Summer is here, and while it’s a time for fun and relaxation, it can also be a season of chaos for busy mamas. Juggling work, kids, and household duties while trying to make the most of the sunny days can feel overwhelming. But fear not! With a bit of planning and a few clever hacks, you can survive—and even thrive—this summer. Here’s your ultimate guide to making the most of the season without losing your sanity.
Embrace a Flexible Routine
While summer often means a break from the rigid school schedule, having a flexible routine can help maintain some structure. Create a loose daily schedule that includes time for meals, activities, quiet time, and outdoor play. Flexibility is key—allow room for spontaneity and fun, but having a general plan can help keep everyone on track.
Plan Ahead for Activities
Keep a list of go-to activities for those “I’m bored” moments. Stock up on craft supplies, board games, and outdoor toys. Plan a few easy outings each week, like trips to the park, library, or pool. Check local community centers for free or low-cost summer programs and events. Having a variety of options ready will make it easier to keep the kids entertained.
Simplify Meal Prep
Summer is the perfect time to simplify your meal prep. Opt for easy, no-cook meals like salads, sandwiches, and wraps. Make use of your grill to keep the kitchen cool and involve the kids in the process. Prepping ingredients in advance can save time and make mealtime less stressful. Consider planning a weekly menu to streamline grocery shopping and cooking.
Create a Summer Bucket List
Sit down with your kids and create a summer bucket list. Include a mix of simple and exciting activities, from making homemade ice cream to visiting a new place. This list can serve as a source of inspiration on days when you’re not sure what to do. Plus, checking off items gives everyone a sense of accomplishment.
Prioritize Self-Care
Amidst the hustle and bustle, don’t forget to prioritize self-care. Schedule regular “me time,” whether it’s a quiet cup of coffee in the morning, a yoga session, or a night out with friends. Remember, taking care of yourself is essential to taking care of your family.
Delegate and Share Responsibilities
You don’t have to do it all alone. Delegate age-appropriate chores to your kids to teach them responsibility and lighten your load. Partner with other parents for playdates or activity swaps, giving you some free time and the kids a chance to socialize.
Make the Most of Quiet Time
Encourage daily quiet time, even if it’s just for 30 minutes. Use this time to catch up on work, read a book, or simply relax. Quiet activities like reading, puzzles, or coloring can help kids wind down and give you a much-needed break.
Embrace the Outdoors
Take advantage of the warm weather by spending as much time outdoors as possible. Backyard picnics, nature walks, and trips to the beach can provide endless entertainment. Outdoor play is not only fun but also great for burning off energy and promoting physical activity.
Stay Cool and Hydrated
Hot summer days can be exhausting. Keep everyone cool and hydrated by offering plenty of water, homemade popsicles, and refreshing snacks like watermelon and cucumber slices. Set up a sprinkler or kiddie pool in the backyard for instant cooling fun.
Capture the Memories
Summer is a special time filled with moments to cherish. Keep a summer journal or scrapbook with your kids, documenting your adventures and memories. Taking photos and writing about your experiences will help you appreciate the season and look back fondly on the fun times.
Summer can be a whirlwind, but with a bit of planning and a positive mindset, it can also be a season of joy and relaxation. Embrace the chaos, savor the moments, and remember that it’s okay to let go of perfection. By following these tips, busy mamas can navigate the summer with ease and create lasting memories with their families. Enjoy the sunshine!
Becoming a parent is a life-altering experience that brings immense joy and fulfillment. However, it also introduces new challenges, including balancing childcare responsibilities with personal aspirations. Many parents face the question of how to rebuild their careers after having children. The good news is that it is possible to navigate this transition successfully and create a fulfilling and rewarding career path. Let’s explore some strategies and tips for building a career after kids.
Reflect on Your Goals: Before diving into the job search or career development process, take some time to reflect on your goals and aspirations. What type of work aligns with your interests and values? Consider the skills and experiences you bring to the table and how they can be leveraged in your desired field. This self-reflection will help you gain clarity and make informed decisions about your career path.
Explore Flexible Work Options: Balancing childcare and work responsibilities can be challenging. Look for flexible work options that allow you to manage both effectively. Options like remote work, flexible hours, or part-time positions can provide the flexibility needed to accommodate your family’s needs. Research companies or industries that prioritize work-life balance and seek out opportunities that align with your requirements.
Update Your Skills: The job market is constantly evolving, and staying relevant is crucial. Take the time to update your skills and knowledge in your chosen field. Attend workshops, take online courses, or join professional organizations that offer training and networking opportunities. By staying current, you enhance your marketability and increase your chances of securing a rewarding career.
Leverage Your Network: Your network can be a valuable asset when rebuilding your career. Reach out to former colleagues, friends, and acquaintances who may be able to provide guidance, advice, or potential job leads. Attend industry events and network with professionals in your desired field. Building and nurturing relationships can open doors to new opportunities and help you gain insights into the job market.
