5 Smart Tips for Super Moms to Save Time

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Disclosure: Thanks to Huggies for sponsoring today’s discussion. The giveaway is sponsored by myself.

I have two kids, ages 5 & 7, and now that they are a little bit older and past that toddler stage I find that it is SO much easier to get things done around the house since they are a little more independent! No more diapers (no offense Huggies, we love you!), no more potty training, and MUCH less safety worries! But we’re expecting baby #3 and about to start ALL over again with the chaotic schedule that comes with babies and toddlers!

As you can imagine being a blogger, a mom, a wife, and an extensive volunteer at my husband’s school my time comes at a premium and I have to do some serious prioritizing to get my work done! If I don’t nothing seems to get done and I get all out of sorts and overwhelmed! There are SO many ways I’ve learned to save time here and there as we’ve now been through the baby, toddler, preschool and into the elementary school age phase, but here are just 5 tips that have saved me a lot of time. Remember it’s not always about being super mom, sometimes it’s just smart parenting!

1. Online Shopping – I live in a small town (I mean a TINY town….think about 26 houses in my entire town!) so I am ALL about supporting local businesses, BUT because I live in such a tiny town (did I mention it was tiny?!) it’s impossible to find what I need many of the times! And I can’t afford to drive over an hour away every time I need something, so I turn to online shopping to fill in the gaps…..not to mention that I can find the best deals online! AND when you’ve got kids, especially little ones, sometimes the LAST thing you want to do is drag cranky kids to the store! Sometimes, money is time and that includes saving your sanity!

2. Take time for Yourself – This may sound counterproductive if you’re trying to get a lot of work done but if ALL you do is WORK WORK WORK (which is pretty much what moms do!) you will burn out! Find a hobby, go out with some other moms or teacher friends (I go out for coffee once a week with some teacher buddies), take a hot bath and lock the door, etc. It’s OK to take time for yourself! Try to go out by yourself – even if it’s just to window shop, once a month! I find I have a lot more energy and less stress when I take a little bit of down time once in a while which means I am a LOT more productive when I have work to do!

3. Prioritize DAILY – I promise you, you may try to be super mom but there will always be something that falls between the cracks and that’s OK! Every single morning when I wake up (or the night before!) I make a list of what needs to get done that day in order of most important to least. Sometimes that means I pre-make things the night before like outfits for the kids, school lunches, etc. Be completely realistic about the amount of work you can get done each day and don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t complete your list! By prioritizing my “to do list” every single day I am much more time efficient because I work on the most important things first. If I can knock out the big stuff early on I feel a lot better about completing my list and can sometimes even squeeze in some extras! Make sure to mark it off when you’re done – it makes you feel good to go back and see how much you accomplished!

4. ASK for HELP! It’s OK I promise! I used to try to juggle everything myself and now 7 years later I’m tired of trying to play super mom! I need help sometimes (ok, a LOT of times – just ask my husband)!  Whether you ask your husband to do a load of dishes for you or trade babysitting or grocery shopping with a friend, delegating tasks out can save you a serious amount of time! (and sanity!) You’ll be a lot happier and get a lot more done! BUT that also means saying NO when you really don’t need to be doing anything extra!! (I always have trouble with saying no!) Learn to ask for help when you need it, swap help when someone else needs it, and say NO when you have too much on your plate.

5. Work when the kids are sleeping, play when they aren’t! This tip is really easiest and most productive when you have small children that require most of your attention. It’s good that your kids see you working and they need to learn to play independently, but I found that my MOST productive work is done when the kids weren’t around (sleeping or at school)! I think pretty much everyone will agree with me on that one! As your kids get older and more independent it’s easier to work while they are around, but don’t forget – your kids still come first! Make sure you are regularly checking in on them, stopping for time to play or read, and try to involve them in helping you whenever possible! Even if you have to “make up” tasks for them to do! I find when I streamline my activities as much as possible and only multitask when necessary I put more effort into that one task I’m trying to accomplish!

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101 Comments

  1. Lori Reed says:

    I would love to have some rolling stools so I can better help the students that I work with. Being able to move around the tables to provide 1-1 help or hand overhand help is greatly needed.

  2. I would love huggies wipes for my classroom. I teach special needs preschool & we are very messy!

  3. Jenny Garcia says:

    I would love wipes for my classroom! I teach students special education and cleaning is a key life skill as well as the key to keeping the classroom germ free!

