Top Products and Tips for Busy Women and Working Moms

by Eden Godsoe posted to Career & Money | 5,139 views

I sometimes refer to myself as one of the most efficient people in the world (somewhat tongue in cheek!) Here are my go-to products and tips to help you become super efficient and able to multitask with the best of them.

Trust Yourself

littlepatientbigdoctor.com

1 Like 2 Comments

Suggested by Haleh Rabizadeh Resnick:

Trust yourself and never put your self last. Make sure you're paying attention to how you're feeling. If you're not on top, you need to adjust.

Eden Godsoe: Haleh - Thank you for the addition. I made it the #1 tip because it is so-so true.

Haleh Rabizadeh Resnick: Thanks Eden. Now the hard part . . . actually doing it.

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

It's easier said than done but you've got to learn to let go and realize you can't do everything. For example, I haven't written a thank you card for kids' birthday presents in years. In this SkinnyScoop poll, 75% of moms are not offended by that.

Organize Everything The Night Before

6 Likes 1 Comment

Pack lunches, pick out clothes, have your bag or briefcase ready and take care of any other organization the night before. Enjoy breakfast and time with your family the next morning rather than rushing around.

Lori Krolik: Also check your calendar as a reminder for the items you or your kids might need for the next day, notes for a meeting, your son's soccer cleats, a book you need to return to a friend, etc.

Learn How To Delegate

3 Likes

I was very effective at delegating to my team on the work front and now apply that skill on the home front. Each family member should have clear (age appropriate) responsibilities and be held accountable to those.

Ask HIM For Help!

For some Mom "Me" Moments, asking HIM for help should be as easy as 1-2-3..Here are some tips to asking him without being a nag:

mommymindspa.com

7 Likes 2 Comments

Suggested by Gina Pomponio:

Without sounding like a nag, ask your man for help around the house.

Gina: What a great idea!

Eden Godsoe: So true Gina. Thanks for sharing your blog post.

Don't Cut Corners On Childcare

Put time into finding a great person, effort in keeping them on and spend what you can. A great nanny or au pair is worth her weight in gold (actually, she's worth much more.)

Use Your Neighbors

1 Like 2 Comments

Suggested by Sue Douglass Fliess:

Use your neighbors. I mean that in the nicest way possible. Go in with neighbors on bulk shopping, i.e., take turns doing the Costco run. You need mayonnaise, but of course you don’t need 4 jars. Split the 2 gallons of orange juice or 48 rolls of toi...

Eden Godsoe: Sue - Great addition. How did I forget this one?! Maybe because I need to do more of it. I love the idea of going in with neighbors on some services too - get discounted window cleaning or gardening if you bring more of your neighbors to the table.

Kevin: It works with childcare too! I have a good friend and neighbor that swaps (in an ad hoc fashion) childcare with me so we can get little things done. Also - how do we live without carpooling? Sports practices can make you feel like a chauffeur, so share the driving!

Load Up Your iPhone With These Useful Apps

I could not live without my iPhone. Here are some of my favorite apps for busy women and moms.

Use Skype To Stay In Touch

Skype is a great (free) way to stay in touch when you travel for work or when you have relatives who live far away. I also use it for work calls. Use the video functionality or not (I'm not always video ready.) I love the conference function too.

Keep Your Home Organized With These Great Products

I can be a little OCD around the house when it comes to keeping things organized and uncluttered. A little time organizing upfront makes you much more efficient long term. Everything has it's place and there is no clutter.

Use Google Calendar For Scheduling The Family

google.com

2 Likes 1 Comment

Google has great (and free) online tools like Google Calendar which I use regularly for my work. They can also be used to keep your family scheduled.

Lori Krolik: Love the color coding feature and the ability to subscribe to my kids school calendar and sports schedules. I no longer spend endless hours entering school holidays, PTA meetings, conferences, etc.

Use Free Online Signup Sheets and Scheduling by VolunteerSpot

VolunteerSpot's free online sign up sheets save time and make it easy for busy moms to help at school, Scouts, church, sports, and nonprofits. Signup on the go - skip the 'reply-all' email and clipboard signup sheets this year!

Suggested by Karen Bantuveris:

Because teachers need our help and 'reply-all' email is so 1995!

Make Use Of Time In Your Car

2 Likes

If you are like me, you spend a lot of time in the car. Make use of that time by having a good wireless headset, pre-programmed radio stations or books on tape, cosmetics, etc. It goes w/out saying but don't do this all while driving!

Take Advantage Of Online Banking

wellsfargo.com  |  Saved from Eden Godsoe

3 Likes

I check my account balances, make transfers, and all sorts of other things through their site. It is superior to the online portals of other financial institutions I have used.

