A Day in the Life of a Busy Mom

or how to make the most of your in-between time

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Hello friends! Happy Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday! As we head into this Lenten season I am so excited to be reading Bitter & Sweet by

Tsh Oxenreider

with my family. This book is perfect for my current phase of life with some big and some small kids. Do you guys have any Lenten season traditions you follow? Let me know in the comments.

Speaking of my current phase of life, I wanted to take a quick break from my Making Time for Art posts and share what a day looks like currently for me. Of course it’s not exhaustive but I always enjoy these little peeks into someone’s daily life. I hope you enjoy mine!

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I have been through many phases of life with my daily schedule. There have been seasons where I haven’t gotten up early for any quiet journaling time much less a shower. When you are in the midst of nursing babies in the night and constant mess of diapers, Early morning times are non-existent for mostof us, and that’s okay. It’s a season. During those years, those pockets of time where you can create are smaller but still there. And I can guarantee that the few minutes spent pursuing your own craft are so energizing they are worth making time for. Having stolen those few minutes for yourself can be a shot of adrenaline. Though being able to steal those minutes requires having a space ready and prepared for you to create in.

Here is a sample schedule in my life as a busy mom:

Get up, quiet Bible reading and journaling time, then shower and dress. 

Make breakfast.

Check kid chore charts, do my own chores and help any kids who still need help with their chores. Check lunch options and dinner plans and do any prep necessary. 

If all the chores get done before school starts run to my art space and add a layer, either collage or paint or sketch.

Start school.

Occasionally there is a gap in my schedule where I am not actively schooling someone and I can squeeze in a layer in my art journal then too. I’m always on the look-out for those pockets of time.

Wrap up school for the morning.

Lunch.

Mommy project time - I give myself 30-60 minutes a day to work on any project that needs doing that requires focus and concentration. This could be anything ranging from planning future school schedules, working on my own educational classes, making phone calls…whatever needs doing without kids. I also squeeze some personal reading time in here too. My kids are required to play or do something constructive with each other during this time.

Big kid school time. 

Catch up on any chores that need doing.

Snack time and family read aloud.

Free time for everyone. Usually this is flop down in exhausting time for me. I might read aloud, or read to myself, or just drink my cup of tea I tried to start at snack time.

Dinner prep.

Dinner.

Evening chores for everyone.

Bedtime, everyone is in their beds by 8:00.

At this point I am frequently exhausted, but sometimes I can push through and then I get a whole hour of creative time. If the physical exhaustion wins, I might get a whole hour of reading. 

My bedtime.

Rinse and repeat!