Finding Balance: Dana of five30three
I hope you all had a fabulous holiday yesterday for those who celebrated! We celebrated by going to Home Depot for crown moulding. Woo hoo!
Anyway, I'm excited to be back today with a fabulous post from Dana of five30three. I found Dana's blog through a "hey, let's switch blog buttons!" e-mail that someone set up from a blog we shared in common, and I'm so glad because it's hilarious. You need to check it out. But read this post first.
Hi, fabulous readers of Milo and Molly. My name is Dana and I'm a yes-aholic. ("Hi, Dana.")
I also make up words pretty regularly. Like yes-aholic, as in someone who always says yes. But that's neither here nor there.
Yes, it's true, I have a hard time saying no...which is why I'm here today. No, I'm kidding. I'm here because when Kristen mentioned she was going to be doing a series on balancing I wanted to weigh in on this important topic.
Of course, she asked me about a month ago and right away I agreed. But I'm now finally getting around to this, so perhaps I should be talking about how I can't balance everything I have going on in my life. Or maybe how I'm trying to find some balance in my life now as a new mother trying to keep a household, adjusting to life outside of the workforce, volunteering with a few charities and blogging on top of all that.
The first thing I have to do as a yes-aholic is learn to say no. I love the experiences of taking on new challenges and interacting with people other than my six-month old son Jacob, but sometimes I feel like my blog (which makes me $0.00 annually) takes up too much of my time. It should be fun. And there are days when I put pressure on myself to write a post because all the younger twenty-something bloggers can post something cute and fun daily. But I have a baby. And a family. And other important obligations. So I am getting better at taking some time off when I need it and saying NO to other miscellaneous blog-related inquiries that I receive.
I know my readers will still love me if I skip a day. (Or two. Or three.)
The other thing I'm working on is prioritizing all the projects I always seem to simultaneously be juggling. Sometimes I know that dinner needs to be made, or the laundry needs to be done, or I have to make calls all day long to find a plumber who can fix my two broken toilets, clogged sink and busted garbage disposal all at once...in under and hour...at minimal cost. (Yeah that happened that last week.) And still I try to pump out just one more post.
If you're a blogger, you may feel pressured to put in just...one...more...hour to get that perfect post. But remember to take care of what really needs to get done first. Then fill up that spare time with those "would be nice" items on your to do list.
In fact my blog, which started during my insomnia episodes last December during the last month of my pregnancy, was supposed to be about crafting, home decor, recipes and other things that people would actively be searching for on the web. But I realized that once I had my baby, this was a delusion of grandeur. Instead I use my blog to document my daily life, which does include the occasional recipe, craft and wish lists for home items, fashion and accessories. Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.
The last thing that I struggle with is something I imagine that a lot of female bloggers may experience too. Getting the approval and support from your significant other. "Are you blogging right now?" my husband will ask, with a whole lotta unnecessary emphasis on the word "blogging". No, I'm actually paying the bills. And organizing our social calendar. And making sure the insurance company paid their portion of our son's health care bills.
But even if I were blogging, I'm lucky to have a husband who supports my hobby. Most of the time. The majority of the times when he tells me to stop is when he can see it has taken it's toll on me. "Dana, you're not getting paid. You aren't under a deadline. Nothing will be different if you post that tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the day after that."
And he's right. I think he's just always on his best behavior because he's afraid I'll blog about anything he says or does. Of course I wouldn't, but it's nice to know I have him on a short leash. #morepowertome
I know that finding balance in my life is an ongoing and ever-changing process and I'm getting better at keeping my head on straight, standing my ground, and making sure I take some me time whenever I can. For now, I will continue to blog about the happenings in my life, my fun adventures as a new mom and anything else I can fit in in my spare time. Well, when I feel like it a few times a week, of course.
If you're struggling and feel like you can't handle it all. Please know you're not alone. And if you so desire, feel free to stop by that little ol' blog of mine I've been referring to. But if there hasn't been a post up for a while, you'll know I'm taking such much needed time away with my family. I mean, how could I possibly ignore this little guy in favor of a blog post? I simply can't.
Anyway, I'm excited to be back today with a fabulous post from Dana of five30three. I found Dana's blog through a "hey, let's switch blog buttons!" e-mail that someone set up from a blog we shared in common, and I'm so glad because it's hilarious. You need to check it out. But read this post first.
Hi, fabulous readers of Milo and Molly. My name is Dana and I'm a yes-aholic. ("Hi, Dana.")
I also make up words pretty regularly. Like yes-aholic, as in someone who always says yes. But that's neither here nor there.
