What do you do when you’re overwhelmed by responsibilities you have as a working mom? Learn how to find calm in the chaos of managing work and family.
Working mom overwhelm. Yes, it’s a thing. How could it not be? “Will I be able to balance it all – working, being a wife, and being a mom?” This is the question many new moms want the answer to.
The biggest working mom problems are trying to balance all of these things:
1. house
2. meals
3. time with family
4. work
5. grocery shopping
Believe it or not, it is possible to find calm in the chaos of work and family life. Over my nearly 14 years of being a working mom, I’ve developed some tricks for not only surviving, but enjoying my life as a working mom.
How To Find Calm In The Chaos Of Work And Family Life
1. Don’t Spend All Weekend Cleaning
How to get around this? Have a one-hour Friday night speed cleaning session, get others to help out more around the house, or (gasp!) hire a housekeeper.
There are many chores that kids can do: gathering dirty laundry, helping to put dishes into the sink after a meal, keeping bedrooms and toys tidy, vacuum, put things away in your main living spaces, and maybe even help you with washing the dishes. Hubby can pitch in, too!
I’ve experimented with several different cleaning schedules after I quickly grew tired of the clean-a-thon all day on Saturday. So I started to do some cleaning on Friday nights so that we can start the weekend with a clean house.
My goal is to hit the main areas of the house, so there is little to nothing that needs to be done on Saturday or Sunday. The first thing I do is find a good internet radio station to listen to that I can turn up loud and sing. Then, I hit the Friday Fast 5 for an hour.
I’ve even been known to take a day off to catch up.
2. Plan Your Meals
Take a few hours every Sunday to plan for a whole week’s meals. This will save you plenty of money, stress, and time all week long. Be sure to include specifics and make sure that all your healthy recipes’ ingredients are in place or within reach during meal prep.
Meal planning doesn’t have to be overcomplicated. Often, we choose to make it that way. Got 10 minutes? You can plan your meals for the whole month. Learn my three easy steps to Improve Your Meal Planning in Just 10 Minutes.
3. Focus on Quality Time Over Quantity
You probably have a sense of your kids’ favorite activities, so attempt to pick one each day or as many times a week as you can. Your kids are probably so happy to spend quality time with you that they really won’t be paying attention to whether that happens every single day.
I focus more on quality rather than quantity. A few activities that come to mind: prepare dinner together, spend 30 to 60 minutes at a park, play games, play board games, watch a television show together, or do a craft, art, or coloring project together.
Don’t forget to prioritize date night.
Date night is often a forgotten ritual once you’re married. I would argue that it’s more important than ever, once you’re married. It’s easy to want to spend time together when you’re first dating or just falling in love.
Plan ahead, budget for it, schedule it, make it mandatory, make it a priority, set reasonable expectations, and remember your why.
4. Work at Work (And Leave Work at Work)
Be fully present where you are. If you are at work, do your best to be fully present there. This is only possible if arrangements have been made before you come to work (i.e. childcare, household chores, meal plans, errands, appointments, etc.).
When you are at work, focus on work.
When you are at home, focus on being a wife, mom, and yourself.
5. Keep Organized Shopping Lists & Order Online
Grocery shopping is a necessary evil. We all have to do it. I have found that grocery shopping causes the least headaches when paired with a simple plan. (Grab my free, printable grocery shopping list here.)
Essentials like toilet paper, paper towels, diapers, cleaning supplies and such can be ordered online. You can get most things within a few days. Just think, your house can be fully stocked by the end of the week if ordered by Wednesday.
I love shopping online. No lines. No whining kids in shopping carts. No traffic.
So there you have it. Life isn’t always easy, but there are always things we can do to lighten our load. Take it day by day.
We have partnered up with Nakturnal for a Diapers.com giveaway!
How to Win a $50 Gift Card
Tell me in the comments: Do you order anything online to make your life easier? What would you buy with $50 at Diapers.com?
This post and giveaway are sponsored by Nakturnal on behalf of Diapers.com.
This promotion is open until October 3, 2016 at 11:59 pm EST and is limited to US residents, 18 years or older. The winner will be chosen randomly. Winner must respond to email within 24 hours or prize may be forfeited. The promotional content and prize for this promotion is provided by and shipped by sponsor and/or its representatives. The prize may be sent via FedEx or UPS. No P.O. Boxes please.
