Last year most of the tips I shared had to do with organization and time management. You can find all of the posts on this topic by clicking on the “blogging” tab in my blue menu bar. Please feel free to read the posts you may have missed earlier in the year and share them on your social channels so that they can help others as well.

#5 Time Management for Bloggers Part 3-Household Responsibilities

#4 Time Management for Bloggers Part 2-Social Media

#3 Printable Social Media Checklist

#2 Your Blog Needs Social Sharing Buttons

This post has had tons of social media shares and is just a few pins away from 100!

#1 Time Management for Bloggers Part 1-Writing

The post Top 5 Social Media Posts of 2014 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Welcome back! Thanks for all of the great feedback and shares for this series all over social media. I am so happy that you are finding these posts helpful! So far we have covered writing, social media, and household responsibilities. This week’s topic is something I am passionate about, Family Time. Why would we work so hard to work from home and then be too busy to spend time with the ones we love? It happens…to all of us from time to time, so today we are going to find ways to make sure we are spending time with our kids and our spouse while still keeping up with everything else.

For all of the ideas below, the main idea is for you to be present and focused. This means computer, tablet and phone are off or put away. I promise that the world will not end if you are not online. If the phone rings, check it. If it is from a family member answer it. If not, let it go to voice mail. Nothing is more important than your family.

Time Management for Bloggers-Family Time

For 16 years we homeschooled our boys, from age 3-12th grade for each of them. This was not just an educational choice for us, but a lifestyle one as well. Spending time together as a family is very important. A strong family bond lifts a child’s sense of security, identity and self-esteem. Here are some tips of how to work family time into your already busy schedule.

• Family Breakfast- If schedules permit, having everyone at the table for breakfast is a great way to start the day. Everyone can tell what they are most looking forward to in the day.
• Family Devotions and Prayer Time- Starting the day off with The Father is always the best way to set your focus for the day ahead.
• Family Dinner- Make dinner a priority family time, at least 4 nights a week while the kids are still home. Now that my kids are grown and soon 2 will be out of the nest, we are starting a tradition that my husband’s aunt does-weekly family dinner. Every Tuesday night, we will host dinner at our house for our kids and their families. This way, as long as they are in the area we know we will get together once a week. This is a priority on our schedule.
• Family Game Night-Once the kids are age 8+ family game night, ours was on Thursday nights, is a great way to insure some fun family times. Each week a different person picks the game(s) to be played so that everyone gets a turn.
• Family Movie Night-Works the same way as family game night.

Time Management for Bloggers-Time with Your Spouse

My husband also works from home so we spend a lot of time together Unfortunately, most people don’t have that luxury, so I am going to share some tips to making sure you are not forsaking your marriage for your blog.

• If hubby has to get up early to head into work, get up with him. Enjoy time alone with him at the breakfast table before he heads off to work.
• Couch Time-This is a technique we learned in a parenting class 20+ years ago and is wonderful for families where 1 or both parents work outside the home. When both parents arrive home from work spend 30 uninterrupted minutes on the couch. Talk about your days, snuggle, etc. Teach your children that this is mommy and daddy time and they should be in the room playing quietly, reading, coloring, building etc. Kids who know that their parent’s marriage is secure, feel more secure. Parents who spend time together like this connect hearts, unpack their day and are ready to jump into evening family activities with a better mindset after having some couch time.
• Date Night-A weekly date night is important, and you don’t even have to leave your house. There are lots of date night ideas all over the internet so I’m not going to list them here. Make time together a priority every week. It is important for your marriage.

Time Management for Bloggers-Time with your Kids

My goal was always to spend a few hours a week one-on-one with each of my boys. Sometimes that meant taking one of them to lunch and then grocery shopping with me and sometimes that meant playing Mario Cart over and over again. Even at ages 18 and 21 my boys enjoy spending time with me. Just the other night Aaron and I played Backyard Baseball on the Wii and earlier this week we spent the day together at Epcot. Jordan is on the road so I have to save up my time with him. We FaceTime at least once a week and we text a lot it is the only time we can get right now, and that is ok.

