{ Save Your Sanity }

Don’t find yourself wishing you had an extra change of clothes, or anything else you might need, in an emergency situation. A well-planned and maintained stash in the trunk of your car can be a lifesaver when you’re not home, and you’re in a pinch. Keep a plastic bag or bin that stays in your trunk with an outfit for the kids, sunblock, toys, swimsuits, PJs, hats & mittens, an old pair of your tennis shoes and anything else that might be handy in an unexpected circumstance. Keep things updated, and remember to switch out items with expiration dates regularly.

Schedule a standing Game Night (we like Scrabble) with friends to ensure you’re socializing with other adults on a regular basis. Schedule several months’ worth well in advance to allow for planning and guarantee you’ll meet a quorum every time. Keep it flexible for moms who need to bring the kids and ask friends to bring their favorite snacks or beverages to make it easy on you.

Having a first aid kit you can easily take with you will come in handy in your car, luggage or purse for emergencies on the road, at the park, while biking or any time you’re on the move. The key is to have portable essentials you’ll need to comfort your child after a skinned knee or minor emergency. First, find a small plastic case to hold everything and protect the kit from spills or water. Here is a list of what you’ll need to pack: • Band-Aids in several sizes – butterfly bandages are very handy • Waterproof tape – make sure it’s the hurt-free kind • Gauze • Hydrocortisone – for itches • Disinfectant towelettes – find a no-sting variety • Antibiotic ointment packets – individual packets are more portable than a tube • Swabs & cotton balls • Tweezers & small scissors or a swiss army knife

We love Rebecca DiLiberto’s book, Penny Saving Household Helper: 500 Little Ways to Save Big, for easy habits you can adopt to save pennies that add up to big savings over time. For example, turn plastic food bags inside out to get a second life out of them or try using old nail polish to color code your keys. Learn creative ways to cut back, pinch pennies, reduce, recycle, and re-use. http://www.amazon.com/Penny-Saving-Household-Helper-Little/dp/0811870219/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1#noop

One place we often don’t think about when we talk about clearing clutter is our freezer. It’s easy for a freezer to become overstocked with forgotten food. Before getting to your grocery list, make it a point to check and clean out your freezer. By doing this on a regular basis, you’ll save money by using what you have and you’ll avoid a freezer full of freezer burn. One trick is to keep a small white board on your freezer with a list of what needs to be used.

If grocery shopping is something you find overwhelming, make it a bit easier every week by making a permanent list of staples you never want to be out of again. Simple things like milk, eggs, butter and other food you know your family must have. Use the list as the starting point for your weekly grocery trip, and if you don’t have much time to make a complete list you have something to go by and keep you on budget.

We’re all for the designated junk drawer, but after a while it becomes less and less useful. To make sure your junk drawer remains the place to find stuff you need, do a quarterly clean-out and throw out any item you doubt you’ll use. Keep to basics like tools, tape, Sharpies, flashlights, Post-Its, spare keys and anything you know you regularly count on having handy.

Looking to manage your money and can’t afford a financial planner? We’ve recently discovered the ultimate, free money management tool on http://www.mint.com/. Enter all of your personal data in their secure system and get on your way to meeting your financial goals. It can even remind you when payments are due so you avoid late fees.

Collecting coupons has never been more of a necessity for most families, and the Internet has made it possible to get discounts on the items you need now. In addition to checking circulars in your newspaper, go online to a couponing website or the brand/product site to search and sign up for immediate discounts, especially for items you purchase regularly.

Every year, we look forward to the holiday “break” only to find out it’s not so much of a break for us with the holiday madness and kids being home. Don’t forget to take care of yourself as you come off a particularly exhausting stretch. Make an appointment this week for a massage, haircut or pedicure (whatever makes you feel best) and let your spouse know you’ll be keeping it.

Every household is a team, and its easier to manage if everyone has their opportunity to contribute. Schedule, and stick to, a weekly team meeting on Sunday nights to go over schedules, meal preferences and finances. Get off to a productive week, before it starts!

If you’re like us, you often forget something when you leave the house in a hurry with kids in tow. One way to make sure you’re on top of the small stuff is to create little lists of essentials that get tucked into the places you need them. For example, make a diaper bag or handbag list so you can check it to make sure you have your phone, keys and sunglasses. Or try posting a reminder list near your door for a quick check when you’re making an exit.

Clean out your fridge every Sunday night and use all of last week’s veggies to make your own pizza. This is a great way to use what might be slightly past its prime, but is perfect for roasting on a hot pizza pie.

Moms shouldn’t feel guilty about taking a trip with friends (or their husbands) for some quality girlfriend time. Even an overnight stay will go a long way. We’ve earned it. Plan ahead, put meals in the freezer, arrange for help, do whatever it takes to make it possible. Send an e-mail to your friends six months to a year out with destination ideas and get them on board with a plan. You can even put together a helpful planning timeline for everyone to share so no one gets overwhelmed.

Although it’s tempting to save money on quality items at bulk retailers, often its way more than you need. Go into a membership with another family, and share the savings. That way you’ll be sure to use what you buy before it expires and you won’t end up with overflowing pantries and closets.

We have so many responsibilities, activities to balance and ambitions as moms, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and stressed out. By simplifying small aspects of our lives, we can really benefit in terms of our mental and physical health, productivity and overall happiness. As a start, dedicate 30 minutes every night to “chores.” Make a checklist of tasks that will keep you consistently feeling stress free and go through the list nightly. Make it a routine to take care of the small stuff to avoid major stress.

This week, we feel like our children’s toys literally multiplied like bunnies. Clutter is a big source of stress for families, and the only way to resolve the problem after the holidays is to get control of it early in the year. Give your kids the opportunity to pick what they will give away (for every toy in, a toy goes out) or challenge them to build “donation piles” and whomever makes the biggest contribution wins (what they win is up to you.)

We all struggle with clutter that can make us feel like we’re constantly picking up. Quit being a slave to your family’s stuff! Buy a few inexpensive bins or baskets, and label with each family member’s name, a photo or description of what goes in there. For example, place a bin next to your main doorway for your kid’s school shoes, backpack and other stuff you need to remember on your way out the door each morning.

We’re all looking for creative ways to save money, and to be healthier to boot, now that’s an extra incentive. Cooking vegetarian meals can be very easy on the wallet and long on health benefits. Beans, nuts, whole grains and tofu are much cheaper proteins than even the cheapest cuts of meat. Start by introducing one day a week when you’re committed to feeding your family a meat-free meal. You’ll be amazed at how easy it can be. Plus, most vegetarian main courses freeze really well, so stock up.

Regular manicures or blowouts might seem like a major splurge for most moms, but take into account the time you save and how great you feel, and it might be worth it. The key is knowing how to extend your investment. Apply a durable topcoat to your manicure every other day to keep it fresh for up to two weeks. Sleep with your hair tied back loosely, and use a round brush and ionic hair dryer or some hair powder (baby powder is fine for blondes) to style your hair for 3-5 days following a blowout. The bonus: the less you wash your hair, the healthier it will look.