I’m Here for YOU – Here’s My Plan

I started this blog because I want to help other women (and myself!) become more productive and to feel better about themselves and their crazy busy lives. My hope is that we’re all able to find some sort of peace in the midst of the chaos of everyday life and to move, slowly but surely, toward a more reasonable and centered life. As a crazy busy mom of four homeschooled kids, I need just as much help as the next person with time management, getting dinner on the table, parenting, and doing it all. I have some tips and tricks to share, but I’m also hoping to hear from you, my readers, about what you need help with when it comes to trying to get everything done!

I don’t know about you, but my days feel wayyy too busy. There’s already SO much to do just to keep up with the kids, the house, the laundry (oh, the laundry!)… And the distractions are out of control, so it seems that there’s always even MORE to do, which leads to absolute exhaustion and a sense of always being behind. Between too many things to do and the imaginary pressure of social media to constantly do more and be better, most of us are feeling depressed, isolated, and just plain unhappy with our day-to-day lives. Most days I wonder if the chaos will ever calm down. Sometimes my “busyness” makes me feel like I’m being productive, but it never fails that, at the end of the day, I’m left wondering what even happened here, what did I do all day, and why did nothing get accomplished???

No matter how it may seem on the surface and how many printables, meal plans, and other helpful things you find on this blog, I don’t have it all together. Not at all. My homeschool days aren’t full of Pinterest-worthy crafts, my clean laundry pile is always out of control, and it’s a daily struggle for me to stay off Facebook and DO SOMETHING. I promise to let you see the real me, my real family, and my real life, and, at the same time, I promise to offer practical solutions for handling the messy situations as I learn WITH you.

Here at karishollis.com, you’ll find posts on many different subjects depending on what’s running through my brain at any given time, but most posts will fall into four core areas: time management/productivity, food, personal growth, and parenting.

Time Management / Productivity

You know those days when you get soooo much accomplished? The ones where everything just seems to flow, and you go from task to task with almost no effort and no Facebook breaks? My routine looks great, and all of the things on my to-do list get checked off.

Then there are those *other* days – the days when even getting up off the couch feels like an insurmountable challenge. I stay in my jammies all day, throw cereal at the kids for breakfast AND lunch, and pour a “screw-it” glass of wine at 3 p.m. I (mostly) enjoy it all, but I won’t lie, it can be overwhelming.

The goal is to help you have more of those super productive days in a row and hopefully get rid of that other type of day. We’re going to work on our time management skills together so that we can work smarter and faster (and hopefully have more energy and focus). I definitely still need help saving time, working efficiently, and getting more done. After all, time is our most precious resource, and managing it effectively is the best way to stop the overwhelm and make time for what you truly love and want to do!

Food

The number one topic of conversation in my house is FOOD. What’s for dinner? What does my family feel like eating next week? What do you want for lunch today? And so on… This is one area where I’d consider myself a semi-pro. I’m an excellent meal planner and a pretty decent cook. But do I LIKE making dinner for my monsters every single night? Absolutely not. I’m always on the hunt for time- and money-savers.

I believe that good food doesn’t have to be super complicated or expensive. You can create meals that you’re proud of, meals that leave you satisfied and make you feel healthy, Instagram-worthy meals, meals that will make you look forward to eating leftovers the next day. I believe that you can have all of this without spending a fortune, buying a bunch of new kitchen gadgets, or spending all day in the kitchen.

In this section, you’ll find weekly meal plans, easy (and healthy) recipes, grocery budgeting strategies, and clean-ish eating tips. I love to help tired parents plan and cook quick, easy, and affordable meals!

Personal Growth

Maybe you just want to wake up every morning and feel better about yourself. Maybe you want to entirely overhaul your life to be happier and more purposeful. Regardless of what you’re looking for, I’d love to help you increase your self-respect, self-confidence, and self-esteem.

You’ll see blog posts that will help you develop a positive mindset, set goals and build habits to get you where you want to be, create daily routines to increase productivity, live your life intentionally, and stop letting fear hold you back from living your dream life.

Here is where we come to the “journey” part of the blog – I want to grow as a person, hone my talents, overcome obstacles, feel happier, and improve my overall quality of life. I want you to come with me and grow along with me. Let’s become our best selves together, starting with weekly Monday Motivation!

Parenting

I have four critters that I homeschool – two sets of twins, ages 7 and 10. We’ve been homeschooling since the very beginning, with no plans to stop anytime soon. I know that homeschooling isn’t for everyone, but I love the advantages that it has given these kiddos so far, and the lifestyle is a perfect fit for us!

My ideal parenting philosophy is on the more gentle side, using positive and respectful strategies. I believe that treating kids with respect and kindness, managing my own stress, and connecting with the kids on an emotional level can result in fewer meltdowns, better problem-solving skills, and a more peaceful home. Again, I stress that this is my *ideal* philosophy…

Realistically, though, there’s plenty of room for improvement in my parenting. I’m a yeller, and I swear that my kids fight more than any kids alive today! We’re all imperfect parents, but I’m absolutely certain that we can raise good, kind kids despite our imperfections. I want to set an excellent example for my four kids about living life on purpose and doing it happily. And I want to stop the sass and tantrums, like, yesterday.

In Parenting, we’ll work together to focus on what you CAN control (hint: it’s yourself!) and learn some easy-to-implement positive parenting techniques for elementary ages and tweens, as well as how to stay consistent with both.

Bottom Line:

My blog exists to help you manage your time, be productive, and GROW into the person you’re meant to be while still working, going to school, taking care of the kids, and all that good stuff. I want to help get the hot mess under control and turn daily life into something that’s not just tolerable, but is joyful, restful, and meaningful.

Grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and settle in for a bit. I truly hope you find inspiration here. It probably won’t be in the form of gorgeous images and “pin-worthy” posts, but in this space, I hope you’re able to find REAL connection and inspiration and to be comfortable enough to share your own thoughts on this crazy, beautiful journey through life, parenthood, and everything in between. Let’s do this together!