Before you leave, check out other Current Giveaways:
Yes, I order alot of different things on Amazon from coffee and toiletries to food and clothes, out of convenience.
I would buy diapers, wipes and formula on diapers.com!
Yes, I buy quite a few things online. I use the internet for research and to find out where I can get the product I want locally — this saves a lot of time shopping and looking around.
I would like to buy my own car seat so that the kids don’t have to leave one for me when I’m caring for the grandkids.
I buy books, gifts, and food items online to make life easier.
At Diapers.com, I would order lots of diapers and wipes.
I order a lot of the random essentials that I sometimes forget when I’m at the store. Like laundry detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, etc. I order them in bulk once every three months and it just makes it easier for me. We don’t run out, it’s not something I have to think about and it’s delivered to the front door.
I would order diapers and some baby clothes with $50 at diapers.com. My best friend is in the process of trying to have a baby and I want to start stock piling things for her because her and her husband have been having a hard time financially lately and I want to help as much as possible.
I order all kinds of things online. Sometimes I order bath and beauty supplies. Sometimes kitchen staples. Depends on my time and what I need.
I would definitely use this for diapers and wipes. They are always needed with 4 grandbabies.
I order diapers from Amazon to make life easier.
If I won I would buy wipes.
I order lots of books online to relax with.
I order all my paper goods so that I don’t have to go to the big box store.
I order tons of stuff online! Household products (including diapers) if the price is competitive with the local stores. Also, all my home furnishing type products get ordered because I just don’t have time to shop for them
I would buy diapers and Waterwipes! So excited to see they have waterwipes there, because the closest place to me that sells them is like 35 minutes away!
I order coffee online to save money.
I have a baby niece and I would love to spoil her with some new toys!
I order as much as I can to make life easier, even groceries sometimes. Thanks for the giveaway!
I buy as much as I can online — not so much food, but just about everything else!
They have some cute kids’ clothes. I would get my son some Carter’s dinosaur pj’s!
I would buy baby food with $50 at Diapers.com. Thanks for the giveaway!
Yes I sometimes buy things online.
I would buy diapers for my cousins baby.
I order gifts online for family who don’t live nearby.
I would buy BumGenius diapers from Diapers.com.
I do have several things I order from amazon’s subscribe and save service to make my life a bit easier.
If I win I will give this to my sister to buy newborn essentials for the baby she’s expecting.
I order lots online thanks to amazon prime
i’d order diapers for DD.
Yes, I order a lot of items online. It makes it easier when I don’t have to take the kids shopping.
I would buy a booster seat for my daughter.
We use the internet for many things. One of my favorite is the micro cloths I use for easy cleaning.
If I won $50 on Diaper.com I would gift it to my niece who will have a new baby in the new year
I order pretty much anything I can online – pet food, pantry staples, clothing, etc.
I would order lots of… Diapers! We go through them fast.
I do….I order cat food, dog food and pet treats online…they are so heavy to tote…so I order and use MyPoints tool bar and get credit for them!
At Diapers.com I’d buy ALL diapers!
I order groceries online to save time
I would buy a lot of diapers
i order baby wipes online and usually toilet paper! makes my life so much easier!
i would buy diapers and wipes if i won! always need them!
I order a lot of stuff online because I am not a fan of shopping.
I would buy wipes and diapers for our grandson.
I mostly buy gifts on-line and sometimes products for my home.
I would probably buy diapers at diapers.com
I order a lot of things online which makes my life a lot easier!
I would use the gift card to purchase a carseat for my daughter.
I order many things online. Most of our gifts are purchased online along with purchases for remodeling projects. For us it is easier to shop the big box store and get all the info we need then purchase online for better pricing.
If I were lucky enough to win the gift card, I would purchase diapers for my youngest grand daughter.
We just adopted two almost 6 week old kittens(they have been with us since they were 4 weeks old). I found that I am ordering all of their supplies through chewy.com. Just a savings: time and money!
I order diapers online a lot to save me time
I would probably put the GC towards a new diaper bag
Thanks for these helpful tips. I find it difficult to balance life sometimes but I just recognize that not everything is going to perfect all the time and I’m ok with that. I do a lot of my son’s shopping online so much easier than taking him to the store!
I buy stuff online all.the.time.
If I had $50 for diapers.com I would buy lots of size 3 pampers for my youngest!
