OK so this is my life.
I get LOTS of requests asking how I do what I do.I’m honestly not sure why that is intriguing to people, but I if you want to know, I am here to share. I’m truly not that exciting. When other mom’s ask what I “do” and I tell them their eyes glaze over! LOL!
In fact people in our area have no idea what I do, or how big stamping really is. Heck most of our family doesn’t even realize how huge this hobby is to me. If you don’t stamp you just don’t “get it”. KWIM?
People are always wondering how I fit what I do into one day. I’m not totally sure! LOL! I just have a “system” and it just works for me. I am pretty organized, and I think that helps. I take one afternoon a week and give the house a full cleaning. By staying on top of it throughout the week it doesn’t get out of control.
Also I have an ear piece so when I talk on the phone I can either workout on the elliptical machine (blogger-cise) , or should I have to, clean or something like that, I am hands free. Its all about multi-tasking.
As far as the creative stuff goes, honestly the more you stamp and get creative time on a regular basis, the easier things just flow. I can’t explain it, it just works for me. My brain is so crazy with ideas that I don’t need a ton of time to get done what I need and want. I whip stuff together in under 30 minutes often, usually because I already have a stamp plan!
So here is my TYPICAL day.
6:30 – 6:45 wake up/shower/makeup/hair . My hair is super long and curly. Just wash, brush, hair products, scrunch and go!
6:45 – 7:15 make coffee, make bed, fold laundry, empty dishwasher, feed dog, feed cats, quick clean bathroom and glass tables/mirrors
7:15 – 7 :45 get kids up out of bed. Dressed, teeth brushed, hair done, make breakfast. Pack lunch/snack bags
7:45 – 8:10 get kids off to school
8:10 come home. Let dog out
8:15 – 8 :30 do blog post. If long winded add 15 minutes. OK so Im usually at this a half hour! LOL!
8:30 workout 40 min-1 hour
9:30 throw in more laundry, go stamp till 10:45. Toss Laundry in dryer.
!0:45 – 11:15 go pick up Noah & Amber
11:15 -12 :30 return home. Maybe run a quick errand. Begin to cook lunch and check emails
1:00 – 2:00 pm Afternoon craft time with kids.
2:00-2:20 vacuum, maybe fold laundry, and get snack ready for when Alexa gets home.
2:20- 3:00 Alexa home. Let her do craft and finish craft with the other 2. In the meantime Im talking to her about her day, and other stuff
3:00- 4:30 Mommy stamps!! OR has to run around to sports/meetings/ appointments. Maybe go for a walk with the dog
4:30- 5:00 Do my Fake it routine or if Im not cooking stamp till 5:30! LOL! Kids also doing craft in my room.
5:00- 5:30 cook dinner
5:30 – 6:00 eat dinner, then clean up, feed dog
6:00 6:30 homework or other school related thing. Read stories
6:30 – 7:00 Bath, brush teeth, clean rooms/house from any mess made during the day
7:00 – 7:30 Snack time
8:00 get kids off to bed.
8:00 – 9:00 do whatever I need to do that didn’t get done. Like cleaning, take and edit photographs of projects, maybe blog for next day……………….sketch ideas, whatever.
9:00 – 11:00 Jay and I watch our TV shows that we saved.
11:00 bedtime.
If I have to go to the store or food shop, maybe have an appointment, then you can cut out the part where I stamp. Or I just move my schedule around.
So that is what a “typical day” looks like, when all three kids are in school. Alexa is M-F 8am to 2 :20. Noah & Amber go for 3 hours . Amber only on M-W-F. Noah M-F.
During my time non stamping, I have a notebook handy so I sketch ideas for what I want to do when I get to my stamp room. I especially make sure to have a notebook/pen in my pocketbook so while Im out, if an idea strikes I can jot it down. Does this sound totally insane, and like my life revolves around stamping?
Yeah, I think it does. But you know what? That’s OK! Stamping is TRULY enjoyable to me. Its my sanity. The little corner in my life just for ME I believe its helped me cope with lots of things, and allowing myself that GUILT FREE time makes me a better everything, to everyone.
My kids even point out cool fabrics and say “Hey mom that would make a nice card” LOL! It gets their brains thinking creatively too. They have their own kit of supplies so they can stamp whenever they want, and not use mommy’s stuff! LOL!
I TRY to stamp daily, but that doesn’t always happen. Only in a perfect world.
BOTTOM LINE: Its all about a “system” and staying organized. I have lots of to do lists!! This keeps me on track, and motivated.
With family staying here, some of my schedule is wiped clean, like stamping, and filled with appointments and whatnot. More so than I thought it would be. I’m hoping things settle down SOON!!
So that is really all there is to my life. Not as exciting as you may have thought, but that is how I get it all done.
