Working Mama Mondays

Weekly Planning
One of the handiest tool a busy mom needs to have in her box of tricks is the ability to plan ahead. I am a big planner and I love to make lists. Some days there is so much information rattling around in my mind that I find I can't relax until I get it all out. I find putting it down on paper helps me clear my mind and I usually find I don't have as much to do or remember as I thought I did.
Enter my weekly planning.
Each Sunday evening, I sit down and figure out what has to get done that week. I look at what activities the children might have, any evening meetings or obligations that my husband and I may have that week. I then make a list of additional things that I have to do that week, whether it is an errand that has to be run or a phone call that needs to be made. After I do that, then my husband and I decide who is going to do what. I usually am the errand runner. The area where I work has many of the stores that I would need to go to and I get out of work earlier than he does. My husband usually takes the phone calls, I don't have a direct phone line, only voicemail. I do make the appointments for me and the children since I usually take them to the appointments. An example of our weekly planning would look something like this:

• Monday: Oldest son's scout meeting(Steve take him)
• Tuesday: Middle son's scout meeting(our house, I am den leader), Steve to take youngest to run a few errands
• Wednesday: Scout committee meeting(me), Grocery shopping, Snack milk money for older two boys
• Thursday: Steve teaches a college course on this night.
• Friday: Movie night

Errands:

• Return some items to Walmart
• Bank
• Grocery Shopping
• Pick up Prescriptions
• Crickets for lizard

Phone calls:

• middle son's homeroom parent (I'll take this call)

To do list
In addition to this list, I also make a menu plan for the week. I certainly keep our evening obligations in mind when I am planning our menu for the week but more on menu planning next week!