Real Life Solutions

Quite often, women feel they must be superwoman or supermom, regardless how difficult that may be to pull off.  One area where women struggle trying to do everything is cooking.  Follow these cooking tips for busy moms and give yourself a break!

If you’re like many women today, you’re working a full-time job during the day and then come home to put in at least another eight hours taking care of the home.  Finding things that will make your time at home less taxing would be great, especially when it comes to being able to feed your family nutritious meals that they will enjoy.

Truth be told, everyone prefers to eat a good, home cooked meal.  But if you’ve just spent a draining eight hours outside the home, you may not have the energy to cook from scratch.  You can create great meals that don’t take a long time; here’s how:

• Make a plan before going grocery shopping.  Creating a meal plan for at least a week at a time will solve two problems. Firstly, you’ll know what you’re going to fix so you won’t be racking your brain after you come home trying to figure out what to fix.  Secondly, you’ll be able to better control how much you spend because you’ll already know what ingredients you need.

• After you’ve done your shopping, wash all the vegetables and cut them up into the sizes you’ll need for each meal.  This may take a while on the front, but will save you a lot of time when you’re preparing each meal later.  Don’t forget to ask for help from those that are old enough to use a sharp knife.  This will greatly lessen the time you need to spend.

• Make your crock pot your best friend.  This one cooking tool can make your life so much easier, and your family much more satisfied with the meal.  Put your ingredients into the crock pot, turn it on, and leave it alone.  By the time you return home, you’ll have the makings for a great home-cooked meal!

• When you plan a family favorite, prepare more than one meal’s worth.  You can double, triple, or quadruple the amount that you make.  Freeze the separate meals for later use.  When you’re craving a particular meal and don’t have time to fix it, you’ll have one in the freezer; all you have to do is take it out and reheat it.

• If you don’t want to spend an entire day cooking extra meals, plan on cooking enough for one extra meal that you can use as a planned leftover one night.  If you’re using making chili one night, make a little extra that you can add to baked potatoes on another night.

• Stretch your home-made meal with a great tossed or pasta salad.  Salads are quick, easy, and nutritious.  They’re also good to add when you’re having leftovers.  They’ll stretch the meal quite nicely.

You may not be able to be supermom or superwoman, but you can accomplish your goal of providing nutritious, home-made meals even after working outside of the home all day long.  By using these tips, you’ll reduce some of the time you need to prepare those meals.  You might actually find that you have a chance to enjoy your meal, as well, and that should make you feel super!

The ladies at Mom Masterminds have gone totally mad!

Why do I say that?  Well, this Sunday is Mother’s Day, right? These Moms decided they were going to have a mad sale of their products starting on Mother’s Day. It’s aptly called “10 Day May Madness“.

Here’s the crazy part: each of the products are on sale for just $5 each. These products normally sell for 4 times that amount or more!

Here’s a sampling of what you can get for $5 each:

- a custom blog header
- an Ebook about a specific aspect of Internet marketing
- 6 months of advertising
- private label rights content
- an Ecourse about blogging
- an Ebook about once a week cooking
- eBay coaching advice
- digital scrapbooking services

and much, much more……

I don’t know about you, but I’ve already made a list of all the stuff I’m getting from this page.

Go here –> “10 Day May Madness“.

I told you these Moms have gone mad.

Take Care & enjoy the rest of your Mother’s Day!

P.S. Mom Masterminds offers a free 9-day course that gets right to the nitty-gritty of creating a thriving online business. On top of that, when you sign up for our 9-day course, you’ll also receive an exclusive invitation to a free 7-day trial at Mom Masterminds

Totally Free to take a Test Drive — Just click here: Mom Masterminds.

The time we spend with our families is priceless. But most popular family activities are quite expensive. Even a simple night at the movies can put a serious dent in the budget by the time you buy tickets, popcorn and drinks for everyone.

Fortunately, there are cheaper alternatives to expensive family outings. They provide the opportunity to have just as much fun at a fraction of the cost. Some are even free.

Movies and Music

Kids are often itching to see the newest releases at the movie theater. Doing so even once a month, however, can get pricey. One alternative in some areas is the drive-in. Admission is usually much cheaper than it is at a regular theater, and some let you bring your own drinks and snacks. Drive-ins usually show fairly new releases, so the kids can say they saw something that’s not out on video yet.

Some theaters offer reduced-price matinees during the day. Some even have free kid-oriented movies on weekend days. These options offer the theater experience without the outrageous cost.

Kids often want to go to concerts, but tickets to see the most famous bands are far from cheap. Check your local paper for free concerts in the park. Many areas have them during the warm months. Young children can enjoy the music without the huge crowds and deafening sound systems, and older children might gain an appreciation for less well-known bands.

