"HOUR GLASS" CONTEST I have always believed that if you take care of your minutes,the hours will take care of themselves. MY SECRET MANTRAS:
1) Make Friends With Dawn! As in the early morning hours,that is! Getting up early for most people is a challenge, but getting up before the kids wake up can be the difference between a stressed out,psychotic mother and a sane one!
2) If the household tends to wake up between 6 and 7am, set your own alarm for one to two hours earlier. Use this time to have a quiet cup of coffee or tea,check your email,exercise,read the paper or if you have a big day ahead of you, prepare for your workday. What you don't want to use this extra quiet time for is housework! It can be tempting but that would defeat the purpose of having some time each morning for yourself.
3) Prepare for the Morning Rush the Night Before - Select your clothing and set them all out the night before you plan to wear them. Iron the clothes and place them neatly on a hanger.
4) Group Similar Cooking Activities Together.When making dinner, also prepare the next day's lunches for your children.If possible, gather everything for the next morning's breakfast,as well. It seems like such trivial tasks but if you make it habit to do all of this while you're already in the kitchen preparing dinner,you'll save precious minutes in the morning.
5) Don't be a Cleanliness Freak - If you do a few things each day, you'll never have to spend an entire day cleaning the house.Get your children to help you - children as young as 2 can be taught to do simple chores. Yes,it can be a struggle in the beginning for children of any age, but if you are persistent that they do their share, it will just become part of their routine.
6)Working mothers are notorious for their ability to do several things at once. If you get a lunch break at work, you might want to use it to do some household tasks. Take advantage of alternate work schedules at your place of employment such as flexible hours.
7)Choose a bank that offers free online banking services. Almost all bank transactions can be handled over the Internet or telephone.
8) You can also effectively fit in exercise while working,in most situations. If you're on a phone call, do standing leg lifts or tighten your abdominal muscles. Every little bit of exercise counts. You can also fit in exercise when playing with the kids after work or on weekends. Run around the playground with them or dance around the house like a crazy person!
9)If you take a moment to take pleasure in each of your daily activities and remind yourself you're doing exactly what you want to do with your life raising your beautiful children and working in a career,it's hard to be grumpy with the occasional difficult day. 10)And last but not the least LAUGH! Laugh often, and laugh loud- you'd be amazed at the benefits!