@holyspiritleads2truth I have a partner do 50% of everything so I don’t have a nervous breakdown.
What are your "do it all" life hacks?
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@holyspiritleads2truth Take any help that is offered-don't be superhuman, there is no medal at the end for the most overworked mother. Don't try to do everything, a dusty house won't kill anyone. Try very hard to get enough sleep, because a tired mom is a mom who forgets things/people/events. If the choice is between clean jeans and sleep, go to sleep and wear the jeans one more day cause who cares. Do a little at a time. Set your phone timer to fifteen minutes and pick up or clean like crazy for fifteen minutes. Then stop and go to bed. I promise it passes, your kids get easier and more self sufficient and you get more experience which makes you more efficient.
alwayspraying1
New member
@holyspiritleads2truth We have an app called AnyList that allows us to import recipes from the internet and then I can select which recipes to add to my grocery list for the week. Absolutely changed meal planning for us. Although we still get salads in a bag from Costco pretty regularly right now! We meal plan when we can.
I have typically always handled the mental load so to help with that every Saturday morning we make a list of things to get done and what our priorities are- we write them on a laminated paper taped to our fridge so we both can tackle something when we have a few minutes. It has helped us stay on the same page rather than me needing to delegate as much.
I have typically always handled the mental load so to help with that every Saturday morning we make a list of things to get done and what our priorities are- we write them on a laminated paper taped to our fridge so we both can tackle something when we have a few minutes. It has helped us stay on the same page rather than me needing to delegate as much.
@alwayspraying1 AnyList is awesome. I have our grocery list shared with my husband and it’s also cued to our Alexa. It’s so nice knowing that we can add anything at any time and both of us sees it.
sunshyne12
New member
katrina2017
New member
@holyspiritleads2truth Cleaning related:
- Robot vacuum/mop
- Cleaners 2x month
- Minimal toys
- No pajamas, just sleep in clothes if they’re clean enough
taylor1391
New member
@katrina2017 Minimalism and organize. If you’re having a hard time cleaning up clutter, get rid of lots of stuff and make sure everything has a place.
Do chores with the baby. It will take twice as long but at least it gets done.
Prioritize getting yourself ready in the AM (if that’s your thing). I function much better when I shower and get myself dressed and ready.
Meal prep. I cook all our food and do my meal prep on sundays.
Order groceries online for pickup (I do Whole Foods but I think many places offer this).
Do chores with the baby. It will take twice as long but at least it gets done.
Prioritize getting yourself ready in the AM (if that’s your thing). I function much better when I shower and get myself dressed and ready.
Meal prep. I cook all our food and do my meal prep on sundays.
Order groceries online for pickup (I do Whole Foods but I think many places offer this).
irishfarmer
New member
@holyspiritleads2truth My biggest hack is working remote so I can prep dinner and start laundry during the week so our nights and weekends aren't so hectic. I also get alot of stuff on Amazon or do grocery pick up. Also roomba!!
churchreallyismylastname
New member
@holyspiritleads2truth I am 8.5 months pregnant and have a toddler and an older kid with us half the time. I feel like I’ve had to make even more hacks just to survive the third trimester.
Mornings have become really hard. I now have left a basket of my toddler’s folded laundry downstairs instead of taking it up to his room and putting it away. Just getting him and me up the stairs can be a battle so getting him dressed downstairs saves 5 min of time in the morning. I put our toothbrushes in the downstairs bathroom too.
We love to eat good food but we have the rest of our lives to experiment with recipes. Right now we are on a rotation of spaghetti, tacos, fried rice, ramen bowls and roast chicken with potatoes and veggies. Occasionally my husband and I will go to the store and get ingredients for a more special dinner, but it’s simplified grocery shopping for both of us to know we need to grab a package of ground beef, canned tomatoes and sauce every week, etc. My toddler is eating a lot of organic chicken tenders when he’s being picky and, again, just rolling with it.
My husband and I both try to do dishes and laundry in the morning when we have the most energy. Nighttime is good for folding clothes because we can watch tv while we do it, so we’ll plan to put on one of our shows we watch together and each food a basket. NGL we’re behind on laundry but I’ve also stopped caring as much.
Mornings have become really hard. I now have left a basket of my toddler’s folded laundry downstairs instead of taking it up to his room and putting it away. Just getting him and me up the stairs can be a battle so getting him dressed downstairs saves 5 min of time in the morning. I put our toothbrushes in the downstairs bathroom too.
