How to Make More Time for Fitness, Family and Business Through Home Organization with Natalie Schwartz #081

What if you could redefine motherhood, reclaim your time, and revitalize your body—all in one episode? Tune in as I sit down with fitness coach Natalie Schwartz, a woman who's turned the impossible into the achievable for busy moms worldwide. We unfold the journey of finding time for exercise amidst the chaos, and how that self-care can be the secret recharge you've been seeking. Natalie's online membership, catered to moms of all ages, also comes alive in our discussion.

In this episode, we'll be challenging the traditional norms. We dive into how to make room for exercise and tidying up literally and metaphorically. We share our personal experience and dish out family-friendly tips for meal prepping and making healthier choices. 

As we navigate the realms of reclaiming time for exercise, and the intricate dance of family, business, and fitness, we discover that these insights aren't just about fitness—they’re about carving out space for what matters most. Whether it's dedicating time to exercise, organizing your space, or pursuing any other priority, the strategies discussed here are versatile and adaptable. Embracing these principles could very well unlock the door to a clutter-free life and the pursuit of what brings you joy.

Finally, we tackle the perpetual balancing act between family, business, and fitness. We confess our struggles, share our successes and accept that the perfect balance is merely a myth.

Get ready for an episode teeming with real-life experiences, practical tips, and inspiring stories. Remember, your journey to a clutter-free life starts here with us.

Find out more about Natalie's membership Elevate here, and sign up for a 7 day FREE trial

Thanks for listening! For more organizational motivation, support and free resources:
Join my podcast Facebook group Living Clutter Free Forever Podcast: KonMari® Inspired Organizing | Facebook
Visit my website www.caroline-thor.com
Come and say 'hi' on Instagram @caro.thor
Follow me on Facebook @carolineorganizer
Join my online membership Clutter Free Collective

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:27

Hi there, I'm Caroline Thor, professional organizer, konmari consultant, teacher and mum of three. I started off my life as a mum feeling overwhelmed, disorganized and desperately trying to carve out some time for me amongst the nappies, chaos and clutter. One day, one small book called the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying changed everything and I began to learn strategies for making everyday life easier. Today, I have the systems in place that means life can throw almost anything at me, and I want to share them with you. If you're an overwhelmed mum struggling to keep it together, then this is the podcast for you. Grab a coffee and settle in for a quick chat with someone who gets your reality. Hello and welcome to the latest episode of Living Clutter Free for Ever podcast. It's great to have you here today.

Speaker 1: 1:31

We're rattling towards the end of 2023. It really feels in my head like it was January only yesterday, so it's quite scary that we're nearly at the end, but I've started thinking about my plans for 2024, things I would like to achieve, and one of those things for me is to get a little bit fitter, but also to stop saying I haven't got time to do things and I knew just the person to talk to about this. Natalie Schwartz is a fitness trainer, she's a health coach and she is someone who has blown my mind at how good she is at fitting in all the things, at prioritising the things that are important to her and making sure that they happen. And I know that a lot of you struggle to find time to do your decluttering and organising or perhaps, like me, you find it difficult to find time for exercising. So I think you are going to get so many amazing takeaways from this conversation I had with Natalie a few weeks ago. Enjoy, natalie welcome. Thank you so much for joining me today. Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 2: 2:49

I'm excited to be here.

Speaker 1: 2:52

Our paths have crossed, because we are part of a group of entrepreneurial women who are growing their online businesses, and I have met you there and I've actually recently joined an online membership that you have, but we will talk some more about that in a bit so that's where we have connected. So I've been hoping to get you on for a while, because I think what you have to offer is just key for my listeners. So, before we get started, tell us a bit about yourself.

Speaker 2: 3:24

Okay, well, first, that was so kind and I'm very flattered. And I am an American, I live in the States, I am a mom to three little boys. They are seven, four and one. So I am in the thick of it right now in motherhood. I'm married. I'm originally from California and born and raised there, and we just recently moved to the Midwest, to Ohio, to be closer to my husband's family.

