5 Things Every Working Mom Should Do Each Week
I want to back to my twenty-five-year-old self and slap her for ever thinking she was busy. If being busy means that I had to wake up twenty minutes earlier to beat traffic on the way to spin class. Then yea, I was busy. Being a working mom is another-level busy. You are literally always on, from the moment that you wake up until you finally get to crawl into bed. However, I have picked up on a few strategies over the years that help me calm some of the chaos and bring order to my working mom life. Here are five things that I do every Sunday to help ensure a successful week.
#1 Grocery Shop– I used to hate going grocery shopping on the weekends because it is always crazy. That was until our grocery store started offering online ordering and curbside delivery. I go to the app, add everything to the cart, and when it is ready they bring it right out to my car. Lazy? Maybe. Convenient? Absolutely! I highly recommend that you utilize this service if it is available at your grocery store. Not only has it helped me save time and patience (not having to bring two toddlers into the grocery store), but it has cut our grocery bill down as we;;. It eliminates a lot of duplicative items and impulse purchases. A win for the working mom!
#2 Meal Prep– I have recently started meal prepping and it is a game changer. I’m not as hardcore as others when it comes to meal prepping, but the little bit that I do really helps the week run much smoother. As soon as I get home from the grocery store, I wash, dry, and chop all of the produce. I also portion out some of the fruits and veggies for snacks and lunches for the week. I also take some time and throw some chicken in the Instant Pot and boil a dozen eggs. Having these items ready and handy keep us eating healthy in a hurry! These containers are great for meal prepping and getting lunches portioned out for the week. I also have five baskets (one for each work week-day) and I put all of the non-perishable ingredients and printed out recipes in them for the week’s dinners. When it is time to cook, I just pull out the basket and am ready to go. I’m not a very good cook so this has helped keep me organized and prepared for busy weeknight meals.
#3 Outfit Prep– Another working mom saving grace is outfit prep. Each Sunday I lay out everyone’s outfits for the week, including mine. For myself, I lay out each outfit with accompanying shoes, accessories, and undergarments. For the kids, I have the outfit, undergarments, socks, and shoes if different than their ordinary wear shoes. I make sure that everything is pressed and ready to go for those hectic mornings. I could not believe how much stress this has taken off of me. You never realize how much time and energy is spent deciding what to wear and getting the outfit together until you don’t have to do it anymore. It is a lifesaver with the kids because the clothes are organized by day (these hanging organizers work great!) so they just go to the day, pull out their clothes, and get dressed. Independent kids are magical to a busy working mom.
#4 Plan & Schedule– Spend some time on Sunday reviewing yours and your family’s calendar for the upcoming week. Make sure that you have a plan for getting the kids to and from school and activities and that any work/social outings are worked out. I love the Cozi app for coordinating schedules and communicating upcoming events with the family. Try the Cozi Family Organizer today. It’s FREE! I also suggest building out a schedule for the entire week, down to the hour. Having this on paper (or electronically) will give you control over the week and help ease unnecessary stress. Make sure to carve out time for things think exercise and date nights with the hubby. Having time allocated for these activities ensures that you can partake guilt free and actually relax, which can be difficult for working moms to do.
#5 Take Care of Any Tasks– Try to take care of any task or errand that could potentially come up throughout the upcoming week. Need to get gas? Buy a birthday gift for next Saturday’s birthday party? Those small tasks creep up and not only cause undue stress but they can derail your best-laid plans. You will feel much better going into the week with things already checked off your to-do list. Planning equals happiness!
Leave a Reply