Those who know me well, say that I always seem to be on the run. But I know I’m not the only one. Moms everywhere seem to be scrambling for time and we usually manage to juggle (sometimes, rather successfully) one too many balls in the air.

A glimpse of what we juggle every given day: Carpools, supermarket shopping, school activities, meals for the household, school supplies, our kids social lives, after-school activities, managing the home, setting time aside for our spouses… the list could go and on. And this is EXCLUDING any professional obligations you may have.

The important issue that we tend to forget about is not only the juggling, but the balancing. It’s very easy to let one aspect of your life take over the others. And with women, that usually means forgetting to take care of ourselves.

Don’t you forget about me…

Remember that Simple Minds song? OK, now that you know how old I am, I just want to share some simple tips to not lose yourself while juggling everything else during the adventures of motherhood.

• Don’t feel guilty about doing something for yourself. Nobody else will do it for you.  And look at it this way: it will allow you to release tension. A more relaxed mom, is a happier mom. A happier mom, is a better mom.
• Take care of yourself. Yes, that means taking your vitamins, getting enough rest, eating well.
• Treat your “me” time as an appointment. Sounds too planned? Well, the truth is, IT WORKS.
• Organization is key. Arrange with your spouse or partner or a trusted friend to watch over the little ones for a specific amount of time each week to give you a breather.
• Choose something you’d like to do, not something you need to do: a manicure, coffee with friends, reading a book, even shopping.

When work overwhelms you

Regardless of where you work at, the juggling act seems to throw in more and more balls in the air and if you really pause to think, it can overwhelm you. In these cases, learn to prioritize what’s urgent from what’s not. If everything’s urgent, then something’s really wrong, because something has to be most important in your to do list.

In this era of hyperconnectivity, it can be hard to set limits and boundaries. But just like you need them when raising your kids, you need them to keep your sanity while working and trying to balance your life a bit better. And believe it or not, you are the person that needs to respect those boundaries the most.

For some, it means no smart phones even near the kitchen or dinner table. For others, not taking calls or answering emails in the evening. And I’m assuming you already know that texting and driving don’t mix well. You need to find what works for you. Then, stick to your resolutions.

When family responsibilities drain you

Sometimes it’s the chores and everyday routines that sap out your energy, Again, a little organization and planning goes a long way.

• Decide what really has to be done and don’t get sucked into the non essential stuff.
• Make a schedule for your kids. For younger ones, take pictures of the daily tasks they must do (for example: eat breakfast, brush their teeth, take a bath, got to bed) and decorate together a poster they can look at. For older kids, make a schedule on the computer and print it out for them.
• Buy gifts for birthday parties in advance. If you are always pressed for time, use gift bags and tissue paper instead of wrapping every gift individually. You can even buy in bulk online and save.
• Do a master shopping list on your computer, print several and have them in the kitchen. Check off items as soon as you are running low and that way you’ll avoid multiple trips to the supermarket during the same week.
• Learn to say no. Sometimes that means scheduling less after-school activities, organizing less play dates or not hosting all the family dinners.
• Ask for help. Wonder Woman only exists in a comic book.

Personally, I dream about having my groceries delivered, but have to accept the reality that none of the supermarkets close to my home offer that service. So, I shop once a week and go at odd times when not so many people do their grocery shopping. Sometimes that means right after dropping the kids off for school, other times it’s late in the evening while my husband takes over parenting duties.

You’re in this for the long haul

The juggling act of motherhood is not a one hit wonder. You’re in this adventure for the long haul, and will have better days and not so great days.  Sometimes one of the balls will fall to the floor, or you might get hit on the head by a curve ball. It’s not the end of the world, and those around you will follow your lead on how to react.

So next time something doesn’t work out the way you had planned, try laughing or smiling instead of getting angry or even wanting to cry. A sense of humor works wonders and aside from making you feel a bit better, comic relief is underrated when dealing with your children. So then, aside from juggler extraordinaire, you will tune into the comedian inside of you. After all, there are moments in life that are so utterly absurd, all you can do is laugh if you want to find the strength to keep on going!

