I’ll be the first to admit, when I finally took on the title of stay at home mom, I was a tiny bit worried. Even though I dreamed of this my whole life, one question weighed on my mind heavily.

What am I supposed to do all day?

While anyone with a newborn can tell you you’ll be constantly tending to babies needs all day, there comes a point where you have down time. And in this down time you have no clue what to fill it with. As a mom, you become an expert at multitasking. When baby is napping or playing, it is so tempting to spend that free time watching Netflix or scrolling through Facebook. I say this from experience, after doing this for a bit it gets old. There’s only so many shows to watch and only so many crazy Mom group’s posts you can handle. Here is how you can spend your time not only more productively, but also to reserve your sanity.

Housework

I’ll just get the not so fun one out of the way, but doing housework is a huge stress reliever for me. Having an empty sink and clean floors makes me feel more relaxed and like I have myself together. Your house isn’t going to clean itself (oh but a girl could dream) and you’ll be able to enjoy your day so much more. Think of it this way, your home is not just your house. It’s also your place of work, so keeping it clean and tidy will lead to a more productive day. I’ll be doing a cleaning routine post soon, but dividing up tasks to do daily and weekly helps big time!

Exercise

Oh I thought you said extra fries! (Anyone else constantly hungry after having your baby?!) A lot of moms have developed a love for exercising, which can come in so many forms. If you have a toddler, you are surely getting a work out in running after them all day. But, taking some time to do stretches, yoga, or going for a family walk can be good for the soul. Especially for those like me who are major homebodies, getting outdoors will keep you sane. Although with it being winter now, you can still do in home activities. A great and free resource is watching YouTube workouts. It feels much less lonely having someone working out with you essentially and maybe even your kiddos will join in and watch too. I’m picking up yoga personally because I’ve found it to be a big stress reliever.

Leggings c/o Shop Pink Blush (y’all these leggings are fleece lined!!! If you’re a mama on the go, you need these in your life. They are so comfy to work out in too!)

Find a hobby

This one is so broad and is tailored to each person individually. I’m a Pinterest addict. What I found is I love trying out new recipes, and I found a hobby of cooking. This was the last thing I saw myself doing, but it stemmed from me being addicted to an app and turned into a passion. Do you like to craft? Find some cheap diy crafts for decor or for your kid’s rooms. Enjoy makeup? Film a makeup tutorial and share it. The possibilities are endless and you can turn it into something that you look forward to doing everyday. Think about things you enjoy and how you can make them a hobby of yours. I know I’ve read from moms who struggle to find their hobbies and claim to have no “skills”. If you fit into that category, some suggestions would be to pick up reading or listening to podcasts. Creating scrapbooks of you and your children can be keepsakes.

Start a Business

We all like making a little extra dollars right? Start your own business! I plan on starting one soon (shh… details to come later!), and this is a great way to not only combine your passions and hobbies to keep you busy; but also allows you to contribute to the household which is a whole other level of fulfillment. Is your hobby to sew, crochet, or craft? Start an Etsy, or sell from Instagram or Facebook! You could also start your own clothing company either by sewing yourself or buying wholesale.

Have a service you can offer? A great way you can make money is to start watching kids! A lot of Moms steer clear of daycares and want a more home environment for their little ones. Watching a few kids could not only bring in money, but also help keep your own babes socialized and help out a local mama. You can list yourself on care.com, or make a post in local Facebook groups!

Get Outdoors

Just because we are stay at HOME moms, doesn’t mean we can’t get out of the house! Get yourself some fresh air and do something outside. My little one loves to be pushed in her stroller, and I love it because I’m getting a great combo of exercise, fresh air, and possibly a napping baby, too. Going for walks, mini hike, bike, and a trip to the park are all great ways to get out. Now, I live in Colorado so going outside isn’t always doable. But letting in some sunshine can really help curb the insanity, because it can feel daunting to be inside all the time. You can even start planning a trip to the zoo, aquarium, library, anything that gets you out is huge as a stay at home mom! (I totally count going to the grocery store as my outing! lol)

Start a Journal

Start writing! I have found a lot of solace in writing this blog. Not only is it so great for the journaling and memory saving, but it gives me an outlet. I have been blogging for a few years now, but after having my baby I found myself needing to blog to stay connected, and it’s my main income now. Blogging isn’t for everyone, as I know a lot of people don’t have an interest in sharing their lives online. You could keep a private blog, or go the traditional route and start writing in a journal! Write down what happened that day, keep track of how much water you are drinking, or even explore the world of bullet journaling! I think it is so fascinating, and I wish I had good handwriting where I could make it all pretty ha ha! Here is a great post on how to get started.

Stay Busy

Sounds easy to do as a mom chasing littles around right? But, you’ll find yourself sitting around during nap time and thinking… okay now what? Puzzles sound super boring, but they are actually a lot of fun and keep your brain active. A blog called A Mother Far from Home made an excellent list of hobbies that I’ll link here. Staying busy is easy, especially if you write out a list of things that need to get done. My husband and I call it a “honey do list”, and it’s basically things that need to get done. Maybe it’s fixing a chair leg, sorting through baby’s clothes and putting away the ones they’ve outgrown, or even sorting recyclables.

These are all things that need to get done eventually, so why not do it now? I found myself making excuses and saying oh well I can read my Bible later, I’ll just watch one more episode of Shark Tank (guilty pleasure). But in all reality, I have all the time in the world and try to hold myself more accountable. This can go for education too! If you don’t have the time, money, or want to go to college full time; check out what you can do online! Groupon has a lot of online classes where you can learn how to do photography, paint, or learn graphic design for very cheap.

Join a Mom Group

How amazing that groups like this exist?! A lot of communities hold local meet ups and playdates for moms and their kiddos.You can find these on your city’s website or posted on bulletins around town. BUT, if you are introverted, can never make it out of the house to them, or struggle because you are new to your area… Join a virtual one! This is great for those of us to hang out during late night feedings, when you are absolutely bored and your kids are running around like tornadoes, or when you need advice for how to stay busy that day.Think of it as a virtually mommy group/playdate!  I hope you all can join and find solace that you are not alone. Mommin’ is tough, but you will make lots of friends going through the same things you are!