Speaker 2: 3:55

And yeah, I've been a health coach for almost a decade and then when I had my first son, almost well seven years ago, I got into fitness and I got certified in pre and postnatal fitness and I just really fell in love with it. I wasn't sleeping, I was a new mom, I just sort of got lost in that identity of becoming this new mom. And I really fell in love with exercise because it allowed me to sort of get lost in the movement and to just really fill my cup. And obviously you know you release endorphins and all those feel good feelings when you exercise. And for me it just sort of became this ritual, self care practice.

Speaker 2: 4:41

And so, long story short, I have dabbled in and out of that throughout the years and then I just had my third baby a year ago and I was like I want to bring this to moms everywhere, like I want them to have something that they can feel like, they can choose themselves and pour into themselves in between nap time and diaper change and school drop off. And you know, and I have women who are empty nesters. Their kids are in college but they're like I want to go to the gym but I have no idea what to do. So it's nice to serve moms of all ages, for sure.

Speaker 1: 5:21

And you're definitely doing that. I mean, I'm in my fifties and I have got so much already out of your membership and I've only been in it about a month. I've already something that I'm starting to build into my routine, but that's what I need to talk to you a bit more about today. Very often these podcast episodes are turning into Caroline self help episodes. I get people on who can advise me in the hope that someone else wants to hear this advice as well.

Speaker 2: 5:49

So I selfishly do that as well too. I'm like, ok, who do I want to interview that can help me like step into a better version of myself or like with a hack? So I feel you.

Speaker 1: 6:00

Yeah, it's great. Well, it's our podcast. We should make it work for us too. So I totally relate to where you're at. I have three children as well, and at one point they were the age that yours are. Luckily, they've all grown up and got a bit more independent, which is wonderful. So I totally relate to trying to find that time and juggle things with sleeps and naps and all the rest of it.

Speaker 1: 6:22

I actually was at my fittest and healthiest the year after or the year that I had my third baby, because I did or was needing exactly what you're talking about something for me. I was going to climb the walls otherwise and I had a computer set up in the basement with a wee board and the wee fitness and I had everything ready. I had my baby phone set up down there and as soon as he went down for his nap in the morning, I was down to the basement and I worked out and it was my time for me, and I have never been so slim and fit and healthy as I was by the end of that year because I built that tight. Then he stopped napping during the day and I've been in trouble ever since.

Speaker 1: 7:06

So that's what you need to get back to. But you're entirely right this focusing on you finding time to do something that makes you feel good and exercise. I think a lot of us put it off because we don't realise how great it is actually going to make us feel if we find the time to do it. So you're busy, super busy, and you've decided to start this online business the year you have your third baby, you crazy lady. So what are some key strategies that you've implemented to maintain an organised home while you're trying to manage a busy online business and being a mum to three young kids? Do you have things that you've done in the home to make life easier for you?

Speaker 2: 7:54

Well, I am very efficient with my time when people are sleeping.

Speaker 2: 8:01

So, like I was even talking to my husband earlier today sort of about this idea and he goes, nobody gets as much stuff done as you do when you have free time, and I think as moms, we just know how sacred that time is when you have by yourself.

Speaker 2: 8:17

So you're like, bam, I'm doing this, this, this. So I think for me, I stick to a schedule and I keep it consistent for the first half of my day which allows me to show up for myself and to find time for exercise and, you know, making a healthy breakfast and doing the things that I need to do, like taking a shower, putting on my makeup, like those types of things. And then I mean in terms of keeping it organized, I think that the kids, they have their certain things that they do. Like if I'm doing my workout, I'll either put on a show for the four year old, who doesn't nap anymore, or set him up with an activity while the baby's napping, you know. So, like I have things that everybody knows what they can do and what they can't do at certain times.

Speaker 1: 9:08

I think this is where a lot of us fall down.

Speaker 1: 9:11

We do all have 24 hours in a day and we can choose how we use it, and I have a lot of people say this to me as well. How do you get so much done in the time that you have? And I'm the same as you. I have everything scheduled so that I know that the washing needs to go on, I know that the hoovering needs to be done vacuuming I know that I need to take the dog out for a long walk, I know that I have to spend time doing my social media and writing podcast episodes and all that stuff that goes with the business, and I literally have it scheduled out in my morning, up until the point where I have to do school pickup, so that I know I'm going to get it all done. And I think that's what you're sort of talking about, isn't it? Having this idea of your time being organized so that you can make the most of it and you can prioritize, finding time to do the things that you want and need to do, and in your case, that's clearly exercising.