I hope that helps you see Im just like you! I juggle the house, the kids, the husband, working out, and stamping/design work, and a million other things into one day at a time. You can maybe make a schedule and fit something you want into it. Maybe it won’t work that way everyday, and the allotted times may not be exact, but if you have s system you can fit more in one day than you thought 😀
Thanks for checking in.
I am sure we would all love to hear a tip or trick to how you fit something into your day. Or how you keep the kids busy-while you get some MY TIME in!!!
35 Responses for "Look what I do with MY TIME"
LOL, It is so true we wonder how you get it done it a day, especially with all your fabulous projects, but you are moms just like us…she a “crafter” brain..lol
I workout during my lunch hour, and eat lunch at the computer during work..Stamp at night…if dinner can go in the oven or simmer..
I loved reading your schedule. Now that I’m working full time, it is harder for me to sneak in that “sane-stamping” time, but I do most of it on the weekend.
Because I’m gone for about 13 hrs a day, evenings are spent with the “boys” most of the time. But if it’s crunch time on DT requirements, they just come up to my stamp room and chat while I’m stamping.
WOW aftering reading this, I’m going to have to take a nap.
See now I knew that would be interesting to me. Thanks for posting!! I love that you incorporate your kids into creative things. I want to try to do more of that and you have inspired me to get organized and also wake up earlier!! Its so great to see you living your life and loving it!!!
k
Holy COW! I still can’t believe how much you CLEAN! My goodness woman – your house must be sparkling clean all the time! YOWZERS!
Good luck finding time to stamp with your house guests! I thoroughly enjoy reading all your posts!!!!!!!
thanks so much for putting your schedule up, it makes me feel more normal to see other people are cramming their day full too!! keep up the good work.
You are such an inspiration! You can really fit a lot in a day if you set your mind to it. You have proved that with your schedule. Love your blog!!
Lauren, I think you must be the poster woman for multi-tasking and doing it well! Wishing you the blessings of a healthy life so you can keep on keeping on!
You remind me of that card you made for your mom last Mother’s Day!
Cool – I always wondered how you managed your day. I’m going to write down mine – and compare the two and see where I can make some ‘mytime’ changes. 😉
Hugs to you, my super-woman friend!
Renee
HAHA I don’t think my family or friends know exactly how big stamping is to me either. But is really is my release. I am like you that I have 1 day to clean my house and then keep up with it every day, and my kids have quiet time in the afternoon which is my stamping time.
So I do have 1 question for you, where do you find your craft projects for your kids. I have been trying to find fun things I can do with them ecspcially with winter coming and us stuck in doors.
Thanks for all your insperation!!
Cool beans. TFS!!! I am bad at managing time and planning things. I usually am a fly from the seat of my pants kind of person. My husband is not. Trying harder to keep organized during the day wil make both of our lives happier.
ummm …. how do you get dinner done in 30 minutes? Please share … menus too! LOL
wow you are organized. OK, so how often do you really keep that schedule. But I suppose with the kids in school you can. My days right now are all over the place but my kids are 2 1/2. all of my stamping time is at night when the kids go to sleep so I’m usually stamping 9 – 11pm, unless DH and I have a show that we watch together. He likes to watch so many other shows I don’t that it works out well for me to go and stamp. but I’m always trying to think of ideas like you say during the day.
Lauren, WHOW! You are one awesome superwoman. I hope that on your weekends you get to actually sit down and “smell the roses.” I’m retired, with grown (& gone) kids and I don’t know that I can do what you do. I think writing lists is a big help though, so that’s my first New Years’ resolution. BTW, I bought both your templates and I absolutely adore them. I’m using the music one to put ’09 cd calendars into (A Muse cal. pages & cd jewel cases). I made the keepsake box and plan to put little whatnots into these for my Bible Study ladies. Thanks so much for making my life easier with these. Can’t wait to see what’s next.
Lauren your a Marvel!! I think the busier and more organized the person, the more they do. Always worked for me anyway. The saying is “if you want something done ask a busy person”. They always seem to manage their time better and all.
You are always so positive too! I think that helps definitely, To Be Happy with what you do. Thanks for sharing your schedule…
Wish I was that organized. Never happen in my household. I still have no idea how you manage to get everything done with all of the fabulous projects you come up with.
WOW !!! what a life, I’m out of breath just reading this..do it while you can girl!!!
Renée couldn’t have said it better. 🙂
Thanks for sharing ‘your day’ with us…with me being out of the house 9+ hours out of the day, doesn’t leave much time, other than when the kids are sleeping to stamp, but that’s ok, I tend to be a ‘night time stamper’ and do some of my best work in the weee hours of the morning 🙂 I have to have a project in my head though – otherwise it’s pointless…I’ll sit downstairs and stare and my self-healing mat 😉
Yikes, my head is spinning just from reading your schedule!
