Motherly Collective

As a mother of seven, host of The MomForce Podcast, and founder of Chatbooks, a subscription photo book company, one of the biggest daily challenges I face is focusing on what’s most important right now. Between carpool pickups and executive team board meetings, I have to organize my life around the things that matter most. And what matters most to me is strengthening my family and helping others do the same. Here are a few tried and true ways I’ve been able to organize and simplify my days to maximize meaningful time with my family and also create space for some much-needed rest.

How to simplify your life in 5 easy steps

1. Cook super simple meals 

Cook recipes with no more than five ingredients. This genius piece of advice came from my friend and professional meal planner, Kelsey Nixon. By serving simple meals, there’s less focus on the actual cooking and more energy for meaningful conversations at the table. Family dinner is one of the best times to reconnect with your family at the end of the day. Plus, did you know family dinners together can also help your kids get better grades and lower their risk of using drugs? Cook recipes with simple ingredients to cut down on cooking time and have more energy for meaningful conversations at the table.

I love to cook so, even though I keep it simple most days I reserve Sundays for special meals. I involve my kids in meal-planning and prep, and we snap photos of everyone gathered together. This way, I keep things manageable during the week with easy family meals and still have a day for big feasts. 

Related: 10 deliciously simple 3-ingredient dinners

2. Organize your photos 

I can’t and won’t stop collecting the moments that matter most to me, aka I’m a total photo junkie! The 58,000 photos on my phone are proof, which is why I created the Sunday Select.

On Sunday evenings I go through all the photos from that week and favorite the best ones while also deleting the random screenshots and duplicates. I do it weekly but you could also do it daily—while you’re at the park, during bath time or at your son’s piano lesson. I live by the motto that something is better than nothing and when it comes to organizing photos, every little bit of effort will save lots of time when you’re ready to make your photo books. 

3. Make bite-sized photo album projects 

Creating one giant album each year can be a hefty project requiring time most moms simply don’t have. Instead, consider monthly photo books for capturing and celebrating the everyday magical moments of your family. Yes, you can still make a book commemorating special trips and milestones, but the moments that really matter in our family are the everyday rhythms and routines. I find that as I go through my days, looking to snap pics of the kids doing their homework, or helping with dinner, or snuggling with the dog while watching a show, I feel more gratitude for the wonder and mess of family life. 

Shrinking a photo project to a few moments in time minimizes the mental load, which we all need as moms! 

Related: Taking pictures captures more than just memories, mama

4. Multitask with a purpose

Part of being a mom is learning how to multitask like a boss! Sometimes, multitasking is juggling household chores—like switching out laundry while getting the kids ready for school, or tidying the kitchen while dinner is cooking—but I’ve learned how to sneak in some “me time” while multitasking too. I always look for two-for-one opportunities. If it’s time to organize the pantry then I can also press play on my favorite podcast. Or, if I’m logging on for a long meeting, it’s a great time to also get some steps in on my walking pad. 

Learning how to multitask with purpose has taught me that despite my busy life, I still have time for some much needed selfcare and you do too, mama!  

5. Journal for clarity 

With a busy life comes some clutter, but I’m not talking about messy counters, I’m talking about my cluttered brain! Like many moms, I always have so much on my mind: planning the days ahead, navigating everyone’s emotions, keeping all of my worries at bay and the list goes on. This is when a brain-dump helps.

I begin by writing down the things I’m grateful for. This puts me in a good headspace to get everything else off my mind and onto the page. Writing helps me purge the burdens of the day and allows me to focus on what matters most. My friend Laura Tremaine taught me that there is no one right way to journal and that sometimes writing down my thoughts and feelings is the best way to gain clarity and to me that is crucial in knowing how to prioritize my time. 

Related: 5 guided journals that would make a great gift for any mama

These simple tips have helped relieve some of the stress of family life for me. Adapt and implement these tips to suit your family’s needs. Now, there’s more time to soak in all of the magic with your little ones.

This story is a part of The Motherly Collective contributor network where we showcase the stories, experiences and advice from brands, writers and experts who want to share their perspective with our community. We believe that there is no single story of motherhood, and that every mother's journey is unique. By amplifying each mother's experience and offering expert-driven content, we can support, inform and inspire each other on this incredible journey. If you're interested in contributing to The Motherly Collective please click here.