Working Moms- Questions :o)
What are your tips for staying organized/sane, especially upon initial return to work? If you work out, do you fit it in early AM or after baby sleeps? What time do you put your LO down for the night? What do you do for yourself for lunch that doesn't take time to prep? I'm thinking just keeping salad fixins at work and eating out 1x week. Also I can flex my hours at work and I hope once I get back in the routine to work 8-4:30 or 7:30-4.
I froze a bunch of food this weekend that we can pop in the microwave and throw a salad with. Baby has begun to STTN (at least for a few days) and I have 3 weeks left. We're also completely crazy and putting our house on the market the week before I return to work- but hey people have lived through worse!
Any tips appreciated 
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Re: Working Moms- Questions :o)
Returning to work really stressed me out, but 2 months later we are finally figuring out what works for us. Hope it helps
I work 8-4 and a 1/2 hr lunch and DH does drop-off, I do pick-up (unless we have work conflicts with that).
What are your tips for staying organized/sane, especially upon initial return to work?
I made a cleaning schedule. I have one "big project" (vacuum, bathroom, etc.) every evening, plus one load of laundry. I try to make it so there is no major cleaning to be done on the weekends. The nights I cook are light tidying nights, so cleaning nights are leftover nights. I run most errands on the weekend and grocery shop on sunday except for the random forgotten items DH picks up on the way home.
Stopping for errands on my way home from daycare all depends on DD mood.
If you work out, do you fit it in early AM or after baby sleeps?
I go to yoga 1-2x a week after DD is down or Sat. morning. I also practice 3x a week at home after she is asleep. She's been STTN since 10-ish weeks, but gets up at 5:30 so I can't imagine getting up any earlier to workout!
What time do you put your LO down for the night?
DD goes to bed between 6 and 7 (and is up by 6). We eat and do chores after she is asleep.
What do you do for yourself for lunch that doesn't take time to prep?
I prep lunch the night before - sandwich, chips, fruit or carrots and cookie. I keep oatmeal and dried fruit at work for breakfast, sometimes I bring a banana. Work provides coffee.
GL first of all! I think the first couple of weeks back to work are very challenging as everyone makes the adjustment. But I was super ready to get everyone on that new schedule since that would be our norm.
I do as much as I can to get things ready the night before. I get DS's diaper bag packed and ready for the next day. I have his clothes laid out and ready to go and his morning bottle fixings out on the counter so all I have to do is add water and warm it up. I get my clothes picked out and laid out and get as much of my things together as I can the night before.
In the mornings I get myself and DS ready for the day early enough that by the time DH gets up we can all sit down and have coffee and watch some of the news and play as a family before the day gets started. This always makes my day start off better.
When I get home from work I make DS a priority to spend time with first before I do anything else. Whether that's feeding, playing, bath, whatever, but we spend time together first (sometimes with DH depending on his work schedule). Then I'll fix dinner for DH and I and we eat as a family with DS sitting with us. Then more play time and to bed with DS by 8:30pm lately.
Repeat.
I haven't worked in working out yet...still working on that...
Lunch...I work at a college and they have an amazing deal ($3 a meal) in the cafeteria for employees, so I just normally grab something there. I don't think I could pack a lunch for that cheap. So that saves time and money for me.
I think the biggest thing is just finding a groove that works best for you and your lifestyle. For me, I don't think I could survive if I didn't get things ready the night before. GL!!
Life at Chunky Gal
I've been back at work for 10 months now, and I'm still trying to figure some things out. I've come the conclusion that there just aren't enough hours in the day, so you have to prioritize and learn to let other things go. For me, that means the house doesn't stay spotless (like I want it too) or we don't eat as many homecooked meals. Unfortunately, it also means that I'm not exercising nearly as much as I should be, but I'm trying to work on that. To answer your questions...
Working out: Like I said earlier, I'm not doing this nearly as much as I should be. I just haven't been able to get on a consistent schedule, but what I am trying to do is go the gym on my lunch hour 2-3 times/week to do the 30-min weight training circuit. I also try to walk either in the mornings at 5:30 before DS wakes up or after he goes to bed.
Bedtime: DS usually goes to sleep between 8-8:30 at night. We get home from work around 5:30 so that only leaves us 2.5 hours for dinner, bath and a little bit of playtime. I just don't see any way we could put him down sooner than that. We're lucky that he STTN and usually wakes up between 6:30 and 7am. We usually go to bed around 10 so that gives us a couple of hours to either exercise, do house chores, laundry, get things ready for the next day, maybe relax and watch TV, etc.
Lunches: I usually take Lean Cuisines, sandwiches, salads - something I can fix pretty quickly. If you have room to leave food at work, that is a great idea so you don't have to worry with that at home.