We love to eat good food but we have the rest of our lives to experiment with recipes. Right now we are on a rotation of spaghetti, tacos, fried rice, ramen bowls and roast chicken with potatoes and veggies. Occasionally my husband and I will go to the store and get ingredients for a more special dinner, but it’s simplified grocery shopping for both of us to know we need to grab a package of ground beef, canned tomatoes and sauce every week, etc. My toddler is eating a lot of organic chicken tenders when he’s being picky and, again, just rolling with it.
My husband and I both try to do dishes and laundry in the morning when we have the most energy. Nighttime is good for folding clothes because we can watch tv while we do it, so we’ll plan to put on one of our shows we watch together and each food a basket. NGL we’re behind on laundry but I’ve also stopped caring as much.
@holyspiritleads2truth All that has to happen is for my kids safety and/or comfort to be threatened and go into full “goal getter” mode. If i see that i need more money i will change jobs, take and extra job, and/or go to school to get a better job. I’m a single mom of four. If they are having trouble in school i work it out to where i can be available to show up and take care of it. When they want something and i think they deserve it, i make provisions even if i sacrifice my wants and needs to make it possible for them. I work and sleep when they sleep. I study when they study. I take a shower when they are settled and satisfied. You just get creative and make it work when there is no one else to do it.
arcangelmichele
New member
@holyspiritleads2truth - Laundry every Wednesday and Sunday (including putting away!)
- Family meeting every Saturday to go over the meal plan for the week, assign weekly duties, and go over any calendar events. We use a running google doc and digital calendar. The meeting is only about 30 min
- Order groceries on Saturday for pickup or delivery on Sunday
- Easy dinner Sunday night (usually soup and salad/sandwich)
- Separate chores throughout the week
- If it is not on the calendar, it doesn't exist! We use a digital calendar for everything
Finally, I remind myself that sometimes things are not going to go according to plan or things will be incomplete and that's ok too
It's hard to be a working mom, try to take one day at a time and take care of yourself too.
- Family meeting every Saturday to go over the meal plan for the week, assign weekly duties, and go over any calendar events. We use a running google doc and digital calendar. The meeting is only about 30 min
- Order groceries on Saturday for pickup or delivery on Sunday
- Easy dinner Sunday night (usually soup and salad/sandwich)
- Separate chores throughout the week
- If it is not on the calendar, it doesn't exist! We use a digital calendar for everything
Finally, I remind myself that sometimes things are not going to go according to plan or things will be incomplete and that's ok too
It's hard to be a working mom, try to take one day at a time and take care of yourself too.@holyspiritleads2truth Prep 90% of our food for the week on Sunday. I put on a show while my husband has the baby and chop all veggies, make any marinades, etc and stack them all by meal in the fridge. It keeps our grocery bill down because we don’t default to takeout and we still get healthy fast meals on weeknights since all we have to wait on is cook time.
Keeping a family calendar on the fridge has been key for our communication to. It lists appts, events, dinner for the week, and has our weekly grocery and to do list. That has helped split the mental load.
Keeping a family calendar on the fridge has been key for our communication to. It lists appts, events, dinner for the week, and has our weekly grocery and to do list. That has helped split the mental load.
jeremiah17
New member
@holyspiritleads2truth I am currently all about making meals as simple as I can with minimal cooking, except for the rare occasions where I feel like doing more hands on cooking. I’m currently all about that frozen MICROWAVEABLE veggies life. I tried just doing standard frozen family packs of veggies which would then need to be cooked (or even just plopped into a bowl with water in the microwave), but it either doesn’t turn out right for me with the bowl method or I just end up not cooking it. Microwaveable bag = I can pull it out and pop it into the microwave, and have the base veggies option for dinner ready with minimal effort.
Also, I’ve embraced my powdered spices. Sure, I know how to peel, slice, and sauté my onions and garlic, and the flavor could definitely be better that way. But I don’t have time or the mental bandwidth for it most days. So once my veggies are steamed in the microwave, I’ll add salt, onion powder and or garlic powder, and/or whatever other seasoning my kid will tolerate that day. Easy, minimal time and cleanup.
Also, a very small non stick pan which I can quickly scramble up an egg within a few minutes (seasoned with salt, maybe some onion powder and paprika).
Frozen chicken patties that can be quickly air fried if I’m in a crunch for getting protein into my kid. Frozen chicken or veggie dumplings that can be microwaved in a pinch (sure, the texture is better on the stove, but ehhhhh. Also, I once tried to follow their pan frying recipe and burned the bottoms to bits by accident. Took forever to clean the pan..). Introducing my kid to plain yogurt early on and keeping at least one tub of it in the fridge for a protein option in a pinch.
I also occasionally look up instant pot / slow cooker recipes that require minimal prep. I’m talking about the kind where you open all the ingredients, dump them in, set the cooking style/time, and walk away.
