Inspiration & Organization Archives - The Ten Thousand Hour Mama

Create a sanctuary at home: My January monthly resolution

January 4, 2018January 4, 2018catherinemryan

This is the first of my 2018 monthly resolutions. Up first in January: create a sanctuary at home by kicking out clutter, organizing like a boss and getting the whole family on the home organization bandwagon. Here’s how.

I hit a breaking point the other day in my home: We had just gotten back from a weekend trip to the beach, the girls were hangry and I was just trying to grab a book to read to them while their dinner cooked. But as I pulled out the library book, an entire stack of stuff—more books, artwork, a box of bibs—toppled onto me.

Having a disorganized, overstuffed house is not new to my family. We have more than we need, and I have struggled to get it under control. In the past, I’ve made progress and instituted systems, only to have the everyday chaos of kids undermine my best intentions. My house usually feels like this:

Not good.

Some folks flourish in clutter; I’m not one of those people. Although I’ve developed a tolerance for mess (thank you motherhood!), the explosion of stuff everywhere is a constant source of stress.

So for my first monthly resolution, I’ve set the goal to create a sanctuary at home.

Monthly resolutions: An effective approach to do all the things

January 3, 2018catherinemryan

Instead of making just one New Year’s resolution, I’m making monthly resolutions—one goal per month to upgrade my life, embrace my ambition and make the world a better place.

Monthly resolutions: The effective way to reach your goals and embrace your ambition without intimidating New Year's resolutions. Ten Thousand Hour Mama

I love the possibilities of the New Year: Seems like everyone has the confidence to tackle long-held goals and make the changes they know will help get them their best life. (In fact, I just wrote an article for Women’s Health about how to finally achieve your goals you make and re-make every January!) But this year, I’ve felt totally overwhelmed by the idea of New Year’s resolutions. Maybe I’m overly ambitious, maybe I’m scattered, but there’s just so much I want to do—and there are only 24 hours in a day.

I’ve been talking with friends about different approaches to New Year’s resolutions. One friend identifies a single word by which she wants to live. (2018 is “ease,” she told me.) Another friend sets New Year’s intentions. I like that these approaches have lower pressure than the typical New Year’s resolution. But I needed to figure out my own path to reach my goals.

So I sat down in a comfy spot on the couch, soothing music playing and tea steeping, to do some brainstorming. I started with a big question:

What do I want in 2018?

How to organize hashtags with a bullet journal

July 31, 2017July 30, 2017catherinemryan

A bujo spread to organize hashtags

Not too long ago, I went to a blogger and media event on the rooftop bar of Portland’s Altabira. Every single person I met—every. dang. one!—asked me what my Instagram handle was. And every time I had to reply I *cough, cough* didn’t use Instagram. (GASP!) Later that night, I signed up, which is to say I’m an Instagram noob. (Say hi over here on Instagram!) I knew I had to up my hashtag game—so I had to figure out a way to organize those #s. My first system sucked (as you can see below). Then I worked out a way to organize hashtags with a bullet journal.

Boom.

Network with bloggers—without feeling skeezy

December 1, 2016November 30, 2016catherinemryan

The internet gets a bad rap these days, with hateful trolls mobbing people’s Twitter feeds and cyberbullies toppling kids’ confidence like a tower of stacking blocks. But online I’ve found a welcoming, encouraging and supportive community of bloggers. It’s no wonder I’ve been wanting to network with bloggers in person, face-to-face, in real life.

Giving online high-fives, hugs and fist bumps is all well and good but, as I’ve written about before, meeting up with internet friends—and yes, even network with bloggers (it’s not a dirty word!)—off the computer feels even better. Plus, meeting up IRL is a wonderful chance to share ideas, collaborate, give advice and learn from each other.

It can feel awkward or even intimidating to meet other bloggers face to face, though, especially if you don’t know them well. So here’s a little advice to help you feel confident, prepared and excited to network with bloggers in real life.

How I organize my blog with a bullet journal

August 31, 2016August 28, 2016catherinemryan

I’ve always been one of those people who has to write everything down; that need has become even more vital since I became a mom and all my brain cells were sucked, zapped and fried out of me. So when I thought of a blog post I wanted to write, I jotted down a note in a to do list notebook.

I got more ideas. And more ideas. And soon enough, my ideas were so cluttered that the blog post list wasn’t helpful. The disorganization took a toll on my productivity.

When I actually had a chunk of time to write a blog post, I didn’t know where to start. I’d sift through messy list of ideas or click on the many drafts in my WordPress dashboard to figure out what I needed to do to complete a post.

By the time I actually got to work, I’d have wasted a half-hour. Busy moms and bloggers feel me: We do not have a spare half-hour to waste.

So when I started bullet journaling a few months back, I knew I wanted to keep track of my blog posts: ideas for future posts, posts in progress and scheduled posts. (Don’t know what I’m talking about? Read this beginner’s guide to bullet journaling. You might get hooked, too!) So I started to organize my blog with a bullet journal spread.

Voila: my BuJo blog post page.