I’m sharing a day in my life as a working mom in the advertising industry. I’m sharing my work, family life, and tips/tricks for getting everything done.
This post is part of my series A Day in the Life of a Working Mom.
Today’s featured Working Mom is me! I blog here about how to balance your work and your home life.
What do you do for a living?
I handle online media (website content management, social media, etc.) for our clients at an advertising agency. I’ve also had this blog since 2011.
Generally, working in advertising is very fast paced and deadline driven. Thankfully, most every piece of content I create online can be done in batches and can be scheduled for optimum efficiency.
How do you fit blogging into the mix (if it’s not your “day job”)?
In the evenings and on the weekends, I spend as much time as I can. I work from a prioritized to do list that helps me make progress on my goals. I use tools to automate social media and write in bulk as much as possible. I keep track of every possible idea I might have so that when I’m sitting in front of a blank screen, I know what to write about.
Tell us about your family (married, significant other, children’s ages, etc.).
I’m married with two children: 14-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter.
Where do you live?
I live in the southwestern part of Virginia.
What is your typical day like?
Wake at 6:30 – get daughter ready. Son, husband, and I get ready, too. Travel from 7-8-ish. Work 8-5. Travel, errands, etc. until 6:30. Dinner. Family time. Blog work. TV. Rinse. Repeat. Weekends are cleaning, laundry, some batch cooking, blogging, and family.
What’s the best thing about being a working mom? What’s the hardest thing?
I love having a job I enjoy and am good at. I believe it makes me a better mom. The worst thing is trying to balance everything. When I’m at my best, I remember that some days/weeks work will be heavy, some it will be home. Thankfully I don’t often have heavy weeks in both areas.
Do you experience guilt associated with being a working mom?
I did when my kids were between 3-5 because they start to realize that you’re gone and sometimes ask you to stay home or want to come with you. Now it’s normal, so it’s easier to deal with. I work because I have to, so there’s not much I can do about that.
The most important thing I try to do is be focused, no matter which place I’m in. (Work at work and be home at home. ) I know sometimes they overlap, but the more I keep boundaries, the better I am at each “job” (mom or employee).
How do you handle day to day responsibilities (meals, laundry, cleaning, chauffeuring kids, Dr. appointments, school meetings, etc.)?
Meals – Improve Your Meal Planning in Just 10 Minutes
Laundry – 5 Practical Laundry Tips for the Busy Mom
Cleaning – Speed Cleaning: The Friday Fast 5 and 5 Easy Steps to a Clean Home
Chauffeuring kids – In the mornings, my kids ride the school bus. During sports seasons, I have to pick my son up from practice. Every day during the week, I also pick my daughter up from the after-school program at a local church. My husband works as a delivery driver for a national company and isn’t able to make it back to the rural area we live in when the kids need to be picked up.
Dr. appointments – I usually schedule well check-ups, immunizations, dental appointments, and physicals during school breaks like winter break or summer break. That way, the kids don’t have to be late to school, be picked up early from school, miss school, and I don’t have to miss any work.
School meetings – I schedule parent-teacher conferences by telephone unless it is necessary to meet in person. We participate in the “Back to School” night, usually held during the first week of school, to meet the teachers and see classrooms. I stay in close communication with the teachers so there are rarely issues that pop up unexpectedly.
Guilty pleasures?
Goobers (chocolate covered peanuts), reality TV, anything made by Shonda Rhimes, and the Hallmark channel.
What are your top tips for keeping everything together?
- Don’t try to do it all. Delegate (don’t do these 7 things when it comes to laundry).
- Plan your meals and your grocery shopping list.
- Batch cook to save time.
- Set aside fun time with your family.
- Have date nights as often as possible.
- Speed clean on Friday so you CAN have the weekends free.
- Spend the weekends having fun.
Is there anything else you’d like to add that you think would encourage other working moms?
On the days you feel like all you can do is barely keep your head above water, I want to encourage and assure you that you’re already doing a great job. Read more here.
Where else you can find me online:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Google+
I’ve featured working moms just like you in my series A Day in the Life of a Working Mom.
We learn about what she does for work, her family life, and…her tips/tricks for getting everything done.
Subscribe to receive emails to be notified as the posts in the series are published. Read other posts in A Day in the Life of a Working Mom series.
If YOU would like to be featured, send an email to raki at outsidetheboxmom dot com.
More Resources:
Thank you for these great tips for balancing home and work life. I’m currently looking at the disaster that is my home, so those speed cleaning tips are going to come in handy tomorrow!
Great tips! Love the ones on “keeping everything together!”
Thanks Lissa! It’s still a work in progress. 🙂
This is great! I love seeing how other people do life. 🙂
Great tips there for balancing work & family life!!!
You are a pro at balancing work and life! I love that about you. You rock at productivity.