Plenty of people find it difficult to get some time alone. We’re all busy with work, our home life, family, activities, and just life in general. It can be hard to find some time for yourself. But, more and more, I see that women and moms in particular, complain the most about getting some time for themselves – some ‘me’ time.

It seems that men either don’t require ‘me’ time as much as women do or they just don’t admit it. At any rate, it makes sense that parents are often the ones asking how they can get a little time alone and away from the everyday.

I thought about some of the ways that I manage to keep my sanity and balance out my life a little bit. Ok, well, maybe not my life, but my head at least.

7 Tips for Finding ‘Me’ Time

1. Take a break to goof around on the Internet. Whether it be a quick tour of your favorite social media networks or visiting your preferred blogs to read or just simply doing a bit of online shopping, you will be amazed how a few minutes online can easily give your brain a much needed break from reality.
2. Pretend you have to use the bathroom. I know this sounds crazy. Believe me, I do. However, when you’ve got too much going on and it seems like it’ll be a while before you can break from it, this may be a temporary solution. Just lock the bathroom door and give yourself 10 minutes of quiet. If you have a magazine rack in your bathroom or leave a book in there, you can even catch up on some of that reading you’ve been meaning to do. And sweetie…if you’re reading this…I never do this. Ever.
3. Take a shower. Or bath. Make it a LONG one. Don’t rush your shower. Take a few extra minutes to just let the warm water hit your back. Or spend a bit more time working the shampoo into your hair. If you can take a nice relaxing bubble bath, then even better!
4. Enforce bedtime. Make sure that your kids stick to their bedtime. I can’t tell you how much I love the 2-3 hours each night after my baby girl goes to sleep. Most of the time, I end up spending this time either working or watching some TV with my husband, but there’s times that I get those hours all to myself if I plan in advance.
5. Meditate. Pray. Reflect. Whatever you call it and however you do it, taking some time to think about things can do wonders for clearing your head of all the noise. You can easily do this while driving, cooking, or cleaning.
6. Exercise. Go for a 20 minute walk. Do a quick yoga routine. Or dance along to some music.
7. Go grocery shopping. It’s something that needs to be done anyway, isn’t it? Leave everyone else at home and go by yourself. You may even get the shopping done faster than normal (but not TOO fast, ok?).

These tips may not be glamorous. They may not include a night out on the town with your girls. But, they’re realistic and can offer some simple yet effective ways for you to feel like you’re getting a little ‘me’ time in for yourself. Also? I hope it’s obvious that if you have kids, you’ll clearly need to have someone supervising them when you’re getting your ‘me’ time. Especially if you’re locking yourself in the bathroom.

How do you find some time for yourself? What do you normally do with your ‘me’ time?

Looking for some last minute Mother’s Day gift ideas for that special lady in your life? Here are a few suggestions for those busy working moms you know.

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for the Working Mom

Workplace Flexibility: Realigning 20th-century Jobs for a 21st-century Workforce

Though I have not personally read this book, the woman who likes to read non-fiction and is interested in topics related to work-life balance may find it right up her alley. Workplace Flexibility brings together 16 essays authored by leading experts in economics, demography, political science, law, sociology, anthropology, and management. They examine existing business practices and public policy regarding flexibility in the United States, Europe, Australia, and Japan. The book presents a compelling argument for voluntary adoption of best flexibility practices that are a win-win for both the employer and the employee.

Slow Cooker

I know first-hand how hard it can be to put dinner on the table on busy weeknights, when you’ve had a long day at work and just want to relax yourself. I received a slow cooker for Christmas, and have found it useful on several occasions for cooking meals while away. Some women may not want a kitchen appliance as a gift, but there are those who will appreciate having a slow cooker in the house to help with the daily dinner rush.

Subscription to Working Mother Magazine

A good magazine subscription can make for a great gift. Many women enjoy browsing through magazines for new ideas, tips, and information. As the title indicates, this magazine is tailored for the working mother.

Smart Phone

Image from Volker on Mobile

Smart phones can be very useful for a working mother. She may find that she’s able to increase productivity using a smart phone and balance the home and work life better.

Wii Fit Plus

I love my Wii Fit Plus and use it to exercise, relax, and have fun. I like that I can use it in a variety of ways depending on my mood and that I can even play alongside my baby girl. This might actually become more of a family gift, but mom will appreciate it too.

