5 TIPS ON MANAGING LIFE AS A WORKING MOM

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Almost a year ago I shared a day in my life as a working mom. Raising two toddlers and working full-time is hard work, there’s no other way to put it. Often times I find myself running a one-man show because of my husband’s long hours at work and its exhausting. Since that last post, some things have changed and I’m making more of an effort in certain areas of my life. So I thought I would share some tips on how I’m making it work and managing life as a working mom.

If you recall, most nights the kids and I would eat dinner at my parent’s house. My dad would pick up the kids before I got home from work and my mom would have a plate on the table for me as I walked in. As amazing as that was I felt like the time had come to start doing more things at home. Seems silly, I know. Why would I pass up a free, hot meal!? In all honesty, I was really nervous as to how my kids would react to staying home and waiting on me to cook dinner after work. Surprisingly, most nights are flawless and I feel like we have EXTRA time to spend together and be more efficient with our nightly routine. For instance, during dinner clean-up, I set up the coffee maker to brew for the next day and was able to pack my preschooler’s lunch bag. Two things that typically happened after the kids went to bed (or sometimes the next day because I was too tired at night). I was able to add more efficiency into our day and it has made life so much easier, allowing more time for other things.

5 Tips on Managing Life as a Working Mom

Grocery Pickup

I rely heavily on an online grocery service. Each week I place an order using an app on my phone and schedule it for pickup either that day or the next day on my home from work. Not having to drag two kids into a grocery store has been more efficient and cost-effective! The service is free to use as long as you place orders over $35 (which I always do).

Massive Purge

We started the new year off by doing a massive purge. Closets were cleaned out with clothes that no longer fit, toys were donated and sorted into bins, and stacks of mail that hadn’t been opened in a year was tossed. We eliminated dressers in all the bedrooms and built shelving in all the bedroom closets. A cube organizer went into our oldest’s bedroom for books and storage bins of little toys. My husband built a window seat bench cubby for our youngest’s room. All of this organization has led to faster cleanup and a more relaxing home. The kids can easily grab a bin and start dumping in their toys when it’s time to clean up.

Hire Help

We’re currently in between house-cleaners and wanted to wait until everything had been purged and organized before hiring a house-cleaner. But we will definitely be finding another one again. On a daily basis I will run our robotic vacuum after dinner while I do the dishes. Our children’s babysitter also is super helpful with tidying up around the house and helping with laundry. Having someone come into your home versus taking the kids to a daycare center doesn’t have to be more expensive. There is so much value in having in-home care.

Skip the Gym

I’ve been doing at-home workouts in the evenings. I found an amazing app that allows you to customize your entire workout. If you don’t have weights or machines, no problem. There are other options for exercises. You can choose the length of time, workout level, and even gain recipes for meals/snacks. I absolutely love the convenience of it and the fact that I don’t need to travel to a gym or find childcare in order to workout.

Minimal Hair Care

I don’t wash my hair everyday. In fact, I only wash my hair 1-2 times a week. This saves me so much time on blow drying and styling each week.  I use a dry shampoo on two day old hair and it will usually get me through to the next washing. The first/second day I will wear my hair straight before curling it on day three. I’m currently using the L’ange curling wand and LOVE it. Curling wands take a little getting used to, but once you make the switch the curls tend to last longer.

My biggest tip for working moms is to accept that you’re not perfect. It won’t be possible to do all the things and that’s OK. Utilize your resources, outsource and ALWAYS make time for the important things.