The Great Outdoors

Nature offers a wealth of possibilities for family outings. Camping is a wonderful activity for families, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be as simple as pitching a tent in the back yard, or you can spring for a camper and rent space at a campground. Bring the grill and some hamburgers or hot dogs, or catch some fish to fry.

Parks are great for day trips. Those with playground equipment can keep youngsters entertained for hours on end. Hiking trails offer opportunities for exercise and exploration. Most parks have picnic facilities, so you can pack a lunch instead of eating out.

Other Ideas

Here are some more inexpensive family activities to consider:

* Play miniature golf. Admission is usually quite reasonable, and it provides the opportunity for relaxed yet engaging family competition.

* Visit a petting zoo. These small zoos do not have the exotic animals you see at larger ones, but kids can feed and pet the animals.

* Go to a museum. Some offer cheap or free admission, while others cost more. But the larger and more expensive ones often sell season passes, so if you live close by, you can visit numerous times for one low price.

* Go boating. If you’re fortunate enough to live near a body of water, boating is fun and relaxing. Canoe and paddleboat rentals are inexpensive, and when you’re done boating there are usually other cheap or free activities in the area.

* Attend events at a nearby college. These may include plays, concerts, dance recitals and movie showings. Prices are low, and student discounts usually apply to kids, too.

Having fun as a family doesn’t require a six-figure income. If you look hard enough, you can find lots of free or cheap activities that parents and kids can enjoy just about anywhere.

Mom, You Know Family is Important, but Where Do You Find the Time? Click here for instant help.

If you’re like most moms, there never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything done. Whether you work outside the home or at home, it’s tough to balance all your work and family responsibilities.

If you’re ready to put an end to being frazzled and exhausted – it’s NOT good for you OR your family – I recommend checking out the very helpful “Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work & Family” report.

Put together by Aurelia Williams, Certified Life Coach and mother of 3, it’s a life saver for moms who need a little hand finding that elusive balance in life.

In the report she covers:

- How to analyze your time in order to use it more wisely
- Saying no WITHOUT the guilt
- Negotiating with your boss for the optimal work situation for you and your family
- Working at home – finally draw the line between work and home responsibilities

The report is instantly downloadable (no need to wait when you need help NOW) and a concise 18-pages, you can read through it and start making important changes to your life and relieving all that built up stress.

If you’re feeling like you’re burning the candle at both ends, you really aren’t alone. Learn more and grab your copy at  Balancing Work and Family

What Mom hasn’t dreamed about having more time to herself? Moms are great at organizing their time each day to make sure that the household runs smoothly and the children’s needs are met; but they lack in the simple skill of setting time aside just for them.

Without their own “Me” time, Mom’s face burnout and stress. This can ultimately affect your spouse and children as well, so it’s important to find that Mom time for yourself and keep your sanity as well as your family’s. There are many ideas you can use to incorporate Mom time into your life and here are some of them:

Mothers’ Day Out – There are many childcare centers that provide a Mothers’ Day Out program. These programs don’t require that your child be registered for daily care, so you can use it only as the need arises. This is a perfect solution for mom time, because this allows you an hour or two a week to shop, hang out with friends or just pampering yourself.

Play Dates – Take a look at who your child’s friends are. Will their moms be willing to join you in a play date group? The moms in these groups can trade off and watch the other children while those moms get a short break. When it’s your turn, you return the favor and watch their children while they take some time for their own short break.

Tea Time – Taking even a short break during the day can be enough to recharge your batteries. See if you can keep your children entertained with a movie or some kind of game they can play amongst themselves. While they’re busy, you can sit down and enjoy a cup of tea or a drink of your choice. Take those couple of minutes to just sit back and enjoy a peaceful moment to yourself.

Date with Dad – It’s important for the kids to spend some quality time with dad. Why not suggest he take them out for a few hours, while you stay home and relax. The kids can go on an adventure with dad and you can stay home and appreciate the quiet atmosphere that you don’t normally experience.

Mothers’ Helper – Ever thought of having another person to help you out a couple of hours a week? If you don’t feel comfortable leaving your children with a sitter; consider having a sitter come in while you’re there. Some young teenagers that are fresh out of babysitting courses can use some experience before they go off on their own. This would be the perfect way to relieve you of some of your motherly duties and enable you to be just a “supervisor” of sorts while the sitter learns the trade.

These are only a few examples of what you can do get some time for yourself. Check with other moms and see what they do for their own Mom time. As a mom, you’ve done a great job with your family, but don’t neglect yourself in the process. Mom time is not only something you need, but deserve as well.