    What else would I like for my classroom? More books, a curriculum for students with severe disabilities, more board games, and a couch 🙂

  4. Josephine Jarvis says:

    I would love the “everything Kids Money” book for use with my 5th graders. Last year i started teaching 5th grade and I was comparing the fractions to a dollar (1/4 = $.25) and I realized they had no concept of money. With parents using debit cards these days, many of my kids had no clue and this book could give me some great ideas. Of course, I would love the wipes also. I have S.T.E.A.M. in my class and wipes are a necessity. Thank you for all your tips!

  5. Vickie Hays says:

    I would really like some tables to have center work on

  6. Aarika sandlin says:

    For me, I would love a year supply of pencils. Haha…but baby wipes would be helpful too. I teach in an extremely poverty stricken area…so we fully rely on churches and the community organizations to assist us with needs….which isn’t always a sure bet. My kids come without paper, pencil, etc. we have to purchase everything for them…sad but true. I love my school, I love my kids…I am where God intends me to be.

  7. Jeanette Green says:

    I love that you are doing a give-away for wipes! I love having them on hand. My kids are a little older but we still have a pack of wipes stored around the house. Youngest is 7, middle is 8 and oldest is 14. From Diapers.com I think my girls would love the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Standing Art Easel. They have been asking for one since they found one in kindergarten! ha If I did get them one, we would definitely need the wipes. lol 🙂

  8. Melissa Cook says:

    Love me some Huggies wipes! I would love to have the Melissa and Doug food group set for my Transitional Kinder class to use during our food unit!

  9. I would love some wipes for my first graders. I teach in a portable that has no water or bathroom and wipes are a necessary part of our room. The other thing I would like for my room is a bathroom, or maybe just a nice rug.

  10. Gina Patterson says:

    I would love to have the wipes for my classroom. I work with high needs special ed students from 3 yrs to 4th grade. Between art projects and cooking and general every day messes the wipes would be great to have on hand.

  11. I would love to have a 5 drawer organizer for my classroom.

  12. My son is 6 now, but I think wipes are a permanent feature for me. I have them everywhere – in my car, my house, and my classroom.

    Another item I would like to have is the easel paper. I can see my son loving drawing on paper that is so large. It would be like the bulletin board paper at school and the kids always get excited when we do projects on that.

  13. Amanda Harsh says:

    I’ve always wanted Aden + Anais swaddling blankets for my little one. Wipes would be very handy in the classroom, also!

  14. Stacy Davis says:

    I teach special education to students who are in 6th -8th grade. We could definitely use wipes for cleaning up faces after lunch. I would also love to have bouncy ball seats to help build their core strength and for the kiddos that like to wiggle during class.

  15. Debbie Martin says:

    I teach 1st grade at a VERY small school. I only had 4 students this year and hopefully will have 4 again next year. It is sad when we graduate 12 seniors, and bring in 7 kindergartens. Makes it really hard to keep your school doors open.

    I hadnt even thought about how useful baby wipes would be in the classroom. Students are asked to bring hand sanitizer and it used extensively through out the day (especially during cold season). Baby wipes would help keep their hand from drying out so much.

    The one thing I really need in my classroom is a grow light. We had Farm Bureau come in this past year and plant radishes and lettuce, but my classroom windows do not lt in enough light for them to grow sufficiently.

  16. Tracy Blunier says:

    Would love the Baby Buddy hammock in the classroom. I love to have stuffed animals around for whenever a story calls for them, but I don’t have enough storage space. The hammock would be great for keeping all the animals in one place and easy to access.

  17. Traci Patterson says:

    Wipes are a must have for both my 2 kids at home and the 650 kids I teach in music class! Thanks for offering this giveaway!

  18. Stephanie Hufford says:

    Pull ups are great. My baby is out of diapers but not quite potty trained at night yet.

  19. Wipes would be great for my classroom. I teach kindergarten and not only are they used to clean up messes but kids love wiping things down with them. Who knew it would be so entertaining for them!

  20. Bethanne lindenbaum says:

    I would love an unlimited supply of whiteboard markers! They run out of ink so fast!

  21. Teaching special needs Pre-K can get messy and wipes are a must! I would also love to have a functional bookshelf

  22. Annette Burnett says:

    I teach high school special education. My students are in one of two classrooms that are divided by a door for most, if not all, of their day. We need storage that is durable and portable for the students to store their daily supplies like pencils, glue stick, etc. Thanks for the chance to win!

  23. stephanie harper says:

    I would love Huggie wipes to use for fast clean ups after labs and art projects.

