31 days: brightening my day

it's been a tough couple of weeks at work. super busy. few breaks - physical or mental or emotional.

sometimes (or alway), when things get tough...you have to take matters into your own hands.

so earlier this week, i grabbed these two recent photos off my iphone and printed them.

on crappy office paper. and stuck them to my office wall. with tape. no frame. no frills.

and you know what? they make me smile and breathe a little easier every time i look at them.

*****************************************************************

this post is part of  a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

career mama {working mother magazine}

a while back, i discovered a (new-to-me) magazine called working mother.

we receive a lot of magazines in our home - most of which are free or incredibly inexpensive. i rarely have time to read them so i'm usually a few months behind. it's simply not a priority for me. (and thus the reason i don't blow much money on them).

among the pile of unread magazines is usually a lot of parenting magazines (such as parents and parenting). when coleman was a little younger, they were more like baby talk and things of that nature. i gotta tell ya...i don't *love* these and when i do decide to "read" them, it's usually a pretty quick flip through. i would much rather flip through in style than read another article about summer safety tips or what organic food to feed my kids.

but working mother is different.

the topics are relevant to my life (for obvious reasons). it's not all about the kids...it's about you as a mom. it's about your career. about your kids. about your husband. about your sanity. about your home. and how to balance it all.

i love that the magazine is divided into times of day rather than age groups or other topics such as food, health, etc. i truly think this is genius. it's one of the things that makes it so relevant.

if you work (in any capacity) and have kiddos...it's worth the small cost to get this magazine. fyi - according to their website, right now, you can get three years for only $12. that's ridiculously cheap. i don't remember what i paid for mine, but i think it was through a fundraiser so i'm sure i overpaid. (but still worth it).

**no, i did not receive any payment or freebies for writing this post. i paid for my subscription. and it wasn't one of the "cheapies" that i referenced above. the magazine has no idea i'm writing this and i certainly wasn't asked to do so.**

**********************************

this post is part of a new focus here at the chronicles:

the career mama

balancing work & home, while loving it all.

**********************************

career mama {morning routine}

image source

i have recently run across some blog posts featuring the schedules of bloggers/moms. though it seems like a relatively boring topic, i actually really enjoy reading these things...kind of odd, right??? so, i decided to share my morning routine, on the off-chance that my readers are as warped as me.

5:00 a.m. ~ alarm goes off...wake up, shower...

5:30 a.m. ~ downstairs for coffee and quiet time (bible, journaling)

6:00 a.m. ~ get dressed, hair, make-up

6:30 a.m. ~ pack lunch, fix coffee to go, pack up car

6:50 a.m. ~ out the door, drop off coleman

7:00 a.m. ~ drive to work

8:00 a.m. ~ arrive at office

so...does it seem like something might be missing in that schedule...something like my child??? interestingly enough, my precious little two-year-old is not a stickler for schedules like his mama is. 

coleman may decide to rise & shine anytime between 5:00 and 6:30. as all mamas know, you just have to be flexible. if coleman wakes before 5:30, he joins me for my quiet time downstairs. he's a great morning snuggler and will sit in the recliner with me, watching tv, while i read and journal.

if he wakes between 5:30 and 6:00, i usually cut my quiet time short and start getting ready upstairs. if it's after 6:00, i just bring him in the bathroom/bedroom with me while i get ready. if matt's awake (or not home), the little guy likes to watch tv while in our bed. he also enjoys destroying our bathroom and closet as much as possible!

on the days when matt is home with coleman, i have a little more "wiggle room" in my schedule. i don't have to get coleman ready or take him to daycare, plus i have help. 

spencer isn't really a factor in my morning routine any longer for two reasons. one is that he's only with us on days when matt is off from work. and secondly, now that he is in middle school, he gets up later and goes to school later. when he was in elementary school, i would often drop him off on my way in to work, but now he starts the day too late. typically, he rolls out of bed only a few minutes before i roll out the door. 

depending on matt's schedule, he may be off and therefore home in the morning. if he has worked nights, he usually comes in around 6:30 and is able to see coleman for a few minutes before we leave. if he is working days, he gets up at 4:20 and is out the door about the time i get out of the shower (usually before coleman wakes up). 

so there you have it...my oh-so-exciting weekday morning routine.

~cheers~

career mama {changes @ home}

we talked about the difference in a working mama versus a career mama. and we looked at changes you could make at work to become more of a career mama. now, let's take a look at changes that can be made at home...

|1|  find a way to transition from work to home. the woman that walked out of your “office”, should not be the same woman that walks through your front door.

|2|  leave your work at work (where it belongs). this is particularly difficult in our smart phone society.

|3|  greet your family with a smile and hugs and kisses. let them know you are happy to be there with them.

|4|  when you first get home, focus on the people not on the tasks waiting for you.

|5|  find a way to treat yourself nightly. think simple, but satisfying. maybe a cold beer or hot tea. a bubble bath or 10 minutes of a good book before bed. a favorite tv show.

|6|  ask for help. whether it's your spouse, a friend, family member...if you need help, ask.

|7|  prepare. find your stress triggers and plan ahead to relieve the pressure. if mornings are rushed for you, prepare as much as possible the night before.

|8|  be organized. an organized home runs more smoothly.

|9|  write it down. dates on calendars. lists of to-dos. whatever. writing things down gets them out of your head and that's a good thing.

|10|  pray.