Speaker 2: 10:08

Yeah, and I think what's important too is that a lot of people are like oh, I just can't find the time. That's what everyone says I don't have the time, I don't have the time to work out, I don't have the time to eat healthy or meal prep or whatever. And it's like I always say we make the time for what is important to us. Like I give the example if your girlfriend called you and she's like Britney Spears is going back on tour once in a lifetime and you have your kids soccer game, well guess what? Your kids missing a soccer game. Like you're going with your friend. Like we'll make time for what's important to us. So I think that for me it is important to me that I make time to exercise.

Speaker 2: 10:51

And one of the biggest keys to creating a habit that sticks right Because some of us try and have it and it doesn't stick and we fall off is consistency. So I always say pick one time every day that you are going to use for your workout and try and stick to that as consistently as possible. And obviously you have to be flexible. Life comes up, you know. But when you do that and you consistently show up at that time, you'll notice after a while that your body expects that, like you, mentally you're like anticipating that that's coming and that's where that habit is formed.

Speaker 2: 11:34

So for me, every morning the baby takes his first nap at 9 am. So I know, as soon as I put him down, I go downstairs, I roll out my yoga mat, I get my weights and that's my time to work out for 20 minutes. Then I go take a shower and get ready for my day and that's just like like clockwork and it's become sort of this habit. So I think that it's important for people too who are like wanting to implement something but going at it blind or with no schedule or just trying it at random, odd times of the day. Of course that's going to feel uncomfortable, right, because your body's not anticipating this sort of routine, and it's just like brushing your teeth Like we do that now. It's a habit we do without thinking about because we've done it for so long every day, and so that's sort of like what I view with making the time or finding the time to work out.

Speaker 1: 12:26

Yeah, definitely. And I think for those moms who work full time, they perhaps get up in the morning. You've got this chaos of we've got to get everyone out of the house and then they go off to work and they perhaps don't get back until just before dinner in the evening and then you've got to cook dinner and then it's like I don't feel like working out now or I don't feel like doing 15 minutes of tidying up or whatever it is. But I think what we very often forget is if we make time to do those things, we are actually going to feel better.

Speaker 1: 12:55

And if doing some energetic sort of exercise in the evening doesn't feel good when you've had a really busy day, then do 30 minutes or 20 minutes of yoga or something that perhaps feels a bit calmer and not quite you know you're not getting hot and sweaty and then you feel like you've got to go for a shower afterwards or something. So yeah, I have this a lot. We don't have 20 minutes each evening to tidy up. I was like then make it five minutes and just build the habit and then, once you get used to doing five minutes, see if the family can make it into a 10 minute tidy up. Imagine if we did 70 minutes of tidying every week.

Speaker 1: 13:31

I mean it's just incredible. And it's the same with exercise. And I have got out of that habit and this is why I've joined your membership, because I want to regain that habit. And I just did with you the 10 day sugar challenge, where we were like stopping for 10 days just to try and build the habit of not eating sugary foods. And it's incredible how quickly you get into that sort of routine of OK, I'm not going to grab for the Musli Bar that's full of sugar, I'm going to take a healthier option. And you do feel better having done it, and you're also really proud of yourself because you've achieved something that you didn't think was possible.

Speaker 2: 14:13

Yes, I think that that's like key to what you said about feeling really proud of yourself. If you can give yourself some really small wins in the beginning, you are going to feel more motivated to keep it going right, Because we all want to come back to doing things that make us feel good. Nobody wants to come back to doing anything that doesn't feel good, and so I think that you know for people, like you said, try tidying up for five minutes. I would say if you don't feel like working out at the end of the day, wake up 30 minutes earlier than you do and try and do it in the morning or maybe after dinner. When everybody's done with dinner, you go for a family walk for 20 minutes around the block, so everybody is in this sort of movement space together and at least you're moving your body. But I think that if it's important to you, you'll make the time. You will find the time for it.