Spa Gift Card

Photo by Thomas Wanhoff

Of course, you can never go wrong with a gift card so your special lady can get away for a bit and get some me time. Treat her to a massage, facial, or just some relax time with a spa gift card and she’ll definitely be happy!

What is your favorite Mother’s Day gift to give those special women in your life?

Disclosure: Links to products are Amazon.com affiliate links.

As a working mother, I need shortcuts wherever I can get them.

Dinner is often a challenge for us busy moms, and this holds true for me as well.

I work 8 hours a day outside the home, which leaves a small window in the evening for me to pick up baby girl, spend some time with her (don’t forget time with the husband also!), and cook dinner. Some days I wish dinner was just sitting there waiting for me; I mean, I get hungry too!

So, I take shortcuts. I try my best to plan ahead, both by planning a monthly menu and by cooking ahead if I can.

This week has been a particularly good week for us when it comes to dinner. I’ve actually stuck with our planned menu and have not ordered out.

Sample One Week Dinner Menu

Now, I don’t pretend that this is the healthiest menu, but we are eating and the food is home-made. I’m not spending money on take-out and it’s manageable for our busy schedule. It works.

1. Sunday: Turkey Chili – I cooked this in my new slow cooker and didn’t have to do much with it once it was started, which allowed for me to work on other things around the house.
2. Monday: Ground Beef & White Rice – I was off on Monday for the MLK holiday, so I was able to cook from scratch. The ground beef is cooked with tomato sauce/paste (think of picadillo) and I made extra meat for later in the week. The white rice I cooked in a rice cooker, but you could easily take your own shortcut by using Minute Rice. And if you wanted to be extra healthy, you could substitute with brown rice. (There’s shortcuts for brown rice too!)
3. Tuesday: Leftovers - I had a dental appointment after work on Tuesday, so I got home later than normal. Luckily, we had plenty of chili and some white rice leftover. Voila! Dinner served.
4. Wednesday: Tacos with Knorr Rice Sides pack – I used the extra ground beef I cooked on Monday to make tacos. All I had to do was chop up some lettuce and tomatoes, warm up the tortillas, and assemble. I made a pack of Knorr Rice Sides Chicken as a side dish.
5. Thursday: Chicken Fettucine Alfredo – Sounds fancy, huh? This dish is *full* of shortcuts. I buy a bag of chicken cutlets, which don’t really require defrosting. I use a box of Fettucine pasta and a can of Ragu Classic Alfredo sauce. (What, you thought I made my own?) Since, the chicken doesn’t need defrosting, I just put it in the pan as soon as I get home. I usually add a can of peas & carrots to the chicken when I add the alfredo sauce. Serve over the fettucine.
6. Friday: Hot dogs & Fries – Fridays are our slack days. So, we normally eat something very easy. This week, we’ll be making some hot dogs and baking some fries in the oven.
7. Saturday: Pork Chops with Yellow Rice – Since it’s Saturday, I should theoretically have more time to cook. You can cook pork chops however you’d like: in the oven, on the stove or on the grill. Yellow rice is one of my favorites. It’s easy to cook and you can add whatever you like to it, making for many delicious variations. I’ll be making rice with corn this week, but sometimes I use beans or other vegetables. Shortcuts for yellow rice can be found via Goya, if you’d like.

You can see that the recurring theme is to use shortcuts to create quick and easy meals for your family.

How do you manage your weekly dinner menu as a busy mom?

[top photo source]

Picadillo Image via Wikipedia

Calendar Image via SugarcubeDesign

Photo by Martin Abegglen

There’s been a lot of buzz recently regarding moms who blog and whether or not we should get paid for hosting giveaways. If you’ve ever hosted a giveaway on your blog before, you know there’s a lot of work involved. And if you don’t know just how much, let me break it down for you. On average, if you want your giveaway to be successful, then for each blog contest hosted, you usually have to:

• Review the items/services.
• Write a blog post, many times including personal images or even video you create.
• Promote the contest via various social media outlets.
• Promote the contest on other blogs and sweepstakes sites.
• Draw a winner.
• Contact the winner.
• Contact the contest sponsor with winner’s information.
• Follow-up with winner and/or sponsor if necessary.

