Going Back To Work After Baby: Keeping Things Simple

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Four babies and five sets of maternity leave later (we had a miscarriage last year), I still feel the same way:

I wish I could’ve taken more time off.

In order to spend–and enjoy–more time with the family, we’re constantly optimizing and simplifying things. Think simple solutions, simple office workstations, and simple celebrations.

Simple Solutions

Let’s face it. We need some fuel, and most moms can relate with this:

Uncaffeinated days tend to lead to not-so-good days!

The solution? Caffeinate with your favorite beverage!

Coffee, especially in the form of mocha, makes my heart skip a beat or two!

The problem is, I sometimes can’t tell the difference between true love and a heartburn when it comes to my relationship with caffeine. It’s complicated.

Heartburn forgot to pack its bags when Baby 4.0 decided to make a slightly early checkout (39 weeks is considered “early” for our “late bloomers”). Heartburn decided to stay when PIH (pregnancy-induced hypertension), pre-eclampsia, and gestational diabetes had already made their graceful exit.

Then, things changed. We were introduced to The Purple Pill.

It’s no longer complicated.

Just one lovely purple Nexium24HR pill a day gives me all-day protection from my frequent, nagging heartburn.

Now, I can caffeinate…

I love purple. I love coffee.

As you can see, I had fun photographing these colors. If I could name this color combo, I would name it Bliss.

I found The Purple Pill at Walgreens. It’s the one right next to Panera Bread in Altamonte Springs, Florida (note to self: remember to stock up on Nexium 24HR before caffeinating at Panera).

A Simple Mobile Office

Now that we have coffee on board, let’s talk about my lean ‘n mean work setup…

I am blessed to have a part-time job that doesn’t require me to stay glued to my desk–at home or in the office.

But…glued to my smartwatch?  Maybe.

When it’s just not possible to “go dark” on your job so you can focus  on your family’s seemingly never-ending, unplanned, last-minute needs (raise your hand if you know what I mean), it’s imperative to have a mobile office setup that works–more importantly, one that is lean ‘n mean so that it doesn’t work against your favor.

Having a lean ‘n mean office setup that’s complemented by a complete website solution (we started using the Rainmaker Platform after our website got hacked), email CRM, and comfortable baby carrier (we love the Moby Wrap), is key to keeping things simple so I can still have time to “stop and smell the coffee” and be there for my family.

Of course, I would deploy a different mobile office solution if I plan on being away for a while, like on road trips or something like that. But, that’s for another blog post!

Simple Celebrations

Small and simple celebrations are okay–even in small spaces, like what we used for our Hawaiian-Style Coffee Bar!

Don’t you just love it when you manage (by God’s grace) to savor and enjoy the “chaos” at times?

There are times when we have just a bit of energy left within us to let out a big sigh of relief that communicates, “We made it!”

Then, there are times when we’re able to find a way to celebrate our daily successes–albeit very simply–amid our exhaustion and fatigue.

How about treating yourself to some coffee??

Stop and smell the coffee. Go ahead. Drink it. It’s okay–especially for us, now that we have Nexium24HR on board!

How about some ice cream??

Donuts, anyone?

Since there are 6 of us, any celebration (simple or otherwise) can turn into a party!

It’s the simple things.

Simple celebrations are great especially when shared with the ones you love.

With our family, it’s totally acceptable (and customary?) to swipe a scoop of ice cream from the hubby’s cup 🙂 Be prepared to lose a BOWL (or two) in return.

If you’re a visual learner like me, here’s a graphic illustration of what our simple modus operandi has been like, most especially after I returned to work since having Baby 4.0. We’re doing our best to keep it this way:

So, tell me, my fellow supermom or superdad…

What part of your life can you simplify so you can stop, smell, and sip  the coffee? We found our simple solution. How about you?

I’ll leave you with that thought for now. I’m going to share a cup of coffee with my hubby–heartburn-free!