Seek Support: Building a career after kids requires support and understanding. Reach out to support groups, online communities, or organizations specifically designed for parents transitioning back to work. These resources can offer guidance, advice, and a supportive network of individuals who are facing similar challenges. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals can provide the motivation and encouragement needed to pursue your career goals.
Emphasize Transferable Skills: As a parent, you have developed a range of skills that are transferable to the workplace. Effective time management, multitasking, problem-solving, and communication skills are just a few examples. Highlight these skills on your resume and during interviews to showcase the value you bring to potential employers. Emphasizing your ability to adapt, organize, and prioritize can make you a highly desirable candidate.
Create a Plan: Developing a strategic plan is essential when building a career after kids. Set short-term and long-term goals and outline the steps needed to achieve them. Create a timeline, identify key milestones, and track your progress along the way. This plan will serve as a roadmap, keeping you focused and motivated as you navigate your career journey.
Practice Self-Care: Balancing parenting and a career can be demanding, both physically and emotionally. Make self-care a priority to maintain your overall well-being. Take time for yourself, engage in activities that recharge you, and seek support from family and friends. Taking care of yourself ensures that you have the energy and resilience needed to pursue your career goals effectively.
Building a career after having children may seem daunting, but it is an opportunity for personal growth, fulfillment, and financial independence. By reflecting on your goals, seeking flexible work options, updating your skills, leveraging your network, seeking support, emphasizing transferable skills, creating a plan, and practicing self
You always hear others talking about how successful some women are and how envious they are of those women but you hardly ever hear people talking about how hard those very women work or what they do to be successful.
In this post, I’m going to share the habits of women who always have money and is living their best life and yes there is nothing stopping you from being one of those successful women.
They Plan and Organize Their Life
Planning and Organizing your life to give it direction. Know where you are at and where you want to be. Prioritize what is important and what really isn’t necessary. Keep a journal and write it all down. Trust me, it does magic.
Save Like A Boss
Every pay period should include a set amount of $ for savings. I would hope that you keep a budget to keep you on track with your spending so that you know at the end of every single month how much you should have to put aside for your savings. One rule of thumb, split your paychecks into 3. One for expenses, One for variables and the other for savings. Work with this rule and you will be sure to save like a boss.
They Learn How To Motivate Themselves
One thing that I’ve learned so much of this past year is how to motivate myself and having the trust in myself that I will accomplish everything I set out for me. Gratitude and Positivity are the start. Start each day with a grateful heart and read stories and inspirational quotes throughout your day. Follow people who motivates and inspires you. It really does wonders.
Set And Meet Their Financial Goals
Nothing is wrong with setting short and/or long term goals. By setting your goals, you are visualizing your future. Staying focus and discipline helps in the long run so make sure to always have a plan of action and stick with it.
Keep A Budget
Stick to the budget ladies. It’s there for a reason and that is to guide you to financial freedom. This will help you live within your means and will avoid you from blowing all your money on something that just isn’t worth it. Personally, it took me years after I started working and that was because I always felt as if I didn’t need one but guess what, a budget will change your life. Try it if you haven’t already. You need it.
Have a Savings Account
This one is a must. Do not keep everything in your checking account. That is a disaster waiting to happen. Make sure to add a transfer to your savings when doing your budget. Write it all down. See it and believe it.
Invest
Investing makes people nervous. That’s the truth BUT I will tell you that if you don’t put your foot forward, you won’t reap the benefits. There are so many options on what to invest in nowadays, seek financial help with your bank and have someone draw it out for you and go for it.
Knowing The Difference from NEED vs WANT
Need is a necessity. Want is a desire. Remember that and incorporate it in your life. You don’t need everything you see or everything that your friends have. Know the difference and understand what is it that you need and what in your life. Simple.
Buy, Not Lease or Borrow
While not everyone is able to buy a new car or a house or furniture, it is better to take your time and save up in order to buy your heart’s desire. By leasing or borrowing, you are only putting yourself in a position to throw away your hard earned money and not being able to own that item. Remember, take your time.
My last bit of advice on this post is that to always remember that you never have to impress anyone but yourself. Don’t buy things that are not within your means.
Us humans are creatures of habit and routines. We have a way of over complicating things in our lives. It takes years for us to learn and develop certain habits and behaviours and that is the reason why it isn’t easy for us to make changes to our every day life and we shouldn’t expect that we can implement these changes overnight. Life would be easy if we can all be happy and content but we won’t get there if we can’t apply the basics in our life.
Today, I want to help simplify this list by sharing with you my 5 Rules Of Life which are guaranteed to apply to every person on the planet no matter who you are or where you are from.
7 RULES OF LIFE
LET IT GO– Never ruin a good day by thinking about a bad yesterday. The past is the past and you just need to let certain things go.
IGNORE THEM – Live an empowering life. Do not listen to others that spreads their negative vibe. Surround yourself with positivity.
GIVE IT TIME– Time heals everything. It might not seem like that today but have faith and believe.
DON’T COMPARE– The only person you should try to beat is the person you were yesterday. Thrive to be better than you were. You are the only one that matters.
