5 Tips for Busy Moms // livelovesimple.com

Getting It All Done // 5 Tips for Busy Moms

DenaSeptember 17, 2015

Let’s be honest — how often do you feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day? It’s a side-effect of the world that we live in. Go, go, go. Do, do, do.

However, I never really knew what it was like to be “short on time” until I became a mother of a toddler and an infant at the same time. My favorite mantra has become, “It’ll get done when it gets done.” Because, frankly, I don’t have any other choice!

Lately, I’ve had to take a look at life and make moves to give myself more time. Yes, there are still nights that I cry myself to sleep, because it’s all just so much. But implementing these 5 little tips has helped.

1. Prioritize. — Let’s start with the bottom line: you can’t do it all. Always remember to think about what is the most important and put that at the top of the list. Speaking of lists…

2. Make lists. — I’m an avid list maker. I make lists for everything — packing, shopping, blogging. It helps me to stay organized even when life is full of chaos. I make to-do lists for myself at least once a week, sometimes daily when I’ve got a lot on my plate.

3. Find shortcuts. — If you look hard, you’ll find shortcuts in your life just waiting to be found. For example, I’ve written about how Marina won’t sleep on her own. It makes my life hellish not even being able to put her down for a nap. But she has started to fall asleep in her stroller. So now, I combine my daily exercise and her nap time by pushing the babies in the stroller while I power-walk. Bam! — shortcut — exercise & nap in one shot.

Another thing I’ve discovered recently are Eat Smart Salad Kits. Pretty much the quickest/easiest meal option you could ask for. Best of all, they’re healthy and delicious. More on that in a minute.

4. Unplug. — I can’t even begin to quantify how much time I used to waste “scrolling” on social media — Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Now I limit myself to twenty minutes in the morning and twenty minutes before bed. I’ve saved so much time that it’s actually embarrassing. Oh, and don’t get me started on those social games (like Words with Friends & Candy Crush). Just don’t do it!

5. Ask for help. — This last one is the hardest one for me. Chalk it up to pride or even to my guilty conscience. But I have one hell of a hard time asking for help. Thing is, sometimes we all need it, and we shouldn’t be afraid to ask for it once in awhile.

The people in our lives aren’t mind-readers and just because you feel like you’re drowning, it might look like you’re holding it all together with ease. If you need help, ask for it. Whether that means asking your mother-in-law to bring over a casserole once a week or asking your best friend to push the baby around the yard while you scrub the bathroom. Don’t be afraid to reach out. If they care about you, they’ll be happy to do it.

Back to those salad kits… Our family was recently sent several Eat Smart Salad Kits to try out. We were truly impressed. I can’t believe how delicious and easy to put together they are. When you open each bag, you’ll find all of the fresh salad ingredients in individual packets. You just pour the salad onto a plate, snip open each of the ingredient packets, pour them on, and mix everything together. It couldn’t be simpler!

We tried a bunch of the kits, but our favorite was the Beets and Greens Salad. Fresh beets are blended with five other superfoods — golden raisins, feta cheese and a white wine vinaigrette. It’s sweet & savory — everything that I want in my salad! Matthew and I have been eating these salads for lunch and even Roman has been sneaking around, swiping beets & cheese from our plates.

Each single-serve salad includes at least 11 grams of protein from plant-based protein sources such as corn, edamame, chia seeds and sunflower seeds. They’re perfect for when you’re short on time. Just toss and enjoy. Music to every busy mom’s ears, right!?