Babies and Blogging

My husband is out for the night seeing one of his favorite bands, so I figured I would whip up a little post tonight.

One I my favorite times of the day is getting to chill with this little guy on my bed. I remember the times so fondly when Little Ox #1 was little and I would do that. I guess it is kind of a wonderful thing as the first and only child. Sometimes I feel guilty about not having that same kind of time with Little Ox #2. That's why, for at least a little while, while #1 is napping or has already gone to bed, I will sit on my bed with #2 and talk to him and play with him, just the two of us. 

It helps me to feel better knowing that he is able to get a little bit of one-on-one attention with mama! I remember with our first, peaceful nursing sessions - we could just stare at one another and "talk" the whole time. He had my full attention. Now, with #2, I am lucky if I can get through each nursing session without having to unlatch him to stop older brother from doing something crazy. So the alone time I get with him every now then is nice!

It is hard when my toddler wants my full attention when my baby needs it - and it is so hard when baby wants my full attention (or needs to be held, or fed, or rocked) when my toddler needs me! I love being needed by my boys, and I can feel guilty at times, but I know I am giving them both my best and loving them with all the I have.

I can't be the only one who feels like that when they have a second baby, right?!

At least this makes me feel a bit better. 

Organizing your Blog

One of my favorite things to do at the beginning of a new year is organize!

My family has a lot planned this year and it aids my planning (and sanity) to stay on track. Also, what better way to start a new month, than by figuring out what is in store for it!

As my family slowly adjusts from being a family of three to a family of four, I am finding myself needing to do things differently than I was before. Organizing our day keeps me and the children happy and focused. Without it, we might end up sitting around doing nothing all day - (which can sometimes happen).

Organizing my blog is another way I can control my time and make sure I am using it most efficiently. It also helps me stay on track with my goals and the plans I have for growing.

This might not help you, but this style is what works for me most. If you like using paper calendars, rather than your phone, this might be for you.

Here are some ways I have organized that help me stay on track:

• Post-its (or color coding) can be your best friend

I got a few ideas from other bloggers about how to organize a calendar and the one that popped out to me the most was using post-its (or other things) to color code to keep track of your categories. This helps because at the beginning of each month I can plan out my posts. The color coding is useful because then I can see which categories I am posting about too often. Each color is coded with a specific main topic on my blog - such as fitness, family, or how-to posts.

Here are some of the other posts I took my ideas from:

http://www.venustrappedinmars.com/2014/02/saturday-sessions-guide-to-blog.html

http://www.elizabeth-loves.com/2014/05/tips-for-starting-blogging-calendar.html

• Checklist Printables

I made these on my own because I was so overwhelmed by all of printables out there for blog organization. Plus - I loved being able to put my logo at the top to make it feel official - plus when you feel confident and happy, you are more likely to work more efficiently. The printables I made are a monthly and weekly blog checklist as well as a "fillable" daily to-do list and form for blog post ideas. That is so that I am able to write down ideas as soon as they come. Because I sure know that this mama of two forgets things moments after I think of them unless I write it down.

These blogs make free printables:

http://www.everydayenchanting.com/free-printable-blog-planner/

http://www.lambertslately.com/2014/02/the-ultimate-blog-planning-notebook.html

http://www.mamamiss.com/2014/01/01/2014-blogger-planner-calendar-menu-planner/

I love finally feeling organized and on top of things - since having a newborn can make things oh-so-crazy and disorganized.

What are some ways the YOU keep you and your family organized??