**********************************

this post is part of a new focus here at the chronicles:

the career mama

balancing work & home, while loving it all.

**********************************

career mama {ten changes @ work}

earlier this week, i talked about the difference between a working mama and a career mama. today, let’s look at some baby steps that you can take toward being a better career mama while you are at work:

|1|  limit the amount of "personal" things you do at work (emails, phone calls, errands, etc). if you do a lot of  this, try eliminating just one of them for a week and see how that works.

|2|  think about how you'd want your employee to act if you were the boss. spend one day doing exactly that. no exceptions.

|3|  cut down on the office gossip. you certainly shouldn't be starting/spreading gossip, but try eliminating your exposure to it as well.

|4|  consider your co-workers. think about people at work that may negatively affect your attitude. you probably can't eliminate them entirely from your day, but try to limit your exposure to them (without sacrificing job performance).

|5|  the next time you are tempted to say or think something negative about work or a coworker, force yourself to replace it with something positive. do this once a day.

|6| stop silly dreaming. i am not telling you to squash your dreams. i’m telling you to stop dreaming that you will win the lottery so you can stay home with your munchkins. it’s not going to happen so stop torturing yourself.

|7|  take your breaks!!! whether you have scheduled fifteen minute breaks, lunch hours, whatever. take them!!! it's not always possible, but the mental time away from the nitty gritty will truly help.

|8|  have contingency plans in place. prevent unnecessary stress by having a list of "back up plans" (family, friends, sitters, etc).
|9|  talk to your boss. i know every supervisor and workplace is different, but often times employees simply don't communicate their desires well enough.

|10|  pray. God has this all figured out already. try chatting with him about it.

one thing to keep in mind is that if you are whole-heartedly miserable in your job, changing your attititude will help but it’s not going to fix everything. be realistic. if you are incredibly unhappy, look for another job. create a career plan and start working toward it. lay out baby steps to achieve long term goals.

**********************************

this post is part of a new focus here at the chronicles:

the career mama

balancing work & home, while loving it all.

**********************************

working mama v. career mama

are you a working mom or a career mom?

are you not sure what the difference is? or if there really is one? trust me, there is.

it has nothing to do with the type of job you have or the money you earn. it's not about power, or title, or whether you wear a uniform or a business suit. it's about your attitude.

i went through a period, particularly during my pregnancy and after maternity leave where i became a working mama. i showed up at the office every day out of obligation and as a means to an end. 40 hours a week = food on the table and a roof over our head. that was it. my baby needed diapers and formula. i was bitter that i had to work at all...i sure as heck wasn't going to do it with a smile on my face!

at some point, i was able to adjust my attitude back to a career mama mentality and it has made all the difference. when i'm in the office, i focus on my priorities there. it's the same deal, i give my company 40+ hours a week and, in return they give me a paycheck that allows me to help support my family. but i'm more focused, more engaged, more dedicated. my company gets more from me and in return, my career path will be rewarded.

but the biggest reward isn't about a bi-weekly deposit or title on a business card. it's about happiness.

most moms would agree that it just plain sucks to leave your kids every day. regardless of whether you work because you want to, need to or flat out have to...it sucks sometimes. we love our kids and want to spend time with them.

by focusing on my career while i'm at work, my attitude has shifted, not only in regards to my professional duties, but at home too. when i'm home with my family, i'm focused on them. i'm excited to be there and i'm not dreading going to work the next day. i am able to treat the people i love as if they are truly loved ones, rather than taking out frustrations on them.

it's all about the attitude.

as i said before, it has nothing to do with what you do.

if you are a waitress because the economy is crap and it's the only job you can find, then you are a working mama waitress. if you are a waitress because you love the food industry and aspire to run your own restaurant, you are a career mama waitress. same job. different attitude.

if you have a corner office, wear a suit to work everyday and bring home a 7-digit salary, all while counting down the days until friday...you are a working corporate mama. if you fly first-class and supervise a building full of folks all while wearing prada shoes, and you loved every step up that ladder...you are a career corporate mama.

get it? good.

so, if you are struggling to balance your two worlds or feeling a bit dissatifised in the workplace, i urge you to spend some time thinking about your attitude toward your job/career. how does it make you feel while you are at work? how does it affect you at home? could it use some adjusting?

soon, we will talk about ways to make some changes that will benefit you and your family.

**********************************

this post is part of a new focus here at the chronicles:

the career mama

balancing work & home, while loving it all.

**********************************