family

5 Easy Ways to Streamline Your Life

October 13, 2020 By Anne Leave a Comment

From easy recipes to saving money, working moms are always looking for ways to streamline their busy lives. Below, we’ll discuss 5 ways moms can simplify their days, improve their finances, and free up more time for the things (and people) they love.

Carpool Ride-Sharing

If every day feels the same, it might be time to look for ways to switch things up! What mom wouldn’t love to have a few mornings or afternoons to herself to take care of errands or get in an extra workout? If you have school-aged children and are feeling more like a chauffeur than a mom – you’re not alone. Reach out to the parents at your child’s school and see if anyone would like to join a carpool ride-sharing group. With several parents rotating shifts throughout the week, everyone can get more done! This can also be a great idea for your child’s sports teams and events.

Go Green

Saving money doesn’t have to be complicated. One of the simplest ways to improve your finances is to consider investing in renewable energy. Solar panels can drastically reduce your energy costs over the life of your home. There are plenty of solar companies to choose from. Shop around and see what savings are available by finally joining the bandwagon and making the switch!

Meal Prep

Using Sunday afternoons to prep meals for the week is a great timesaver. It takes a bit of practice, but it’s well worth the effort. Prepping meals can mean a few different things. Some people are satisfied by simply writing out the meal plans for each day of the workweek. This prevents mental fatigue, bickering among the kids, and last-minute grocery store runs. Other moms do actual cooking in bulk on the weekends, and carefully divide up portions to be used throughout the week. Chili, soup, chicken, beans and rice are all great options to prepare in bulk and divy out as the week goes on.

Morning Workouts

Remember all that free time you gained from joining a carpool or rideshare for the kids? Don’t just waste that precious time scrolling on social media and drinking coffee – get up and move! Working out in the morning sets the tone for success. Get more work done throughout the day with a clear head, strong body, and plenty of post-workout, feel-good chemicals. Did we mention your clothes will fit better?

Bulk Shopping

It’s believed that one of the key ways people can improve their spending is through bulk shopping. If you can afford it, buying items in bulk can save you tons of cash. When you purchase items from bulk shopping stores, you’re often saving 15-20% over the normal retail price you’d pay on a per-item basis. Bulk shopping comes with some drawbacks, like more plastic waste – so be sure to be conscientious and recycle whenever possible. Hate big box stores? You can find places that sell bulk items online.

Start implementing these practices today, and watch your finances, free time, and fitness improve dramatically!

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

After School Activities To Set Your Child Up For The Future

September 23, 2020 By Anne Leave a Comment

Every parent wants nothing but the best for their child. No matter the circumstances, mothers, fathers, and guardians work tirelessly to provide a prosperous future for their children. While daily efforts are made to create optimal childhood environments, the reality of modern life is that it can be hard to find time for your children to have an opportunity at everything.

Although you may enroll your child in an extracurricular activity or two, it’s difficult to know what the best activities are. Some parents adopt a very hands-on approach by signing their kids up for lots of different activities and classes. However, this can have a negative impact. Forcing children into things can ruin the enjoyment.

The truth of the matter is that there is no golden formula for setting your child up for the future. Different personalities suit various hobbies and activities. The most important thing is to give your child the opportunity to try out different things.

If you’re looking to add to your child’s development by signing them up for some after school activities, here are some great ideas.

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels.

Team sports

There are several amazing benefits for children in team sports, both socially and physically.

First and foremost, they are benefitting from regular exercise. This helps keep them physically fit, strong, and healthy.

Secondly, team sports involve a lot of skill development. Whether it’s hand-eye coordination, ball skills, footwork, or other sports-related skills, this can help with many other aspects of your child’s life.

Finally, while competitiveness isn’t necessary at a very young age, participating in team sports teaches children how to win and lose in a healthy environment. In life, things don’t always go the way you want, meaning this is a valuable lesson to learn.

Artistic outlets

Arts, crafts, and other creative outlets have much more benefits for kids than you might think. They enhance coordination, skill level, and problem-solving abilities. Art boosts confidence and self-esteem as it shows children that they have the power to create.

As an innovative activity, art provides children with an alternative form of expression. This can be a crucial aspect of their development.

Additional classes

Education is a vital part of a child’s development. Certain kids require additional lessons to reach their potential, while others rely on extra classes to keep up with their peers. Find online school resources for your child and help them reach their true potential.

Music lessons

Like painting, drawing, or crafting, music is an artistic and expressive activity that brings joy to so many children. Music plays a major role in several cultures and can be a natural inclination for a lot of kids.

If your child expresses interest in music or musical instruments, consider enrolling them in some lessons. Dance classes are hugely beneficial, while instruments such as guitar, piano, ukelele, and flute can be picked up quickly.

Learning a second language

Childhood is often seen as the best time to learn a language. Learning a second language can improve critical thinking, listening skills, memory, concentration, and multitasking abilities. As well as developmental benefits, a second language can open up children to new cultures and gives them more opportunities for the future.

Anne

Making Family Mealtimes More Efficient

June 12, 2020 By Anne

Deciding what you and your family will eat together each evening can often feel like an enormous task, as the battle between flavours, cuisines and ingredients is likely to divide the table. The act of preparing and cooking an entire meal is commonly a huge task that takes over an hour to complete, and it would seem that this hard work disappears within five minutes of said food hitting your children’s plates. Making family mealtimes more efficient is likely something that many parents have attempted to battle with in the past, yet it needn’t be as difficult as you might initially believe. There are several simple tips and tricks that you can make the most of to save time, money and stress, whilst still inspiring the delectable dishes yet. So, if you would like to find out more, then read on for some of the best steps that you can implement today!