• Dates- If your schedules are crazy busy schedule dates with your kids. If you are having trouble figuring out what to do or how to schedule this time I recommend Family Circles by Doorposts. This simple creative tool will help you spend quality time with your kids each day.
• After School-When the kids get home from school, walk away from the computer. Spend 30 minutes sharing a snack and talking about their day. This isn’t homework time, it is family time. Once they head off to do their homework you can head back to the computer to do your work.
• After Dinner-Once dinner chores are done spend time with the kids or as a family. Read a book aloud, watch a family favorite TV show or do something together. During family time there is no texting allowed-by anyone to put the phones down and enjoy your kids for at least 30 minutes before they head off to their rooms to wind down.

At the end of the day, the most important thing you can do is spend time with the gifts God gave you, your spouse and your children. Keep in mind that your priorities should always be 1. God 2. Family 3. Job in that order.

I’d love to know your thoughts and ideas on family time, please leave me a comment.

Other Posts in this Series

Time Management for Bloggers Part 1-Writing

Time Management for Bloggers Part 2-Social Media

Time Management for Bloggers Part 3-Household Responsibilities

The post Time Management for Bloggers Part 4-Family Time appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Time Management for Bloggers-Schedule

In my first post in this series, Time Management for Bloggers-Writing, I shared my daily schedule with you. In that schedule I include 2-30 minute blocks of time to get my housework done. Yes, the bulk of my housework gets done in a total of one hour a day. Keep reading and I will show you how. I also include dinner prep in my schedule.

As I have said before, having a schedule is crucial to managing your time. If you don’t know what you are supposed to be doing at any particular time, you will probably end up wasting that time.

Time Management for Bloggers-Housework

Over my 22+ years of marriage I have tried several ways of organizing my housework. When the kids were between the ages of 8-17, they did the bulk of the housework, and it was wonderful! Now that Aaron is working 60+ hours a week and Jordan is on the mission field the housework has shifted back to being my responsibility. I have found that for me I need a not-too-strict schedule that will help me get everything done without making me feel stressed out or upset when something doesn’t get done. I am pleased to say, I have finally found that balance.

I came across a wonderful daily cleaning schedule at FrazzledJoy. She was even awesome enough to make FREE printable forms so that we can all organize our housework. The idea is that we have daily chores that must be done and then other chores that can be done 1-2 times a month. I used her template and created my own list which I even colored to match my kitchen. This list hangs on my refrigerator so that I see it often. I also made an arrow from a post-it note flag. I move the arrow every time I complete a box so that I know what the next day’s chores are.

Our homes and needs vary but this is what is on my list…

Daily Chores

• make the bed
• wash the dishes
• wipe the kitchen counters
• wash one load of laundry
• sweep the floors

Rotating chores

• Kitchen counters (deep clean), stovetop & microwave
• Master bedroom sheets, clean out refrigerator
• Bathrooms-mirrors, toilets, sinks &  floors (2x)
• Dust living room and clean off kitchen table
• Mop floors in kitchen, hall & living room (2x)
• Fold laundry & clean laundry room
• Declutter any area for 30 minutes (2x)
• Wash kids’ sheets, clean out refrigerator
• Clean desk, pick up master bedroom
• Scrub bathtub & shower walls (Aaron’s chore)
• Clean out car, wipe down kitchen cabinets and appliances

Some chores are done twice during the 14 weekday rotation. On one Saturday each month we try to plan a day to do some deeper cleaning that needs to be done but as you can see, the basics are covered by my schedule. If you are looking for more organizing tips and tricks make sure you follow my Organization board on Pinterest.

Time Management for Bloggers-Meal Planning

I have been on and off the meal planning wagon many times over the past few years. For the last 3 months, I have found a schedule that works for me and my family. I plan 4 dinners a week and schedule them on days that at least 3 of us will be home. For us Sunday we eat with our small group and we each contribute to the meal. Monday the kids go to church so it is just hubby and I so we usually do something light or leftovers. Tues-Sat there is at least one night where hubby is working or the kids or I have plans so planning 4 nights a week works for us. I found this great FREE printable that I use from Life in Yellow that works perfectly for me.

