Alina Thomas and I met at a workshop and styled shoot hosted by Megan Vaughan in November of 2014. Although we spent very little time together in the workshop, I immediately began following her on Facebook. Ever since then, I’ve enjoyed our interactions on social media as well as her beautiful work that she consistently produces.

I reached out to Alina to share three tips on how she manages motherhood and being a photographer. Below is what she shared with me. I hope that you find it just as helpful as I have as a mohter and a photographer. In her own words…

#1: Schedule working hours: The beauty of working from home is that you can set your own working hours. For me, a typical day at home starts with morning snuggles from my baby boy, then breakfast and playtime until 12 p.m. when he goes down for his nap. He is a really good napper so I get about 4 straight hours of uninterrupted office work each day. This includes: editing, client management, blogging, etc. Which leads me to tip #2!

#2 Have a plan: I keep a little notepad on my desk and I make a to-do list every day. It’s really important that you focus on the things you need to accomplish each day and don’t get sidetracked. Yes, sometimes we may feel like we need a break but if you don’t want to fall behind, I highly recommend that you focus on the things you need to get done each day first.

#3 It’s okay to say no at times: It’s important that you create boundaries and stick to them. For me, as a Virginia wedding photographer, I decided to say no to destination weddings after the birth of my son. Do I love traveling? Absolutely! However, as family dynamics change, business practices have to change as well. Realistically, I know that traveling to a different state to photograph a wedding would mean that I would have to be away from my baby for at least 2-3 days depending on the destination, and spending time with my little one was one thing I was not willing to compromise. As a new mom, these were some of the things that I had to implement in order to be able to balance life and being a full time business owner.

So there you have it, folks. Three important tips from a full time mom, full time photographer, full time wife, and soon-to-be mom to a new born. Check out Alina’s website and connect with her on social media. One thing that I love about following Alina on Facebook is that she always keeps my feed looking gorgeous!

Thank you, Alina, and lots of love to you as you get ready to welcome a brand new little angel into your lives. Much love to you and your family!

XO

Nilo