Image Source – Pexels

Plan In Advance

One of the best things that you can do to save both time and stress when preparing meals for your family is to plan in advance. Whether this means creating your own unique recipe book or menu that details a selection of different dishes to choose between, or the creation of a set schedule that can decide which meal will be eaten on which day – having a plan will offer you all of the guidance and support that you need. Preparing yourself in advance for each meal will be far easier if you know which dishes have been set or chosen for the week ahead, as you can buy each ingredient that you need beforehand rather than heading to the shop every single day. Planning in advance will also give your little ones the opportunity to express their dislike for certain meals, so you can create a more suitable solution without the usual rush and stress.

Buy Frozen Food

One smart way to encourage more efficient family meals is to buy frozen food. Cuisines such as frozen Asian food can be of such high quality, and the time and effort it requires to pop in the oven or microwave will be a completely different ballgame when compared to fresh preparation. You can find so many different cold options of your usual favourites, from pizzas to fruit and vegetables, and often the price is far more affordable too. Don’t be afraid to explore the frozen aisles in your local grocery store to identify which items are on offer, as you may be pleasantly surprised by the range available. You can even sign up to specialised food delivery services that bring frozen meals directly to your door, so there are many different options for you to uncover.

Making family meals more efficient has never been so simple when you are able to utilise the handy hacks detailed above. Whether you decide to make a meal plan or recipe menu to create a more detailed schedule to follow, or invest in some high quality frozen food that can be popped in the oven for a matter of minutes – it’s so easy to make a change!

Anne

Groove Life Watch Band Review

June 5, 2020 By Marijean

Do you own a smart watch? Do you love purchasing customized bands to add a fashionable look to go with your outfits?

Whether it is an Apple, FitBit, Samsung etc…these are all the rave. I have an Apple Watch and I love to customize my bands. I have though ordered bands online that have broke or stretched out very quickly which is disappointing. A few years back I did a review on silicone rings from a company called Groove Life. They contacted me to let me know they now offer smart watch bands. I was so excited to receive and try out these bands.

Groove Life offers high-performance silicone watch bands for men and women. Groove Watch Bands are durable and breathable, yet surprisingly comfortable. The bands are available for Apple, Samsung and Fitbit type smart watches. They come in a variety of band styles, hardware colors and band sizes.

The band prices range from $39.95-$54.95. When the bands arrive to your door they are packaged in nice metal tins to hold the bands. This is great for storage when you aren’t using your bands.

When you order you will get to choose your hardware color. I have a rose gold apple watch so I chose rose gold hardware. The color matches almost perfectly to my watch. I love that the offer the hardware color so everything matches nicely. You can also choose if you want a shorter band or a longer band. I picked the shorter band and it fits perfectly with my narrow 38mm watch face.

Installing the bands on to my watch was simple and took seconds. The fit is perfect. The bands are super comfortable to wear (they are a bit stiff at first, but after a few days I noticed that they get more flexible) and even dry great once out of the shower/pool.

Not to mention that they have an AMAZING warranty! If you break it, stretch it or even lose it…they will replace it. How awesome is that?!

In conclusion, I am very impressed and happy with Groove Life watch bands. They are fashionable, comfortable and made of high quality material. With the outstanding warranty they have, I definitely do not mind spending $49.95 on a Groove Life watch band.

Please check out their site to see all of the awesome watch band colors and designs. Make sure to check out the Groove Life Silicone Rings available too!!!

*I was sent the mentioned product in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

Here’s How To Unwind After Working From Home

April 15, 2020 By Anne

(Pixabay CC0)

COVID

At the time of writing, many of us have been forced to work from home due to COVID-19. However, many of us work from home on a regular basis anyway, perhaps because our bosses allow remote working, or because we are running our own businesses.

While there are advantages to working from home – we can avoid the daily commute, for one – it can be difficult to unwind after our workday is over, especially if we have families to look after or if we are tempted to make a start on the next day’s workload. However, unwind we must, because we will then do much to protect our mental health, and we will have more energy for the next working day.

To help you unwind, here are some suggestions that we hope you find useful.

Go for a walk

If you have been stuck indoors all day, you might have had little opportunity to get some fresh air and exercise. This is why going for a walk is important, even if you’re tired after working, as you will be able to work off the stresses of the day. The endorphins that are released during exercise will also boost your energy and happiness levels, so you will positively impact the entirety of your wellbeing. If possible, go for a walk somewhere quiet and scenic, as the beauty around you will do much to soothe your senses.

Eat a good meal

You might be tempted to eat a processed or a takeaway meal after working, especially if you’re exhausted and you can’t be bothered to cook. However, you won’t feel the health benefits if you do, and that might impinge on your ability to relax properly. So, make the effort to eat something nutritious. It might be that you put something in the slow cooker in the morning, or you could prepare a meal the day before in readiness of your tired state. You’ll love this restaurant-style Dal Makhani recipe, for example. You will then feel better within yourself after eating something good, and you will better enjoy your relaxation time.

Disconnect from work

To fully unwind, you must disconnect from all things work-related. So, leave your paperwork in your home office space, turn off your work phone, ignore any work-related emails, and put a ban on conversations about work when you’re with your family or friends. You will then give yourself a mental break, and have more time to focus on other things, be that a good book, a movie, a restful bath, or time spent relaxing doing something with your loved ones.

Find a place of calm

It could be in the bath, your bedroom, or another quiet place in your home. Wherever it is, make sure that it’s your personal space and let others know that you need to have some me-time. You will then have the opportunity to collect your thoughts, regain feelings of peace, and have time to do whatever relaxes you, be that a peaceful nap, meditation or a hobby that helps you unwind.

Thanks for reading!