It’s Saturday morning, the official start of the weekend, I’m standing in the middle of my kitchen after breakfast, and there’s mess everywhere I look…Sink filled with dishes, check! Laundry basket making faces at me with the overflowing bed sheets from last week, check! Kids turned the TV Room into a toy zone, check! And all I want to do is curl up on the couch with a good book and watch something I actually don’t have to use my neurons for…
If you’re smiling as you’re reading this, you may have recognized a common feeling among working moms (sorry when it comes to chores, working moms win the war) everywhere, aka the Dread of the Weekend Shift. You know it, it’s that tightness in your chest as you think about just how much you have to do to catch up on your chores at home. And the mounting frustration as you realize it’s actually the week-end, and you’re supposed not to work…And if you add to that Junior’s soccer game, Dear Daughter’s piano recital, and “getting your hair did”, it’s a wrap…You might as well lay right there on the floor and pray for some miracle, or Haagen Dazs sea salt caramel ice cream…
There’s just that point when you hit the weekend shift wall, and you can no longer accept to work at work, work at home, and work everywhere in between. It’s time to reclaim your weekends, and achieve some sense of balance in between all the to-do’s will-never-be-done, and why-is-laundy-never-ending’s…
After much resistance and not enough ice cream to drown my weekend shift sorrows, here are some drastic changes I had to make to regain whatever shred of sanity I had left, and be able to read a page or two, or sit down somewhere for a minute or two. And I mean, if you’re into coming from work on Fridays and spending the rest of the weekend cleaning up, tidying up and cooking up, by all means, I’m your biggest fan. But for the rest of us who can actually honestly admit we hate laundry and would like to take a nap once every couple of years, there may be a few adjustments we can make to replace the weekend shift with actual weekend fun.
Spend less on stuff, and more on help.
For me, it means staying away from any shoe store, shoe expo, shoe displays, shoe anything...
And actually reading the pile of unread books I have at home, prior to destroying my bank account on Amazon just because I signed up for Amazon Prime and shipping is free… In other words, I had to put myself on a tight budget so I could replace all my spur-of-the-moment, ooh-that-looks-nice-and-I-might-need-it-some-day impulse purchases with actual help.
So I saved the money and hired someone to help me with cleaning the house and doing chores. I have to say it was a BIG mindset change for me, for two reasons. One, I thought I didn’t need to pay someone for something I could do myself. Two, I could do it myself and save the money to go buy stuff I didn’t really need. Typical case of the chicken and egg…
Which brings me to my next point.
Learn to value your time.
I mean, really value it, not just in terms of what you can and cannot do. But in terms of what it costs for someone like you to do thing A instead of doing thing B. Let me explain…
If you’re making $75,000 a year net, and you take that $75K a year, and actually divide it into 52 weeks of work, you get $1,442 and change a week. Then you go a step further, and divide this by 40 hours of work, and get about $36 and change a week. So literally, that’s how much an hour of your work is worth, if you were to pay yourself…And I’m not including how much it cost for you to get that college education (hello student loans)…
Now I ain’t trying to take us back to basic maths (don’t nobody wanna go back that far or deep or wide for that matter), but think about it. If you were to pay yourself $36 an hour to clean your house, how much more beneficial to you would it be to pay someone $10 or $15 an hour to do the same? Actually, they might do it better and faster, just for the sheer reason they wouldn’t be checking their Instagram every other minute and texting with the girls every so often…Just sayin’…
If you look at your time with the perspective of how much value it has, then you’re able to gain a new perspective. Not to mention forgive yourself for not doing it all…
Leverage the time and money you save.
If you had 5 hours to spend whichever way you’d like, what is the best thing you’d do for yourself? Is it read a book, enroll in a new class, go to the spa, or spend time with the people you love? Whatever your answer to this question, it brings us back to how we can best leverage our time and money. Especially our time, which as age (what’s that?) creeps up and you start realizing there’s not as much time left as before, becomes our most precious commodity…
Think of the time and money you could save by enlisting some help, even if you have to pay for it. And think about what you could actually produce with this time, in terms of precious memories, new ventures, exciting opportunities, etc…
You could write that great novel, take the kids to visit family you haven’t seen in a while, or just take a bath alone for like, a half hour, by yourself…You could build that business you’ve been talking about, or find time to meditate, or entertain that hobby that relaxes you so much you don’t feel the need to yell at the hubby so often (I know none of you do that)…Or you could just cry “Freedom”!