  24. Lauren Lockwood says:

    What a great giveaway idea–I go through so many wipes each day! I would love to have a new iPad to use in therapy–mine is the iPad 1 so it does not have a camera and can no longer be updated.

  25. Sarah McReynolds says:

    I would love baby wipes for my room. We go through them like crazy!

  26. Kelly Stahl says:

    I would love Huggies wipes! Also, this website has a BabyBjorn which would be great for going places with our newborn.

  27. I would love the fantastic Wet Bags that they have! I could do a million things with them (one really obvious thing too haha)

  28. I would love to have some math boards with addition and subtraction. The kind where the kids figure out the problem then push the button to reveal the answer. Ways to practice addition and subtraction are hugely helpful!

  29. Treshenna says:

    I’d like the Deluxe Wire Puzzle rack from Melissa and Doug for my daughter. She has SOOO many puzzles and right now they are in different zip lock bags. Yuck!

  30. Natalie Mckinney says:

    I would live Huggies wipes for my class! I would also like the essentials: Kleenex, paper towels, pencils, and erasers.

  31. Jessica Farkas says:

    One thing that I would love, in addition to the wipes, for my classroom would be the Redmon Bongo Storage Sack in lime green. My kids need a compact, tall container to put the playground balls after recess. The balls are often haphazardly left near the exit door due to a lack of functional, easily kid accessible storage!

  32. Julie Tobias says:

    I would love pull ups! I am in the midst of potty training my 2.5 year old. I am also a special needs teacher for pre schoolers so any extras will be super helpful when we go back in August.

  33. I will be a first year teacher of early childhood students with autism. In addition to the wipes which will be so helpful. The Melissa and Doug dramatic play sets where students can make cookies, pizza, sushi, cakes, and ice cream would be helpful in developing vocabulary in small group and in the dramatic play center.

  34. I would love to win the big box of wipes. Diapers would be great too. We are expecting our 2nd bundle of joy in Sept.

  35. Marysue Traxler says:

    I use wipes all of the time in my classroom as I teach little six year olds. I would love to have an abundance of tissues. Their little noses are always running!!!

  36. I’d love a sand and water table for my classroom!

  37. Christina Ricker says:

    Love the free wipes and ANY storage containers!

  38. Calli Scully says:

    P’kolino bookshelf! It would be a wonderful way to display books that went well with units of study.

  39. I teach first grade and would love to have some high interest age appropriate reading materials for my students. Some of the books that are on their reading level are boring for the students and need to be updated.

  40. I would love some of the lego sets for my classroom. My students don’t often get enough time for creative, hands-on play at school or home, and they would love it! I also go through A LOT of wipes with my students so they would be put to good use! Thanks!

  41. I would love Do-A-Dots for my classroom.

  42. Brian Hopkins says:

    Playdough 24 pack the kids love to use it for so many activities!

  43. I teach middle school and would still pick the wipes for my classroom! Antibacterial ones would be fabulous! Wiping off tables between classes goes a long way!

  44. I’d want the Basq Cucumber Tea Eye Gel, that sounds AMAZING!
    Thanks for a fun giveaway!

  45. I could really use the First Years Take and Toss Cups for my behavior management program. I use fuzzies and need a better way to keep them on each kid’s desk. These would be perfect!

  46. The melissa and doug puzzles woulde be great in any classroom! Durable!

  47. Dry erase markers for the entire year!!!

  48. Thanks! I’d love to have newer copies of the classics – like Beverly Cleary’s books. They are so good, but mine are from the 80s and kids don’t pick them up.

  49. I’d like The kidscraft two-step stool! I have a sink for my students to wash their hands at and the stool would be awesome to help them reach the sink better! Thanks for this give-away!

  50. I would love to have the cash register to make our classroom store more engaging.

  51. I would love large sized pull-ups for my special education students whose families cannot afford to provide them at school.

  52. I’d love MORE WIPES for my 2 year old class!!!!

  53. I teach babysitting training classes as part of our district’s summer school program….and we use wipes to practice skills on dolls 🙂 As far as my classroom, I can always use more manipulative toys (those little fingers need to keep busy and strong)!!

  54. Stephanie says:

    We can always use the wipes in my PK classroom. Pretty much sticky, gooey, messy EVERYTHING. 😉

  55. This is one if the few items I request from my Pre-K parents; wipes for quick clean ups!
    I would also like a new sand & water table with a cover.

