Here on MWM, I’m always talking about how to live with intention and how organization can really help you to better balance your life. And the other principle that I try to harp on is that there is not one way to organize. It is rather, much more important that you find systems that work for you and your family. Which is exactly where my new series was born from.
In my “Fabulous {Organized} Friend 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!
God has blessed me with many wonderful friends over the years and my heart just swells when I think about how each friend has touched my life. I am confident that when you see their “life snapshots”, that their lives will shine brightly. They each will be sharing about how they manage their homes and maintain their healthy lifestyles. My amazing friends know their stuff! I promise that they will inspire you, encourage you, and challenge you too!
This month, allow me to introduce you to Jacqui…
I’ve actually known Jacqui for almost 20 years. My hubby and I went to Jacqui and JT’s wedding reception, many years ago! And here we are still connected. She has been an amazing support to me over the past year and half, as she has been able to relate with me and support me throughout this overseas adventure slash challenge. (She and her hubby also did a long tour overseas.) So she has truly been able to be a bit of a lifeline for me, as she can easily relate to the whole “expat” experience. They are now settled in Portland, Oregon. I can’t tell you how much her cards and emails have meant to me. Jacqui has the gift of thoughtfulness and is one of the warmest ladies that I know. And she is just fun to be around period, we’ve had many good laughs together!
I realized Jacqui was an “Organizing Queen”, when I spotted how she organized her past year’s Christmas cards. After drooling over her terrific idea, I quickly went home and stole followed her idea and made my own! And I also know, from first hand experience, of seeing her often at the health club, that she keeps her health and fitness a top priority. Jacqui is the mom at the helm for her family of five. When she is not volunteering at school, driving for carpool, or squeezing in a workout, she is most likely with her “Tribe”. She balances it all with grace and a fantastic smile. And she is real, really, real. You’ll see for yourself…here she is and her precious family.
Give me a snapshot into you and your family. What does your “whole” life look like? Schedule etc…feel free to over share!
My family…we go by many names, The Thomas5, jt2con or The Tribe. But whatever we call ourselves, there is one thing I know for sure – the 5 of us are stronger together. JT and I have been married for almost 20 years and marrying him is the best decision I’ve ever made. CeCe is 14, almost 15 and almost a freshman in high school. Almost about to get her drivers permit and almost as tall as I am. LuLu is 12, and our lovely middle child. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a middle child, so I get it. Middle schooler, dancer, video maker and reader. Nate, 9, our little man. Nate is all boy. I had heard people say that before and thought “how could it be different from raising girls?!?” Little did I know! Nate is always throwing a ball, climbing a tree, building with Lego’s and keeping us on our toes. A few times a day I can be heard asking “Where’s Nate?” Our family became complete and crazy when Nate was born. JT and I became out numbered, JT and I knew our dreams had come true and JT and I have never been happier.
What is your number one organizing tip you would share with other busy moms?
My number one organizing tip would probably have to be to make sure everything around the house is picked up. Sounds big but it’s really not. Everything has a place, a drawer, a shelf or a hook and that’s where things belong. Not on the floor or counters. Over the years and after many moves I’ve realized that I get stressed out when things are just lying around. My house is not always clean, but it’s always tidy and clutter free. And that keeps me stress free. I love a good drawer clean out, clothes purge or pantry straightening. Less clutter helps everyone know where their stuff is (or helps me know where everyone’s stuff is when they ask!)
How do you find time to plan meals and to grocery shop?
I’m not great at this one…I find myself at the grocery store about 4 times a week. Waste of time, I know. But I am an efficient shopper and can make my list according to aisles so I don’t waste time while I’m there! I absolutely love the idea of the 5 of us sitting down at the table every night for dinner but it rarely happens. It used to, but not any more. JT usually heads straight from work to a ball field to coach baseball. I’m usually picking a girl up from practice and taking another one to a studio to dance and that all seems to happen around dinner time. This is what our season of life looks like right now. I do always have some kind of salad/vegetable and cooked chicken dish in the fridge or crock pot ready to grab when anyone walks in the door hungry. Not ideal, I know, so for now we eat big healthy lunches and hope to see each other around the dinner table again in the future.
