This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Balance. All opinions are my own.
My mission is to help busy moms live happy, healthy family lives. Many times, it feels like that can be hard to do since we have to balance so many competing priorities. That’s why I rely on a variety of life hacks for busy moms to make it easier to do more with less time, effort and money.
Today I’m sharing some of my favorite life hacks for busy moms in the areas where we struggle the most.
Smart Snack Hacks for Busy Moms
Busy moms live life on the go. Rushing about is our biggest pitfall when it comes to sticking to a nutritious diet since most convenient foods are high in fat, calories, and sodium and low in nutrients.
To fend off hunger (and avoid junk food) as I’m chauffeuring kids from school to activities, I keep a snack bag with me at all times.
I try to keep a combination of smart snack choices to fend off any type of craving.
- Balance bars for sweet cravings
- Fruit for when I’m craving something juicy (apples and oranges are great because they hold up well when being toted around)
- Nuts or rice cakes to satisfy salty snack cravings (I use snack-sized plastic bags for the nuts for portion control)
- Bottled water to quench my thirst
Exercise Hacks for Busy Moms
It can be hard to find time to work out when you can barely find time to shower. My best trick for making sure I stay active throughout the day is to wear a pedometer or fitness tracker.
It seems silly, but wearing a device that tracks your steps or activity all day is just the nudge many of us need to park farther away from the store entrance or to take the stairs instead of the elevator. It also keeps us from tricking ourselves into thinking we’ve been physically active just because we’ve been busy.
Cleaning Hacks for Busy Moms
When you have children, keeping a clean house is a challenge, if not impossible. Kids love to explore, make messes, and touch everything!
Some easy ways to save time and energy cleaning are to contain the dirt, grime and clutter before they get out of control. Here’s how:
- Limit messy activities (e.g. eating, crafts, and playing with toys with lots of tiny pieces) to specific areas of your home
- Keep cleaning wipes at every sink and wipe down surfaces in those rooms once each day
- Have a 5-minute family pick up party every night before bedtime to declutter the house
Parenting Hacks for Busy Moms
As a mom you spend a lot of your time and energy helping your kids manage their daily lives. You can streamline a lot of your parenting efforts with these tricks:
- Color code your family – eliminate confusion and fighting by assigning each family member a color to easily distinguish items and activities on the calendar
- Use no yell discipline – immediate consequences for violations of family rules
- Use reward coupons for positive reinforcement – instead of bribing kids with candy or toys, reward them with your time and attention for behaving appropriately
Beauty Hacks for Busy Moms
One of the first places we skimp on as moms is our beauty routine. Once you’ve taken on the responsibility of raising tiny humans, we don’t have time for superficial pursuits like spending an hour making ourselves beautiful.
The problem with ditching our beauty routine is that eventually the lack of self-care begins to erode our self-esteem. Looking good helps us feel good.
A really easy way and inexpensive beauty hack is to sign up for Birchbox. For just $10/month (shipping is free) you get five high quality, brand name beauty samples personally chosen for your unique needs and preferences delivered to your home.
You get new products to help you feel beautiful and find products that work for you without spending a bundle on full-size products. Plus, the boxes themselves are super adorable. They’re perfect for repurposing into storage boxes, busy boxes for the kids, drawer organizers, or gift boxes.
More Life Hacks for Moms
If you liked these mom hacks, you’ll love these posts.
For more healthy snacking ideas, check out these Healthy Snack Choices.
To get more exercise when you don’t have time to workout, try these Sneaky Exercises or the Couch Potato Workout.
Hate cleaning? Find out how to Clean in Your Sleep. And try these Cleaning Hacks for Moms Who Have Other Things to Do.
Need more parenting hacks? Try these 7 Simple Parenting Hacks.
Finally, check out these Amazing Beauty Hacks that will save you time and money.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of The Nature’s Bounty Company. The opinions and text are all mine.