  56. Wipes are must for every classroom! I would love to have a big rug for the floor for my first grade classroom.

  57. Kelly Hesson says:

    I am an art teacher. Cleaning supplies are always needed in mass quantity. Wipes are used to clean hands, tables, and chairs. I only have one small sink in a storage room in my classroom…not ideal when I have 500 students a week.

    1. Kelly Hesson says:

      I’d like to have during racks for artwork.

  58. Love Huggies! I teach special education to kinder-3 rd and always have some on hand! What else would I like? A larger classroom! Or bright blue and lime green organizing bins as my new classroom is office-sized and I currently have 40 kiddos coming and going! Our small Oregon town has no budget so we teachers are on our own for supplies!

  59. I would love to have a video monitor because I too am pregnant and would like to watch my toddler and newborn to make sure they are safe. And ensure my 2yr old doesn’t secretly climb in the crib and or carry the baby unattended lol.

  60. Personally, I love the Happy Baby Happy Tot purées. They are like those increasingly popular apple sauce squeeze pouches, but packed with other fruits and veggies. I particularly like their ‘Super Foods’ ones. So do my kids!

  61. I would love the huggies wipes either for my classroom of kindergarteners or for my own three children. I had a very difficult time narrowing down to one great item from diapers.com because there were so many that I feel could help my kindergarten friends learn. That enjoy anything hands-on and love learning new things.

  62. I would love wipes for my students and new grandbaby. A supply of dry erase markers would be pretty awesome too! Hope all you teachers out there are enjoying your break!

  63. I would LOVE nothing more than to have a few exercise balls in my 1st grade classroom. Inevitably, I get at least 2 or 3 little ones who have the wiggles and can’t sit still through an entire day. Having those balls for their use every now and then would surely help them get the wiggles out and focus better. I would also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Huggies wipes because I am a hands on teacher. We do lots of messy science projects and could use the gentle touch of Huggies to clean little hands!

  64. I would live to have one of the awesome chalkboard bookcases that they have under nursery items.

  65. Kristina V S says:

    I could use any of the Huggies wipes for clean up in the classroom.

  66. My son would love the Melissa & Doug Low Loaders car set. He is obsessed with cars right now! I teach middle school, so there is less out there for my classroom, but wipes are great to have at any age. They are great to wipe off dry erase/laminated BINGO cards and simple messes. We do a lot of hands on activities that sometimes get messy. Thanks for the giveaway!

  67. Staci King says:

    I teach kindergarten and use baby wipes all the time! A couple of ways we use them are after painting and my students can be independent and clean the tables with them. We also use them to clean when we use vis-a-vis markers. I would also love to have a crayon sharpener that actually works.

  68. Ellen Quinones says:

    Jayne is still in diapers but we always stock up on the wipes regardless, they clean just about anything, that said I would love to get her art supplies like the Crayola Color Wonder stuff (no mess yay!)

  69. jenna tomaszewski says:

    I use wipes constantly in my classroom! I would also like the Califone
    Listening First Headphone – in blue for my listening centers.

  70. Tami Vollenweider says:

    I would love the Kid Craft Easel for my Grand Son,who is only a couple of weeks old now!I know my Daughter-in-law,who is the teacher would really appreciate it!!

  71. Huggies little snugglers size 1. Baby #2 is on the way. This would help start the stock pile. 😉

  72. Lyssa Sahadevan says:

    I ALWAYS need wipes for home and school, but would also love some new bath toys! I had no idea they sold so many different things!

  73. Christina Collinsworth says:

    The Learning Resources Pretend & Play Calculator Cash Register.. I teach kindergarten and we always turn our Housekeeping into a restaurant later in the year and I know the students would LOVE a cash register to practice using money.

  74. Laurie Craig says:

    I use wipes in my 2nd grade classroom daily for just about everything. I would love more wipes! I could also use an IPad for critical thinking activities in centers.

  75. We use wipes a lot!! I would love to have more books for my reading center at school.

  76. Therese B says:

    I would love the KidKraft easel for our preschool since ours is on it’s last leg. Thanks!

  77. Mrs. Dunaway says:

    Wipes are always helpful for cleaning desks and faces after our in classroom breakfasts. My kiddos love reading time, and I’m constantly stocking our classroom with new books….but I have to place them in very boring, old, and falling apart book cases so what I would love to add to my classroom are a couple of the Levels of Discovery revolving bookcases and the Babyletto Spruce Tree Bookcase,

  78. Christina Hawkins says:

    I use wipes at home and school, so I would LOVE to have some extra wipes. I am also expecting so I know I will need even more in the future. I would also like some diapers to go with those wipes!