I don’t drive due to medical reasons and I do a lot of shopping online for convenience.. That is basically how I get all my Christmas gifts from clothes to toys to gift cards.
I would buy diapers. I have a 8 month old grandson and a grandson on the way that will make his debut in Dec. so we will be needing a lot of diapers.
Oh I do shop online often, its so easy to to have diapers, wipes, and paper towels sent right to the house in larger quantities!
Oh I would love to get some diapers and wipes!
I order things online if it’s cheaper than the stores.
With $50 for diapers.com, I would buy diapers and wipes.
I order diapers online! And I would use this for..more diapers! I have 2 kids under 2 so we go through a lot of them 🙂
I order paper products to save myself time with washing dishes.
If I won, I would buy diapers and wipes.
I would order a lot of diapers with this gift card! I order many things online- diaper cream, books, and toys. Definitely makes things easier.
I love ordering diapers online! I would use this for more diapers!
I order so much online! Especially books and clothes! Makes life easier
I would buy some clothes for my kids with the gift card!
I order baby clothes and toys off Amazon as its easier than going to look at the store.
If I won I would buy some high quality baby wash and shampoo off diapers.com.
Sometimes I like to order clothes online to save time.
I would get some diapers or baby clothes.
Yes, I order quite a few items online, such as lotion, because it’s so much easier and often times cheaper than going to a store to buy it.
I would probably buy wipes.
Yes I sometimes shop on amazon for my animals food items. I also get some cosmetics at drugstore.com. I would buy diapers and loads of wiper to prepare for my Fiance and I trying for a baby after our December wedding.
I buy toilet paper & coffee via Amazon’s Subscribe & Save feature. We never run out, which is a major win. 🙂
I would buy diapers & wipes for my 2-year-old from Diapers.com.
I order so much stuff online! I primarily used Amazon and their subscribe and save option because I not only don’t have to shop in the store I don’t have to shop period! I sign up once and they just keep coming! I have not used Diapers.com before but my one friend keeps telling me a I should so maybe this is the motivator I need…
I think it goes without saying that I would buy some diapers with a $50 gift card to diapers.com but I just checked out their website and realized they have way more than just diapers! So honestly I would probably buy some baby food and also some baby utensils/plates for my 14 month who is trying to eat on her own preferably while keeping most of the food on her tray… 🙂
I pay all my bills online.
I would buy Huggies diapers for my grandson.
I would purchase diaper for my granddaughter and my newborn grandson at diaper.com
I do purchase things online when I need to but I’m a see and touch person so I prefer to shop in a store.
I would get diapers and wipes with the gift card.
I love ordering things online. I can never find what I want at the store! It is so much more convenient!
I would love to buy diapers and wipes online. It’s nice to stock up a little.
I’ve started buying air filters online, but now considering groceries.
I would buy wipes, and bath products.
I use Amazon subscribe and save to automatically ship items we always need. Such a time saver!
I would buy girls clothing or household items from Diapers.com. What a great website!
I order everything but groceries online. I have 5 children and I just don’t have the time or energy to shop in a store.
I would buy diaper wipes and toilet paper. Two things that we fly through in my house.
I buy all my gifts on Amazon. With prime 2 day shipping, I love Amazon.
I order a lot of things online to make it easier.
I order a lot online to make life easier! Often cheaper, too!
I would buy huggies diapers!
I order lots of things online to make life easier! Makes me wonder what I did before the internet, lol!
I’ve started ordering more and more offline. I’m more comfortable with it.
I would buy cloth diapers for my newest granddaughter who is due in October.
I definitely order things online to make my life easier. I need to do it more often, in fact!
I would buy diapers if I were lucky enough to win!
I do a lot of clothes shopping online to save time
I’d use the gift card for diapers and wipes for my youngest
I order things online all of the time. It’s my new thing. Then I don’t have to go to the store and get dressed. haha
I really want to buy the 4moms Mamaroo Bouncer. I have only heard goods things about that company.
Lots of stuff! Especially vitamins
Diapers for my youngest!
Yes! I use Amazon a lot to avoid going to the store. Plus it can save money, which is always nice!
I would probably purchase some baby proofing items if I won. Great site!
Yes, I do! I love online shopping. I ordered a lot from Amazon, Gap, Old Navy… for my family
I would buy some Babyganics Shampoo + Body Wash for my little one
Thank You for the chance
I rarely shop online
Yes, I do a lot of shopping online, including groceries, to make my life more sane!
