Mario Andretti once said, “If everything is under control, you’re going too slow.” But then Mario never had to juggle a job and a home and kids and school and soccer practice – and keep everything running smoothly. My guess is that Mario had a housekeeper and a personal assistant to maintain control while he spent his days racing cars!
If you’re like most moms, whether you have an outside job or not, keeping things under control is a daunting task. And now with the kids back to school, the demands may be even greater. So what do you do? How do you get everything done and keep your sanity?
Here are a few small ideas – maybe you can even find a little time to do what YOU enjoy:
- Make two or three meals at once. Always make enough for two or three dinners. Freeze the extra meals. On a rushed night, thawing and heating is so easy.
- Breakfast for dinner. Occasionally, eggs, toast and cereal, maybe with ham or bacon, make a yummy dinner. Kids love it. Add a big fruit salad and sliced tomatoes, and you are good to go.
- Lay out clothes the night before. Put out everything, right down to socks, underwear and shoes. Do it for your kids AND for you.
- Buy birthday gifts in bulk. If you have kids, you have birthday parties. Buy the gifts all at once. If you find a toy sale, or after Christmas clearance, even better. And don’t wrap. Bags and tissue are faster.
- Enlist your kids to help in the kitchen. Yes, at first it may take more time than it saves. But eventually they will master their chores and take pride in helping. Things like emptying the dishwasher, cleaning veggies, even making salad, are great kid-friendly tasks.
- Scissors. Keep a pair of scissors safely stored in pretty much every room. Trust me, you will need them – and you won’t have to run downstairs and rummage through the kitchen drawer.
- Lists. Attach a small notepad and pen set (these are easy to find at discount stores) inside cupboard doors throughout the house. Bathroom, kitchen, pantry. Add what you need as you run out. Then on shopping day, just tear off the sheets and you’re good to go!
- What’s in your pantry? It goes without saying that you need staples like flour, pasta, rice, sugar, etc. But what other things make a meal possible when you have NO TIME to shop? I always keep these items in my pantry: canned tuna, canned tomatoes, canned soups, broths, stock cubes, canned peas, canned mushrooms, canned kidney beans – and always some frozen vegetables and shrimp in the freezer.
- Mesh bags. Everyone in the family gets their own mesh laundry bag for socks and undies. Dirty items go straight here, like a hamper, and then the bag is just dropped in the washer. Sorting is unbelievably easy. You may even convince your kids to sort their own!
It’s all about making life easier so that you and your family can spend more quality time together and on your own. Who knows? You may even find time to take up car racing!!
Don’t go overboard on a theme. A few themed items are great but resist too much of a good thing. One themed focal piece and some accessories are usually enough – mix with soothing neutrals for balance.
Gone are the days of matchy-matchy furniture for kids’ rooms. Today, a child’s room can be as stylish and sophisticated as any room in the house – without breaking the budget. Kids’ furniture is often modern and sleek, or even with a touch of unexpected whimsy. 