How I Meal Plan

I have a spreadsheet of all of our favorite meals separated into basic groups: Beef, Chicken, Pork and Pasta. I plan a month at a time.

1. I print and date 4 meal plan sheets and I add 3 meals to each list rotating between the 4 recipe types. I write all the ingredients under the recipe title.
2. I fill in the 4th box with a new meal that I have pinned on my Recipes I Want to Try board on Pinterest. This way we try something new each week and we decide it it gets added to our master meal list or not.
3. I file the upcoming menu plans in my household notebook.
4. I take the current list to the kitchen and cross off ingredients I already have on hand.
5. I look at the family calendar and decide which night we will be eating each dish and not that in the appropriate box.
6. I add other needed items to the list.
7. I check for coupon match ups for my list and I pull or print the coupons.
8. I put the list in my AnyList app which auto-syncs with my husband’s app and include notes about coupons.

My husband does most of the grocery shopping and he goes 2x a week. We are both self-employed with no guaranteed paychecks coming in regularly so we shop with cash on hand + coupons on Saturdays and Wednesdays.

I hope these tips have helped you get more organized and better manage your time. Next week we will talk about making sure we spend time with those we love.

Other Posts In This Series:

Time Management for Bloggers Part 1-Writing

Time Management for Bloggers Part 2-Social Media

Time Management for Bloggers Part 4-Family Time

The post Time Management for Bloggers Part 3-Household Responsibilities appeared first on The Mom Maven.

In last week’s post Time Management for Bloggers Part 1-Writing I shared my daily schedule at the end of the post. I spend a total of 2-3 hours a day on social media for blogging purposes and today I’m going to show you what that time entails.

Time Management for Bloggers-Linkys

The first thing I do every day is get my posts on linkys. I’ll be writing a detailed post about this in the future but if you would like to see which linkys I join check out my Linky Parties page. if you host a linky you’d like me to link to please leave the link in a comment. As I join a linky I also take time to visit-share-comment on two posts that others have linked up to that linky. Sharing posts from others is something readers appreciate because they see you as a giver and someone who wants them to know where to find great information. As you do these actions mark them off on your Printable Social Media Checklist. I am amazed at how much networking I get done between 8-9am without officially visiting a single social media site. One key to sharing other people’s posts is that they have social sharing buttons on their sites. If content isn’t easy to share, I move on and don’t bother to share it. Make sure you have Social Sharing Buttons on your site to make sharing as easy as possible.

Time Management for Bloggers-Social Media with a Timer

From 9-10am and again from 1-2pm I visit Google+, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook personal and fan page, Instagram and StumbleUpon. I set my timer for 9 minutes, I use the one on my iPhone, and then I share my post, like/+1/RT etc other posts and when time is up I close that window, open the next window, re-set the timer and do it all over again. All the while I am recording my actions on my Printable Social Media Checklist so I can see what I have accomplished.

I keep track of where I have shared my personal content by using the Social Media Planner from MyMaySunshine.com. This tool helps me share all of my posts and not just the “best” ones.

How Do You Find Content to Share/Like etc?

1. I share my own content. My daily post goes out to each social media site 1-2 times a day depending on the site.
2. I share content from my Tribe. My goal is to share each of my tribe mates daily posts on all of my social media sites.
3. I share content from my stream. as I have time, or things still to check off of my checklist I share content that is in my stream for that site that I think my readers will find interesting or useful or sometimes even funny.

When you aren’t scrolling through your stream randomly and when you actually leave a site when the timer goes off, you can accomplish a lot in 9 minutes twice a day!

I hope you have found these tips helpful. Next week I’ll be sharing about Time Management for Bloggers Part 3-Cooking and Cleaning. Make sure you are subscribed to TheMomMaven.com so you don’t miss it.