I would buy California BabyCalming Shampoo & Body Wash – French Lavender, as well as Little Twig
Shampoo – Lavender!
I order as much as I can online. Books, food, gifts. Almost everything. I’m disabled and can’t drive. kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com Thank you.
I would buy diapers for my new niece please. kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com Thank you.
I order as much as I can from online!
I enjoy shopping online because it relieves the hassle of going to the stores. Thanks for sharing with us at Merry Monday.
I order as much as I can online to save me from going to the store. But I always shop sales and use coupons online!
I would order baby gifts on Diapers.com for a dear friend who is having a baby in December.
I do the majority of my Christmas gift shopping online which makes life easier because i do not have to fight the crowds and I can take my time and browse
I would use it to purchase diapers
I order boy clothes online so I don’t have to take my son shopping : ) And I would love to buy diapers for my newborn with a diapers.com gift card!
I would probably buy diapers for my niece. She has two children in diapers and always needs diapers.
I use online internet ordering a lot at Christmas time. I really love all the online deals during that time.
I order printer ink online.
I would order diapers for my friend’s baby.
I buy toys and diapers online. I would buy more diapers!
I often order clothes and books online to save time.
I would buy diapers and wipes.
I buy a lot of things online because it’s definitely easier and you find more unique items, and good deals.
I’d get an outfit or something else like that for my new niece!
We buy a lot of stuff online because it’s just easier. There are somethings we cant find locally .
I’d put it towards a car seat for our new baby due in a few months.
yes I order toilet paper, cat food, vitamins, and many other things online. It saves time and money, and I don’t have to cart things home from the store.
I’d like to buy the Skip Hop Moby Smart Sling 3-Stage Tub – Blue
We have a subscription of diaper delivers to my son’s house.
I order alot of things online to make my life easier as long as there is free shipping or low cost shipping.
yes, I do a lot of online shopping
put it towards a car seat
I would be selfish for a change and buy some of my makeup i wear the fit me concealer and foundation and Maybe some olay facial moisturizer! I would love to stock up
I order clothes online and that is what I would use the gift card for!
baby wipesn k cups
Shopping online is convenient and economical. I purchase virtually everything online, including some groceries even. I would purchase Seventh Generation detergent, wipes etc.
Clothes… hehehe… convenience ? or pleasure?
A bit of both =) lol
Diapers for my new niece =)
I do order number of items to make my life so much easier preorder movies so on
I have to say diapers for twins here thanks
I order a lot of Christmas presents online.
I would buy diapers and wipes with it.
I do about 70-80% of my shopping online to make my life easier! I don’t drive so it def makes my life ALOT easier!
I would literally buy $50 worth of buggies diapers!! Would help out so much!
I meant huggies diapers lol
I oeder ink for my printer
I would buy diapers of coarse!
I buy a ton of stuff online. From clothing to household essentials to furniture, I’ve bought it all.
I would buy household and cleaning products if I won.
i do a ton of shopping online these days!
my best friend at work is having a baby in february, so i will gift this to her if i win. thanks so much for the chance,
Yes, I order quite a few things online so it’s easier on me. It’s such a pain to take out 3 kids to the store, haha.
I would get diapers for my 5 moth old. You can never have enough!
I buy most of my non perishable online!!
I’d buy diapers for my great nephew!!
I order lots of things, toys, clothes, diapers, it makes life easier.
I would buy some diapers!
i’ve shown my sister that you can order diapers, wipes, detergent, etc online because the prices are competitive to those in stores!
i would love to gift this to my sister for christmas!
I order most of my books and toys online because it seems like I spend forever in those stores!
Diapers and wipes! Wipes always come in handy no matter how old your kids are.
I order a lot of things online so I can easily compare prices and not run around to different stores.
Yes, I order a lot of different things online from food to clothes.
I would buy diapers and wipes.
I like to order a lot of things online to make my life easier. I get the big things delivered so I don’t have to lug them home.
I would use the gift card to get some diapers and wipes if I was the lucky winner.
We buy as many things online as possible. The only thing we don’t for the most part is groceries. Amazon and google shopping express come multiple times a week….from items kids need for school, to stuff for us around the house! Thanks for the chance to win!
If I won, I would buy diapers and wipes for my little one. Also bottles and bibs too! Thanks for the chance to win!
