Happy Friday! I’m back with another installment in my Fabulous {Organized} Friend Series. In this series I’m going to introduce you to some of my FABULOUS friends. I want to continue to show you that there are many different ways to organize your life. We all have individual lives to manage and we need to make sure that we take into account our personal lives, especially all of the different variables that make up our lives. Rather it be – the size of your family, the amount of work you are responsible for (inside and/or outside of your home), your values, goals, and of course, your natural skills and abilities. This series will give you some different approaches, some fresh techniques and a picture of how different ladies take care of it all!
This month, allow me to introduce you to Sarah…
Sarah and I became friends about six years ago when our sons started kindergarten together. Sarah is the type of person who I immediately admired.
I admired her at first for purely shallow reasons. (She always looked put together, had her hair fixed beautifully and was very well spoken.) But then I got to know the real reasons. She is an intentional woman who has taught me first hand how to just say no. (And how to say no without any explanation.) She also has an amazing ability to prioritize and manage her life. Two things that I admire very much. Not to mention her home is a home you just want to hang out in, as her gift of hospitality is amazing. (Sarah, I’m coming over for dinner soon….)
BUT all that being said, she has been my accountability and mentor too. A true and authentic friend all around. We stay in touch and connect often, even despite the miles that separate us. And we also had the privilege of having her family visit us here in Portugal last summer, which was a SUCH a fantastic time!
Sarah runs her “Party of Six” with steadiness and a little sass! She maintains a beautiful home, keeps her family as her number one priority and is currently going back to school to get her Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Her beauty shines through and through. You’ll see for yourself…here she is and her wonderful family.
Give me a snapshot into you and your family. What does your “whole” life look like? Schedule etc…feel free to over share!
I have been married to my high school sweet heart; Greg for 20 years. We have two girls and two boys and one dog. This is a big year…..life seems to be going by quickly and there is always something going on…….Our girls will both be in high school this year and our youngest is finishing elementary school. Hannah is 17 and will be a senior at a small private school. Hailey is 14 and will be a freshman at our local public school. Hudson is 12 entering middle school as a 6th grader. And Harris is 10 years old; a 5th grader! Yes, you did the math right 4 kids and 4 schools this year! It will be CRAZY but what an exciting time for each of my 4 H’s. I am intentional about enjoying this dynamic season…..time is going quickly and I want to enjoy the laughs, lessons, memories and togetherness as much as possible.
What is your number one organizing tip you would share with other busy moms?
One of my tips for staying ahead of the day is to get up before the kids EVERY day. I use the hour or so before the kids start waking up to exercise, fold a load of laundry, shower, begin dinner prep and make my bed. I love to start my day in the quiet peaceful house and to accomplish a few things. It’s amazing how this time sets the tone for my whole day which I definitely notice if I sleep in and don’t get it!
How do you find time to plan meals and to grocery shop?
I do take the time to plan a weekly dinner list with lunch food options. I grocery shop a few stores and times a week. I also have a teen driver which has proven SUPER helpful for the “I forgot something can you run to the store and grab it” days! Mostly I have started making a list of dinner options because depending on time I know I have a list of meals that I can choose from. We are in a very FULL season with lots of sports, work and activities in the evenings but we have a high value on dinner time and do sit down as a family to eat every day. I will say however not everyone is always around the table and some nights we have extra kids joining us but dinner and conversations are being enjoyed for those who are here at the dinner hour.
How do your kids help around the home?
I have had lots of systems for chores over the years and have never found one that has stuck. That being said my “system” has always been that kids are expected to be helpful. “See a need, do a deed” is a Knakal family value. I ask for help often with dishes, laundry, garage tidying, garbage take outs, meal prep, table setting, bathroom cleaning and car cleaning. We all work together. In fact just yesterday after a very full few days the house needed a lot of attention so we all worked together for 30 minutes. My plan was, finish a chore and then check in with mom for the next one until the 30 minutes was up. We got all the beds striped, microwave cleaned out, dvd’s organized, laundry going and the microwave and fridge cleaned out. Everything did not get done but it was a great start and the family worked together for a common goal. Win Win for this mom!
How do you create the time to exercise and take care of your own health?
Honestly, this is a hard one right now! I have found that every time my season of life changes with school or recently home schooling I get off track. I am looking forward to the fall and getting into a better routine with my daily run/walks. My time slot for working out is early morning before the kids get up and it is a great way to start my day. This year I may try to rework my schedule and work out a few days a week after the kids go to school. We will see…..
What are some of your secrets to keeping a clean home?
My number one “secret” is……. I clean EVERY day. I have a one hour cleaning “routine” that I do every day and it keeps me on top of most household chores. I like a clean tidy house with all surfaces free of clutter. I like things put away but if you open a drawer or closet it may not look like Morgans :)……shhh don’t tell her I said that! That being said I do routinely purge, organize and clean out all the hidden places in our home. It seems to be a cycle of I clean it out, the family messes it up, I clean it out, the family messes it up……
What are your tools for managing stress and finding time for just you or time for just you and your hubby?
Managing my stress is a hard one but I do work on taking care of myself. Again my early morning time in a quiet house is key to starting my day well. Greg and I also go on a few dates a month. We both enjoy the time away and find it easier in some ways that our older girls can be home with the boys but with full kid schedules it is difficult to find an open evening. We also go on evening walks around the block which is HUGE because it gives us time to talk about our days or the kids or schedules or us…..it’s a great daily check in time.
What advice would you most like to share with other moms in how they can best live their lives with intention?
ENJOY each season you’re in! I loved when my kids were little, naps, snuggles and early bedtimes. I loved starting school and beginning to expand our world. I am also loving the teen years as they develop more independence. It takes flexibility to grow WITH our kids and gratefulness to be content in each season. I want to learn and grow along with my kids…..We don’t have it all figured out for sure but we are doing life TOGETHER and that is living life with intention.
I can’t imagine four different schools in one year (not even counting her own program), but for Sarah it will be a cake walk! And I’m so going to use that quote – “See a need, do a deed!” What a perfect lesson to teach my own kids.
David and I need to start taking evening walks stat! It can be so tough for us to have a concentrated conversation with the kids buzzing around, this plan could be a life saver for us. Also, I love that Sarah mentioned the importance of flexibility and continuing to grow. The more we focus on being content versus having it all figured out, the better.
I love your honesty Sarah, and your contentment that shines. You are such a beautiful example of balancing life with grace. I am so grateful that our sweet boys helped to connect us and that here we are six years later that much closer. Thank you for sharing a bit of your life with my readers and for being such a great example in my life! I’m so grateful for you. xoxo