Yes, it's true, I have a hard time saying no...which is why I'm here today. No, I'm kidding. I'm here because when Kristen mentioned she was going to be doing a series on balancing I wanted to weigh in on this important topic.
Of course, she asked me about a month ago and right away I agreed. But I'm now finally getting around to this, so perhaps I should be talking about how I can't balance everything I have going on in my life. Or maybe how I'm trying to find some balance in my life now as a new mother trying to keep a household, adjusting to life outside of the workforce, volunteering with a few charities and blogging on top of all that.
The first thing I have to do as a yes-aholic is learn to say no. I love the experiences of taking on new challenges and interacting with people other than my six-month old son Jacob, but sometimes I feel like my blog (which makes me $0.00 annually) takes up too much of my time. It should be fun. And there are days when I put pressure on myself to write a post because all the younger twenty-something bloggers can post something cute and fun daily. But I have a baby. And a family. And other important obligations. So I am getting better at taking some time off when I need it and saying NO to other miscellaneous blog-related inquiries that I receive.
I know my readers will still love me if I skip a day. (Or two. Or three.)
 |
| Please forgive my mommy if she needs some time to herself. Love, Jacob |
The other thing I'm working on is prioritizing all the projects I always seem to simultaneously be juggling. Sometimes I know that dinner needs to be made, or the laundry needs to be done, or I have to make calls all day long to find a plumber who can fix my two broken toilets, clogged sink and busted garbage disposal all at once...in under and hour...at minimal cost. (Yeah that happened that last week.) And still I try to pump out just one more post.
If you're a blogger, you may feel pressured to put in just...one...more...hour to get that perfect post. But remember to take care of what really needs to get done first. Then fill up that spare time with those "would be nice" items on your to do list.
In fact my blog, which started during my insomnia episodes last December during the last month of my pregnancy, was supposed to be about crafting, home decor, recipes and other things that people would actively be searching for on the web. But I realized that once I had my baby, this was a delusion of grandeur. Instead I use my blog to document my daily life, which does include the occasional recipe, craft and wish lists for home items, fashion and accessories. Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.
The last thing that I struggle with is something I imagine that a lot of female bloggers may experience too. Getting the approval and support from your significant other. "Are you blogging right now?" my husband will ask, with a whole lotta unnecessary emphasis on the word "blogging". No, I'm actually paying the bills. And organizing our social calendar. And making sure the insurance company paid their portion of our son's health care bills.
But even if I were blogging, I'm lucky to have a husband who supports my hobby. Most of the time. The majority of the times when he tells me to stop is when he can see it has taken it's toll on me. "Dana, you're not getting paid. You aren't under a deadline. Nothing will be different if you post that tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the day after that."
And he's right. I think he's just always on his best behavior because he's afraid I'll blog about anything he says or does. Of course I wouldn't, but it's nice to know I have him on a short leash. #morepowertome
I know that finding balance in my life is an ongoing and ever-changing process and I'm getting better at keeping my head on straight, standing my ground, and making sure I take some me time whenever I can. For now, I will continue to blog about the happenings in my life, my fun adventures as a new mom and anything else I can fit in in my spare time. Well, when I feel like it a few times a week, of course.
If you're struggling and feel like you can't handle it all. Please know you're not alone. And if you so desire, feel free to stop by that little ol' blog of mine I've been referring to. But if there hasn't been a post up for a while, you'll know I'm taking such much needed time away with my family. I mean, how could I possibly ignore this little guy in favor of a blog post? I simply can't.
*****
Just look at that face. Seriously adorable.
I think those two little ones are a match made in heaven. Let the wedding planning commence! I mean, we need to start now if we want to lock in all the good vendors and location for their 2035 wedding. Thanks so much for having me, Kristen!
ReplyDeleteAwww, Jacob is adorable (as is his lady friend...)
ReplyDeleteTake it from one who's "been there, done that" -- you can't do it all and that little cutie is the most important anyway!
Cute baby alert!
ReplyDeleteI don't know how mothers do it, honestly. I can barely handle my life as it is, forget adding a tiny human who needs constant care. My hat goes off to you ladies!
Love Dana's blog & love this post. Sometimes blogs make life look so fabulous and we forget about all the time and energy (sometimes pressure) it takes to do so! My husband says the same thing :)
ReplyDeleteVisiting via Dana's blog :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post Dana! You are def great at multi-tasking and you amaze me with how much you are able to do. But it's true, at some point you have to say no. I feel guilty a lot and obligated to do things for people and I do. But it's not OK. I need to stop for sure.
Great advice and super cute babies!
ReplyDelete