Since I left my studio, I’ve had to readjust to working from home and now – working while raising a little one. I am not only learning to work more efficiently on client work but also on house work. It’s definitely been a trial-and-error phase to see what works and what doesn’t. But I am realizing I am my most productive from 7am – 12pm so I try to schedule design work and emails for this time that way I leave time for meetings in the afternoon or evening. Evie takes a morning nap from around 8am-10am and then another at 1pm-3pm (ish) so I also have to work around those times. It’s been challenging but I have noticed by making a few changes around the house, it’s been a lot easier to be productive during the day.
ONE: Hire help for at least one thing around the house that will save you time – whether it’s a dog walker, a nanny/babysitter, house cleaner, ordering your groceries online + getting them delivered, someone to do laundry, etc. Whatever that may be, make it the one thing that you dislike the most…hire someone to help you.
Our system: We have a professional from handy deep clean our home every 3 weeks (I do smaller chores throughout the week) and have recently been using the bObi Pet, a robotic vacuum and mop that has become quite the hit at our house (especially with Bella). Now, I need to take a moment to let you in on how amazing this product is – our new bObi Pet not only inspired this post (thanks to the kind folks at bObi Sweep for choosing to collaborate with us), but it has been unexpectedly life-changing.
If you are like me, you can’t get any work done if you see crumbs on the ground two feet from you or dishes piling up in the sink. Well, the bObi Pet has been the solution to that problem, minus the dishes. I don’t even have to think about getting out our swiffer everyday, it just does its thing. We are still getting to know this new addition to our family and she (apparently she is a girl) is getting to know our home. It’s really exciting to watch her go around the house knowing the floors are going to be so clean after she makes her way around. 
I think one of my favorite features is this thing is like a 5-in-1 machine! She sweeps, vacuums, mops, kills bacteria with UV, and purifies the air with the HEPA air filtration (no big deal). My other favorite feature is you can set it up to clean at a certain time, so in the morning if you want bObi to clean while you are making breakfast, then set it for that time. Bella and Evie really enjoy following her around the house, it’s really entertaining! The only downside I’ve seen so far is that she is strong enough to push lightweight furniture, but that’s not a big deal.
TWO: Clean your work area and clean up the kitchen before you go to bed. Guys, this is HUGE. Cody and I do our best to clean up the kitchen before going to bed and I notice a big difference in my productivity in the morning when I go to make coffee and our kitchen is clean.
THREE: Find a system that works for you. I have been using Evernote for the past 2 years and absolutely love it. So much so that I pay for the premium option every year for my business. I can’t remember if I have shared my love for Evernote on the blog or not, but it’s been the best organizational tool for me. If you are like me you tend to remember something randomly and need somewhere to write (ehhh, type?) it down, and I always have my phone so I can easily access Evernote and it will sync with my computer and ipad. I share “notebooks” with my intern and can create to-do lists that she can actually check-off so I can see what has been accomplished. It’s so easy to share photos, ideas, URLs to sites I want to refer back to, etc. Anyway, all of this to say (and no I am not being paid for this), find a system that works best for you when it comes to organizing your work. I have also found that if I put my phone on airplane mode, I can really focus on certain projects.
FOUR: Act like you are leaving the house. This is proven to work…. by me. The days I get up and get ready like I am leaving to go to work, I am about 60% more productive. Haha I don’t know if it’s 60% but I felt like I needed to give a percentage to sound more legitimate. Anyway, get up, brush your teeth, fix your hair and put on a little makeup (or not, men that read this blog). I promise, it works.
FIVE: Take breaks and stock up on healthy snacks + drinks. When I take a break, it includes playing with Evie, feeding her, taking Bella out, making lunch or dinner and they are nice breathers in between working. These help fuel those moments when I need to put my head down and really work.
Also, for your entertainment, I cut Bella’s hair and laid it out to show you how great this bObi pet is…
This post was inspired by my new bObi Pet that was gifted to me by the bObsweep team, thank you as always for supporting brands that I support. Opinions are my own!