Instagram can be a really inspiring community, don’t you think? There’s always something beautiful to see — and new people to meet! We first chatted with this lovely mama on her Instagram account @aubreyheidi — and as we oohed and ahhed over her little cuties, we knew we wanted to get to know her better.  In fact, you’ll get to know her better too, because she’s going to be blogging for Babiekins every week!

Aubrey lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband, son Kolton (4), and daughter Kira (2).

Here’s what Aubrey told us about Kolton and Kira’s style: “I’m crazy excited about matching, mixing and swapping my children’s clothes to coordinate with one another. Two of our favorite brands, Bobo Choses and Mini Rodini make that super easy because their clothing is gender neutral and their prints come in several colorways. I’m also excited to outfit my children in sustainable and organic, yet stylish clothing that inspires a sense of playfulness with their whimsical designs. So fun!”

As we chatted with Aubrey more, we learned she works from home. That struck a chord with us here at Babiekins — we know all about that — and we know it’s not without challenges! It’s hard to get anything done — let alone a full-time job — in the same house as two very busy littles.

So we asked her to share her secrets with us, and here’s what she had to say.

Aubrey’s Top 5 Tips for Working from Home with Littles Around

1. Beast Mode – When you have free time to work, WORK and work hard! Close your personal email and any other distractions on your computer, power through your work.
2. Plan a Play Day – Every alternate Thursday my nephew comes over to play. It might sound crazy to have another child come to your home when you need to work, but it usually works out pretty well. The kids are so busy playing together, I find they often need me less. The following Thursday my kids will go to my sister-in-law’s home and I get a free day to work.
3. Plan Meals – I like to make my children’s lunch the night before so I’m not spending a lot of time in the kitchen preparing food during work hours.
4. Ask your Partner for Help – My husband wakes up with our kids and feeds them breakfast and that is a huge help. It gives me time to sleep an extra hour and shower before he leaves for work. Ask your partner to bathe the children and put them to bed, prepare meals, or fold the laundry, every little bit helps!
5. Outsource – When things blow up, enlist more help! Have a list of sitters you can depend on if you get in a pinch. Hire a cleaning service to help save some time.

Do any of you work from home, too? Chime in in the comments — let us know how you get stuff done!

-Gina xo