The Balancing Act by @csgems

by Stacy Hayden and Carrie Andreas | Featured Contributor

There is no secret to the success of balancing motherhood and work, however, there are many women out there who take on this challenge daily and succeed. Balance by definition means “offset or compare the value of (one thing) with another”. We know that there is no one solution that will work for everyone; however, we have found some balance in our lives by practicing the following tips.

1. Have a plan and stay organized.

Our work time is precious and short lived so we cannot afford to waste time searching for papers or emails. Having everything clean and organized from the start allows for a controlled workflow. We also like to keep our family and work appointments on the same calendar so we do not overbook. We always plan for “work” time. Usually this takes place while our children are at school but setting hours aside each week to devote to work allows us to check items off our list.

2. Make a list and commit to it.

One of the hardest things about being a work-at-home mom is getting sidetracked by children, laundry, dishes and a long list of other chores. We both like to make a list each week of items that we would like to get done, both work and mom related, and then break those down by day.

3. Break out of the 9-5.

Being a work-at-home mom we must break out of the traditional thinking of office hours. We like to prioritize meetings and our trunk shows as much as we can for daytime hours, however, other tasks such as answering emails, editing pictures, writing blog posts and listing new items in our store can be done at any hour of the day or night. Sometimes we get up before our families to complete such office tasks and other times we stay up after our families have long gone to sleep.

4. Be present.

We think most moms would agree that they have a feeling of guilt at times when they are working and they feel like they should be with their kids and when they are with their kids and feel like they should be working. When we are with our kids we like to give our entire attention to them and when we are working we like to give our entire attention to work.

5. Take time to yourself.

It is very easy to forget about yourself when taking care of a family and working. Setting aside time for yourself allows you to rejuvenate and refresh. We both like to take time to ourselves to exercise or enjoy a spa day. A little time to yourself to reflect will allow you to come back to your work and family with a new perspective.

Working mothers are amazing at juggling many different roles and responsibilities. We are lucky to have so many inspiring working mothers in our lives who we continue to learn from daily.

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Carrie Andreas and Stacy Hayden are the co-owners of the on-line vintage jewelry boutique, CS Gems. They scour the Midwest and handpick beautiful vintage jewelry at estate sales, yard sales, flea markets and auctions. Their motto is to “make vintage modern” by mixing their vintage pieces with today’s latest fashion trends. They use their fashion blog and social media accounts to highlight their vintage finds with hot new trends.

They have been friends since junior high and decided to go into business together in 2013. Neither Carrie nor Stacy come from a marketing or business background, therefore, they have researched all avenues to teach themselves the ins and outs of running a business. They are learning to navigate the business world while juggling being moms to two young children each. They are committed to learning and love the opportunity they have been given to share their experience in starting up a small business with others.

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Stacy Hayden