It took some time to adjust my mindset from a production-based frame to a value-based one. And to understand that what’s important to me may not be as important to someone else, but that at the end of the day, it’s my responsibility to live my life to the fullest, and enjoy every bit of time I have while I’m still breathing (and avoiding wrinkles and ashy elbows in the process)…
On this note, dear Weekend Shift, you are officially fired. Dear Weekend, welcome back into my life!
I was finally able to shed my working mom, “go-to-bed at 9pm sharp” second skin to watch the Emmys this year. And boy was it worth it… In-between laughing at Jimmy Kimmel’s Trump jokes and distribution of peanut-better-and-jelly-sandwiches, and gasping for air at how very pregnant Kerry Washington got that non-pregnancy dress “handled” on the red carpet, I didn’t need the hubby’s usual elbow kicks to stay up…
At least long enough to have my very own “working-mom- staying-way-past-her-bedtime’s” very own Emmys highlights:
But really, before I even start rambling, how can Jimmy Kimmel keep a straight face?
Like, really, how? How do you walk around an entire room of celebrities, passing out juice boxes and PB&J sandwiches, and openly blame one of “The Apprentice” creators, Mark Burnett, for putting Trump on the TV map, without at least blushing? Beyond me…
Could Kerry Washington have handled it any better?
I mean, all of it, including the impeccable hair, the flawless complexion, and that impeccable belly perfectly fitted into that non-pregnancy dress I couldn’t even wear not being pregnant (minus the last annoying resilient five pounds from each pregnancy). Although I’m mourning the temporary absence of Scandal this season, that dress and adorable non-preggers look has me forgetting and forgiving…
Regina King won. And I just want to be her when I grow up…
Watching Regina King go up the stairs to the Emmys stage in that vision of a red gown, plus the happily stunned look on her face, priceless. She won best supporting actress in a limited series or movie for “American Crime“. So very proud to see a Black woman win, twice in a row, and spread some hopeful glitter for women everywhere…
Julia Louis-Dreyfus made me laugh and smile all at once…
Despite losing her dad two days before, Julia Louis-Dreyfus still managed to accept her seventh Emmy award (this one for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series) while making us laugh. As she apologized for the current political climate, she confirmed that the political satire show Veep (for which she received this Emmy) is actually more of a “sobering documentary” than the current politics we’re witnessing…
C0urtney B. Vance’s Emmys Love Letter raised a whole new bar for hubbies everywhere.
Unless you’re going to call me the “woman who rocks your chain” at the next Emmys, you’re in for a whole lot of shoes and purses…Just sayin’…So Courtney B. Vance, husbands everywhere are officially in serious trouble because of you…
Viola Davis and Julius Tennon take pink to a whole ‘nother level…
Victoria’s Secret PINK models ain’t got nothing on one of my fave actresses (and the first African-American actress to win the Emmy’s Best Lead Actress) and fellow Rhode Islander, Viola Davis and her hubby Julius Tennon. That pink bow-tie on Julius perfectly complemented Viola’s stunning dress. It takes a strong man to rock a pink bow-tie, and if Viola Davis were at your arm, wouldn’t you? But it’s all good, we’re all getting ready for How to Get Away with Murder next week anyhow…
Protect Leslie Jones, people!
Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones had me half-laughing, half-nodding, as she joked about her Twitter account hack. She went on stage with the accountants, and urged them to drop the protection of Emmy secrets, in favor of her own Twitter account which got hacked earlier this year. In between laughs, we’re reminded that Leslie Jones is not just a talented and hilarious actress, but also a beautiful sister…
If anyone sees Downton Abbey‘s Maggie Smith, please tell her to retrieve her Emmy in the Emmys’ Lost & Found. In his opening monologue, Jimmy Kimmel threatened the perennial winner with taking back all her awards if she doesn’t personally show up to get them. So no surprise there when he came in person to grab her Emmy this year and send her a specific message to report to the Emmys’ Lost & Found…
It’s been real, but this working mom’s got to limit this late-night damage. Neither my kids nor my day job will be very forgiving in the morning…I hope by next year Emmys, there will be coffee strong enough to keep me going…
Today my youngest (and probably last baby, did I say probably?) starts school. And even as the hardcore independent career woman and feminist I consider myself to be, it feels weird, to say the least.
