There are just not enough hours in the day! Never truer words than a busy mom juggling kids, school duties, house errands, life admin, work, a well-balanced diet and doctor’s appointments (for the whole family!), a social life, a fitness routine, and everything else in between.
As a full-time working mom of two, I mutter these words to myself nearly every day. Even as I try to maximize my time – for example, like today, where I started the day with a 5:30 am workout class, worked in the office of my corporate job, and spent the evening supporting my daughter’s elementary school PTO-organized family night – it never feels like there are enough hours. So, a busy mom has to come up with a few hacks to help make it all possible. Here are my top five:
1. Using the Grocery Store Pharmacy
I was really disappointed when the local CVS near me closed down. It was my go-to pharmacy spot with the added perk of a drive-through, and was great for when I was running errands with a snoozing kid in the car seat. After testing out a few other nearby locations, I decided to switch to the pharmacy at my local grocery store. Realizing that I was constantly finding myself at a pharmacy (thanks, school germs, eczema, and high fevers), I found combining my meds pick-up with a grocery run extremely productive! Now, whenever I head to the pharmacy, I also come home ready to fully stock a fridge, dinner for the night, and meal plan ideas for the rest of the week. It’s been a game changer!
My chosen grocery / pharmacy combo is Pavilions in Irvine.
2. I’ll Get a Wash & Cut with a side of Mani & Pedi Please
I probably get my hair washed (sometimes colored) and cut way too sparsely. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the look and feel of freshly styled hair; I never feel like I have the time. Manicures and pedicures, on the other hand, are something I will always make time for! While at a hair appointment last year, I noticed they had a flyer for a nail artist. I soon learnt that they had a nail artist who came to the salon to do manis and pedis while customers got their hair done. I was immediately sold! As my work travel has ramped up this past year (and for those that know me, I always like to take these with freshly painted nails), I’ve found this to be an extreme time saver. Being able to squeeze two (while very pleasant), time-consuming errands, into one has made this mama very happy.
My hair and nail combo can be found at AGENCY the Salon in Irvine.
3. Giving all the Hair Attention
Similar to the above, killing two birds with one stone is a number one priority for me. When my nails are due some attention, but the haircut can wait a few more months, I head to a long-time favorite of mine. On my second visit here, I decided to try out their eyebrow waxing service. I usually try to find a nail spot close to an eyebrow threading place – surprisingly, there are a lot set up like this around OC. I’ve always been a little afraid of eyebrow waxing – what if they accidentally took the whole thing off? I was surprisingly pleased with the results, and it’s now nearly always the add-on I’ll get at this nail salon. Another one for the efficiency win.
This nail spot go-to is Holly’s Nails Bar in Tustin.
4. Walk & Talk
This is an easy one, and one I don’t do often enough. I spent most of my hours in a (week)day in front of a computer – responding to emails, joining Zoom calls, going from one meeting to another. While I would like to dedicate an hour, even 30 mins, to a lunch break where I can take some time to myself, it’s not always possible. Some days I do – I grab lunch with friends, run some errands, head to a school PTO meeting; but with a fast-paced job and one where international time zones all mix together, it’s not easy. So I find the small wins when I can – I ask for a Zoom call to be taken audio only, and head for a walk, I suggest a walk & talk meeting instead of sitting in a conference room, we invest in a treadmill for our home office for those work from home days. It’s not a lot, but it helps get me moving and get to my 8k steps a day.
5. Getting the Kids Involved!
My kids are 4 and 6 now, and for the past year or so, I’ve been trying to get them more involved in household errands – outside of the usual “tidy up the playroom” routine. It’s been a great way of spending more time together on a weekend, learning, having a conversation about teamwork and responsibilities – all while getting things done.
Earlier this week, my daughter (6 year old) came home from school while I was getting dinner ready. She asked me how she could help, and I tasked her with emptying the dishwasher – thankfully, now that she’s older, she doesn’t take each spoon out and put it in her mouth like her younger years, so it was a much welcome help. As she took her and her brother’s plates out of the dishwasher, I suggested she set them straight onto the table. She quickly supplemented this with a couple of water cups and some cutlery – another quick win!
My kids love puzzles and card games – particularly matching cards or playing snap. I tested this out one day while folding their laundry, particularly all of the little socks scattered throughout the latest load. I asked them to find the matching pairs, and they loved it! It’s now a weekly occurrence in our household, with my daughter also showing recent interest in folding. My son, on the other hand, still likes to jump right into a recently folded pile of laundry.. hopefully we’ll be past that soon!
I have only recently found a love for Costco (go to: Tustin on Bryan Ave) and it’s made grocery shopping with my kids a much more pleasant experience. Firstly, the double seat in the cart is great for my two. Like most kids, they love snacking, so walking around Costco taking the little samples of food is like a treat to them, especially when the samples are really treats! Of course, I’ve been burned by that big Costco-size purchase of something that’s so delicious in store, and then untouched back at home. When I usually go grocery shopping with the kids, I let them choose the next meal (be that lunch or dinner) – being able to take that meal in the café before we head home often feels like another win.
Do you have any busy mom hacks? We’d love to hear!