Speaker 1: 15:13

Now I have a question based on something you said a minute ago. You said I put my baby down to bed I'm very nine o'clock, nap, and then I run downstairs I roll out my yoga mat. Ok, this is the point at which a lot of people go. Well, that's nice, but I haven't got room on the floor to roll out my yoga mat because of all the toys that are everywhere and the chaos that's on the floor. So how do you keep on top of that the stuff lying around that kids age seven and under are going to automatically do? Do you have anything that you do as a family in order to keep on top of that, so that you're not having to spend time tidying up in order to do your exercise?

Speaker 2: 15:54

Yeah, so I have a feeling that this isn't going to be the answer that everybody is looking for. But so our house is a little bit smaller and I like, at the end of the night, my living room to not look like children live there, and I know that that may not be a vibe that moms are into.

Speaker 1: 16:16

But no, totally into it. I'm always telling people that's what they should be doing.

Speaker 2: 16:22

I want to sit back at the end of the night. After I just busted my ass, can you swear on this one? Yes, like I just was moming so hard, I want to sit back and just look around at my beautiful living room without it looking like a daycare. So in order to do that, we have a built-in in the dining room. That's cabinet. We don't store china in there or fancy dishes, and when you open it up it is organized it's puzzles, it's crafts and it's like drawing paper, coloring books. So that is tucked away. So it's there but it isn't seen.

Speaker 2: 17:02

And I have these really pretty wicker baskets that have a folding top and I throw all the baby's crap in there, his rattles and the trucks and the things that make noise. I put them in there and I close the lid and slide it under the bench. So it's like the toys are there but they're not visible, and so that for me feels very calming to my nervous system. It feels calming to look around at the end of the day or when it is time to tidy up and put the kids stuff away. So my husband and I can just have our adult time at the end of the night.

Speaker 2: 17:38

But, going back to what you said. I come downstairs In our downstairs hall closet is where I keep my yoga mat, and I have a basket in there that has dumbbells and my ankle weights, and so I pull that out. I set up my workout routine right there and with my membership I can do my workouts on my cell phone or on my computer, cast it to the TV, whatever. There are times where I just kick stuff to the side and I roll out my yoga mat and I just focus in, I put on blinders and go this is my time and I do what I need to do, and then that is what it is.

Speaker 1: 18:14

I love that and I totally am behind you with this. I think of an evening. Adults should be able to sit down in a space that looks like it's a space for adults and not daycare, as you said, and I'm always saying here that the last thing the kids should do before they go up to bed is help just dump all their toys in the basket and we push them out the way and mum and dad have got their space back for the evening. So I absolutely love that, and this is what I also love about your membership is the fact that all I need is dumbbells and ankle weights and a mat.

Speaker 2: 18:46

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 18:46

I mean, anyone has got room to store that somewhere, even if it's rolled up under the sofa. Yeah, it's perfect. So that's really good, and I love that you have them stored away in a cupboard and that you do actually have to get them out, because some people, I think, feel that this stuff needs to be there permanently set up or they're not going to do it. But you've still got it easy. You just have to get it out and unroll it and you're ready to go.

Speaker 2: 19:11

Yeah, and I would say, for the people who are really struggling to make this a habit and you know that your workout time that you're going to commit to is in the morning first thing I would say at night, before you go to bed, roll out your yoga mat and set your dumbbells out and then go to sleep. So when you walk downstairs in the morning or walk out into the living room, there's your trigger, like a chain of emails went off. There's your sequence. You see it right there. Ok, I'm working out, I've already laid it out. So you want to anticipate what could get in the way of you accomplishing your goal, and if for you, I don't want to take the time to roll my stuff out, that seems like too much. Well, girl, you lay it out the night before, so then you walk right into your workout studio.

Speaker 1: 20:06

You sent me that message last week actually because I was saying to you I'm having trouble Finding the time to build in the workouts. I'm doing the no sugar thing, but the work out haven't happened yet. And you said you know, get up in the morning and put your workout clothes on so that you're ready to go. You've got no excuse, and I did used to do that when the kids were little. That's what I did and I've sort of got out of the habit. It's like you were saying about habits I've got out of the habit of doing that. It's a habit I need to build back in again, and if I end up spending most of the morning sat in my gym stuff until I get time to do the workout At least, I've then got no excuse.