As I dropped him off to his last day at daycare yesterday, my heart sank a little. I sat outside in my car for a minute, unable to turn the wheel and back up to drive towards work. I could relive the very day I dropped each one of my babies to daycare for the first time, to start on their journey towards independence. And to continue mine towards making peace with semi-constant worry and mommy guilt, even in the midst of so much joy and anticipation…
You think you’ve made peace with a lot of emotions as your kids grow, and suddenly you find yourself in the middle of new beginnings all over again. As they pack their first backpack, say good-bye to go to class, get their first report card…
Even though there’s still quite some ways for women to go in today’s world, we’re able to make so many choices in our lives. Choices to go after our own careers and dreams, pick our partners, live more of the lives we choose…Yet as you become a parent, most of these choices start being influenced in some way or another by the huge joy and responsibility to raise children.
In her masterpiece “The Awakened Family“, New York Times best-selling author Dr. Shefali Tsabary tells us that “many of us are unable to [raise children who are highly resilient and emotionally connected] because we are blinded by modern misconceptions of parenting and our own inner limitations”. The part of Dr. Tsabary’s message that struck me the most as I was watching her on Oprah’s Soul Sunday is that we must develop ourselves in order to help develop our children into the people they’re meant to be. Which also means that not only is it ok for us to go after our dreams and reach our higher selves, it also tremendously serves our children.
So we can turn all that mommy guilt as we drop off the kids to daycare or school, miss some milestones because we’re at work, or miss work because we’re taking in our childrens’ milestones, into the fire that propels us further and further in our lives and careers:
Their milestones are proof we’re growing too!
Now that I’m done crying behind my glasses after dropping off the little one to Pre-K, I can take a minute to stop and consider how much I’ve also grown as a parent and a woman. What we don’t often realize as parents is that many a times, our children help us grow more than we actually help them!
After raving about how my babies are growing too fast, it occurred to me that each one of their milestones has helped me develop as a person. That just having them inspires us to stretch and reach more of our potential. That every time they take a step, start school, get a great grade, or get bruised somehow by life, we learn something new by teaching them things we never even knew we knew.
Make the kids part of your growth!
For most of us, having kids changes our lives. For some, it can send our careers down the abyss, as this 2015 Women in the Workplace study reveals that “motherhood triggers assumptions that women are less competent and less committed to their careers”.
For others, it can mean renewed focus, energy and success. A research commissioned by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has demonstrated that parents tend to be more productive. More parents develop skills and traits that make them better employees, while it’s noted that some parents are more ambitious after kids.
I’ve found that making the kids part of our growth as individuals, is a huge motivator to turn all the mommy guilt we may experience into more fuel for our fire. Over time, I’ve learnt to talk more to my babies about work, responsibility and learning as I experience it. To share with them more of my experiences, and let go of the guilt of not always being there in favor of the energy of shared growth…
It’s OK to let go!
This one is a “toughie”! Letting go is hard (I’m a Cancerian after all, we cling hard!). And letting go of the little human beings we’ve helped bring into this world, changed poopy diapers, and dropped off for their first day at school, is on a whole other “hard scale”…
I’ve clung to my own brand of career mommy guilt for as long as I could, until realizing it’s letting go that ultimately allows us to be more present. That it’s ok to show our kids that chasing your dreams is a part of life. That to be fully present, we must be filled with as much of our own fire as we can muster…
So here’s to my last baby going to school, to dropping (some of) that heavy mommy guilt, and instead turning it into more of that internal fire that makes us go over and beyond…
How are your turning your Mommy guilt into Mommy Fire?
With the whole “Back to School” in full swing, I’ve been seriously pondering the benefits of going to bed already fully dressed for the next workday. After all, it cuts down on picking an outfit (only to find out that stain from last week’s meeting’s still showing), switching said outfit twice, only to finally wear it backwards as you rush out the door…And before you wink in slight disgust, let’s all agree you could also use the extra time…
Such is the dilemma of working moms (and working parents in general), as the countdown to “Back to School” starts ticking louder and louder in our already over-scheduled ears. I mean, after work-free summer vacation breaks, longer, warmer days, (and shall I mention the occasional week-end margaritas and spicy mojitos), getting back into a routine that includes coercing non-collaborating children to hit the sack earlier and checking homework, sounds like sugar-free cake, really…
I don’t know about the rest of you overachiever Superwomen (and Wonderguys), but in my world, every Fall, I suffer from PSTD (Post-Summer Traumatic Syndrome). It usually manifests itself with an utter refusal to get out of bed, which results in deep morning confusion, late school tickets, and questionable “mommy hairstyles”.
