Daily goals

When I first started considering the idea of me as a stay at home mom I'll admit, I was scared. Having worked full time since I was 17 years old, I am not used to being home day after day. One of the toughest challenges for me at the beginning was balance. I'd spend all day cleaning the house and cooking the meals and end up neglecting Cayden. Or I'll spend all day playing with Cayden and the dishes would pile up and dinner would be late. Then, I launched Mama Matryoshka and I had no idea it would take off like it did. I was so busy with my orders my blog was abandoned and I didn't have time to do my personal crafting anymore. Finally I came up with a plan that's ridiculously simple but incredibly helpful. Every morning when I wake up I write my goals for the day. I divide them in 3 categories: home, creative, and Cayden. By choosing a few tasks to do each day from each category I'm able to keep up with my cleaning, satisfy my creative appetite, and be a good mama to Cayden. It honestly makes everything really manageable and I rarely feel overwhelmed anymore. I also feel more accomplished every time I check something off my list which is a GREAT feeling! Because most of my readers and friends are also stay at home moms I thought I'd share this method and how it works for me! I'm sure each of you seasoned mamas have your own methods already, but here's a peak of how I manage!

Now I can check blogging off my list and begin the rest of my day! And if you have a tried and true system to staying organized and balanced I'd love to hear it!

Friday Favorites: Pinterest home edition

Pinterest is a constant source of inspiration for me, and home inspiration is no exception. From houses I like and organization ideas, to cute kitchen-ware, Pinterest has it all. Lately Mando and I have been planning our possible move to Oregon next year and I've been daydreaming about my own house with a yard and a fresh start for decorating. This week, Friday Favorites is all about my dream house and the things I want to put in it!

Honestly you guys, this is my dream house. It's small (I hate huge houses), it's quaint, it has french doors. Enough said right? I love the stone patio and I just can't wait to have a backyard space like this to have brunches in.

You know my obsession with lace and doilies, and I am loving white dishes right now (so ready to get replace my red ones). I think these white lace bowls are so sweet and simple.

I love wall art, and if it's functional too? Total win. This design would be perfect in the entryway of my home, because it has a place for mail, a place for messages and lists, and a place to store those things you're always looking for like scissors! I also love the wooden initial and hanging cups

I only recently discovered milk glass and I must say, I'm in love. This stuff has been around forever and most of it is antique. I really want to scour the antique shops around here and start up a collection. It would be so pretty displayed in a curio cabinet in the dining room!

I love creative organization. Painting the inside of your pantry doors with chalkboard paint is so clever and a great way to write your grocery list!

There's no hiding it, I'm 100% obsessed with bows. Put a bow on anything and I automatically want it. This bow pillow is so sweet but I think the gray stripes make it really chic too. Luckily, my sister is amazing with a sewing machine and she said she can whip one of these up in 10 minutes.

I love this. I want to put my bare feet on the soft squishy yarn and never, ever leave. Simple white rugs and hardwood floors? Yes please!

This living room is the stuff dreams are made of. Things I love: Aqua door, white couch, gallery wall, and BIG WINDOWS. I have ONE window in my apartment right now... ONE!

I've mentioned before how I love chevron stripes and aqua is one of my favorite colors. This duvet looks so fluffy and comfortable I just want to lay in bed and read books all day!

Now I'm even more ready to move out of this stuffy apartment. Oregon here we come!

(Also, don't forget to check out Alyson's blog to see more Pinterest home inspiration!)



Friday Favorites: Let's get organized

We're moving! Mando, Cayden and I have been spending our evenings and weekends looking for a new home. Our lease is up at the end of February which means we need to find a place by the end of next week in order to give notice on time! We've been trying to get into a particular neighborhood for the past 2 years and unfortunately we haven't had any luck so far. (It's next to a big, very busy university so all the small houses and apartments get snatched up quickly!) If all else fails we'll end up moving into a bigger, downstairs apartment in the same complex we're in now. Which is fine; I love where we live! It's a peaceful, quiet, very safe neighborhood. I just hate being so far away from my family!

With that being said, you can imagine how busy I've been getting the house ready. Boxes need to be packed and I need to get organized! Luckily, I'm naturally a very organized person, but since Cayden was born I've let things go a little bit and clutter has started to accumulate. Therefore, I've dedicated Friday Favorites to all the creative storage and organization solutions Etsy has to offer!


I absolutely adore this distressed wall mail key organizer. Mando and I have bills, letters, and keys thrown over the kitchen counter and this is a genius solution to tidy things up.




My mom has recently started giving me all her magazines when she's through when them. That means I have a towering stack of about 100 magazines in my apartment. Trust me when I say that I need this magazine holder!




Let me just get it out... I LOVE BASKETS! I think it is the cutest way to store things like toys, magazines, or books. These vintage berry baskets are perfect for that pile of clutter you want hidden.




This magnetic chalkboard spice tray is SO CLEVER! You can use the chalkboard portion to jot down your grocery list, weekly menu, or to-do list! All while keeping your spices organized!


I love these creative chalkboard weekly calendar decals, don't you? You can write your schedule and to-do list for each day and erase it at the end of the week!


I hope this has inspired you to get yourself organized and find creative storage solutions! Now send me some happy house hunting vibes! I'm gonna need it!