My kids are older (my oldest is 22, the younger two are 13 and 14- all boys). I used to be a SAHM when they were little, but now I work full time.
I am having a hard time keeping up with things around the house since I started working full time. Especially this time of the year until mid March.All my boys play hockey and between the two youngest one’s schedules we spend just about every evening at the hockey rink. They also have about 7 out of town tournaments between the two of them and it can get pretty hectic juggling it all.
So, I just do the best I can and if the house is a mess, I’ve learned to say “oh well”.
Thanks for sharing a glimpse into your life and for all those great projects! Keep’em coming! :0)
Anette (snowmom13)
When I’ve got lots of stamping to do or a class to prep for I throw dinner into the crock pot first thing in the morning!
The house smells like I’ve been slaving over the stove all day!
I need a nap after reading this too! I just hope my OH doesn’t read this page. I’m retired and it’s 10:11am BST and I’m in my dressing gown. You really are Wonder Woman! – My cheat is to take a few shirts out of the wardrobe and hang ’em up so when OH gets in he thinks I’ve been ironing !!!
I think that when you are organized and have a plan or schedule, it’s easier to accomplish more. I love making lists because I feel so scatterbrained most of the time and it helps me know what needs to get done that day.
While I was glad to see a breakdown of your daily schedule, I’m curious about your daily eating habits. Okay, I know that sounds weird but you’ve started a healthy lifestyle not too long ago and I’m curious to see when and what you eat throughout the day. I’ve had some unwanted pounds creep up on me over the last few years and I really want to take them off! My driver’s license expireson my birthday next year and my goal is for the weight on my license to not be a lie 😉
I love reading your blog! You inspire me as a crafter and a mother. Thank you for sharing how you do it all. You’ve now inspired me to get more organized with my time. So that I can stamp more of course! 🙂
OMG…I feel exhausted just reading all that!
I often wondered how you fit everything into a day!
It is amazing what us mother’s can do!
This sounds terrific! I had never read your “fake it” routine before, I really liked it! Thank you! 🙂
~Meredith
[…] sharing my “Look what I do with MY TIME” post I have gotten tons of requests for what I eat during the day, and what I do for […]
Kudos to you dear. TFS so much with the rest of us who sit in awe of all you do. You truly are an inspiration to many. Keep up the good work and may you and your family be forever blessed.
I think you are amazing and wow – can’t believe how much cleaning you do and everyday – that’s awesome.
I think I need to incorporate some crafty time with my boys – ages 3 and 4 – so I can squeeze in some stamp time when they get home from school and when I need to start dinner.
Thanks to you – I have also starting doing some sketching so when I do get some stamp time, it is actually productive time – thanks!
I know what you mean about carrying a notebook around. I always do and my friends and family totally make fun of me for stopping and writing down great color combos or sketch ideas! LOL! We can be standing in the middle of a department store, and I can be jotting stuff down in my notebook…embarrasses my kids, but helps me during those creative block times!
WOW! I’m a stay-at-home mom, so I know we find time for many things, but WOW! I’m exhausted just reading your daily schedule! : ) Thanks for sharing!!! Love the Breast Cancer “believe” candy box! Great idea!!!
Hi Lauren, thanks so much for taking the time to show us your schedule! It was so interesting to read it…like others, i can’t believe you fit in so much cleaning as well as everything else LOL…I admire how you only spend 15 minutes in the shower too! (And, Americans have to put their weights on their drivers licenses? Thats sooo mean lol..:)
Lauren, even reading about your day, I STILL don’t see how you get everything done! But that’s okay – I don’t need to ‘figure you out’/know how the sausage is made to love it! (((Lauren!)))
Lauren,
Thanks for sharing. I am sure a million e-mails have come your way and you prob. get tired of hearing “How do you do it?” Well now we know!
Keep up the great work! It sure means a lot to all of us readers!
Heather
wow! you get alot done!
Unfortunately I have the house that looks like the explosion…
I have 4 kiddos …
two in school (9 & 6) who think I’m their slave. I ask then to pitch in and i get “why can’t you do that” Ive tried treats, $, grounding them…
the other two (3 & 1), their favorite place to be is up my butt.
between them all, they can tear up a house faster than I can put a room back together. I,m really thinking of packing up all their toys and and some clothes so they don’t have anything extra to make a mess with!
any tips from successful cleaners welcome.
Thanks for sharing your schedule. Its kinda funny basically you squeeze it in throughout your day. LOL. Recently I have been carrying a notebook to jot down ideas which I think mentally prepares me before I sit down to stamp. Thanks again.
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