So how do you hack your “back -to-school” schedule to keep from going to bed already fully dressed, and actually be productive instead? As in, not switching the kids’ lunches (or shoes or outfits), keeping from locking yourself outside in your bath robe, and actually keeping your day job…You know, the basic stuff…
These are some suggestions (some of which may or may not have been given by my now overachiever 7-year old to her dazed and confused mother):
Wake up earlier!
Yes, as in set the alarm clock for at least a half-hour earlier and put said alarm clock in a different room altogether! Or put some Krazy glue on the snooze button if that works better…Translation: trick yourself to have more time in the morning!
Although it’s been proven chronically late people (I may or may not be part of this select group of people) are creative and successful at best, truth is, we’re still late! As in so late you’re spilling your coffee on your last clean shirt on the way to the meeting a la Mila Kunis in Bad Moms, or just forgetting to pencil in your second eyebrow a la Yours Truly.
So at the risk of sounding slightly demented, I’ve been setting the alarm in my office, and resolved to wake up cursing out even morning on the way to shutting the doggone thing down. I may or may not be at my tenth alarm clock by now (no idea while they all end up crashing against the wall)…
Make time Trick Yourself to exercise!
Now you may be reading this, and silently calling me all kinds of inappropriate names…If there’s no time to even pencil in your second eyebrow, or snap your bra all the way (it may or may not have happened to the best of us), how in the hell world are you expected to make time to find your long-abandoned sneakers so you can sweat your freshly blown hair out and have to take yet another shower?
I won’t bore you with all the benefits of exercising, and blah blah blah…Yet, after many successful attempts at relying on my own natural stamina (and the support of carbs), I’ve failed miserably. To get energy, you must give away energy. It’s sweat equity for your life, like an investment on your day-to-day productivity.
The good news is, you can hack your schedule for it too. I’ve long given up on costly gym memberships that I give up on after my fancy Athleta start standing up on their own dirt weight. And instead capitalizing on short, super effective workouts. My new best friend: the kettlebell, aka the cannonball with a handle, which can help you forget about last week-end’s carbs in 15 minutes!
Find the best workout that accommodates your life, and stick to it!
Get your zzz’s!
In her book ” The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time“, Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington makes no secret that the ultimate productivity tool is…sleep! Yes, those precious hours you often take a lease on to finish laundry, or work on that late night report…
Those are the very same hours that can literally multiply your productivity ten-fold, in addition to making you save on those expensive anti-wrinkle creams.After all, if one of the world’s powerful women, author of 15 books, who also happened to have sold her site to AOL for $315 million in 2011, suggests you should sleep more, I’d take her up on it.
As the whole “back-to-school” craziness starts and threatens to take over our summer tans, let’s remember to recharge not just on the week-end, but every.single.night. I’ve recently admitted to my friends that I must hit the sack by 9:30pm (which in our circle is the equivalent of social death). Yet at the risk of looking like the totally “uncool” mom, think about all the energy, ideas, and smooth skin you can brag about at the next PTA meeting…
What other tips would you recommend to hack your “back-to-school” schedule?
As a working parent, the end of the summer also spells the proverbial “Back to School” double-edged sword. On one hand, you may be extremely excited happy to actually get an “educational daycare” option for your kids. On the other, you also have to contend with getting said kids ready for yet another school year. Which, in other words, also means “back to school” shopping, “back to school” scheduling, and overall “back to school” stress everywhere you look.
I mean, from deciphering the list of required school supplies (what in the world are washable hypoallergenic crayons?), to figuring out how in the world you can turn your late-night movie-watching little monsters into early risers without losing every single strand of hair on your head, it’s a challenge. Never mind adjusting our summer schedules to the school schedule, without scoring the most late tickets ever recorded in the story of said school district.
I would know… “Back to school” time in my house is a lot like “back to craziness” for me. A lot of trial and error, mixed with some honest scheduling mistakes, and we pretty much always end up with some “back to school” catastrophe or another. Like the year we actually dropped off Dear Daughter a day late without her backpack…But I digress…
After quite a few unfortunate, albeit hilarious “back to school” experiences, here are five of the most noteworthy tips I garnered over time:
Start early
Don’t get caught in the last minute shuffle of “back to school” activities. I used to, and only ended up being immersed in loads of administrative frustration. Instead, start at least a couple of weeks early.
Gather all the information you need, from the important dates to the school supply list. Obtain whatever information you’re missing, and give yourself some time to prepare.
