As a working mom, bringing some sort of order to my household is key to being able to focus when it's time to work. If you're getting zero sleep, are stressed before you even leave the house, and come home to a mess in the evenings, your work life is bound to suffer. Here are some of my favorite resources and tips when it comes to managing and simplifying home life:
1) Need Sleep? Check out Moms on Call: If you return to work after you have children, sleep will be your number one priority. The resources at Moms on Call are provided by nurses who specialize in teaching moms how to understand their babies' sleep cycles so that they can help train their babies how to sleep through the night as soon as possible. I know that topic is super controversial, but I truly believe that babies and toddler need to learn how to put themselves to sleep on their own and connect their sleep cycles in the middle of the night--there's not a magical sleep fairy that visits babies randomly. Once they master that skill (for my daughter, it was four months old), everyone will be much much happier!
2) Dinnertime Drama? If you are struggling to get dinner on the table in the evenings, there are so many great resources out there to help working moms. Blue Apron is one of my favorites as it cuts out the planning and shopping--all of the items you need for meals arrive at your house on ice in a box once a week. The meal preparation itself can be a little tedious, however, as the recipes can be complicated. I use this service once or twice a month to change things up and give myself a weekend off of meal planning and grocery shopping.
Another option is a grocery shopping service. In Richmond, VA, we have Relay Foods. You can shop for your groceries online and pick them up once a week at a location convenient to your house. They sometimes have meal packages as well. I have some great meal plans on my blog Loan Officer Lately if you need some ideas for week night meals.
And then, there's always take-out. Not gonna lie--we probably go with this option more than we should!
3) Design a Work Uniform- Getting out of the door in the mornings is probably the most difficult task of all for the Watson household. For me, it was always a struggle to coordinate an outfit. When I added a baby now toddler to the mix, I no longer had time to spend 30 minutes in my closet every morning.
Thankfully, a great friend of mind who owns the boutique Wardrobe in Richmond, VA, helped me pick out a work uniform. It consists of the Sloan pant from Banana Republic and loose-fitting blouses. I have four pairs of the pants and 8-10 of the blouses, and that's my wardrobe. I have a few dresses I occasionally throw in the mix, but I try my best to stick to this formula. My morning have been exponentially easier since I adopted this practice. You can read more and see link to the outfit at my blog Loan Officer Lately.
Do you have any tips or awesome resources that have helped you manage your home life more easily?
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