Speaker 2: 20:47

And I always feel like when you're wearing exercise clothes, whether you work out or not, you feel a little bit more fit.

Speaker 1: 20:56

You do. But there is one issue with this. In Germany which is actually culturally a bit odd People would not leave the house to go anywhere wearing sports gear unless they were going to do sport. So you wouldn't go and do the school drop-off in sports gear. You wouldn't go and do the shopping in. Sports gear is like a, and I remember when I lived in the UK I Would very often be off to the gym, like most evenings.

Speaker 1: 21:23

I went to the gym when I lived in the UK and I would have my sports gear on. I'd stop in at the Supermarket on the way to grab what I needed and then I'd make my way to the gym and I didn't think twice about going out in my Lycra. I was a different shape then, I have to say, but I didn't think twice about it. But in Germany, if I went into a supermarket wearing Lycra, they'd probably I don't know, they wouldn't ask me to leave, but um, I would get some very strange looks. I have started since COVID. I have started going out in my sweatpants and my husband, who's German, thinks it's hilarious. He's like oh, you've got your shopping trousers on again.

Speaker 2: 21:57

Oh my gosh, so funny. Here in the United States it's like we call it athleisure, because it's like athletic gear and leisurewear. You know, it's like that is like a fashion statement. It's like wearing your workout clothes Out is almost like announcing to everyone like, look at how fit I am. I'm in workout clothes just out, living my life, you know. So, oh my god that is so funny.

Speaker 1: 22:25

Yeah, I have in the past. I had to stop a year ago because of an injury, but I was going to like an outdoor boot camp every Friday morning and that I would go straight from school drop off to there. So I would go out in my sports clothes to drop my son at school and that felt okay because I was going on somewhere and it was sort of outdoor gear rather than my indoor lycra. But, um, I'm hoping one day Germany catches up, because we're about I always feel we're about 10 years behind with most things, like we still pay with cash here for things.

Speaker 2: 23:01

We do too. It's rare, you know, like even my, my son. The other day, yesterday, I was buying him new shoes online and I said go grab my wallet out of my purse so I can pay for these shoes. And he hands me my wallet and he goes you don't have any dollars in here. I go buy, pay with my card. He goes how, there's money on there. You know, I'm like, yeah, that's, that's how it works.

Speaker 1: 23:25

Yeah, yeah, no, we're digressing, but um, yeah, it's all. It's a thing in Germany, so I'm hoping one day probably by the time I'm 60 It'll be okay for me to go out wearing my sports gear To do stuff, and then I'll be ready for my day, but it's highly entertaining. Okay, so you've? You've already mentioned about how you balance your day in order to make sure that you find time for the things that you want to do, because balancing work and family and fitness, it can be demanding. So how do you streamline your meal planning and prep, ensure health eating, while, at the same time, you're supporting your online community and your family's needs?

Speaker 2: 24:11

So I think that this is A two-parter. I will say this first in terms of like, if you are needing support with, like, meal planning and meal prepping and sort of somebody to walk you through what to cook on what day, what to cook on the other, my meal plans inside of my membership Literally do that for you. Walk you through week by week. Like cook a double batch of this because you'll have it again on Thursday. Like, make this on this day. Like you're all dialed in with my membership. With the meal plan there's a new meal plan every month.

Speaker 2: 24:47

About nine years ago, my husband and I decided to go vegan and so we were vegan for these past nine years and I Went to health coaching school. Then, like got really into health and wellness. So for almost a decade I've been in two super clean eating and no processed food and you know all of that kind of stuff. So because of that, that sort of just is my lifestyle and so when it comes to meal prepping, we don't buy a lot of, don't buy a lot of processed food. Like we'll buy some cereal for the kids but like my freezer is not stocked with a bunch of Different frozen things to pop in the microwave, like we don't have a lot of stuff like that. So when we do go shopping, it needs to be eaten that week or it's going to go bad. Right, because they stay pretty much. It's, you know, meat and fruit and vegetables no longer vegan Thanks to my third pregnancy. It just wasn't working Um, so don't come for me if you are Um, but I think that I know that that stuff has to be eaten. So it's just in my brain, has just gotten wired into. That's just what. The options are, right. The only options available on hand are healthy options. So what?

