Life Unboxed Blog

You secretly dream of designing your house like Joanna Gaines. Everything is white and black. It is clean and pristine. Let’s be real though, we have a houseful of kids that are home all day long. Your house is not going to look like the end results of Fixer Upper (as much as I wish it would). But as someone who works from home, you need to design a work space, you like, for remote work. You broke...

A couple of weeks ago, I gave a glimpse in the our day in the life. Well, what could fit into an 8-minute video. So for this post, I want to break it down for you. Yes, I am a homeschool mom of 6, and I juggle clients. Time is a rare commodity for moms.  Watch the video to see how we plan our week, the fixed items in our week, and how I plan each day. Also, I explain why I don't like all the...

As a busy mom, I wish I had more time in my day. Wouldn't it be nice if we could wave our magic mom boss wand, and piff, puff, poof, we have more time in our day to get All. The. Things done. When I first started my virtual assistant business, my husband made this observation. He said to me, “You are great at managing other people’s time but not very good with your own.” I was a little surpri...

Welcome to the momtrepreneur life coffee chat. This is a behind the scenes glance at what it means to be a momtrepreneur. This week, we put together a fun video on confession of a work from home and homeschool mom.  The mom life is not always glamorous and there are just somethings we don't like doing. I decided to share my mom confessions with you. Getting up at the crack of dawn because I r...

Mom, in Part 1 we talked about the different high needs babies and the emotional and physical toll they can take on you. In this post, we are going to get very practical on how to homeschool and work from home with a high needs baby. Mom, you are a momtrepreneur with a lot to juggle. It is already a balancing act to homeschool and work from home. But add a high needs baby to the mix, and it is a w...

Hey mom, grab your favorite mug pour yourself a cup of joe, and let's pull back the curtain and get a real life glimpse into what it means to be a momtrepreneur. From soccer games to science experiments that require a fire extinguisher. Life as a momtrepreneur is never dull. Sometimes we are so busy this mom life can feel isolating. But mom you are not alone. I started doing these videos for...

Babies are cute and cuddly, and their smile and coo and melts your heart. They also cry and poop, and get gas. And then some babies are cling-ons, velcro babies, koala bears. You name it. The point is they won't let go of you. When you put them down to go to the bathroom they arch their back and start screaming because how dare you walk away from them. Trying to work from home and homeschool...

Here is a slightly different coffee chat. I wanted to give you a glimpse into a day in the life of a work from home and homeschool mom. There is never a dull moment. Here are some snippets from the day of a work from home mom, homeschool mom, and momtrepreneur. From kids doing schoolwork to jotting down inspiring ideas on the go to the baby signing Friday because it annoys her brother. Trek with m...

Where do you start? You want to start your own business, so you can be home and create a lifestyle of greater freedom. After months or years of thinking about it, you finally decide to explore the world of entrepreneurship or momtrepreneurship. Becoming a virtual assistant seems like a great way to make money from home and be your own boss. So how to become a virtual assistant?   Show notes and li...

Join a mom book club is a great way to connect. To be honest, I am introvert so joining a group thing is not something that I do very often. If I am going to get out, I would prefer one-on-one over coffee. So in a group sharing my thoughts is not my preference whatsoever. But even for me, the introvert who doesn't do stuff like this, really gets a lot out of it and enjoys it.  If you are hesi...

Whether you are mom of toddler, teens, or somewhere in between. Every season with our kids has its own kind of busyness. Then if you run the gambit of age ranges, you are always busy. Let's add to the fact that you are working from home with kids. We are busy. It is always helpful to hear from other moms when it comes to their time management hacks.  Yes, you are a busy mom and you know how t...

Hey moms, let us pull back the curtain on the momtrepreneur life and get a real-life glimpse on what it is like to be a momtrepreneur. All the balancing and juggling that comes with it. Grab your coffee, in your favorite mug, and let's talk about how to work and school when everyone is sick.  I wish we could schedule in the best time to get sick. It would be really helpful to just write it ou...