Need a Break Mom? Break free from the SuperMom Trap by Clicking Here.

Finding practical ways to save money is key during these hard economical times

(ARA) – Times are tight and you’ve cut back on the luxuries your family once enjoyed but could live without. However, every family has expenses, so how do you save money on the products or services that are necessities?

Compare and bundle - If you’ve got phone, Internet and cable services, it pays to shop around and compare prices. Call around to find the best prices or comparison shop online. Be sure to factor in promotional pricing and find out when the promo expires or you could be surprised by a sudden uptick in your monthly bill. Another way to save is to bundle the services with the same company, which will often get you a discount.

Go green and save green - Utility bills are a fact of life, but you don’t have to cringe when you open the envelope each month. Make it a family challenge to save money on your water bill by installing inexpensive faucet aerators, only running the dishwasher when it’s full, switching to low-flow showerheads and taking shorter showers and only washing full loads of laundry. You can save a surprising amount on your electricity bill as well if you line dry laundry instead of using the dryer and unplug all appliances when they’re not in use. Find out when your utility company offers off-peak rates so you know when the best time is to run the dishwasher and do laundry.

Use coupons - Just about everyone knows to search the local newspaper and clip weekly coupons, but you can also save time and money on hundreds of items your family uses every day when you shop online and use exclusive online coupon codes.

A site like CouponHeaven.com consolidates thousands of online coupons and discounts in one easy-to-use place. You can find coupon codes for everything from kids clothing to gifts and even for hard-to-find merchandise that your local department store only stocks online. CouponHeaven.com is free and even offers a free newsletter with exclusive offers and the most popular coupon codes.

Take advantage of free and cheap entertainment - A family night out at the movies can easily run you more than $50, but a night in with a rental and some homemade popcorn will cost less than $10. Look in local newspapers and take advantage of all your community has to offer from free concerts in the park to library story times and free how-to clinics in retail stores.

Hopefully you’ve learned some practical ways to save money that you can incorporate into your life.

Additional Resources:

Living Within Your Means – The Easy Way – Learn Realistic Ways To Find $100, $300, $500 or More a Month In Your Paycheck You Can Use To Pay Your Bills and Quickly Eliminate Your Debt Or For Any Purpose You Choose”

Budget Living - Discover How to Live on a Budget & Save More Money Than You Ever Thought Possible – Without Giving Up All the Things That You Love!

Stress is a natural part of life. We all experience it at some time another from various types of situations. The working moms can find themselves at the very top of the stress ladder. They experience more than one type of stress.

They have the stress of their own personal lives, stress from their jobs and stress from whatever’s going on within their families. All that stress can easily build up and the top can come blowing off. There are many things that one can do to help alleviate the stress. What you would be able to do depends on your situation. Here are some tips for mothers working at home and those outside of the home:

Working moms Outside of the Home

These mothers have to commute to their jobs and find time to go pick up their kids for appointments or whatever activities they may have. The stress level can be high with making sure they have a good working vehicle to get them to work and back, flexibility within their position to allow them to take off when they need to in order to get their kids and even to keep a good work performance.

All of those things adds up and could lead to major amounts of stress. Especially when you start to add other kinds of stress to that; like finding a good daycare etc. When the lid blows off their stress levels, they can risk losing their jobs or being short with their spouses and children.

Work At Home Moms

These mothers either own a business or perform a job from a home office. They can experience stress because they sometimes have to work while their children or spouse are home and that can cause them distractions. They find it difficult to get their work and their regular housework done when they have to stop and take care of their children’s needs or deal with people stopping by.

Also, they have to deal with the isolation factor. Those who work outside of the home have other adults to talk to and go to lunch with. Work at home moms work by themselves and the only conversation that most get is from their children. The craving for adult conversation can cause more stress than they already have.

Tips

Make sure your boss is aware of your family situation and is okay with you taking off for your kids

Get some help from others who could take your children for awhile or simply to pick them up when needed.

Schedule Time for Yourself and do something relaxing

Exercise or Go for walks to burn off some of the stress

Have your children help out around the house with chores they are able to do

Hire someone to watch your children while you’re working in your home office

Get Local teens to help out with lawn mowing, snow shoveling or whatever needed for some pocket cash

See if your job is eligible to work from home part time to help alleviate your commuting stress

Try to separate Work life from Home life. You shouldn’t take your work home with you

It doesn’t matter if you’re a mom working outside of the home or working at home; you still have to deal with all kinds of stress. Learn how to combat them so you can keep your family life and work life working in harmony.

Finding balance in life is rewarding, but it’s challenging. Get the help you need at Real Life Guidance. It’s your place for instant downloadable help for moms, day or night.