Speaker 2: 26:15

I will give some tips, though, because I've been asked this question before on another podcast and I don't really meal prep too much because I am home and I know that that is a luxury that not everybody has when you're working. So if you are working or you feel like you need support, I would say pick three vegetables that you know you and your kids will eat, chop them up on a Sunday, right, like. Take an hour, listen to a podcast, put on the Real Housewives, like, do whatever is your like guilty pleasure, okay, and take an hour or 40 minutes and prep yourself for the week ahead. So I would do three to four vegetables, chop them, put some olive oil, salt and pepper, put them in the oven at 400 degrees for 20, 25 minutes and when that comes out and cools down, put all those veggies in a Tupperware and throw them in the fridge. And then I would say, make a base so you can make like a gluten-free pasta or quinoa or rice, put that in a Tupperware, put it in the fridge and then cook like a protein and put that in Tupperware in the fridge.

Speaker 2: 27:24

Because then now you have these three bases right, you have your protein, you have veggies and you have some sort of grain or whatever and you can mix and match with that all week long, because those big chunks of your meal staples are done for you. You can toss them in a salad, you can heat them up and make like a bowl, add teriyaki sauce, you can chop it up, put it in a tortilla, put some salsa and avocado. You have a burrito, right. You're using those healthy staples to create different dishes through the week. So that is, I think, a little hack and a time saver for people when it comes to meal prepping, when you do have a busy schedule or maybe you're feeling overwhelmed with how to eat healthy consistently at home.

Speaker 1: 28:11

Yeah, I love that and your meal plans are amazing.

Speaker 1: 28:13

I currently am vegan and your vegan meal plan is superb I guess because you also have got the knowledge of that.

Speaker 1: 28:19

But I had to look through the others as well, because my kids aren't vegan and they're great.

Speaker 1: 28:26

And this is one thing that I'm always talking about on this podcast is the fact that if we meal plan and we only buy what's on a shopping list that we've created from what we need for our meal plan and your meal plans are great because it comes with the shopping list as well what we then do is use all of those ingredients during the week and we're saving money because we're not wasting, we're not throwing away, we're not buying stuff we don't need, we're not buying too much stuff. It just really saves money in the long run. And it saves you time, because when you get in from work at five six in the evening and you're having to think, what am I gonna cook? What am I gonna cook, I just look at my meal plan that my husband and I have come up with on a Saturday before we went and do the shopping, and I can just think, okay, I just need to get those things out and just cook it and we're good to go and it just frees up your brain space incredibly.

Speaker 2: 29:23

Yes, for sure, especially if you are someone that doesn't wanna think like what should I make, and you're just staring at stuff in your fridge. Yes, I think that if that's how you operate, then following the meal plan is super helpful.

Speaker 1: 29:37

Yeah, and also what I've discovered is, as well, my husband never, ever used to get involved with the cooking at all, and even if I was out of the house and getting home late, he would sort of wait till I got home to find out what he needed to cook, whereas now it's on my laminated meal plan that's in the kitchen and he can look and see okay, that's what we're gonna have today, and he can make a start on it. And it's made a huge improvement to getting him involved. And the older kids as well now know okay, I could start cooking some pasta ready for when mom gets home to put the sauce with it or whatever it is we're having.

Speaker 2: 30:14

Yeah, yeah, and I think that that's great that you do that, because I think incorporating your kids into the process of this health journey, that you're on our kids model what they see us do, not what we say we're gonna do, yeah, and I think that that's so important, even for working out like he's gonna be four next month. So my four year old he will go mom, I need a booty band to do the workouts alongside me, or he'll come up and put my ankle weights around his wrists and he's trying to mimic what I'm doing. But they see me every day showing up, choosing myself, making myself a priority through exercise, because being healthy is important and it's part of our family dynamic. So I always wanna be leading from the front by showing them and not talking about what I'm gonna do one day. So I think that that's powerful, too, when you can get your kids involved in the process.