How do your kids help around the home?
The kids know that it’s their responsibility to make their beds every day and keep their rooms and their bathrooms picked up. The older the girls get, there is definitely more stuff to pick up, especially on the bathroom counter! The kids put away laundry and unload the dishwasher, they water plants and vacuum. We don’t have a chore chart or exact system, we’ve tried all that over the years, but as they get older they have learned that helping out is just a part of what we do in this family.
How do you create the time to exercise and take care of your own health?
Working out has always been one of my favorite things to do. Whether it’s heading out for a run, taking a class at the gym or just popping to our “gym” in the basement and doing a P90X, it’s something that I try to do 5 days a week. And I really believe it not only makes me feel better but makes me be a better mom. I like to get to my workout done as soon as the kids leave for school. Obviously easier during the school year but I’ve also learned over the years that if I miss a workout, or 5, that it’s not a big deal. There have been many nights where I didn’t get a chance to work out during the day so I’ll run the track while the kids are practicing on a nearby field. And if I’m lucky, there is someone there to talk with along the way!
What are some of your secrets to keeping a clean home?
I don’t own a laundry basket…is that bad?!? 99% of the time we come into our house thru the garage and the first room we walk in to is the mud room. I love this room because muddy cleats get taken off here, wet swim suits dry here, back packs live here and our family calendar hangs here. This room is the hub of the Thomas house. But because we pass thru it so often and because clutter stresses me out, I like to keep this room tidy too. So a few years ago I realized that a laundry basket with clothes that needed folding could put me over the edge some days. So I ditched the laundry basket and now clean clothes come straight out of the dryer, get folded immediately, put into 4 piles and taken straight to their owner’s room. Between the 5 of us the washing machine seems to be constantly running so this is one task I keep up on.
What are your tools for managing stress and finding time for just you or time for just you and your hubby?
I spent this past year trying to figure out how to slow down time. With my youngest about to turn 10, I feel like life is going by so quickly and want to make sure I don’t miss out on a thing! Not with the kids and not with JT. When the kids were little JT and I prided ourselves in having all 3 kids in bed by 7pm. And we loved it! And we had time together in the evenings. But this past year with homework and sports we find that there are many nights when we’re all heading to bed at the same time! JT has always been an early riser so I’ve started getting up early with him. We have coffee together, chat about what the day looks like and enjoy a quiet time of devotion before the day gets crazy and kids wake up. I recently read somewhere “life is waking up an hour early to live an hour more”…and I liked that. And I like starting the day with the one I love the most.
What advice would you most like to share with other moms in how they can best live their lives with intention?
Live in the moment. Laugh out loud. Be grateful. Spread love. I think now more than ever I try to remind myself that this life is pretty simple and I’m super happy to keep it that way. I try not to over complicate things. I try to volunteer at school as much as they’ll take me. I try to be involved in a bible study and be around other Godly women. I try to make the people around me smile and feel loved. My life is incredibly full and I thank God each day for my blessings. And when the days do get crazy, and this is a crazy season, I just try to remember to enjoy it all and love the life I’m living.
I LOVE that she doesn’t own a laundry basket. I own about 33 of them, so I guess I’m making up for that difference. 🙂 And she mentioned two of my favorite things – tidy and clutter free (music to my ears). The quote, waking up an hour early… that is such a good one! One that I needed to hear in my current season of summer laziness…
But overall, I love how Jacqui is so authentic about the reality of accepting the current season for what it is.
Dinners may be on the fly, a workout may be squeezed in during a sports practice, but there are plenty of great memories being made! I am also impressed at how she has accepted her personal style – rather it be her style of grocery shopping or realizing that a folded basket of clothes was more stressful than the system of running daily loads and stacking clothes to be picked up. (Love that!)
Such a marvelous example of balancing health and home. Thank you Jacqui for sharing from your heart! You are a blessing to me! Lots of love to The Thomas5. xoxo
