My time management


I was recently asked a question on Instagram about my time management….how I fit creative time in and such.  It's a question that's been rolling around my head, not because I don't have the answer, but because I do but not in a neat package.  Every time I try to answer this question in person when it comes up, it seems like I'm always apologizing or backtracking.  You know what I mean, if I say I paint every single day then someone thinks I'm luxuriously lounging around, paint palette in hand.  It's just so easy for people to get the wrong idea. You must keep in mind, I have two toddlers right now.  So we're not in the infant stage (where I was exponentially exhausted every single day) and we also haven't started extra-curricular activities yet either.  So we're home more now than we will be in a different stage of life. 


My people come first.  Always first.  By that I mean Brett and the girls, and then my next circle of people which is the rest of my family, and last my community of friends.  If you can picture a large circle with three rings that pretty much sums up my time management.  

First I strive to make sure I'm a God-honoring woman, spending time in worship and the Word.  Maybe this is through reading the Bible, doing a devo, worshipping in the car alone, or walking in the pasture. 

Next, I strive to be an excellent homemaker.  To make our home a relaxing haven for Brett, cook delicious meals, and provide an interesting/engaging environment for the girls. I also want them to learn the value of hard work, completing chores, free time with nothing planned, and enjoying God-given nature at home too.  

I also include myself in the first ring of people, so that means I do make time for painting, photography, reading, decorating, and other little activities during the week that keep my mind and soul fresh.  My passions, if you will. 





The next circle of people are my family…that can mean my sisters, parents, Brett's family, my grandparents, etc.  I always strive to choose helping them or spending time with them above other plans or sitting at home blogging or cleaning.  People matter more than a mopped floor.


Last in my circle, is my community of friends.  A lesson I've learned is that actions truly DO speak louder than words.  If I want to have deep, satisfying friendships, I need to cultivate them.  That means I try to text those closest to me weekly (at least), spend time with them, pray for them, help them, etc. 

I'm not doing this with women by the hundreds…just a small handful of gals.  But you know what? Those gals mean the world to me.  We can tell each other anything, laugh or cry together, share good days and bad.  And they keep coming back to be my friend.  Not just a social media friend, a real life "I haven't showered yet, my house is dirty, want to come over" friend."


And I guess that about sums it up.  I manage my time by keeping the word PEOPLE at the front of my mind.  I will say, this also means plugging in to a local ministry or two, giving my time or baked goods.  I don't blog about that stuff a lot because it feels like it doesn't need to be broadcast.  But we do hunger to teach the girls the precious love of hands-on ministry. I wish I did extra well at these commitments all the time…but I don't. I'm trying though and through putting people first, have felt deep connections I was longing for the past few years.  I am known, I am loved.  I pray to do the same for those around me.

A not so fun part about this time management thing? It means I've learned to say no, or I'm not sure right now.  The guilt of saying no is showing up less often these days but I've had a lot of practice.  I often get asked to do things that look like good opportunities and might even be.  But if I'm using up tons of time creating free blog projects for someone or making a gazillion crafts for a cause that isn't directly placed on my heart, I'm ultimately taking something away from those closest to me.  

It doesn't mean I don't ever say yes to photography or art opportunities.  It just means it has to be worth my time, coming from a place deep within my heart, and sometimes….it means if I'm expected to do a whole bunch for free, I'll say no.  Money isn't everything, but I've gotten myself in a few jams a few too many times from saying "yes" to something I really should have been reimbursed for.  

Eeeeek, that part wasn't fun to write so moving on. 
(just giving you the full, honest truth)

As far as the logistics of my schedule, I do usually rise sometime in the 5:00 hour to get ready for the day, drink a cup of coffee, and read my bible.  Sometimes I'll even paint or blog for a few minutes, but not usually. 

Lunchtime is when I edit photos and nap time is when I paint/blog.  This has to be quick because Anna Ruth doesn't really take a nap anymore, just has some rest time. 

Night time is reserved for getting ready for the next day and Brett! We miss each other while he's at work and spend the evenings together, reading, watching a show, working on a project, or taking a walk.  We go to bed by 10 at the latest during the week….
and late on the weekend :) :) 

I hope this has helped! I'm no expert at this by any means! If you have more questions, ask away.
My exercise right now is suffering, a.k.a. "non-existent" but I did just plan out about a month of little daily learning/art activities for the girls and I to do in the late afternoons.  It is hard to find time to do all the things well. 

