Supermoms -we’ve all met other moms who seem to have it all together.  Do you ever wonder how they do it?  Well, the trick isn’t a trick… they just do it.  How is another question.  It always seems that we can never get caught up, and things just get piled up, despite our best intentions.  The key is to get organized and develop new good habits.

Changing habits won’t happen overnight.

It’s a gradual process and takes time.  So, first you need to organize your time, but once you are organized you will save a lot of time in the long run.  Plan to tackle one thing at a time. Don’t try to do it all at once, because you’ll get overwhelmed and give up.  Start with the easiest job, so you have a sense of accomplishment that will roll over to the next project.  Once things are organized, set up daily maintenance for each area of the house.

Start with clutter.

 Get rid of things that have been piling up, like junk mail, paper and other things you just don’t need.  Then take a look at each room and see what belongs and what doesn’t. If it doesn’t belong in that room, put it in a box to be sorted and placed in the right place later.  You can even have a box for each person in the family and put things in it from each room as you go through the house. Then they can put all their things away.

Many of us have clothes and toys that haven’t seen the light of day in ages, so by going through them and either having a garage sale or giving them to charity, you can cut back on the amount of stuff that needs done.  The less you have to put away, the more time you have to spend on fun things.

Organize your shopping trips. 

Making a shopping list is a start, and many people forget to make one.  They either come out with a lot more things than they wanted, thus blowing the budget, or forget one important item and have to go back again later, wasting time.  Many people have even started using a grocery store’s website to pre-order their groceries and some even offer a delivery service. 

Another great way to help save time is to cook meals ahead of time.

There are many recipe books that are designed for freezer meals. You cook several meals at once, freezing them to be reheated later.  This saves time and if you buy the ingredients in bulk, can save you a lot of money. Slow cookers are also a great way to help save time. You throw the ingredients in earlier in the day, let it cook all day and then dinner is ready with very little work.
 
Dividing up the housework is another way to help get everything done.

Even young children can help do some things, with guidance.  The earlier they learn to help, the easier it will be later.  Make a chores chart and remind everyone that this will help make time for the family to do the fun things they want to do. 

It may seem daunting at first, but just like anything worthwhile, it will take time to reorganize your house into a smooth running home that everyone can enjoy.

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Working at Home | Getting it All Done

5 Tips About Working Moms and Stress

More and more mothers are returning to the workforce when their kids come of school age.  Some moms never stopped working and have had to learn to juggle home and career.  Here are some tips to help working moms to lighten the stress load.

Working moms are those mothers that work outside the home and inside the home.  While working moms outside the home may work more hours than the moms that work inside the home, the home-working moms must divide their time between care for the children and their clients.  For both, these two worlds provide pressures that can lead to a stressful life.

Working moms have the social interaction that comes with a job in the workplace.  They talk with other adults and get away from home for a few hours a day.  While work does offer the adult interaction they need, it also introduces a new stress-or into the mix. 

Work-at-home moms are struggling to find their identity at the same time that they are raising the kids.  The spouse still works outside of the home which means that most of the household needs are met by mom as she juggles her business.  The new business, while bringing fulfillment, can be another source of stress.

For both types of moms, one tip for stress relief is to exercise.  Exercise prepares the body for anything, including attacks from stress.  Mornings are usually best for moms because they can get their physical activity out of the way.  Mom can also exercise with their kids.  Put the baby in a stroller and walk or jog around the neighborhood.  Play games with the kids to work up a sweat.

Enlist the help of other family members.  Spouses and older kids are not mind readers.  If you want help with the chores, ask for it.  Give the kids a list of chores to do.  Make a chart and tape it to the refrigerator if you need to.  Ask your spouse to watch the kids for a few hours when he gets home so that you can have time to yourself. 

Hire out for certain jobs.  Have a maid service come in and clean for you.  It may only be once or twice a month, but any time at all is a big weight off your shoulders.  Hire a neighborhood kid to cut the lawn. 

On the days when your business workload is heaviest, why not use a mom’s helper.  She will occupy the kids while you conduct meetings, run errands, and do other business related things.  The person you hire should be someone you trust who is good with kids.

Leave work at work or in the home office.  Whatever pressures you have with clients or coworkers, decide to deal with it during work hours.  Dragging this baggage into your home life does nothing good for you or your family.  Worrying all night when the problem will still exist the next day is futile.

Return to work on a part-time basis.  Working full time may be stressing you too much.  The financial side may take a slight hit, but you will make up for it with peace of mind.  Talk to your spouse and share your concerns before making a decision together.

Working moms have added stress from their jobs, whether they work at home or in a work environment.  Easing that stress is crucial to keeping the family life in harmony.

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5 Tips About Working Moms and Stress

Since the beginning of time, husbands have been viewed as the hunters and wives as the gatherers. According to statistics, only 15% of husbands today help with housework. Although we may not have fully evolved into an equal partnership when it comes to the home, and while there is still an on-going debate as to how to encourage husbands to help around the house, here are 5 tips for getting your husband to help with housework that may work for you.

1)  Depending upon how your husband was raised, he may or may not know how to handle housework. Therefore, the first thing you can do is teach him.

Every woman cleans their home in their own way. They have a method which guarantees everything is spotless and in its place. For men, however, they hardly notice if the house is clean or not, and so it is important to discuss housework and their role – not as helper, but one who can equally share the responsibility of keeping the house clean and orderly. Discuss housework with him.

2)  Offer a compromise to him. More often than not, the husband usually takes out the trash and does “manly” work around the house, such as fixing and building or working in the back yard. If you need your husband to assist you with housework, you will have to compromise a bit by asking what chore he would like to tackle. Is he a good cook? Does he enjoy food shopping? If so, perhaps he can take over the meal preparation while you take care of the house.

3) If both of you work, weekends are a time for rest and relaxation. If one of you works at home or is taking care of children, you may find it even more difficult to get your husband to help with housework. Talk to your husband about taking on one chore at a time, so that you can free up your weekends to spend more time with each other and the children. Discuss a schedule of chores with him.

4)  Don’t expect marathon cleaning sessions from your hubby. Make your short list for the day and set a timer. Both of you get to work. When the timer goes off you can decide together if you’re up to tackling more chores or if it is time to go do other things. Working the chores together fosters a team spirit instead of making him feel like you are his mom. This small thing alone can make a big difference in getting your husband to help with housework.

5)  If you find that your husband will not lift a finger to help you, call in the guards. Hire a cleaning service. Perhaps when he sees the bill week after week, he may decide it’s easier to help rather than pay someone to do it. Discuss the cleaning service with him.

How do you balance your daily chores with finding time to work on your home business?

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5 Tips for Getting Your Husband to Help with Housework