Working moms (okay, all moms) understand how chaotic life can get. It’s hard to get everything done in one day! So how do some busy moms manage to head off to work, cook, clean, shop, and take care of little ones without losing their minds? These moms have learned effective time-saving methods that allow them to work smarter, not harder. 

Want to learn their secrets? Read below to learn our time-saving tips for moms. Sometimes all it takes are a few tweaks to the routine to help you make the most effective use of the time you have. 

1. Have a Morning Routine

Having a morning routine can be a game-changer because it gives you critical lead time to get organized before jumping into your day. Get up ahead of everyone else in your house, take a shower, enjoy your coffee, and get breakfast ready so that you can assist whoever needs it. It’s worth noting, however, that “waking earlier” does not mean “get less sleep.” Plenty of rest is crucial in order for mothers to maintain their sanity through the process of caring for everyone else.

2. Create a Drop Zone

You can lose a lot of time in the morning searching for jackets, shoes, and backpacks. Having everyone put their stuff in the same place every day makes it a lot harder for those things to get lost which, in turn, helps save you time in the morning. Just make sure everyone drops their things back in the same spot each day so that they’re ready to go the following morning. This helps teach children from an early age how to be organized.

3. Meal Planning

Meal planning is a great way to save both time and money, and there are a lot of different ways to do it. Firstly, advance planning means you’ll have all the ingredients you need, eliminating extra trips to the supermarket. Secondly, you won’t have to scramble to figure out what to feed your kids while you’re fighting a case of “exhausted mom-brain.” 

• Keep a dedicated snack area in the refrigerator and pantry for your kids. Once a week, create a batch of pre-portioned baggies or containers of snacks so that your kids can get them for themselves. This also helps them learn to self-regulate – if the snacks run out, they learn to wait until mom can restock. 

Zip Top Reusable Baby + Kid Snack Containers are designed to fit in little hands and cup holders, Zip Top large, soft zippers are easy for little fingers to open and close. Made of 100% platinum silicone, they are endlessly reusable and dishwasher safe.

• Search the Internet for meal planning ideas and create a calendar of meals for the next month. You can copy this calendar for the next month, making any changes as needed. This also helps you plan ahead with grocery orders.
• Order your groceries online if your store offers it. Create a running shopping list online or on the phone app. As an added bonus, you may end up saving money by avoiding all the impulse purchases that find their way into your cart when you go shopping in person.
• Consider cooking large meals three or four times during the week, and plan on enjoying leftovers on the nights in between. This could add an extra 45 minutes to an hour of time to your day!
• The freezer is your friend! Whether you make a big batch of pancakes to freeze and pull out for breakfasts or you double your casserole recipe and freeze the extra, you are saving loads of time down the road.

Do you make homemade baby food as well? You can freeze that too! The OXO TOT Baby Blocks Freezer Storage Containers allow you to give homemade baby food the same care you put into preparing it. Easily portion, store, freeze, heat, and serve the meals you've cooked especially for your baby using these convenient containers.

4. Use Auto-Pay and Online Banking Services

Online banking apps can save you a ton of time that would otherwise be spent writing checks, addressing envelopes, and trying to mail them out each month. Many banks offer this as a free service. You can also take advantage of companies that offer auto-pay as an option. This makes it possible for you to pay all your bills online without having to remember due dates or mail out checks on time (a great way to boost your credit score, too). 

5. Set Up a Family Calendar

Use an app to create a shared family calendar that all members of your household can see. This makes it easy for everyone to stay abreast of what’s happening each day and be sure that no one forgets to pick up the kids.

6. Create a Weekly To-Do List

Begin with a brain dump on Sunday afternoon. Write down all the chores, duties, and events for the upcoming week. Next, assemble a master list with high-priority items at the top of the list. This can help you stay focused and organized.

7. Use a Slow Cooker

This amazing appliance makes it possible for working moms to assemble a few ingredients before work in the morning, set the timer, and come home to a delicious, home-cooked meal that’s ready to serve that evening (just make sure it’s plugged in before you leave). 

8. Make School Lunches Ahead of Time

Save time by making lunches in advance. You can assemble PB&Js the night before or portion out a week’s worth of little pasta salad servings. Then in the mornings the kids simply have to refill their water bottle and a snack to head out the door.

9. Include Your Kids in Household Chores

This will take extra time (and maybe extra aggravation) in the beginning, but it is time well spent. Your children are capable of so much, and they like being helpful! Be encouraging and patient (with them and with yourself) as they become more skilled. Kids who do chores are more likely to be happy and successful as adults.

Need a little help motivating your little ones? The Play Visions Mega Marbles Jr. The Good Job! Jar is perfect for positive reinforcement! Kids love earning these 100% glass marbles for chores or good behavior and watching their jar of marbles fill to the top.

Moms are typically pretty busy people, but for a mom who has trouble balancing her time, things can get overwhelming quickly. When you find time-saving tips that work for your family, life just runs a little more smoothly.

Need more mealtime help for your busy lifestyle? Take a look at the feeding and meal prep/storage gear in our shop!

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