Speaker 1: 31:17

Yeah, and what we've done as well is when we're creating our meal plan because my kids are older now the last few years we ask everyone on a Saturday morning to choose one meal they would like to have in the coming week that we've not had for a few weeks, so that we get variety as well. And then we've got three meals by my three kids already chosen. So we know that we're putting stuff onto the menu as well, onto the meal plan that they are going to eat, that they want to eat, and it's making them think okay, what did we have last week, what did we have the week before, what could we have this week?

Speaker 2: 31:52

It works really well, yeah, I love that, I love that idea. I'm gonna steal that from you.

Speaker 1: 31:58

Do feel free. And, like you were saying, when we show up doing these things, we're showing them that eating healthily is a priority, exercising is a priority. That's something for the last few years I've not been doing a great job of role modeling, apart from the fact I was going to this class on a Friday morning every week that the kids were aware of. But I think it is important. And the same with tidying. If they think it's just mom's job to tidy the house, then you're setting yourself up for a fall. It's got to be something that, from when they're little, you incorporate them in doing. Even if they all throw everything in the wrong bin, at least it's put away. And as they get older, you can start to teach them that this goes there and that goes there, and it's not just up to mom to put everything away If you've used it. We'd appreciate your help with that and we work as a team and I think that's really important.

Speaker 2: 32:56

Yes, we do that with our boys. They know, at the end of the night, like we're gonna go through the downstairs, put everything away, or if you guys get out Legos, you need to put them away when you're done, or when you're done with markers, like they go back in the cabinet. So we implement that too, because at the end of the night we don't want to spend our kid-free time when we barely see each other picking up after everybody. So, yeah, we do also make that a point that, like as a family, as a team effort, we're all gonna pick up our stuff.

Speaker 1: 33:31

Yeah, I think that's really cool. Okay, I have a difficult question now. Well, I think I would find it difficult if someone asked me how do you maintain focus and balance between your business, your family and your personal fitness goals?

Speaker 2: 33:49

I think I'll give you a realistic answer is I don't. It looks like a shit show always, like it's always a little bit of a balancing act, and I hate the word. When people go oh, my life is balanced, it's like what even does that mean? Like we're always gonna be more into one thing than we can give to the other, and then seasons of life are gonna change and we're gonna be more into this. So I try my best to show up and nurture all of them.

Speaker 2: 34:20

I've been really hyper aware lately how much I'm on my phone because my membership, they can get ahold of me through our app and so I'm on my phone communicating there, I'm posting on social media, I'm engaging, I send some emails and stuff from my phone and I realized that I have a one year old and a four year old who are looking at me all day on my phone. So I've been trying to really be intentional when they take their naps at their different times. That's when I sit on the couch, open up my computer and post my things and do what I need to do in those moments and with fitness it's just, it's embedded into my routine. It's every morning at 9 am, as soon as I close the door in my son's room and I walk down the stairs. That's when it happens, so that's just sort of become part of my daily life.

Speaker 2: 35:20

But everything is balancing and I think that I hope that that's relatable for people, because I think sometimes people see like, oh, she has a business and she has a family and she's in shape or whatever, and it must be so easy for her and it's like it's always chaotic. But I love my business like it were my fourth child, like I have never. And I've tried a lot of things, I've started quite a few different businesses and I love my membership and what that community is so very much that it doesn't feel like work, like it is a joy and a privilege to show up there and help these women and create content and all that kind of stuff.

Speaker 1: 36:05

So it's never perfect but no, and that shows your passion for it really shows. And that's one of the things I'm loving about being part of your community, because it is very inspiring and motivating to see what other women are doing and it sort of makes you think, oh yeah, I need to find time to do that too. And I love as well the fact you said it's not balanced. I had another guest on recently and that episode has already come out, and I asked her about the balance thing and she said, as well, it should be imbalanced, because we have times in our life where children do need to take priority and we're giving more time to that, and then there may be other times when the kids in the home is doing really well and everyone's on an even keel, and at that point you can shift your focus to giving more time to the business and it sort of ebbs and flows. Yes for sure, and things should be perfectly imbalanced, and I thought that was great that she said that. So it's really interesting you've said that as well today.

Speaker 2: 37:13

Yeah, yeah, no, and I 100% agree. If the kids were older and in high school, I would probably be. You know, my membership would just be like boom, there's like a new content constantly. But I have babies, you know. I'm nursing, I'm doing nap time, I'm wiping butts, I'm changing diapers. So I can only do so much. So it's perfectly imperfect.

