Happy Monday! I’m back to share another Guest Post on Motherhood (a little series to help me fill in the blanks on this blog until my maternity leave ends and I get back to my regular schedule. I’m so grateful for these ladies).
My guest today is Julia from Tag&Tibby. We met at Alt Summit a year ago and have been following each other on Instagram ever since. Julia has a unique story because she has just recently navigated moving with her family, so I was especially curious to hear her answers to my motherhood questions. Enjoy :).
Hi! I’m Julia. So happy to introduce my family! I’m married to Lee and we have two sweet kids: Bryce and Kinsey. Lee and I met and married in Savannah, GA. After we married we lived and worked in Kentucky as product designers then trekked further north to Minnesota. There we had our two children: Bryce (7) and Kinsey (5).
Last summer we made a big move from Saint Paul, MN to Charlotte, NC. It was a whirlwind for me selling our home with our two kids (Lee had started his new job). So much to keep clean! Thankfully our home went under contract in under a week. We purchased a new home in North Carolina, and are settling in our new community. Our son is on the autism spectrum and I worried about how he would do with the move. But with a lot of preparation and prayer the transition has gone well.
What I do for a living
I founded the site Tag&Tibby a few years ago to share simple home design ideas, DIY projects, recipes, and bits about our family. I love antiques and industrial vintage and I try to blend that in my site. I am also actively pursuing freelance projects relating to design and content strategy with larger blogs and magazines.
Routine!
This is the first year of all day school for our kids. So far it is going really well! We wake up at 6:15am, eat a quick breakfast, pack lunches and throw on clothes. I drop them off at school around 7:30 and am home to work by 8am. I eat breakfast and catch up on social media and emails.
I use a large white board in my office to check where I am with goals for the week and month. I regularly look for ways to improve my site SEO and write content for my blog. Being new to North Carolina I also spend some time each week reaching out to local magazines and creative network groups. Google calendar is synced to my iphone and I live off of that. I used to wonder what I would do with time during the day when my kids are at school. But I have yet to be bored. There is always so much to do!
I leave for school pickup at 2:15pm. While waiting in the carline I read my kindle and answer Instagram comments. We often go to the park or library after school, and I am home by 4 to do a little more work from 4-5pm. We finish our homework, dinner, baths, and bedtime and have the kids in bed by 7:30. (I am usually exhausted by then!) I have some time in the evening to work if needed, and I organize our children’s school papers for the next day. My husband and I usually watch a TV show on Netflix together and go to bed by 10pm.
Thursdays I volunteer day at my kids’ school in the classroom. I also do a Bible study on Thursday. That is my busiest day, so I block that off in my mind as a work-free day.
Secret tips?
I try my best not to do household tasks during the day. During the week my home time is time for work. So laundry and meal prep still happen in the evenings and on weekends (though I do enjoy buying groceries during the day without the kids!)
I find getting off the computer and visiting new environments (my favorite: thrift stores and craft stores!) is hugely motivating. I try at least once a week. It gives me a reason to get dressed, put on makeup, and talk to other adults. Every few weeks my husband and I get lunch together and talk about how our jobs are going.
Favorite Projects.
Hmm… maybe this one. I love vintage goods, and I think repurposing them for modern use has a lot of value. And I enjoy making things with my kids.
Thank you so much, Julia! You can find her here on Instagram or over here on her blog. More Motherhood posts right over here.
L was sitting on my lap while I read this post and commented on how every photo was “pretty” or “happy”. I’m pretty impressed about being able to handle two kids and a half-way cross country move. Thanks for sharing another fun blogger!