Other Posts in this Series

Time Management for Bloggers Part 1-Writing

Time Management for Bloggers 3-Household Responsibilities

Time Management for Bloggers 4-Family Time

The post Time Management for Bloggers Part 2-Social Media appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Before I share my daily schedule with you, I want to talk about what I see as the major areas that most parent bloggers need to manage, all of which I will touch on in this series.

• writing
• social media
• household responsibilities
• family time

Today I am going to focus on the task of blogging and over the next few weeks I’ll write about the others so make sure you are subscribed so you won’t miss a single post!

Writing

Editorial Calendar

As a full time blogger I am writing 5-10 blog posts a week. I could not do that with out an editorial calendar. After trying many different types of editorial calendars I found out what works best for me. A dry erase calendar and a paper calendar. I print out monthly paper calendars from CalendarLabs.com for 6 months and fill in all of the weekly posts I do (aka Mouse House Monday, Win It Wednesday and Friday’s Recipe posts) I won’t have the exact topic for Monday’s & Wednesday’s posts that far out but at least I know where I stand. Next I decide which weeks are going to have themes and write that in the left margin (Easter, Mother’s Day, Summer Vacation etc). Now I use custom imprinted wall calendars to add in any upcoming sponsored posts, giveaways or series I have committed to writing. Once that is done I add the current month to my dry erase calendar. Each category of post I write is color coded so I can see at a glance what is coming up. This calendar hangs right over my desk so it is always in sight when I am working.

Future Posts PlugIn

A few years ago a friend of mine introduced me to Future Posts Calendar plugin for WordPress. It adds a calendar onto your WordPress dashboard so that you can see when you have posts scheduled. It may sound like a silly thing, especially if you have a good editorial calendar but, since I write movie reviews which are often embargoed by the studios until specific dates, sometimes months after I have screened the movie this plugin comes in very handy.

To-Do List

Since you have an editorial calendar, your next step is to break your writing tasks down into individual tasks and schedule them throughout your week. I have tried several to-do apps to organize my blogging tasks but I have found I do best with old fashioned paper and pen. I like to make my weekly to-do list on Sunday so that I can dig in on Monday. You can use a small notebook and put each day on a separate page if you like. I choose to use the FREE printable “This Week” page from The Harmonized House Project. I write in my tasks for each day and I enjoy getting to cross them off as I complete them.

Dedicated Writing Time

What ever your schedule you will get more done if you have dedicated writing time and the whole family knows about it. My dedicated writing time is 11am-1pm M-F. Do I often write other times? Yes. This is not the time to edit photos or do research this is writing time. My “office” is in my bedroom and usually the door is ajar or open but when I am writing the door is closed, my phone is on silent and everyone knows not to bother me unless there is a fire, a death or lots of blood.

Dedicated Planning and Prepping Time

This is the time when I edit photos, create pinnable images, research posts, create outlines etc. If all of my prep work is done then and only then will I use  this time for additional writing time.

My Schedule

My schedule probably won’t work for you. I am sharing this so that you can get an idea of how I work in blocks of time to accomplish my goals. Over the next few weeks I’ll be going into more detail about what happens during each part of my schedule.

8:00-9:00am Linkys
9:00-10:00am Social Media
10:00-10:30am Breakfast, Facebook games and/or chat room
10:30-11:00am Daily Chores
11:00am-1:00pm Write
1:00-2:00pm Social Media
2:00-2:30pm Lunch, Facebook games and/or chat room
2:30-3:00pm Daily Chores
3:00-5:00pm Prep time for posts you will write tomorrow.
5:00-6:00pm Social Media
This is my optimum schedule. Due to other commitments I only follow this schedule in it’s entirety on Monday, Thursday and the first and third Wednesday. The other days I edit it to meet my needs and writing commitments.

I hope this post has been helpful to you. If you have any comments or questions please leave them in the comments for this post. My goal with this Time Management for Bloggers series is to help you be a more efficient parent blogger.

Other posts in this Series

Time Management for Bloggers Part 2-Social Media

Time Management for Bloggers Part 3-Household Responsibilities

Time Management for Bloggers Part 4-Family Time

The post Time Management for Bloggers Part 1-Writing appeared first on The Mom Maven.