I grew up watching my mom go through her daily, rushed routines at home and at work. I witnessed how she juggled her social life with all her responsibilities, and she constantly amazed me. I remember wondering where she got the energy to work all day and come home to cook dinner and help me with homework.

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To my teeny weeny mind, she was, no doubt, a super woman.

To moms, time is indeed a precious commodity. All our mommy friends say that, most of the time, 24 hours in a day is simply not enough to complete all the tasks they have on their plates. When you’re a super mom with various roles, getting through each day can often feel like you’ve run a marathon! Time flies like crazy, and what moms (and every other working woman) need is to have a few extra hours to decompress from the hustle of the daily grind.

So here are some time-saving tips for all the super moms out there – guaranteed to give you that much needed spare time!

Make mornings less hectic by planning ahead.

Whenever you’re cooking something, prepare a little extra so you have something left for the next day. Most moms find that the time saved preparing dinner is time you can spend reviewing your kid’s homework or relaxing and watching a movie with them. Also, why not set your coffee maker up the night before? Advance planning will free up a few minutes in your tight morning schedule, giving you the chance to start out your day less stressed and less rushed.

Have your work wardrobe and the kids’ school outfits ready.

To eliminate the time-consuming hassle of deciding what to wear, have the clothes you and your kids plan on wearing ready the night before. Better yet, plan your wardrobe during weekends and arrange them accordingly in your closet. Also, pack schoolbags, snacks and iron clothes in advance to save time.

Plan the family menu.

This can be a fun family activity. Plan your family menu by deciding what to cook every day of the following week and shopping for groceries accordingly. Prepare a timetable and to make it more fun, have the kids participate in the menu planning. Make sure you have all the ingredients ready during the weekend, so you can avoid those daily trips to the local grocery store or farmers market.

Get help for time consuming tasks.

Several hands (and heads) are always better than one! If you cannot afford to hire a dedicated person to help with cooking, cleaning or gardening, get help from friends or neighbors. You can hire the same cleaning person with your neighbor and get a discount for both your homes. You can also hire a student to babysit, run errands for you, or help you clean on weekends. By doing this, you free up some part of your schedule to spend the extra time with your hubby, children or friends, or have more time to work on that extremely important presentation for work.

Motherhood means having your hands full, but you can shave precious minutes off your day so you can enjoy a more balanced, fulfilled life!

Are you a busy working mom? What are some of your favorite time-saving tips?