Every day this month, I will be featuring an interview with a working mom just like you. It’s called A Day in the Life of a Working Mom.
We’ll learn about what she does for work, her family life, and…her tips/tricks for getting everything done.
Today’s featured Working Mom is Amanda!
Tell us about your family (married, significant other, children’s ages, etc.).
Hi there! I am a single mom of two little gentlemen ages 7 and 6.
Where do you live?
I currently reside in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia.
What do you do for a living?
Whenever I am asked that question, I seem to always respond with “You mean, what don’t I do?”
I am an office administrator for a small non-profit, by day. I also work as a virtual assistant and dabble in real estate investing. I truly believe in multiple streams of income.
How do you fit blogging into the mix (if it’s not your “day job”)?
I cater to my blog in the mornings, if I have time, at night after the kids are down, or on my lunch break. Sometimes I blog on weekends. To make it all work, I use my planner and an editorial calendar.
What is your typical day like?
A typical day for me starts between 5:30 am and 6:00 am. I use that time to read my devotions, meditate and reflect on how I plan to make the day ahead of me an amazing one. On a good morning, after I have gotten myself together, I get the kids up with a song or a rap and get them started on their morning routine. After we are done getting ourselves together, we grab our necessary items and scooch on out of the door by 7:30.
In the car we say a prayer and talk about how our days are going to be AMAZING no matter what. I motivate the kids to make great choices and bring home excellent marks (it works… most days).
In the evenings, we check homework, make snacks or lunches for the next day, eat dinner, make sure our bags are packed for the next day, do our bedtime routine and the kids turn down for the night.
It is then that I am able to get me together, make “my plans” for the next day and pray that God willing He has the same plans if not better for me. I may blog, read or watch tv…. sometimes I will do homework at night too (since I’m studying to get my Masters). On the weekends though… we rest…. for real. 🙂
What’s the best thing about being a working mom? What’s the hardest thing?
The best thing about being a working mom is being able to provide for my boys and myself.
The worst thing is not having the time and flexibility to volunteer in their school and not being able to be readily accessible or close to them during the day.
Do you experience guilt associated with being a working mom?
Yes. I would love to pick them up from school every day when the bell rings. I would love to help them with their homework from the beginning instead of relying on someone in their after-school program. I would love to have my energy drained by them instead of commuting daily. I would love to not feel so rushed in life which in turn makes them feel the same way.
How do you handle day to day responsibilities (meals, laundry, cleaning, chauffeuring kids, Dr. appointments, school meetings, etc.)?
It takes a lot of organization and preparation. I must rely on my planner.
For food, I meal plan, make grocery lists, use my crockpot more than once a week and I make enough of a meal to last two nights.
With their activities, I am their shuttle, so I pick them up and off to our activities we go. Sometimes we eat on the go and sometimes we come home to a meal. It just depends on the plan for that week.
Doctor appointments, if possible, are scheduled far enough in advance to make time for proper schedule accommodations.
We make cleaning a family affair on weekends, we crank up the music, set the timers and get to work… everyone has a job.
What are your top 3 – 5 tips for keeping everything together?
The top tips for keeping everything together:
Find a good calendar (paper or electronic) and stick to it. I use a Mom’s Day Planner by DayTimer and I keep everything in it.
I also put my appointments in my Google calendar so they pop up on my phone and the location usually syncs with my GPS and will take me straight to my location.
I also use Any.do for call back reminders and any other quick reminders. It also just pops up on my phone.
Guilty pleasures?
They have to be my Tuesday night Tyler Perry shows, Netflix shows and movies, Pinterest, and ULTA…… it’s really sad but I love that store!!!
Is there anything else you’d like to add that you think would encourage other working moms?
Keep your head up!!! Yes it gets hard, but you can do this!
Just don’t make yourself a slave to your job and remember work will always be there, your kids are only young once and it goes by FAST!!!
I wrote a blog post specifically for moms that want to work but also want to be with their babies.
Where You Can Find Amanda:
A Truly Golden Life
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
What was helpful that you can apply to your work mom life?
Let me know in the comments below. If you have an extra moment, head over to give that working mom some love!
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If YOU would like to be featured, send an email to raki at outsidetheboxmom dot com. If all of the October spots have been filled, I will feature your interview in a continued series.
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