I miss full hands on cooking sometimes, but..most days, I’d really rather not deal with it, and the dishes/pots/pans that I already have to deal with are enough of a headache.
Ooh! One other thing — I used to set my kid up with a “potions” station next to me when I cooked — she’d get a big mixing bowl with some water in it, a spoon or whisk, and several bottles of various seasonings. And while I cooked, she “cooked” too, making her little potions. And when I went through a “learn how to make cookies and banana bread from scratch for the holidays” phase these past 2 winters, she was my little helper for those, and she also now likes to help me cook by pouring whatever I measure into the bowl. Basically, start training them up a bit early so that they want to help (though that may not really start paying off until she’s a little bit older!)
Also, I’ve embraced my powdered spices. Sure, I know how to peel, slice, and sauté my onions and garlic, and the flavor could definitely be better that way. But I don’t have time or the mental bandwidth for it most days. So once my veggies are steamed in the microwave, I’ll add salt, onion powder and or garlic powder, and/or whatever other seasoning my kid will tolerate that day. Easy, minimal time and cleanup.
Also, a very small non stick pan which I can quickly scramble up an egg within a few minutes (seasoned with salt, maybe some onion powder and paprika).
Frozen chicken patties that can be quickly air fried if I’m in a crunch for getting protein into my kid. Frozen chicken or veggie dumplings that can be microwaved in a pinch (sure, the texture is better on the stove, but ehhhhh. Also, I once tried to follow their pan frying recipe and burned the bottoms to bits by accident. Took forever to clean the pan..). Introducing my kid to plain yogurt early on and keeping at least one tub of it in the fridge for a protein option in a pinch.
I also occasionally look up instant pot / slow cooker recipes that require minimal prep. I’m talking about the kind where you open all the ingredients, dump them in, set the cooking style/time, and walk away.
I miss full hands on cooking sometimes, but..most days, I’d really rather not deal with it, and the dishes/pots/pans that I already have to deal with are enough of a headache.
Ooh! One other thing — I used to set my kid up with a “potions” station next to me when I cooked — she’d get a big mixing bowl with some water in it, a spoon or whisk, and several bottles of various seasonings. And while I cooked, she “cooked” too, making her little potions. And when I went through a “learn how to make cookies and banana bread from scratch for the holidays” phase these past 2 winters, she was my little helper for those, and she also now likes to help me cook by pouring whatever I measure into the bowl. Basically, start training them up a bit early so that they want to help (though that may not really start paying off until she’s a little bit older!)
aaron_walker
New member
@holyspiritleads2truth Do my makeup at work while pumping -- do hair at work while pumping -- work while pumping 
holyspiritleads2truth
New member
@aaron_walker No joke, during maternity leave I once processed an entire rotisserie chicken while pumping.
Since I can work while I pump I have shifted most of my pumps to during work hours.
Since I can work while I pump I have shifted most of my pumps to during work hours.
@holyspiritleads2truth Whenever I have the energy to cook, I freeze a bunch. The peanut satay from The Lemon Apron is an easy go-to ! I will prep the night before if I cook anything and cook the second day. I just do little chunks of work so it doesn’t get overwhelming and then take days and days to catch up. Putting on tv/audiobook/music really helps.
@holyspiritleads2truth Keeping roughly the same meal plan every week helps cut down on time spent meal planning/grocery shopping. Grocery shopping online and pick it up or have it delivered. Keeping an ideal schedule of when things should be cleaned (bathrooms on Wednesdays, mop floor on Thursday, etc) and accept that sometimes weeks go by without following the schedule if anything out of the ordinary happens like an illness or just general child crankiness/clinginess. Laundry doesn’t go on the schedule because it needs to be done every 2-3 days always. Set expectations with partner now, if applicable, so 3 years don’t go by and you’re still the one doing everything.
@holyspiritleads2truth I don't do it all. I'm lucky if I get 25% done and I am 100% ok with that. I prioritize meals, family, work, my school, and sleep everything else is a bonus. We have enough clothes to get us through the week and catch up on weekends.
@holyspiritleads2truth My only life hack is really that you cannot do it all.
Once I accepted that, prioritized what I cared about, and insisted my partner carry the half of the load my life for far better!
Once I accepted that, prioritized what I cared about, and insisted my partner carry the half of the load my life for far better!
@holyspiritleads2truth Things that have made my life easier since having my first child:
- robot vacuum and mop (the expensive ones with the camera)
- slow cooker ( chop, throw, turn on and leave)
- chest freezer for the garage
- all bills on autopay