Happy Monday, friends! We’re enjoying apple picking on our day off, and I hope you enjoy the next installment of Working Mamas!
Name: Jen
Age: 29
Children: Little Miss, almost 3
Occupation: personal trainer, indoor cycling instructor, server
Full Time or Part Time: Full Time
Work Location: A mix of both home and office
Where to Find Jen
Blog: Concrete n’ Coffee
Twitter: ConcreteNCoffee
Facebook: Concrete n’ Coffee
Pinterest: Concrete n’ Coffee
How do you find time for everything you need to do? What falls off your radar?
I try to prioritize on a list of 1-5. Number 1 on my list needs to get done but it won’t bother me too much if number 5 isn’t done by the end of the day. The first thing to go is folding laundry. We’ll go weeks sometimes just living out of laundry baskets until everything’s dirty again, then we fill them back up!
Describe your childcare arrangement.
I have a two neighbors who help watch my daughter for short periods of time if I have morning clients at the gym or if I need someone between when I go to work at the restaurant and when my husband gets home. Preschool starts in the fall, though!
What does the word balance mean to you?
Balance is a challenging thing to achieve if you don’t know how to tare your own scale. Some days, certain tasks will weigh heavier on you than others, so you need to know how to adjust accordingly.
What is your best time saving tip?
Baby wash! Sounds crazy, but I use it to take 3-minute showers because I can wash myself head-to-toe, then throw some condition on my hair, rinse and be done.
What is your favorite go to meal to feed your family during the week?
Chicken quesadillas: chop chicken into bite-size pieces, rub with olive oil and favorite southwest seasonings, then sear ’til the pieces are just browned. Toss in a jar of chunky salsa then lower the heat to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Layer your quesadilla with a tortilla (whole grain), cheese (lowfat), chicken & salsa mix, a little more cheese, then the top tortilla. Warm through ’til the cheese is melted, flip, serve.
Would you like to take a nap?
Yes
No
I’m napping right now. It’s called multitasking.
What are your top two pros and cons of being a working mom?Cons:
1. There is no such thing as “enough coffee.”
2. The guilt after having too-busy of a day to take my girl to the playground or to do anything else fun and not errand-related.
Pros:
1. I can justify our girly shopping trips 
2. Having interactions with other grownups in environments that have nothing to do with child rearing. It’s nice to switch out of “mom mode” sometimes!
Did you pump at work? If so, what was your experience?
Yup. I went back to work at the restaurant right at 6 weeks, so I was a milk-making machine. I’d get in, set up my section and do side work, pump before getting into my uniform, work the dinner shift, then run back to the restroom the second my last guest left to pump again. I was pretty matter-of-fact about it, too. Like, “Uh, just so you know, don’t touch that Medela bag in the walk-in cooler. It’s mine.”
Do you have any advice for a new mom who is about to go back to work?
1. Don’t get ahead of yourself: When you’re doing what you have to do at 9:00AM, don’t be worrying about what you need to do at 6:00PM.
2. Schedule “do nothing” time: On your Outlook, calendar, or personal “to-do” list, pencil in a little time (even 15 minutes), at least every other day, to really do nothing. Really. Nothing.
3. You can’t clone yourself, stop time, or rewind. So don’t waste time worrying about if you had more time or hands to get something done. You’re only one person and can only do what you’re doing at this exact moment!
***************************************************
Thank you so much Jen for participating in my Working Mamas series! Don’t forget to check out Jen’s blog and show her some love!
Want your working mama story featured?
Visit the Working Mamas page!
Previously featured Working Mamas
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Sometimes I still stink at scheduling do nothing time, but it’s SO SO SO important! Thanks for the reminder.
Amanda Perry @ Sistas of Strength recently posted..I Love Strength Training
Same here, I really should give it a try.