Designate Days

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Pick specific days of the week to grocery shop (or have groceries delivered!), clean the house, take care of chores, etc. Stick to your schedule and forget about these responsibilities the rest of the week.

Get A Personal Shopper

www1.bloomingdales.com

1 Comment 1 Save

I have minimal time and less fashion sense so I am an obvious candidate for a personal shopper. Seriously though, they will save you time AND money by finding good deals &/or getting you clothes you will wear. Try Bloomingdale's At Your Service.

GardenGal: Macy's also has free Personal Shopper's.

Try Some Of These Time-Saving Kitchen Tips From BabyZone

Great tips like putting like utensils in the same section of the silverware tray in the dishwasher, leaving extra garbage bags at the bottom of garbage cans for easy replacement & getting kids to help out.

Buy Household Items In Bulk From Soap.com

soap.com

3 Likes

Suggested by colbyc:

Save time shopping for household items with Soap.com. The free 1 day shipping is very reliable. This is a sister site to Diapers.com (for baby needs) and Wag.com (for pet needs.)

Use A Grocery Delivery Service

Shop Safeway online for groceries, find out about our grocery stores, get health and nutritional information, and find all recipes and meals ideas.

safeway.com

1 Like 1 Comment 1 Save

Why spend hours going to the grocery store when you can get groceries delivered to your home. You can even create grocery lists for things you buy every week. Safeway charges $5-10 for delivery depending on time. Definitely worth it.

Catherine Wood: Huge time saver, especially since they will remember your previous orders!

Buy And Cook In Bulk

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When possible, buy groceries and drugstore items in bulk to save trips to the store. Prepare one big casserole and freeze or save some for future meals.

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comments (8)

Eden Godsoe asks: What should I add to this list?

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Haleh Rabizadeh Resnick added:

 Trust yourself and never put your self last. Make sure you're paying attention to how you're feeling. If you're not on top, you need to adjust.

Trust Yourself

littlepatientbigdoctor.com

Like (1) Eden Godsoe promoted this suggestion

Sue Douglass Fliess added:

 Use your neighbors. I mean that in the nicest way possible. Go in with neighbors on bulk shopping, i.e., take turns doing the Costco run. You need mayonnaise, but of course you don’t need 4 jars. Split the 2 gallons of orange juice or 48 rolls of toi...

Use Your Neighbors

Like (1) Eden Godsoe promoted this suggestion

Michelle Monroe Morton added:

 How to work from home! You need to have a system for dealing with every day tasks such as laundry, cooking, kids, etc. What is a system? A system allows you to accomplish the task at hand. Without a plan those tasks become unfinished. I use a combi...

Catherine Wood Hill added:

 I get everything delivered from diapers to anti-aging creams and coffee beans. They come on schedule with free delivery so I don't have to worry about it!!

Amazon Mom

amazon.com

Amazon Mom members receive up to a year of free Amazon Prime shipping benefits, which include: FREE Two-Day Shipping, no minimum purchase for free or discounted shipping, and One-Day Shipping for just $3.99/item.

Like (2)

Laura Loeffler added:

 Where else can you shop for a card, personalize the message and customize to your heart's desire and have the end result, a real paper greeting card, sent to your recipient?! Cardgnome.com - That's where! Check it out!

Card Gnome

cardgnome.com

Making the people you love feel special. Personalize your own real greeting card designed by an independent artist and have it delivered on your schedule.

Like (5)

Gina Pomponio added:

 Without sounding like a nag, ask your man for help around the house.

Ask HIM For Help!

mommymindspa.com

For some Mom "Me" Moments, asking HIM for help should be as easy as 1-2-3..Here are some tips to asking him without being a nag:

Like (7) Eden Godsoe promoted this suggestion

colbyc added:

 Save time shopping for household items with Soap.com. The free 1 day shipping is very reliable. This is a sister site to Diapers.com (for baby needs) and Wag.com (for pet needs.)

Buy Household Items In Bulk From Soap.com

soap.com

Like (3) Eden Godsoe promoted this suggestion

Karen Bantuveris added:

 Because teachers need our help and 'reply-all' email is so 1995!

Use Free Online Signup Sheets and Scheduling by VolunteerSpot

VolunteerSpot.com

VolunteerSpot's free online sign up sheets save time and make it easy for busy moms to help at school, Scouts, church, sports, and nonprofits. Signup on the go - skip the 'reply-all' email and clipboard signup sheets this year!

Like (5) Eden Godsoe promoted this suggestion