About

Why Optimizing Mama?

When I came across the word optimize I thought it was a perfect fit for what I like to do. I like to look at things or situations and think about how it’s currently working and what I can do to make it work better. How can I improve the way things are running? How can I do it faster? Or more smoothly? Or more cost efficiently?

For example, after we went to the beach on Father’s Day I found myself thinking about what the stressful moments were during the day, and how I could minimize or eliminate those crazy moments on the next trip. Some moments are just a part of life with four kids, and I have to chalk it up to character development for me. But, some moments are avoidable!

To me, optimizing is not about perfection. It’s just about finding a better way. Some things are working well and don’t need changed. But sometimes I’m stuck in a rut and I’m just doing what we always do, but I need to stop and think about if it’s the best way for my family, or not. “The best way” may look different for your family than it does for mine, and that’s okay!

Why so many questions?

As a mom of four kids I feel like I have more questions now than I did when I had only one kid. I feel like I know less now than I did at the beginning… or maybe the truth is: at the beginning I thought I had it all figured out, but now I realize how much of parenting is not absolute; how much of parenting is navigating uncharted waters. It is much grayer than I would have admitted at the beginning.

Questions about parenting, disciplining, finding time to exercise, getting my kids to try new foods, meal times, planning, staying on top of housework but still finding time to hang out with my kids… the list is never ending!

Parenting looks different in every family. It looks different with each kid!

I have so many great moms around me that seem to have such great systems and successes. And I have so many questions for them. Probably too many questions for one person. And definitely too many questions for one conversation! That’s where this blog comes into the picture! My hope is to ask a different question every week (about life, health, parenting, organizing… etc.) and hear from you how you do things in your home. How you parent. How you are succeeding. How you are dealing with failing and how you are persevering?  My hope is that by asking questions, I can find better solutions to my struggles – and that maybe others can do the same. In a world full of judgment and competition, maybe this can be a place where we can come together, and learn, and grow.