Have a Plan
Considering the limited amount of time you have as a working parent, have a plan of attack. Instead of going at it in one week-end and despising the process forever, list all your to-do’s and spread them over time. Which also means you must start early (refer to tip #1).
Be willing to be flexible
As a working parent, combining full-time work and responsibilities with back-to-school to-do’s can stretch you way too thin. To avoid being overwhelmed, plan to ask for a day off, or a more flexible schedule for a limited period of time. This way, you’ll have the time and availability necessary without the stress of impairing your work.
Cut yourself some slack
You’re doing the best you can. Even when purchasing the wrong brand of stencil pad, or forgetting to sign that school form. Give yourself a break throughout the process, it’ll get done eventually.
Enjoy the process
Remember that it’s not just a matter of checking the boxes and crossing out all the to-do’s. It’s also a process to be enjoyed, as you celebrate new milestones for your kids and watch them accomplish and learn new things.
Yes, it can be stressful to get everyone ready, including yourself, while still striving in your career and keeping your sanity. Yet, in the end, it’s all worth it, wrong brand of stencil pad and all.
How are you managing ‘back to school” time as a working parent?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
What other tips do you have to manage your kids going back to school?
I’ve been impatiently waiting to see “Bad Moms“, and yesterday finally grabbed my sis-in-law, kissed the hubby and kids good-night, and headed straight for a movie treat. And what a treat it was!
This hilarious yet sentimental comedy had me laughing, tearing up, and leaving most of my “mommy guilt” on the movie theater seat. I said most of it, still gotta worry about some stuff after all…
Think of it as the mommy/female version of the Hangover movie. A comedy aimed at destroying the gender stereotype of smother mothers everywhere. You know the mothers I’m talking about…The ones who spend hours making their babies’ homemade foods only to give you the side eye when you pop your store-bought jars of pureed carrots from your stained diaper bag. Or the ones who raise their eyebrows when you don’t volunteer for at least two extra-curricular activities, or bring non-homemade goodies to the school’s bake sale…
In “Bad Moms”, Amy, a devoted 32-year-old working mom to her two kids, bends over backwards to emulate that stereotype. So she runs from kids’ drop-offs to annoying work meeting, then to two-hour-long PTA meetings and unending bake sales…all the while her husband’s cheating on her and she’s nearing a mental breakdown. Until the day she decides enough is enough, and goes on a “bad mom” trip…And the rest is an artfully orchestrated sequence of funny, inspirational and at times downright emotional, yet oh so real moments…
I loved watching Amy (played by the amazing Mila Kunis), as the “good mom gone bad”, put her childish, cheating husband out and decide to stop coddling her kids so much, so she can have a real life. The neurotic, “doormat mom” Kiki (played by Kristen Bell) had me jumping off my seat when she told her hubby to figure out how to care for their kids on his own. And the overly sexed-up, hilarious Carla (Kathryn Hahn) had me in stitches as she sought to make out with pretty much anything reminiscent of a male sexual organ, while unapologetically being her own kind of “bad mom”.
The thing is, I could find myself in each and every one of these women. I, and most moms out there, have been there. Trying to fit in the annoying work meeting with the kids’ pickup schedule. Bringing store-bought brownies to the bake sale (albeit on a beautiful platter, pretending they just came out of the oven). Saying yes to the school PTA meeting when all you really want is go home and lay down. We’ve also been on the other side of the spectrum too, obsessing over every detail, and checking to make sure the baby’s diapers are bio-degradable. Or just skipping that last diaper change, giving hurried instructions to the babysitter so we could enjoy a night out with the girls.
I know I have…And I know I’m not the only one. It still stings a bit when I remember this fellow mom bragging about what an honor it is to give birth “naturally”, after I had just delivered my first baby via emergency C-section. Or the unsolicited advice from other women about pretty much everything from how to feed your kid to how much time you should spend with them…And the silent shame and guilt at being an ambitious working mom hustling for my dreams, instead of focusing every single minute of every waking day to my kids…Feeling like I had to get it (and keep it) together, at work, at the kids’ school, on the playground, or as I try to pee alone. Exhausting! Utterly, definitely, unbelievably exhausting!