With all the other millions of things that busy moms who blog have going on in their lives (blogging-related or not), that can take a lot of time out of your week.

As many have said, when you’re writing about any product or brand, you’re helping to promote them. It may not be equivalent to the promotion they’d receive on a larger website or on TV, etc., but it’s still promoting them. And, a blog giveaway is promoting them multiple ways. Think about it.

Not only are you writing about them on your blog (which lives forever via search engines), you’re also talking about them on social media. If you tweet about your contest 3 times a day for a week (standard length of a contest), you’re already at over 20 mentions for that one brand. So, for any given blog contest, you’ll probably be promoting that product or brand about 25 times.

Most bloggers do all of that promotion and work for free.

Now, I know that many bloggers do it to increase their page views, or to provide a good promotion to their readers. For many, that’s enough reward. Others feel that receiving the product in exchange for hosting the giveaway, is equivalent to payment. My opinion? In some cases, it might be enough. But, it depends. It depends on your personal situation, what you feel is worth your time, and what you feel is valuable to your readers.

However, if you’re doing all that work in exchange for a $20 product, which you’ll then have to claim on your taxes as income – is it really worth it?

Recently, I was approached about a new blogger program in which this brand was looking to partner with “five influential bloggers” for a giveaway. The program pitch requested that you post on your blog 6 consecutive days, with a total of seven blog posts to be written. This included not only your own giveaway, but also cross-promoting the other bloggers’ giveaways. SEVEN blog posts – one each weekday (two the day of your contest), plus an extra introductory post. That is a lot of blog posts for one particular brand and will dominate your blog.

Of course, I respectfully declined participation in the program and let them know that it was entirely too much to ask of any blogger without it being a compensated or sponsored program. I just could not see myself participating and doing all that work, to then have to claim $200 worth of products on next year’s taxes with no money in my pocket to show for it.

I share all this because I really want PR companies and brands to think about what you’re asking from bloggers before you pitch them. Are you going beyond creating a mutually benefiting relationship with that blogger and taking advantage of the free ad-space?

I also want my fellow bloggers to think about how much work you’re putting into each giveaway and really consider if it’s worth your time. I know I’ve agreed to host contests in the past that in the long-run were not truly beneficial to either my readers or to myself. I’m starting to learn from those mistakes, though. Plus, like I said – whether you host a giveaway and put in all that work for free is your decision and depends on your personal situation. It might be worth it. All I ask though is that you think about it first before responding to the pitch.

P.S. If you happen to know the brand/pitch I’m referring to in this post because you too received the pitch and/or are actually participating in the program, please don’t mention the name in the comments. My purpose is not to slander any given brand, but rather to share my experience so we can all learn from each other.

Extra reading: Show Me the Money by Audrey Binkowski

Since Fridays are all about fun here, for today’s Viernes Social, I wanted to share this fun SuperMom Action Figure I came across. Her “bio” begins with “Up at the crack of dawn and working long into the night, this heroine magically creates extra hours each day juggling kids, schedules, chores and career.” Sound familiar?

Image from Happy Worker

Whether you work outside the home or work at home, you will probably appreciate this humorous look into the world of being a working mom. The doll comes with accessories like the super long to-do list and a tag line that reads “Juggling kids & career while standing on her head.” How can you not relate?

The Happy Worker site also provides Fun Mom Facts and a section with Resources for Modern Moms, which includes a topic of Balancing Work and Children.

As the doll portrays, busy moms have a lot on their minds. Let’s take some time today to laugh a little and take a break from work. Maybe you can even squeeze some me-time in there for yourself. Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

What do you like to do for a break from work? Any fun stress-relieving activities you do to give your mind a quick break?

If you’re a blogger and user of other social media applications, you know that it can sometimes be hard to keep up with everything. You’ve got blog posts to write, PR emails to answer, comments to keep up with, and a social media presence that needs to be constantly updated. Add all that to your day job or freelance/client work, plus your family and household responsibilities, and it’s a wonder you’re able to do anything!

In order to try to alleviate some aspects of this busy life, I use my smart phone. Of course, my phone can’t clean the house or cook dinner, but it can help me organize some details of our household and allows me to stay up to date with various social media accounts. Let’s dive right into how this works for me.

