How I Manage Being a Stay at Home Mom and a Military Spouse

Sep 12, 2019

I was compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Nature Made® for this post. All opinions are mine alone. #NewLookOfNatureMade #NatureMadeAtWalmart #CollectiveBias.

I get asked all the time how I manage being a stay at home mom while also being a military spouse. If you're a military spouse who is thinking about having kids or just curious about our lifestyle, I'll be the first one to tell you that there are a lot of days where you will feel like you're in this alone. There are some days where I feel like all I'm doing is the bare minimum to get us through the day and then there are days where I'm straight up crushing this whole stay at home mom thing. It's okay to have both days. My goal with this article is to share how I manage being a stay at home mom and a military spouse and hopefully give you some helpful stay at home mom tips and tricks for military spouses to keep you motivated and doing your best.

But first, I want to talk about supplements and what they heck they have to do with my ability to be a good wife and mom. When we moved to Alaska, I knew that having quality vitamins was going to be something my family would need. Between postpartum changes and dark winters, I was really concerned about my ability to manage our household by myself while raising a super active baby. Nature Made® is the one vitamin brand I keep going back to over and over again. I've tried other brands in the past and was never as satisfied with them as I have been with my Nature Made® vitamins. I took the Nature Made® prenatal vitamins throughout my entire pregnancy so sharing their vitamins with you was a no brainer for me, especially with the new, more contemporary label and packaging change available now at Walmart. Plus, I love that you can pick Nature Made® vitamins up right at Walmart, which I swear we're always at these days. Nature Made® being available at Walmart makes it way easier for me to grab my vitamins and I can even order them online and have them sent straight to my door. And with the new label and packaging, it is easier than ever to spot Nature Made® vitamins in the store! Seriously, you guys, the first time I went to my local Walmart to look for my prenatal vitamin after we moved to Alaska I was so overwhelmed trying to find the correct one in the sea of labels. With the new yellow caps, I can easily spot the Nature Made® vitamins I need which saves me even more time at the store (something that is super rare when you have a 4-month-old!).

PS: Hover over the image below to shop and purchase Nature Made® vitamins directly from Walmart.com!

How I Manage Being a Stay at Home Mom and a Military Spouse

So, now that Nature Made® vitamins with the new label and cute yellow lids are on your shopping list, let's get into how I actually keep myself together as a military spouse and a new stay at home mom! All of these tips are habits that I *try* to practice daily. You may only be able to add one or two of these into your routine and that's totally okay! My goal here is always to simply inspire you by letting you know that you CAN do the thing.

WAKE UP AT LEAST AN HOUR BEFORE BABY

We've been blessed that our son is such a great sleeper. He typically will sleep from 7:30 pm to 7 am which gives me two nice chunks of time to myself. I like to reserve the evenings for spending time with my husband so in the morning I've been practicing waking up before Jasper does to get my day started. I just started actively doing this recently but it has been a total game-changer for me. I figured that since my husband's alarm usually wakes me up in the morning anyway, there really wasn't an excuse for me not to be getting up with him. Getting up an hour or so earlier (I shoot for two hours actually) *usually* gives me a solid chunk of time where I can knock out a few things that are just for me. I emphasize usually there because babies are unpredictable but so far it's working out for us, even if Jasper wakes up and needs an extra bottle in the morning. I have been devoting this morning time to getting in a workout or some sort of exercise and devotions/journaling. I realized I'm a much better wife and mom when I'm prioritizing these three things. Being able to check a workout off of my list in the morning has also increased my productivity throughout the day because I'm not dreading trying to fit one into our schedule.

OUTSOURCE TASKS WHEN YOU CAN/NEED TO

With a baby and the million and one other things on my plate these days, I'm looking for every opportunity to outsource things. One of the easiest ways to do this is with shopping. Whether it's online shopping, grocery delivery, or order pickup, there are numerous ways to outsource weekly tasks like getting the groceries. I don't know why it took me so long to try grocery pick up! When I'm left to my own devices at places like Walmart I get easily overwhelmed with having to juggle Jasper and a shopping cart. Knowing I can order my vitamins online through Walmart.com is such a time saver for me. Just make a note on your calendar to order them regularly and no more pulling your hair out because you forgot to pick something up at the grocery store! Living in Alaska also makes finding certain products difficult and the stock can fluctuate so being able to order the things I need, like my Nature Made® vitamins, straight from Walmart's website where I know they'll be in stock and shipped directly to my house makes my life so much easier.

DO ONE THING FOR YOURSELF EVERY DAY

Like waking up an hour earlier, doing one thing for myself every day is a new habit I've been trying. Some days it's as simple as just washing my face in the morning and taking my vitamins. I've been taking two of these Nature Made® Triple Omega 170ct supplements each day along with a few other Nature Made® vitamins to help make sure I'm taking care of myself. As I said, I trusted Nature Made® vitamins throughout my pregnancy with Jasper and I have continued to make them a daily part of my routine even after giving birth, I even have an alarm set on my phone so I don't forget to take them! Other days it can be as complicated as reading a chapter of a book or working on some sort of project. Whatever it is, making time for yourself is important for anyone but it is especially important when you're a mom and military spouse. Too often we can let our self-care take a back seat when self-care is the key to being the best mom and partner you can be!

How I Manage Being a Stay at Home Mom and a Military Spouse

WAKE UP AT LEAST AN HOUR BEFORE BABY

OUTSOURCE TASKS WHEN YOU CAN/NEED TO

DO ONE THING FOR YOURSELF EVERY DAY

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