Being a mom has never been so hard as it is today. In our ultra-connected, social-media driven society where our kids are over scheduled, over-stimulated, and frankly over-spoiled, we feel the need to do it all, and do it all perfectly all the time. To be the mom who takes her kids to all the swim meets and piano lessons and soccer games, while making sure their school projects are the best, that they eat enough protein and look perfect on every Instagram picture. Truth is, that seemingly perfect mom, is so tired she falls asleep as soon as she sits down somewhere, and has to buy extra packages of concealer to make it through a regular workday. No wonder she doesn’t exactly think about sex (unless it’s scheduled ahead of time) or still wears her mom bra from her last pregnancy five years ago…
Bottom line: none of us is perfect, and none of us is a perfect mom. And it felt so good to see our fears, awkward, happy and crazy mommy moments translated on-screen in such a simple yet personal way. It felt so good to just kick my heels and for once, stop blaming myself for not being like the next mom. To just laugh at the mistakes, celebrate the good, and accept that there’s a “bad mom” in all of us, and that it’s OK.
I stepped out of the movie theater with a pep in my step, a fresh swipe of my Revlon lipstick bought on sale earlier, and a newfound appreciation for the woman inside. I can’t guarantee I won’t be late for the kids’ pickup next week, but what I’m sure of is, I’ll never look at myself the same again. Or at any other mom out there. We’re all doing the best we can, and that’s a heck of a lot already…
So for today, I’ll just enjoy being a “bad mom” and skipping the laundry…and the dishes too…Oh and by the way, we’re ordering out….
And if you’re still on the fence, check out the official trailer here:
PS: Shoutout to all the “bad moms” out there, you rock!
I’d know… I set up my alarm for 4am every night, only to play a game of catch-and-release with the snooze button until about 5am. At which point I engage in a tough back-and-forth with myself, discussing the pros and cons of leaving the sweet refuge of my blanket to face the harsh realities of this world. Then starts the mad dash to take a shower, get breakfast and lunch bags ready, before (gently) admonishing the small creatures of the house to roll out of bed and act like humans…
For women everywhere, the lapse of time between the moment we open our eyes to the time we finally walk out the door, looking somewhat human, without forgetting any little creature or dropping the other shoe, IS a journey in and of itself. And for most of us, how we start our day very often defines how we go through it (which also very often explains sugar binges and chocolate highs..)…
Yet, there are plenty of women out there who do this day in and day out, without (apparently) resorting to massive amounts of sugar or excessive online shopping (don’t judge me). From doing a bit of research and looking around, I’ve learnt one or two things from some of these successful and uber-productive women on hacking my morning routine (and cutting down on the sugar and online shopping):
Make Sleep and Exercise a Priority
Listen, if you don’t care for yourself, you can’t care for anyone else. Period. Running on empty batteries is running on no batteries. It took me a while to understand this, as my over-inflated, Superwoman ego was bent on doing it all, no matter what. Except your body can only do so much, and your mind may betray you the minute a German chocolate cake shows up…
Meanwhile, First Lady Michelle Obama gets up as early as 4:30 am to exercise. In this 2009 interview with Oprah, she puts it in unequivocal terms: “If I had to get up to take care of my kids, I’d get up to do that. But when it comes to yourself, then it’s suddenly, ‘Oh, I can’t get up at 4:30.’ So I had to change that. If I don’t exercise, I won’t feel good. I’ll get depressed.”
And is it any surprise that Vogue Editor-in-chief Anna Wintour starts her day at 5:45 am with a game of tennis?
Ok, time to dig out my sneakers…
Find Creative Ways to Spend Some Time With Family
Even more than money, time’s a commodity. Especially when it comes to spending time with family…
In the research for her “I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make The Most of Their Time” book, author Laura Vanderkam found out many busy families choose to have family breakfasts instead of dinners. All in all, they focused on how they could find ways throughout their days to create family memories.
For celebrities like J. Lo and Kim Kardashian, it means starting their busy day with their twins. For others, it may mean leaving early and saving dinner time for family time. Whatever works best…
“Good Enough” Is the New Perfect
The biggest morning hack of all is letting go of the need to be perfect. Whether it’s foregoing blow-drying your hair like designer Tory Burch, or getting an extra half-hour of sleep like Oprah (so you can do even more afterwards), understanding that what you can do is “good enough” is one giant step towards turning your mornings into success.
It’s Saturday morning, the official start of the weekend, I’m standing in the middle of my kitchen after breakfast, and there’s mess everywhere I look…Sink filled with dishes, check! Laundry basket making faces at me with the overflowing bed sheets from last week, check! Kids turned the TV Room into a toy zone, check! And all I want to do is curl up on the couch with a good book and watch something I actually don’t have to use my neurons for…
