This past weekend I asked myself how does the working mom get through every week and still make time for themselves and manage their family, and all the mom duties.

Anthony is working overtime on his already long work week, and I have to work the next six days in a row all day and then have Sunday off. Then back to work Monday through Wednesday. I just didn’t know how I was even going to manage. Anthony complains he doesn’t get dinner, Tay’s always eating fast food, and I am never eating until like 11pm. So that had to change. I decided that I was going to do the working mom, and do it well.

Sunday after church I made a menu for the week, went to the grocery store and grabbed a few odds and ends I didn’t have, came home and while Benson napped I spent the entire time in the kitchen making several meals to get my family through the week.

WEEKLY MEAL PLAN

Monday: Basil lemon Salmon and steamed veggies
Tuesday: Hawaiian chicken kabobs with white rice
Wednesday: crockpot roast, potatoes, carrots, and rolls
Thursday: steak, cesar salad, and veggies
Friday: spaghetti squash spaghetti and undecided sides
Saturday: Paleo tacos

Sunday we will eat out and I’ll spend the day meal prepping for the next few work days. The recipes for the meals are pretty simple. While one thing was in the oven I would let the other marinate. I started the crockpot roast right away while chopping ingredients for the rest of the meals. My kitchen was a disaster and my fridge is full of tupperware but life is a little less chaotic knowing that my family won’t be starving and neither will I. I also had been wanting to get back to healthy eating habits and with this meal plan the main dishes are all whole3o approved. I added the rolls and white rice, plus cooked up regular noodles for spaghetti for my two picky eaters Anthony and Taytum who are not fans of healthy habits. I feel so much more prepared to get through this week knowing there is a menu for dinners and some of my mom duties are already taken care of.

In between meal prepping I started all the laundry that needed to be done, cleaned the floors, and cleaned the bathrooms. Our house is usually very clean and I didn’t want a dirty house to stress me out throughout an unusually long week for me. SO, to calm my anxiety I made a chore list for the week too!

CHORE LIST 

Monday: dust, wipe down kitchen appliances, clean windows and glass                                                           Tuesday: clean showers, take the trash out, change scentsy warmers.                                                                      Wednesday: vacuum the floors and wash the sheets                                       Thursday:  sweep off the front porch and garage                                                               Friday: Clean up kitchen and bathrooms

Okay, so chore list done, menu done and finished, now I just need to squeeze in scentsy which I usually do before I even roll out of bed in the morning from the connivence of my lap top, hit the gym, spend time with my kids, and spend time with GOD. Now the gym, kids, and God are to my own benefit and those things are the things I find peace and restoration in. SO, in order to stay sane and happy I’ll make sure to be on time to grab my coffee, listen to my worship music in the morning on my way to work, download a bible verse app on my phone that I can check every evening before bed, attend a women’s gathering Tuesday night surrounding myself with Godly women who inspire me daily, try to get to the gym early Wednesday morning and early Saturday morning, and plan small activities with the kids after their bath. A thanksgiving fingerpainting craft, a game, watch Tay at gym on Thursday, and a walk before things get way too cold outside.

I honestly think thats how the working mom does it and does it well. Lists, on lists, on lists. I also am so thankful to have family picking up Taytum after school, have the luxury of taking Benson to work with me, and have amazing friends who are going to be stopping by to help me get through this week.