Speaker 1: 37:38

Yeah, and it's beautiful how it is, and it is because you're very real about it and that makes it very relatable. And it makes you very relatable, which is why I think people love being part of your community so much. So, on that note, natalie, tell us where we can find out about you, where we can find you on social media, and how people can find out how to join your membership.

Speaker 2: 38:00

Okay. So on social media, I am at Natalie K Schwartz and my membership and my website is nataliekschwartzcom. The membership is called Elevate. You will see when you go to nataliekschwartzcom, you just click on Elevate and that will give you all the deeds. It's a monthly wellness membership. So there's an on-demand workout library, there's a new meal plan with a grocery shopping list each month, a full wellness resource content library that you can browse from, learn from.

Speaker 2: 38:38

I post one new workout a week. I go live once a week in the community and teach a live workout and then I do run different challenges each month that members get for free that you can participate in, like the one you just did was the 10 day sugar detox challenge came with the sugar detox meal plan and all that. So it's fun and it's designed for moms, sort of no matter what stage of motherhood you're at. I have women in there who are empty nesters. I have women in there with newborns or in all ages in between. So it's just designed to support you. The workouts are short and effective because I know as moms we're short on time, like we wanna get in, we wanna get out and like be on with our day. So that is my membership Wonderful, thank you.

Speaker 1: 39:28

I will put all the links in the show notes so that people can click to join, and I must also just let everyone know I'm in Germany and Natalie's in America, and it works brilliantly. There is no issue with I missed the live because of the time difference or whatever, because everything's there available on her membership platform and you can go in there and look at stuff in your own time. But the WhatsApp group that we have for the membership is just super motivating and it's great that you can post something as a small win and you get all these women cheering you on, which is really cool.

Speaker 2: 40:06

Yes, I think that, honestly, is one of my favorite parts of the membership is the community. I think sometimes as moms, as women, it can feel isolating in your motherhood journey when you're home or you're running a business and you're not getting out or doing this and it's freaking hard to motivate yourself to work out. Sometimes, right, that's where a lot of us get tripped up, and so it's really beautiful that these women are so. Nobody knows each other. I have women in the UK, I have two in Germany and then the rest in the United States and just cheering each other on and supporting each other and sharing personal stuff and wins, and it's a beautiful, beautiful community and it makes me so, so proud and honored to be able to hold that space for all these women.

Speaker 1: 40:58

Fantastic, Natalie. Thank you so much for your time today. It's been a joy talking to you.

Speaker 2: 41:03

Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1: 41:05

How great was that conversation? I really am very inspired by the amount that Natalie manages to fit into her day, especially with three young kids, especially with a one year old, and I hope that it's helped. You see that it is possible to find time to do the things we want to do if we prioritize. I think it's important for me to say at this point I am not an affiliate for Natalie. I'm not getting paid to promote her membership. I just thought it was a good opportunity for her to talk about it. So if that's something you're interested in, the links are in the show notes.

Speaker 1: 41:44

As I said before, and I hope that, even if exercise isn't one of your goals for 2024, I hope that you have perhaps glean some information that will help you prioritize finding time for whatever things are important for you. If you're listening to this podcast, I'm assuming one of those things could be decluttering, organizing, comm-murrying your space. So maybe some of the things Natalie and I have talked about today will give you some inspiration to find those pockets of time and motivation to be able to get on and do that in the new year. Anyway, whatever your takeaways were, I would love to hear about them. You can contact me on Instagram, send me a DM at carothor. I love communicating with you there and you can perhaps tell me what you found most useful from this episode, or perhaps tell me what you are aiming to do in 2024. And I promise to keep messaging you and hold you accountable Until next time.

Speaker 1: 42:50

Music. If you've enjoyed this episode, please send the link to a friend you know would appreciate it, subscribe and leave a review. I look forward to bringing you more organizing tips next time, but if you can't wait until then, you can go to my website or find me on Instagram, at carothor, or on Facebook at CarolineOrganiser. Thanks for listening and I look forward to guiding you on your journey to find your clutter-free ever after.