Overall, it feels like with my time management I'm usually doing "just ok" with most things, with a few (like exercise and my eating currently) falling off the bandwagon a bit.  There is always room for improvement and I've learned to be ok with that instead of feeling like a failure.  Nobody has time for that! 

My last bit of advice?  Keep some time free.  BIG chunks of time or little bits of time, but keep it free.  Where nothing is planned, no social media stuff is happening, you're just being…..

Little Artists (let them paint)

I wanted to call this post "Let them eat cake and paint" but then that might have gotten a bit confusing.  Did you see the beautiful canvas I posted yesterday that my girls painted? 
I want to share with you a bit of our process today, in hopes you'll be inspired to pull out the paints for yourself or your little ones.  Let me go ahead and make a disclaimer.  I know painting isn't for everyone, especially not for kids.  I know this because I've been told countless times why people don't let their children paint and I get it….kinda.  It's messy, but so is much of life.  

For starters, if mess is a concern, use washable paints and have your child wear an old shirt.  Easy peasy.  We don't typically use washable because of the limited color palette.  Instead, I simply have my girls wear an old shirt of mine or theirs and as soon as their brushes are done painting we immediately hold hands up to not touch anything and head straight for the sink.  Then both Anna Ruth and Betsy Grace stand and wait their turn to have mama clean them up. 
Ok, so now that we got the not fun part out of the way, let's take a peek at my precious girls painting!
This was a first for us because I've never had them both in the craft room with me at the same time.  I had the canvas (with tape down the middle to give each girl a side), paints, brushes, etc. all laid out ahead of time and simply moved the bar stools in before I invited the girls in to paint.


I didn't know if they would rush through this project, simply slapping paint on the canvas or not.  They didn't…they slowed down, took their time, and painted for a long time. At this point I don't typically jump in and paint my own canvas when we're using acrylics because I'm busy encouraging, washing brushes, etc.  But this is good groundwork for the future when I'll be able to paint alongside them. 

Egg cartons are my top favorite thing to put paint in!





Finished and hung! 
I want to honor my girls and their inner artists by having their art proudly displayed at home. 
I tell them that often…"You are an artist". 

You are too..you know. What will you make today? 

A little fall decorating..


Good morning! Whew, I sure didn't mean to stay away that long! The silly thing is I have piles of posts with photos galore sitting on the computer.  The problem isn't ever not taking any photos, it's finding the time and words to go along with the pics!  But I'm still here and am hoping to get caught up on some things around The Rosy Life this week!
The girls are so much like their Daddy in some ways, and yet so much like me too.  They discovered a new decorating book on the coffee table and oohed and ahhed over every single page.  What can I say? They come by it quite naturally.  With cooler temperatures finally peeking their head around the corner, I've been changing the color palette in our house from rainbow to just a bit more refined.  Too many episodes of Fixer Upper and visits to my sister's house inspired a more earth tone look.  Kinda :)
Pretty much everything in my home I've made myself, bought at the thrift store, or been given. Have a question about any of the decor?  Feel free to comment, I'd love to answer! 

My girls painted the canvas and I am so proud of how hard they worked on it!  I put a huge piece of tape down the middle to get them to stay on their own side without messing up their sister's. They got to come in the craft room with me to paint this and I'll share the precious process soon. 

I always seek to have a home that is full of interesting and beautiful things…as well as useful items for both Brett and I and the girls as well.  Really, anyone who steps through our front door should feel welcomed and free to touch and explore what is in our home!

So much life happens around our dining room table.  Science, math, art, eating, talking, relaxing…all at this humble table. 
In the kitchen I've enjoyed scattering my art and photographs around because I'm in here a LOT and they make me smile.  The stacked squashes were found growing randomly in our pasture.  Isn't that the coolest?!
Where we spend 90% of our time inside :).
This little nature spot is where we're collecting our autumn finds and pulling them out to admire later. 

I recently won this cute mug rack on Instagram!! I have wanted one of these for a long time and was just thrilled to win! Have you ever won anything on Instagram or on a blog? 

The favorites that fill our table are a thrifted globe, boxes of photographs to rifle through, a few favorite reads, pretty paintbrushes, and a little bit of the outdoors brought in. 

Are you changing things up for fall or leaving things alone? 
Where is your favorite spot to relax in your home? 

As always, if you have a question for me about my home just ask! :)
See you this week on the blog!

I've got a new blog! Come see. :)

Room for the Rosy  is my new blog. I hope you'll come see.