Tips: Try to do as much as you can during your lunch hours like the gym, errands, paying bills, etc. so you don't have to do those things after work or on the weekends. Get things ready the night before - make bottles, label food, pack the diaper bag, etc. Take turns with DH on nightly chores so you can both spend time with your DS. For example, one night I'll cook while DH plays with DS and the next night we'll switch. Or I will do the bath/bed routine while DH cleans up the kitchen.
Good luck with going back to work. It is an adjustment, but you'll figure out what works best for you and your family!
Hey there you! Congrats! Did you have a boy or a girl and what did you name your LO?
The PPers have already given great tips. Make sure you pack the car the night before, make all the bottles, etc. so that your mornings aren't crazy.
When you get home, don't worry about making dinner. Eat crackers and cheese if you feel like it. I found that it helps to not put any expectations on my evening and just hang out and enjoy my babies on 'school nights'.
I temporarily flexed my hours to 7:30-4 with a 30 min lunch...DH takes baby to daycare at 8, I leave the house at 7ish.Our AM routine is: I get up at 5:35 and get ready from then until 6 AM. At 6, I get the baby up if he isn't already, and feed him his bottle, change him and snuggle a bit. At 6:50 we go downstairs and I hand off to DH (who has been getting himself ready). DH and Ben hang out until 7:45, then leave for DC.
Ben usually goes to bed around 6:30-7. When I work out, I try and run on the treadmill from 7-7:30ish. DH usually gets home around 7-7:30, after I run I jump in the shower and he cooks dinner. I always shower at night, its the only way I can make things work! While we are cleaning up from dinner I will make Ben's bottles, label his food, get anything he needs for DC the next day together. Then from about 8:30-10 I usually hang out on the computer, etc.
Cleaning- lets just say things aren't always immaculate, LOL. I do a good cleaning of the downstairs on Thursday nights from about 8-9 or 10, I like to have a clean house on the weekend. Upstairs gets done here and there all weekend. I'm looking into a cleaning service.
I usually get home around 4:45 with Ben, and I try to not do anything except spend time with him (and sometimes run a quick errand). We usually go for walks, play inside, feed him dinner/bottle, bath, etc. Nightime bottle/change/bed/story usually starts around 6:30.
Eating: We've been relying on Trader Joes lately...they have some really good easy meals that aren't full of crap. We probably get 3-4 meals a week from there. I plan to resume 'cooking' shortly:)
I currently work 7:30-4:00. I go to the gym after work, since DH and Holly don't get home until around 5:30. Sometimes I use this time to run errands instead, and I'll try to work out after Holly goes to bed, which is around 7:00. I'll admit often times that doesn't happen though, because it's hard to motivate myself at that point of the day. 7:30-10:00 is my only real downtime, so it's easy to just park my butt on the couch. :-) When it was cooler, I'd walk on my lunch hour.
I pack my lunch the night before, typically. I typically do a Lean Cuisine or a sandwich, yogurt, a piece of fruit and/or cut raw veggies, and a snack or two like a granola bar or crackers. Nothing fancy, but nothing that takes much prep. I'll eat out maybe once a week, but typically less often than that.
I really like my hours. I think things (especially the finding time to exercise part) would be more difficult if I didn't get off until 5:00...
ETA: Here is our daily schedule during the week:
5:45--I wake up, shower, put on makeup, eat breakfast, etc.
6:40--Holly wakes up, DH wakes up & takes shower. I get Holly up, change her diaper, take her downstairs to play until DH gets down there.
6:55--I leave for work
7:00-8:15--DH feeds Holly breakfast, gets her ready for school (I lay out her clothes the night before), and they play until time to leave.
8:15--DH and Holly leave for work/DC
4:00--I get off work and usually get to the gym by 4:20.. work out until about 5:10
5:15-5:30--I start dinner
5:30--DH and Holly get home
5:45--dinner
6:00(or so)-7:00--family play time
7:00--We rock Holly while she has a sippy cup of milk, then give her a bath (DH and I alternate each night--one will do her milk, the other will do her bath & bedtime)
7:15--PJ's, rocking/singing/reading
7:30--Put Holly down for the night
7:30-10:00--downtime with DH, watch TV, pay bills, do stuff online, etc. Occasionally I'll run errands, go to the store, etc, during this time.
10:00-10:30--both DH and I go up to bed.
Once or twice a week, I pick Holly up from DC at 4:20, so that changes up our evening a little. I'll try to still start dinner on those days, Holly might watch a TV show while I'm doing that. I don't typically work out on those days. Even though I should go after her bedtime... but oh well. :-)