I Don’t Know How She Does It – Kelley Lilien

You probably already know the lovely Mrs. Lilien from her wildly popular blog or her super chic cocktail book, Mrs. Lilien’s Cocktail Swatchbook, but I am also lucky enough to know her as a fellow local blogger here in San Diego. I met her a while back at a small signing party for her book and she was so lovely and warm and supportive of my blogging ambitions, I drank the Mrs. kool-aid (and a couple of those signature cocktails!) right away. At home, three littles know her best as Mrs. Mama: her 8-yr-old son Laird, 6-yr-old daughter Isla and her newest addition, 6-month-old Truman, who has already stolen my Instagram heart (follow her @mrslilien). And while the Mrs. Lilien brand continues to grow alongside her already successful graphic design business, her priority always remains the growth and happiness of her children and their happy little family life in the San Diego sun. And a killer cocktail, of course! Here is how she does it:

What time does your day start and how?

My day starts roughly around 6am with kids and coffee.

What time does your day end and how?

My day usually ends no later than 9:30 – trolling instagram with one eye open in bed.

Do you work from home or in an office? What is the set up like?

I have an office at home that’s really quite fabby – however since the arrival of Mr. Truman I’ve set up a mobile roaming office via laptop and hoarder-like piles of paper.

Do you see/speak to your kids throughout your work day? If yes, how/when?

Oh constantly! There’s never-ending chirping and yipping and yapping going on between us all. They’re my source of entertainment and inspiration – and one of my wildest and most indulgent distractions.

What is the best thing about being a working mom? Hardest thing?

Best – being able to do what I love while raising my children the way that I want to. I feel so lucky that I don’t have to leave them everyday to be a successful woman in my industry. I love the fact that no matter what or when, I’m always available to them. That, above all is the most important thing. Hardest thing is always having things looming overhead, whether it’s a deadline, a conference call or just daily work duties – sometimes it’s hard to find a window of 30 minutes to make it all happen.

Be honest, what is one thing you envy about stay at home moms?

Every now and again I have a daydream about having nothing to do but be with my kids – baking cookies and participating in ridiculous Martha Stewart-like crafts with them but then I soon go back to my Mrs. bubble and realize I wouldn’t have an outlet for my explosively creative mind and a child would probably die.

Answer the question “I don’t know how you do it?” in ten words or less.

It’s all smoke and mirrors.

And here are Mrs. Lilien’s must-haves of the moment:

Clockwise from top left:

Oilily knee socks for the little lady.

Crewcuts tippy-toe tulle skirt.

Illume candles for the home.

Splashy silk headscarves are my weakness – they’re the short-haired girls’ ponytail.

Mrs. Meyer’s for cleaning.

Nellystella pom pom headband.

I’m a big fan of boldly printed pants, chic leisure wear is my jam on any given day.