Busy Mom Life Hacks. Everyday mom solutions for moms on the go. From morning routine, to app that connect your family, the crazy sock tip and a dinner solution that will become a a weekly tradition!
Busy Mom Life Hacks
We were in survival mode for two years. Does anyone else go through a season where you are barely making it? This season was a bit too long but I was working full time plus a part-time stay at home mom with twin newborns and a 14 months old. As they grew, the chaos seemed to grow too. More to do, more to accomplish, a never ending to do list trying to win at both work and home.
I wasn’t winning and I had to come up with solutions. First, I learned to balance both work and life/family. I am still working on that one. Second, I began organizing our family in my own family command center – The Busy Mom Binder.I tested this binder on other busy mothers to see what was missing. They were so great and I think I have a very helpful product for you!
Once those things were set in place, I began researching Busy Mom Hacks. These were hacks and tips that would help this mom functionally organize her home. Some of these mom tips I was already doing, others I asked around and inquired what other busy mothers were doing to bring order back to their home….
Thus, our …..
Busy Mom Hacks
I get it guys, I am so busy too. I work and raise three kids and cart them to and fro from after school activities In order to get a hold and re-organize my life, I created the Busy Mom Binder. This keeps your family command center in one spot. It easily organizes your home, your kids and you and gives you a place to direct your husband when he asks that home/kids question for the 100th time – wink!
This Mommy Hook has saved me many times on a grocery run. I look it to my stroller and run around grabbing what I need. It also holds the diaper bag pretty well!
One of the biggest gifts I have given myself is Grocery Delivery. I hardly visit the grocery store anymore except for a quick forgotten run or to hit the hot bar for a lunch for dinner entree. You can get grocery delivery from 1.) Peapod (what I use) 2.) Instacart (seems to be the most popular) or 3.) Amazon Fresh.
Put things in a laundry basket as you’re going about your day that need to be put away. Then when you go upstairs for bed, put everything away; things like toys and random things from my kids’ rooms. If you lay things like scissors, though, remove them from the path of the child. | Love Love Love Blog
Days of the Week Drawers. Use plastic drawers like these to organize school clothes and help mornings go a little more smoothly. Brilliant! You can find a similar drawer units at Staples.
My car and house keys are on a Retractable Key Chain attached to a carabiner. This is one of the best ways I keep my hands free, especially unloading three kids from car seats and carrying all their stuff! It especially saves me from loosing my keys. I always know they are attached to my bag with a carabiner. I do not even take the keys out of my bag to unlock the door – they stay attached to my bag handle. (You can watch my video here!)
Is the end of a busy day calling for a glass of wine? This Wine Bottle Stopper and Stand has been the most amazing solution for my glass of wine. No more crying over spilled wine in the refrigerator. Since they no longer sell this exact stopper, try this Silicone Stopper and this Wine Bottle Stabilizer Stand.
Read this laundry tip carefully. I can never find the right time to get laundry washed and then put in the dryer. Either I forget to switch it or I leave the house and the wet laundry sits. This is my solution. 1.) I set a timer on my washer. If I know I will return home in three hours, I start the laundry in 2 hours with a delayed timer. 2.) I set an Alexa reminder for when it is complete “Alexa, give me a laundry reminder at 4:30 PM.” … and that is how I get my laundry done as a busy mom!
Get off the floor. Protect your wood flooring easily by changing the chair glides on your dining chairs and other legged furniture. These are the best nail on furniture glides and best of all, they don’t fall off!
If you find yourself on the go with a need to run through a drive through, try this Dollar Store shower caddy for holding happy meals and other to-go meals. (As seen in our Car Hacks.)
Prepare your snacks and lunch. Always prepare for the unexpected, that is my motto. So I do snacks and lunches at night. This allows me to prepare for a busy morning and limits my to-do list trying to get out the door. Have a grab and go snack station (for morning or afternoon) like Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom. You can pick up a children’s lunch planner in our Busy Mom Binder.
Turn your veggies into characters! Jane Stine is a super hero. Quote straight from her “Here’s my best parenting hack. You know how kids always want Paw Patrol yogurt or Disney waffles or whatever? Bring your own stickers to the grocery store and start sticking. Today we’re having Winnie the Pooh brand spaghetti squash. It goes perfectly with Toy Story broccoli.”
So rest is everything to us. I sleep trained my kids and they have been sleeping through the night since 15 weeks of age. When my son started waking early has a 3 year old toddler, I began the solution of a green light letting him know when he can get out of bed. The Hatch Baby Night Light and Time-to-Rise light was our solution (we actually don’t use the night light.)
Create an app folder on your phone. Put inside apps that usually waste time like social media apps. “Stop and Think” before you open this folder! Any since we might be loosing your attention on social media, make sure you are on our email list!
Speaking of apps, this is one your want to organize your family, especially if you have older kids with smart phones. The Cozi Family Organizer App connects calendars, lists, and more to everyone! A three time award winning all, with Cozi you can:
- Keep events and activities all in one place
- Keep and share the grocery list in real time
- Store recipes, plan meals, and shop for ingredients
- Use from any mobile device or computer
Read this quote from mom hack influencer, Marleni…
We use the Cozi calendar app for more than just appointments. We use it for groceries too. If it’s not on the list, it doesn’t get bought. And with it synced to Alexa, we can update while we are in the kitchen. The calendar keeps us all on the same page with games, practices, appointments and special days as well as the needed items. The kids also made their Christmas Wish List in cozi this year.
Don’t forget to take care of yourself. I have told you in other posts how I wash my hair once a week. The day before I wash it, I load up my hair with Argan Oil. So there are days, where my hair is just too dirty. On those days I use dry shampoo (Living Proof is my favorite dry shampoo!) You can follow According to D for four days of dirty hair ideas!
Have a daily cleaning list. This keeps you on top of house maintenance. You could also use our less than 1 hour a day deep cleaning checklist. Often 20 to 30 minutes. If each day holds too much, split it among your spouse and among your kids. In our Busy Mom Binder we have a deep cleaning checklist, daily checklist, a monthly declutter challenge and chore chart for kids. Get inspired with these KonMari Method Ideas.
Each week, triple at least one dinner recipe that freezes well. Eat one and freeze the other two for busy nights! It doesn’t take that much longer to make a double or triple amount of a dish, than a single amount. This is a great idea for over the weekend and eventually your frozen meals will add up! This is a great way to pay it forward as well, especially when you sign up for a meal train or gift a dinner to a neighbor or elderly couple. Tip from Mary Ann at Menus 4 Moms.
Make a daily quiet box. This is a box pulled out each day for a set amount of time. Each box is assigned a different day. This is a quite time where mom is free to catch up on work, house hold chores or time to herself. With each box there is a new discovery. If you have two boxes for each day of the week, you can ensure these toys/activities feel pretty new each time they are pulled out (only two times a month!) Idea on Babies and Kids Review.
I don’t know why socks are such an issue but we all complain about them! This Sock Hack is great. First, for younger kids socks, wash them in a mesh bag. This keeps all socks together so they are not lost in the deep dark abyss. Second, try this Crazy Sock Trip from the Thrifty Couple. Each family member has a different color/style of sock, so in the laundry 1.) socks match 2.) you can quickly identify which sock belongs to whom! Genius.
Don’t Forget! Keep a do not forget list by the door. Laminate this list and hang it on your door with a Command Brand strip or Velcro. You can write on it with a dry erase maker and wipe it off with a wet paper towel. No need to leave the house and return home because you forgot something!
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