a day off

Wow - I really started 2016 off with a bang in terms of number of blog posts. After that initial flurry, I took all of last week off, largely because we were back into our routine and that routine can feel busy, busy, busy.

Today I got a break from the busy as our offices were closed in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Let me tell you, this was such a welcome time out.

(For suggestions of meaningful ways to observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, click here.)

I took my time this morning, getting ready, organizing some things around the house, and spent a little time reflecting on some ideas I've been toying with lately over lunch. It has been so long since I've had a genuinely free day and it was so lovely to be able to have the space to think some things through without my lunch break ending or a child waking up.

back to work again

This is one of those posts that I've started writing and rewriting several times. On Wednesday I returned to work after my second maternity leave. I had mixed emotions as the day approached, as I'm sure many new moms do. I was sad to be leaving Wells, sad that someone else would be caring for him, sad that I'll inevitably start to miss out on things, and sad that I probably won't always be the first one to know when he starts doing something new. It's not easy to leave Wells just as his personality is really starting to shine through. (In case you're wondering - he is sweet, guys. Really sweet.)

At the same time, I am looking forward to getting back into a routine, to jumping into new projects at work. And then there's the feeling of guilt that nags when I acknowledge that I am choosing to work instead of staying at home with my babies. And that makes it hard to.

Being a working mom is tough for so many reasons. Being a stay at home mom is tough, too. Both have their own challenges and I have to give a lot of credit to the moms who do stay home full time. I have loved both of my maternity leaves and I am so grateful that I have been able to work our a schedule that allows me to spend every Friday at home with them. That makes going back to work easier than the first time too.

The kids are taking to their new schedules like champs and this week will be our first full week of what will be our normal schedules. I'm sure there will be some bumps in the road but we'll get the hang of it. Until then, I so appreciate everyone's support and kindness as I return to work. Wish us luck and say a little prayer that all goes smoothly this week!

find: emily ley printables

As a working mom, I am constantly thinking of ways to be more organized both at home and at the office. There are tons of beautiful products out there for getting you life more organized.

Like:

The Day Designer. This gorgeous planner is meant to help you keep you on track for both your day-to-day activities and help you thinking strategically about your year in full.  I love the look but it will set you back $60.00.  Though, if you want to try it before you buy it, you can by downloading a sample page on the website.

The Passion Planner is another great tool that helps organize both your personal and work life. A free download is also available for this planner on their website.

Target also had a great variety of day planners this year and I picked one of those up with great intentions. Honestly, over the last few years, I've tried all sorts of different methods for list making, task prioritization, and day planning but none of them has been so good that they've stuck for very long.

Enter Emily Ley.

Emily Ley offers a variety of products from her Simplified Planners to notebooks to children's growth charts.

My very favorite thing she offers is her Printable Library. I started using her Simplified Day PDF a few months ago and it has stuck like glue.

Every morning when I get into the office, I use this sheet to start a list of to-dos and then look back at my sheet from the previous day to see what's been completed and if anything needs to be moved forward. After meetings, I use the same sheet to gather to-dos. It sounds simple because it is. And the simplicity has made it functional for me. I know that everything I need to do will be captured there so tasks don't get lost.

Since I started using them, several co-workers have noticed and adopted their use as well. That's always a good sign that something really works.

The sheet I use is no longer available on the website but an updated version is that includes a space for dinner planning. Another instance of incorporating both work and home life in one place. For your copy of the Daily Planner sheet visit Emily Ley's printable library and download a copy.

Her free printable library offers dozens of printables for everything from to-do lists to baby milestone tracking to blog planners and everything in between.

If you're interested in the full Simplified Planner experience, they are currently sold out but a new edition will be offered in May.  For all of the details, click here.

If you like feeling on top of things, I highly recommend that you check out everything that Emily Ley has to offer. Happy organizing!

What are your favorite methods or tools for organizing your life, at work or at home?

animal park and amigos

As a working mom, I don't get to spend as much time with Elia during the day as I'd like to. When my college bestie, Jess, mentioned she and her family were planning to head through town today, I jumped at the chance to take the day off and enjoy a morning with them and Ms. E. We decided to meet at Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park, and call up our friends Sarah and Parker to join us.

Boulder Ridge was new to all of us and has only been open to the public since 2011. When we got there, we were excited to find out that you could feed many of the animals. Parker, in particular, had no fear when it came to feeding the animals. He fed the goats, a camel, the giraffes, and even the birds (who Aunt Jess and Aunt Kate wanted nothing to do with).  

Owen did a great job feeding the animals too.

Elia spent most of the time huddled up to mom's legs. It takes her a while to warm up to creatures.

We also went on a safari ride, which was a hit with the kids. Elia especially enjoyed throwing her pacifier out the bus window. Oops.

We had a great time at Boulder Ridge and I can't wait to visit again.  Though, I might avoid the aviary next time. Who wants birds swooping towards them?  Not me.

After seeing all of the animals, we had lunch at Flat River Grill in Lowell before the Smiths headed out and Sarah, Parker, and we headed home.

It's always fun to see these college friends and I love watching their families grow up. Thanks for visiting, Smiths!

What a fun morning - maybe I should take more weekdays off. I like the sound of that!

heigh-ho

I cannot believe it is already time.  Twelve weeks have passed since my last day at work before Elia was born and today marked my first day back at work.

Yesterday, Elia and I spent hours snuggling on the couch.  She napped longer than she has in weeks, almost as if she knew that our daily time together was coming to a close.  Almost like she knew that spending the day curled up with her was the only way I could imagine spending my last day of leave. The day flew by too quickly and I could hardly believe at bedtime that I'd wake up and return to work, leaving the cozy little life we'd created over the past twelve weeks.

Le sigh.

(Todd says when you add "le" on the front of something it becomes French and therefore far more emphatic.)

Today I woke up with a heavy heart and got ready for work for the first time in three months.  I dropped Elia off at Grandma Joan's for the afternoon and basically ran out of the house in an attempt to stop the tears that were filling my eyes as I left. And then I got to work and someone kindly asked about the baby and the tears rushed back into my eyes.

Le sigh.

And then the day went on.  And more people asked about her and I told them I'd love to fill them in later, another day. And then I started to work and the heaviness on my heart started to lift, ever so slightly. And then the day ended and I got to see my baby girl again and that was good.

And we will do it again tomorrow.

I am thankful to have co-workers who warmly welcomed me back.  I am thankful that Elia will be well cared for while I am working both by my mother-in-law and the school she'll attend three days a week. I am thankful for a boss who is letting me take my time to work up to a full-time schedule and beyond thankful that I am only working partial days this week.

So back to work I go.  Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, heigh-ho, heigh-ho.