I've  been thinking lately on little things that make life run smoothly around our place. I reflect on them when things aren't going well and think how can I get back to that. I have these tips and secrets down pat but they are just for my specific children and situation we are in as a family as well complimenting my personality.

I find that by doing less each day is key. When i say less, of course I'm on my feet all fay long with the little ones but i mean, go out of the house less and schedule less things to do. I have found if we attend one thing in the morning ie a playgroup, music group or playground visit - i find the days go better. We come home at lunch time, eat and then all rest. Jet and Sariah will have a decent sleep, and Asher gives me about an hour to myself where he is in the toy room - listening to stories on CD and playing quietly. I reward him after that hour by having one on one with him until the others wake up.

After this rest time we will have a snack: either a smoothie, popcorn, crackers and dip or fruit. They look forward to making the smoothie and the popcorn and the 3 year old is happy to nap because he knows what he will get to eat when he wakes up.

Naptime is from 12:30 til about 3pm. From 3pm - 5pm its free play. The boys do whatever they like and there's a good chunk of unstructured time where they can just chill. It usually ends up being some kind of role playing with their super hero costumes on.

If we have something to go to in the afternoon or i have to run to the shops or something i don't feel as relaxed or chilled out in comparison to this free time. Since we have a trampoline now, we all have a decent play on there too which can tick off my 'exercise' goals for the day. Its a work out!

Its ridiculously hard what is required of stay at home ms oothers. To make it work better and smoother is my goal every single day. Routine is so key for us here. Everything we do has a routine, we all know whats coming next and i love it.

To make the mundane more managable too we like to plan family activities as often as we can. We love having friends over for dinner, beach trips and holidays away. Although money is tight, we plan to take the kids to a hotel once a quarter - thats a holiday 4 times a year! We all look forward to that so much and both John and I feel so revived from the little treat. We have been lucky enough to invest in a timeshare hotel so thats  how we manage to do it. Defenitely recommend this :)

We all need to take things slower - mothers and fathers and children. More to time to be still - not necessarily more "me" time. More time to be quiet and ponder. Other ways i try to incorporate this is by taking a bath once they're in bed, quiet reading of a good book when they are playing at a park or nicely at home, quiet music when we are driving in the car together (the classical radio station), quiet time for myself each morning before the boys wake up - reading scriptures and my personal prayer time, and something i look forward to every morning is yoga stretches and strength movements. It all helps me to manage my days and time within the chaos.

Loving life with our cherubs xo