I order some things online to make my life easier. Depends on what it is, though.
I would buy diapers and wipes!!
I would buy diapers, wipes and formula on diapers.com!
i order clothes online
I order most non-grocery items online. Makes my life much easier.
I would buy Earth’s Best Tots potty training pants. My son has special needs and he is approaching 5 and still not fully potty trained. It is getting harder and harder to find training pants that fit.
I order things that aren’t sold at stores that I frequent. It’s so much more convenient!!
I would buy a few of the necessities that we are missing
Yes I buy things like tissue paper snack food etc online
I would get easy ups and wipes
I do order items online, mostly gifts for family out of town, so much nicer to not have to ship myself.
As for what I would order, I would get something fun. My family loves jelly cat stuffed animals so I would get some of them, especially the fox and maybe the pink dear angel hippo blanket
Of course I do. I’m a busy mom to 4 and sometimes running to the store isn’t always a priority. I tend to order basic household needs such as Paper towels, Dish detergent, diapers and toilet paper. It’s just less stressful on me and ordering online gives me more time with my family. It’s a win-win
I’d purchase diapers and wipes for the baby coming in December
Yes, I love to make online purchases to help save time and money. I currently have an Amazon Prime account and sometimes I will buy presents for friends and family through the site so that I can have them shipped directly to them.
I would not purchase anything on Diapers.com. I would give the gift card to my friend who is due to have her first son sometime within the next three to four weeks.
I order what is cheaper online or what is unavailable locally.
I order alot of things on line!
I would order wipes.
I order a lot of Christmas presents on Amazon. i would use the gift card to order diapers for my new grandson or granddaughter
I order pretty much everything online to make my life easier 🙂 Subscribe and save rocks!
Snacks, laundry supplies
Honestly, most of my shopping is done online. I’m not busy, just lazy! 😛
I would buy diapers for a friend who is expecting her first child.
I order diapers online
I would buy Huggies Diapers
yes a few times a month i order my Groceries online and have them delivered
I would buy diaper for My 8 week old Grand Daughter!
I rarely buy anything online even though I should its way eAsier
If I won I would buy diapers wit the money since I’m due April with my second baby
I order things on line all the time. It makes life so much easier.
I would buy diapers for my friend who could really use them.
i order online often
id love to buy diapers with this GC
I like to order gift cards on line.
I would probably buy baby food.
Yes I do all the time especially during the holiday season.
My daughter is expecting in March so I may get her some maternity clothes because she NEEDS them. She is getting big quick!
I don’t order things online I like to shop in stores.
I would buy diapers.
I would buy diapers for our local women’s shelter
I generally only buy things online if I can’t find them in local stores.
I don’t order online.
I order almost everything from Amazon. Or go to the dollar store.
I would order diapers for my nephew from diapers.com .
I would get diapers.
I order a lot of different things online to make my life easier.
I would buy diapers.
As a mom who really doesn’t like to shop, I order things online all the time! Things for the household (dishwasher tabs, toilet paper), books for my kids and other items they might need for school, clothes, items for the yard…you name it, I order it online! And I’d love this gift card for my cousin, who recently had her 2nd baby! I’d love for her to have the convenience of ordering online since she’s so busy now with 2 little ones under 3 years old!
I order almost everything, coffee, diapers, paper towels and so many other items. I order online to save a lot of time.
I would order a lot of diapers and wipes online. if I am lucky enough top win this giveaway.
Buying certain things online, like clothes, definitely helps save me time, and allows me to find the best deals!
In winning this giveaway, I would order bathroom products such as soaps and lotions, and other things I find useful.
Yes sometimes shoes, clothing and books
I would purchase enfamil formula
I order tons online for convenience, food, clothes, diapers, supplies.. usually on Amazon though. I’ve only ordered dorm diapers.com once
I like to order hard to find spices and vitamins online to save time searching in stores for the exact size and brand.
I would stock up on Seventh Generation supplies and a case of Huggies wipes!
I order many basic pantry staples like paper towels, boxed macaroni and cheese, and paper napkins. It’s great!
I’d probably purchase a couple of extra cloth diapers with this gift card. Thanks for the chance to win!
I order online a lot as it saves times going from store to store looking for an item .
I place orders all the time because I have family all over the country and it’s easier to ship directly to them.
I would order some reusable diapers. With a newborn, they come in handy.