Image from Volker on Mobile

How to Use your Smart Phone to Increase Productivity

Using the Memos or Notes Feature

I use this feature to jot down quick notes as I’m out and about. For example, I could be in the store or in the car and get an idea for a blog post, so I’ll quickly note it in my “blog post ideas” memo. Some other memos that I constantly have in my phone and update as needed:

• Grocery List – If I notice we’re out of something, I add it to the list so I can later reference it when planning a weekly dinner menu or preparing to go to the store.
• Music to Download – Sometimes I hear a new song on the radio that I like, but know that I won’t remember it later. I write down the name and artist for downloading on iTunes later.

Calendar

Unfortunately, my Palm Treo does not have the capability of syncing its calendar with the Google calendar. However, if I’m not in front of my computer or not at home, I can quickly add an item to my phone’s calendar and later add it to my Google calendar. I also use the reminder feature on my Google calendar to send myself text message reminders of important events.

Those of you who have phones that allow for syncing these calendars, can constantly keep up to date with your agendas since you’ll always have your calendar on either your phone or on the computer. I’m a little jealous. {ahem} Moving on…

Tasks/To-do List

There are actual to-do list applications for some phones; others simply call it a task list. You can add an item you remembered you have to do and even assign a due date and set a reminder. Sometimes, though, I just use my memos function to write up a quick list of things I want to achieve on a particular day. It’s a bit old-school, but it works for me.

Image from Artillery Unit Blog

Email on your Mobile Phone

Of course, email is one of those features that allows you to easily stay connected. You can quickly send out an email to a friend if you’re at the doctor’s office or waiting in the car. Or you can easily respond to a PR email to let them know you’re interested in the opportunity – or not. Sometimes, I just go through and clear out the “junk” type emails so that when I sit down at a computer to actually answer my emails, there are less to go through in my inbox.

Social Media Maintenance

This is probably what I use my smart phone for the most. I’ve found that I can keep up with my social media presence much better by using the phone throughout the day to fill in those gaps when I’m not near a computer. I’ve often received comments from others about how I manage to “be everywhere” and regularly update my social media profiles. How do I do this?

• Text Messages – I can easily send a text message to update my Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn status. I use other tools as well to update multiple accounts at the same time – all via one text message. It keeps my profiles up to date and maintains a live social media presence.

• Web Browser – I check in on Twitter and Facebook by using their mobile sites. This is another area where my Palm Treo lacks in functionality, since I cannot easily respond to replies on Twitter. It’s not impossible, but it’s a little annoying as there are a few steps I have to take. That said, I can still respond to comments on both sites if I feel it’s time-sensitive and can’t wait until later.

If you don’t already have a smart phone, I suggest you buy one. Some people feel it complicates their lives even more. But, I think if you use it effectively and in moderation, it can actually enhance some aspects of your life and help keep you organized.

If you have one, what are some of your favorite ways to use your smart phone? Do you use one feature more than others?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Purex. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hello, hello. It is that time of the week again. Viernes! Friday! And, it’s definitely TGIF for me. I’m looking forward to having some fun family time this weekend, though I was grateful to return to a “normal” routine this past week as I had no travel.

For today’s Viernes Social, I am sharing a new video. And let me tell you…this vlogging thing is interesting. But, I’m trying. Hopefully I’ll start to feel more comfortable with it soon enough.

Anyway, this video is about the Purex 3-in-1 Laundry Sheet. As you may know, I’ve been a Purex Insider for a few months now and have been trying out the sheets on my laundry. Take a look at the video below to hear all about my experience in using the laundry sheets. And ladies, you’ll appreciate the story about my husband and the grocery shopping.

If you want to try out the sheet for yourself, you can get a free sample by visiting the Purex blog. Oh, and check out this other video from Purex; it made me laugh.

Have you used the Purex laundry sheets? Do you feel they save you time and/or money? If you haven’t tried them, maybe you can share with us your pet peeve about doing laundry.

Photo by erin_m

Plenty of people find it difficult to get some time alone. We’re all busy with work, our home life, family, activities, and just life in general. It can be hard to find some time for yourself. But, more and more, I see that women and moms in particular, complain the most about getting some time for themselves – some “me time“.

