majority of my time.

Wife things:

Harry and I do separate quiet times with Jesus each day but on Sundays, we like to do our quiet time together. That’s our way to spend time talking about what the Lord is teaching us and share with each other.

We also try to be intentional with our time. We wake up and talk as we prepare for the day and the afternoons we spend time together as a family. Friday nights are always our little family’s date nights. Weekends are always special no matter what we’re doing! We always, always make each day count!

We also have a good routine around the house. I like to take care of things inside and Harry maintains the outside. It works when there is an understood “rhythm” in place!

Speaking of routine and rhythm… you have to have that when parenting to which leads me to…

Mom things:

My Brew Brew! Being a mom is and will always be my FAVORITE thing in the entire world! I love mothering my sweet boy each day. I’ve always longed to be a mom! This is something I have dreamed of since I was a kid!

Being a mom requires lots of daily chores. It’s so important to have a routine, knowing who does what around here! For example: I get Brewer up & ready each day, Harry drops Brewer off on daycare days, I pick him up, I pack his bags, I run errands to get the things he needs, Harry likes feeding him dinner most of the time, we both like to do bath time, and the majority of the time, I rock him to sleep (That is my sweetest time with him, reading him stories in our jammies!)

It’s also important for us to be intentional. Brewer always gets our all. When it’s play time for him, we like to be all in making those memories with him.

You also have to take care of yourself!

We can’t pour from an empty cup. Sometimes I have a very difficult time remembering this.

Some ways I take care of myself:

-My quiet time with Jesus

-Wake- up early! I like to wake up before anyone else in the house to give myself a little bit of time before the day gets going

-Get outside! I go for walks sometimes by myself, or with the dogs, and with Brewer. That fuels me.

-On Monday nights after I put Brewer to bed, I like to pour a glass of wine and unwind with watching tv. I don’t do this everyday but some nights, it’s nice to just turn on my show or a good movie.

-Work out- y’all I don’t do this nearly enough! Lol but I’m hoping with a new school year and being back to routine, I can make it happen more often! I enjoy doing work outs here at home or yoga!

Next, I have my other family members who are a part of my everyday life, my close friends who are big parts of my life, and my job that is a priority!

How do I manage those things?

Family– Harry & I are both intentional with our families. Both of our families enjoy planning things, we keep group texts going daily, we make weekly phone calls, and we see our families quite often! That’s super important to us!

Friends– God has blessed us with the best of friends! Life does get busy. I know that. That’s why I think it’s important to be intentional with those close friendships. We’re not meant to do life alone.

My closest friends & I catch up weekly! There’s a couple who I text with throughout the week to encourage each other, there’s a couple who we like to catch up on the phone while driving, and we make it a point to plan girls nights, go walking, plan play dates with our babies, etc!

Harry and his best guy friends recently started a monthly guys night! They talk and text often but once a month, they plan dinner to hang out!

Work– I enjoy working! It gives me time to refocus while doing something professional that I love. I also love that Brewer gets to see me pursue something I’m passionate about while also being the best mom I can be!

I work from home so this helps TONS! Having the flexibility of being at my “home base” while I work is a blessing.

No matter what job you do, I think it’s just good to prioritize. Work hard but don’t overwork to where your people are not getting the best of you!

I saw this the other day and loved it:

So true!

And then comes… literally, everything else!

What does this mean?

Everything else! Lol! For me that may mean, a fun hobby, trying out a new restaurant, planning a trip, shopping, etc.

Those things are certainly important to sometimes and certainly things that I love! I just have to keep my priorities in line!

~

Okay.. that is how I prioritize. And y’all.. I do not do this perfectly. I fail often. When I begin to feel overwhelmed, I just have to revisit my priorities!

Let’s talk some other random things that help me “balance” everything!

-I live by my planner!! Like live by it! I write everything down. It helps me to see what is coming up soon, where I have some free time to plan some fun things, etc.

-Family calendar! I live by my planner and Harry likes to use his phone calendar. (That would drive me bananas, lol) Even though I teach virtual, I still like to use paper/ pencil, lol. Anyway, we keep a family calendar on the side of the fridge and write down things that we both need to know about!

-Lists! I keep lists for lots of things. Example: I keep a “To- Buy List” so whenever I think of something we need, I add it to the list immediately. Then it’s there next time I run errands or go grocery shopping!

My best piece of advice…

Give yourself some grace!

This is something else I’ve had to learn. I use to be so hard on myself but learning to give myself some grace has been so helpful!

God knows we’re not perfect. He knows I’m a hot mess at times. That’s why it’s so important to give yourself grace! If God can give us grace, we can give ourselves some grace!

~

Okay, y’all give me your best tips of advice! How do you “balance” everything? Is there something that you do that helps your life run smoother? Drop any random life tips/ hacks you may have in the comment section!

**I’ll be back on the blog next Tuesday!**