  79. We would love in our classroom a sensory box- easy enough to make, but we just need helpful hints for what works and what doesn’t – takes time to scour the internet!

  80. Malori Johnson says:

    I would love wipes for my classroom. They come in handy for everything from cleaning hands to wiping faces after a field trip. If I could have anything else in my classroom I would want it to be a person who would sponsor my students who cannot afford to go on the field trips, the books and supplies needed for class, as well as the extra curricular activities. However if it is something from the site the chalkboard bookcase or the stamp set!

  81. Yolanda Tamayo says:

    I would love some wipes for my classroom! I teach in a 100 year old school where there is no sink in my room and we serve breakfast in the classroom every morning! Wipes for the whole year would be a nice gift! Thanks!

  82. Composition notebooks and a classroom set of dry erase markers . Students love using the whiteboards and the markers go like crazy. Wipes are great for keeping desks cleans and germs at bay. Would also love to win those wipes!

  83. Amanda Mitchell says:

    I am pregnant for the first time with twins, so I imagine I should take stock in diapers and wipes. I need all that I can get. I am also impressed with the selection of books on diapers.com. In particular, I would like the book called The Day the Crayons Quit. I would use this in an engaging writing lesson for my third graders.

  84. Allyson Cummings says:

    We are always in need of extra pull-ups and diapers! I teach elementary Life Skills and we change a minimum of 12 diapers a day! And we are always potty training! 🙂

  85. Alexandria L. says:

    An art easel, hands down!! It’s on my classroom list as we have very old ones. Thank you for an awesome giveaway!

  86. I was just checking out their double strollers this morning, since I found out yesterday I will be having 2 kids under 2!

  87. I would love the huggies wipes because I teach fine arts for k-6 and we get messy constantly! Part of learning in kinder is to clean up after ourselves. But the lysol wipes are too strong for little hands. Huggies wipes are soft and clean up well. Whether it’s paint, play dough, or everything in between, I know they are safely cleaning their areas. Thanks Huggies!

  88. Chrissy Hopkins says:

    I teach first grade. My kiddos use baby wipes like they are going out of style! I would really love to win this free giveaway. After looking at diapers.com I really think that my kiddos would enjoy the first grade real world activities box. It provides several real-world activities for the kids to enjoy in both math and language arts.

  89. Lauren Defibaugh says:

    I would like to have the Arm’s Reach Mini Co-Sleeper for my new little princess that will be here in 1 month.

  90. Jen Buckman says:

    wipes in the classroom and wipes at home would be great! i have a 2 month old, a 4 year old, a 6 year old, and a class of 5th graders! I could really use the on-the-go wipes container by OXO. mine is MIA!

  91. I would love to have some of the letter puzzles.
    I teach HS special education and have 12 of the most involved and most amazing students in the school. They love puzzles and letter recognition is always important 🙂

    Emily

  92. Hailey Dean says:

    Gdiapers for my soon to be 1st baby. I would love to try cloth diapers. Or “not a box” book for my 4th graders. It’s an amazing book to teach brainstorming

  93. Hailey Dean says:

    Gdiapers for my soon to be 1st baby. I would love to try cloth diapers. Or “not a box” book for my 4th graders. It’s an amazing book to teach brainstorming rolling stools would be much appreciated by knees. Who knew you could feel this old at 29 🙂

  94. Elizabeth says:

    I am a 3rd grade teacher for a high poverty, high ELL school. I probably spent too much time clicking through the site make a wish list in my head of all of the amazing things I would love to have for my classroom! But I think one thing I would love now that I have been thinking about is the KidKraft Depuxe Wooden Easel. I need a decent place to put up my chart paper, big books, etc I thought this one was perfect!

  95. Nikki Messina says:

    As a kindergarten teacher, my classroom could really use some band aids or one of those boo boo buddy ice packs. There’s just so much drama. This would maybe help!! 🙂

  96. Kim DeBord says:

    In my special ed k-3 classroom most of my special needs kids are not potty trained yet:( any wipes or pull ups would be super helpful!!! They are low income families and I buy most of the wipes.

  97. These wipes help keep everybody nice and tidy. Thanks for such a great product.

  98. Meredith r says:

    ESL mini books 🙂

  99. I’d get some pampers swaddles for our newborn! These diapers are great because we haven’t had a blowout yet with them 🙂

  100. amanda whitley says:

    i would get the Huggies Snug and Dry Diapers – Economy Plus Case since i have two little ones still in diapers.

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