Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

i get emails and messages from readers all the time asking me how i balance motherhood with working and running a family household. the answer is always the same. although the photos i post about my life may look beautiful and make it seem like life is perfect, it isn't. i have the same struggles as most moms. but the way i find balance in my daily routines is by following the motto "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff." i don't think it's realistic to expect everything to be perfectly balanced when it comes to raising a family. there are always going to be messes, dinner isn't always going to be homemade and prepared at the perfect time, and sometimes you are going to forget that dentist appointment you made for one of the kids. but its okay.  i have partnered with STAINMASTER® to share some of my tips on balancing motherhood. because they too, know that life happens.

here are a couple ways that i try t0 balance motherhood, home and work.

alarms from my computer and phone. my alarms goes off all day long. it reminds me of everything – when it's time to wake up, when it's time to take the kids to school, when to pick them up, when i have a work deadline, when it is street sweeper day, when it's time to take out the trash...and on and on and on. i have alarms to remind me about alarms LOL. without these alarms, i would be loss. this is the best way to not have to worry about missing a time to do something. alarms take away the worry.

pre-made meals. when it comes to making meals, i really do love to cook. but in reality, i just don't have a lot of time. i do a lot of freezer meals that i prepare ahead. or my favorite is going to one of those dinner kit making stores and making a month of dinners all in one day. this is probably my most favorite trick because, not only does it save a ton of time, it also eliminates a lot of the grocery shopping, and my kids and husband love the meals.

homework. you know those homework packets you get at the beginning of the week. my younger kids always get them. i have found that it is so much easier to do it all in one day instead of dragging it out through the week. then you only have to listen to thing for one day.

Let kids be kids

messes. they are going to happen, so i just embrace the mess.  let them have fun and enjoy life...then at the end of the day, have everyone work together to pick it up. if they don't want to do it, throw everything away in the trash. that'll get them moving. this is just one of the millions of messes my kids have made....and i might even argue that i have the messiest kids on the planet.

carpets. when it comes to my home, its filled with little boys with dirty shoes who love to sneak food upstairs, cats that barf...yuck....and a mom (me) who enjoys crafting up messes all over the place. those high traffic areas? yep....we make those nice and dirty. my carpets upstairs are brown....just to help cover up the dirt. but my main downstairs carpet is WHITE. who has white carpet with kids?!!! right.

FUNNY MOM CONFESSION

once upon a time, i was having a dinner party with my friends. i had made a gigantic chicken pot pie to serve for dinner. as i was taking it to the table to get ready for the party, the pie pan collapsed and the entire chicken pie fell onto my white carpet. OMG! since it was 30 minutes until the party, there was no time to make another pie, let alone anything else since i would have to go to the market to buy food. no need or time to get upset. i called my local restaurant and ordered a new chicken dish. ran over and picked it up and put it into one of my own serving dishes. of course i didn't tell my girlfriends that i didn't make the dinner. i just happily accepted the compliments on how good it tasted and enjoyed an evening of girl talk. and the carpet???? yep...it was a mess with gooey chicken pot pie smashed into it. luckily, STAINMASTER® has some powerful cleaning products that cleaned it right up.
STAINMASTER® carpet cleaners bring protection to your doorstep so you can embrace the simple pleasures of home. and they have a variety of products that focus on different problems such as pet stains, high traffic areas, area rugs and household carpet.

other stain removers can leave a sticky residue that can attract dirt over time, but the new breakthrough STAINMASTER® Carpet Care products quickly power out tough stains while leaving behind an invisible shield to repel dirt to protect against resoiling. it really helps keep my carpet looking nice and new. and since i have WHITE carpet, i need all the daily help i can get.

with STAINMASTER™ by your side, you don’t have to sweat the small stuff, it leaves you free to focus on the fun. motherhood isn't perfect...there are always going to be messes. just accept that and life will be a whole lot easier.

and remember....

{Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.}