Balance for Busy Moms

Not so long ago I felt like I was a very organized, together individual. I heard people talk about coordinating schedules and time management issues, and thought - I have no need for that. That was before I was married and before I had children... when I was managing only my time and not theirs too!

Every mom is a busy mom, no matter how many children you have or how many activities/work pursuits you have outside the home. I realize that time management is a must in order to accomplish all my tasks as a mom, homemaker, employee and volunteer and keep my home and family from being in chaos. A friend asked me this week for tips on how I manage to accomplish everything. I told her that I am no expert but the most effective and crucial tool for my family's time management is a schedule/ to do list that I try to make for the following day. Just taking time to organize and write down the priorities for the next day helps me be prepared and know what I need to do when. Sometimes it is just a simple list like this:
1.work on my blog during the baby's morning nap
2. set up a project for my daughter some time before lunch, make volunteer calls while she works
3. start dinner early so we can eat at 5:30 and head out on time for a meeting

Other days the list looks more like an hour by hour schedule...it just depends on the priorities that have to be accomplished that day.

My friend's question made me start looking for other resources to help me manage and balance work, family and life. So when I saw the title, "Balance for Busy Moms: 101 Time-Management Tips, by Ellyn Sana, I was excited. The book definitely has some useful and practical tips to help mothers juggle the many aspects of daily life; including preparing ahead of time, scheduling, list making, how and where to save time and so on. I admit that after 60 or so tips it can feel a bit repetitive, but would still recommend it for mom's who are looking for new insights and ideas to manage their household and the busy lives in it.

I want to know what you do as a mom to manage your time. How do you organize your kids schedules with yours? What things do you do to save time or multi-task? What is your most effective time management tool? What time saving tips have worked for you? Please share your favorite hints..... they might work for other moms too!