STAY CALM -Its okay not to have everything figured out, just know that in time, you will get there and it will be totally worth it. Freaking out will only make things worst. Your best decisions are made when you are calm and collective.
IT’S ON YOU– Only you are in charge of your own happiness. No one else. You make or break your own destiny. Remember that.
SMILE– Life is too short. Enjoy it while you have it. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone. Just a smile can lift someone’s mood including your own. Keep smiling!
Take these simple tips and apply them to your daily routine. You will notice the change in you almost immediately and you will see a brighter future for yourself.
Ask yourself a few questions. How can I live my best life? What is really holding me back from reaching my full potential.
The biggest thing you need to realize is that habits are the foundation of our everyday lives. We build our daily practices, and eventually our habits and routines shapes how we live our life. Most of us will either build good habits that support us as we move towards success or bad ones that undermine our ability to achieve and succeed. If you don’t make the change to kick those habits, you will end up with a slew of bad habits that will only take you downhill. Many of us go through life being so busy with our career, raising perfect children or preparing for retirement but in the process miss living your best life. Prioritizing the success of your life is what is important. Everything else will fall in place.
HERE ARE 3 HABITS THAT IS HOLDING YOU BACK FROM REACHING YOUR FULL POTENTIAL TODAY!
WAITING FOR THE RIGHT TIME.
Reality check! There is no right time for anything or anyone folks. I’ve heard this many times- If you never start, you will never succeed and it’s so true. There isn’t a perfect time to buy a house, start your family, buy a car or do anything. If you keep waiting, before you know it, you will be retired with nothing to show for it and filled with only regrets. You need to take a leap of faith and trust that you determine your future and not let fear keep you from reaching your full potential.
ALWAYS WANTING THINGS TO BE PERFECT.
Nobody is perfect. Not you. Definitely not me. We need to understand that just as there are things that you do well, there are also things that you don’t do well. No shame in that. That is how we learn from our mistakes, in turn, we will grow stronger from those experiences. Constantly striving for perfection can lead to great disappointment because you won’t always make the best possible choices.Just do you and before you know it, you will shine.
STOP MAKING EXCUSES.
Who hasn’t made excuses in their life? There is always a reason for us not to do something ever. Instead of making excuses, start taking actions. Stop looking for reasons why it isn’t your fault and consider what changes you should make to fix the issues. No matter what your circumstances are, only you have control over your actions. Find your way to turn a negative into a positive and you will see the difference it makes in your every day life.
Let’s talk ! Our mornings used to be a total nightmare. Why? because I had no plan of action. I used to think I could handle it all in the mornings by myself especially since hubby was leaving for work at 5:30 am. I remember being so tired after we leave the house and on my commute to work which was a 45 min drive to the city. I kept thinking how i wanted to quit my job so bad because I would be so drained. Things started to change after i started to implement a few changes every week until we got what works for our family. I will be sharing with you my tips that helped us turn our mornings from grumpy and tired to energetic and happy. Remember you need to find that balance in your household and make the changes so that everyone will know know what part they play.
5 tips to get your kids ready for school like a boss.
ESTABLISH A BED TIME ROUTINE
This is so so important mamas. Kids needs anywhere between 10-12 hours of sleep each night depending on their age. A well slept kid is what we all want and need in our homes. My 6 year son Nate would be in bed by 8 pm and wake up at 7 am the next morning so he is getting a full 11 hrs of sleep. I can tell you that this child is very alert and learns quickly and I do believe it is because he is well rested. It makes a difference.
ORGANIZE CLOTHES
Take a few minutes every Sunday to get their clothes sorted. If you have a hanging organizer in their closet, that would do wonders. Sort and organize their outfits for the week. By doing this , you will skip the “oh i have no clothes to wear” or ” what will i wear today” speech and will instead of a dressed kid making their way to the kitchen.
MEAL PREP
Ahhh Food, Food and Food. I don’t know about you but my kiddos are such picky eaters. Breakfast is probably the only meal that goes without a hitch. I keep it simple. I know what they like and will eat without a problem. Our breakfast usually consists of pancakes and fruits with a glass of milk most mornings. One thing I do every night is discuss with Nate what he would like for lunch and I packed exactly that to make sure he will be eating it all. So planning their meals will save you some time and a little less commotion in the mornings. Below is a video I made of what my 6 year old takes for lunch for the week. I kept it simple for a reason, I wanted him to eat everything which he does 99% of the time.
PACK SCHOOL BAGS.
After homework is done, have your kiddos pack and organize their backpacks for the next day. This will teach them to stay organize and give them responsibility. Also, who wants to hear “Mom, where is my agenda?” in the mornings. Definitely not this mama. So preach on them to get this done until it becomes second nature.
LEAVE SHOES BY THE DOOR
This is so basic but I have to mention because it does save time. Since you’ve already had their outfits planned, you can leave their shoes by the door before heading to bed. Don’t forget to check the weather network to make sure you have the appropriate shoes out for that day.
These simple tips are sure to give your mornings a good start. They’re sure to have your kids dress, fed and ready to take on the world.
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