It seems that men either don’t require “me time” as much as women do or they just don’t admit it. At any rate, it makes sense that parents are often the ones asking how they can get a little time alone and away from the everyday.

I thought about some of the ways that I manage to keep my sanity and balance out my life a little bit. Ok, well, maybe not my life, but my head at least.

7 Ways to Squeeze in “Me Time”

1. Take a break to goof around on the Internet. Whether it be a quick tour of your favorite social media networks or visiting your preferred blogs to read or just simply doing a bit of online shopping, you will be amazed how a few minutes online can easily give your brain a much needed break from reality.
2. Pretend you have to use the bathroom. I know this sounds crazy. Believe me, I do. However, when you’ve got too much going on and it seems like it’ll be a while before you can break from it, this may be a temporary solution. Just lock the bathroom door and give yourself 10 minutes of quiet. If you have a magazine rack in your bathroom or leave a book in there, you can even catch up on some of that reading you’ve been meaning to do. And sweetie…if you’re reading this…I never do this. Ever.
3. Take a shower. Or bath. Make it a LONG one. Don’t rush your shower. Take a few extra minutes to just let the warm water hit your back. Or spend a bit more time working the shampoo into your hair. If you can take a nice relaxing bubble bath, then even better!
4. Enforce bedtime. Make sure that your kids stick to their bedtime. I can’t tell you how much I love the 2-3 hours each night after my baby girl goes to sleep. Most of the time, I end up spending this time either working or watching some TV with my husband, but there’s times that I get those hours all to myself if I plan in advance.
5. Meditate. Pray. Reflect. Whatever you call it and however you do it, taking some time to think about things can do wonders for clearing your head of all the noise. You can easily do this while driving, cooking, or cleaning.
6. Exercise. Go for a 20 minute walk. Do a quick yoga routine. Or dance along to some music.
7. Go grocery shopping. It’s something that needs to be done anyway, isn’t it? Leave everyone else at home and go by yourself. You may even get the shopping done faster than normal (but not TOO fast, ok?).

Photo by Alejandra Mavroski

These tips may not be glamorous. They may not include a night out on the town with your girls. But, they’re realistic and can offer some simple yet effective ways for you to feel like you’re getting a little “me time” in for yourself. Also? I hope it’s obvious that if you have kids, you’ll clearly need to have someone supervising them when you’re getting your “me time“. Especially if you’re locking yourself in the bathroom.

How do you find some time for yourself? What do you normally do with your “me time”?

Photo of woman by: erin_m

Photo of water by: Alejandra Mavroski

Lately it seems that I totally suck at this balance thing. Ok, maybe suck is a strong word. But, I can say that I need to definitely work on my time management.

Being sick hasn’t helped either. It seems lately I spend all my time either laying on the couch trying to get over a headache (or *something*) or I spend my time cleaning one area of the house only for the rest of the house to be in chaos.

And weekends are just not long enough. After both of us being at work all week, there’s not enough time in two days to do everything we need to get done. Forget fun or things we want to do, I’m just talking about things we need to do. Like laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, and of course spending time playing with our baby girl. Because that’s absolutely on the need list for us.

Obviously, I need a little help to get myself and our household back in order. I need to get back into a routine that allows for most things to get done in a week. I think I’d be lying to myself if I tried to get all things done. It just never works out that way.

So, let me share with you some articles I’ve come across lately that provide tips on saving time and organizing your work or life in general. I share because maybe you’re like me and are looking to be more organized and productive or maybe just need to reduce a little of the chaos in your life.

Or maybe you’ve got it all together and could teach me a few things. In that case, skip right along past these links and leave me a comment with your wise words.

Organization and Time Saving Resources

1. The 4 Hour Workday
2. Simplify Your Life Week
3. Real Simple’s 18 Timesaving Tips
4. Simple Mom’s Steps for Organizing…Life
5. Organized Grocery Shopping

Whether you’ve got it all together or need a little help, leave me a comment and let me know. I can definitely use either your tips or the comfort of knowing I’m not alone.

Image credit: mirrorwithmemory