Every mom has a war story…I mean birthing stories. And it is as individual as your kids. When you are pregnant and trying to figure out how you want to deliver your bundle of joy, it helps to hear other's stories.  There are a few things that I can look back in hindsight and think, "I wish I had done that a little differently." Not that I can change it, but I can share with you what...

It has been 1 year since I officially launched this blog. I first posed this question—how to make money with blogging, can it still be done—last year. Like all first year anniversaries, it is a good time to reflect and see what has been learned and the growth gained. I can only describe this past year as a year of growing pains. This has been an exciting and sometimes painful process.  Show notes...

Today we are going to talk about the 10 benefits  of teens in the home. Grab your favorite mug pour yourself a cup of joe, and let's pull back the curtain and get a real life glimpse into what it means to be a momtrepreneur. These are spontaneous chats with very few thoughts written in my notebooks. Being a momtrepreneur can feel isolating at times because we are so busy. But mom you are not...

Let's talk how to crush your goals for moms. This is the time where we pull the curtain back on the momtrepreneur life, and we chat about a topic…or two. Life is not always rainbows and Skittles, so I want to paint a very honest picture of what it is like to be a homeschooling mom and a work from home mom.   Some days we have awesome days, some days are bad days, but most days are just pretty...

Throughout our lives we have an almost antagonistic relationship with sleep. As a child we fight tooth and nail to avoid it. But as an adult, we no longer have the time to enjoy sleep as much as we like. Sometimes if feels like a cruel joke. The importance of sleep at any age is crucial for a healthy mind, body, and emotional well-being. Last week we talked about growing a bigger family, so it is...

After taking time off from the blog, I had pre-written content and pre-recorded shows. So I could really take a step back and take a break. When I started my time off, I had really big plans. I do not lack ambition that is for sure. The week of Christmas, I took off from all my clients. This would actually give me time off. One thing I know about myself is that I will run myself into the ground be...

 As a homeschooling mom of 6 (ranging from teen to toddler), a momtrepreneur for 7 years, now running 2 businesses, I understand the thoughts and feelings that are clamoring around in your head. Trying to answer this question, can it be done?   Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/conference-lifestyle-of-the-homeschooling-mom--momtrepreneur  ~~~  CHECK OUT LIFE UNBOXED MERCHANDISE AND GE...

Do you think about joining a homeschooling co-op, but you aren't sure how you can contribute? Are you fresh out of ideas for a co-op class? There is good news! You can easily create a class that you will love to teach and will be fun for kids too. And if you are hesitating because you don't feel like you have anything to give. Let me tell you mom, you do. Share your knowledge and gifts....

Grading. This is the dreaded task. You know the kind of task you need to psyche yourself up for days ahead of time. And grading for 4 kids multiplies this feeling by 4. Teaching multiple grades, figuring out the right curriculum, and keeping grades for school, it can get overwhelming. Keeping grades is not my favorite thing to do, but over the years, through trial and error, I've found a syst...

Today we are going to talk about the biggest question always asked by new homeschoolers. What about socialization? What social opportunities are there for kids? As a second generation homeschooler I've heard this question or comment for over 25 years.  Most of the time it is a sincerely asked question, but it is rooted in a myth.  Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/but-what-about-...

It is that time of year. You are probably shopping for books and getting next year's school schedules set up. Or at least thinking about starting. If you are just beginning your homeschool journey or looking for more tips on the best homeschool curriculum (let's face it, no matter how long we've been doing this, we are always on the lookout to improve) then this show is for you! Sho...

In 2020, everyone started asking the same question. How to work from home with kids? I've been doing it for over 5 years now, and we are going to talk about it. I am going to let you in on all my secrets to being more productive working from home with kids.  Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/how-to-work-from-home-with-kids-5-ways-to-be-more-productive/ RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE...

I wanted to give you some honest advice from a homeschool mom of 6. Being a homeschool mom and momtrepreneur requires understanding balance. Not the zen-like balance of teeter totter, but more like the balance of walking a tightrope. It is not easy, but it can be done. There is probably a whole lot more that could be said on this topic. But here is my best attempt to give you some honest advice fr...