Being a mom probably means you are taking second place constantly to the needs, demands, yells, screams, etc of your kid(s). Since we have been rolling right through the trying threes right toward the freakin’ fours x 2 with our twins right now, I need a few extra things to help with survival. My mommy must have list is full of practical and not so practical items to make this parenting thing a little easier, and maybe help you find a piece of yourself along the way.
Mommy Must Have 1: Fun Coffee Mug
My guess is you were up late last night, in the middle of the night, early this morning or a combination. Coffee seems like my lifeline most days to keep going. I always smile a little when I find my favorite mug in the cabinet ( I have a few in rotation). Do yourself a favor and get a mug with a sassy saying, motivational quote, or something to make you smile in that sleep deprived state while you sip your coffee.
Mommy Must Have 2: Amazon Firestick
We cut cable now over 3 years ago. I couldn’t handle the climbing prices of our cable/internet combo that had crept up to over $200 a month. When we moved to a new house, we officially cut the cord. We only subscribed to internet, and made the extremely worthwhile investment of an amazon fire stick. This thing makes binge watching my favorite Netflix & Hulu shows easy, has tons of free shows & movies (especially for the kids), and can even be brought with you along on vacations or moved to different TVs in the house. A small investment for a little sanity.
Mommy Must Have 3: Yoga Pants & Semi-Stylish Clothing
If you have met me in real life, you know that I reserve wearing “real pants” like jeans for rare occasions like when I have to teach or meet with clients. My semi-permanent wardrobe is yoga pants I’ve owned for about 3-5 years and sweatshirts that hopefully don’t have a stain. Lately I have been trying to spruce up my wardrobe, but as a busy twin mom you know I have no time for leisurely trips to the mall to try on clothes and pick outfits. Plus, I have no idea what is actually in style. Every few months, I have been getting a Stitch Fix box, where my personal stylist sends me clothes based on my preferences and I send back what I don’t like. The girl is good, so I typically love it all.
Mommy Must Have 4: A Semi-Stylish or Functional Bag
Since my hands have have always been full with 2 babies, I learned pretty early on that a back pack style “diaper bag” was an essential item. My go-to for the last 3+ years has been the JuJuBe B.F.F. backpack that has a million pockets and plenty of space for everything I needed. I think I could probably benefit from some YouTube packing tutorials and the use some of those fancy packing cubes, but right now I just stuff it all in there and it works. I keep extra clothes, tons of snacks, and more inside!
Lately, I’ve started looking for a new bag. I still want a backpack style, just something not as big, since we are done with diapers (hooray)! I did a poll in a local mom’s Facebook group and found a few contenders, like the Skip Hop Chelsea, or I heard great reviews on the Fawn Design Bag. I’m still on the hunt for the perfect bag, let me know what you use!
Mommy Must Have 5: Notebook, Planner or Organizational Tool
I cannot tell you how lost I would be in life without a calendar, planner, or notebook. I was in love with my Happy Planner for a long time, until I kept forgetting to open it up, or would misplace it around my house. These days, I tend to keep things a little more digital. I use my google calendar to do my time-blocking and manage my daily schedule, set myself reminders, and keep my life on track. You might not guess, but I’m a pen and paper girl at heart, so I do keep a physical notebook to write out to-do lists, write down my thoughts, and plan out activities. My paper planner for my Book Lady business is still a strong organizational tool I use. It help me to keep my business to-dos organized and holds me accountable.
Mommy Must Have 6: A Subscription Box
So you may be thinking, why on earth would a subscription box be a must-have. Here is my reasoning. 90% of all my spending is geared to my kids. New clothes, shoes, food, craft supplies, toys, the list goes on. I never have a chance to shop for me, and when I do, I don’t want to spend a lot. There are sooooo many subscription boxes out there, hunt one down and treat yourself. In most cases, you get much more than the cost of the box in value of the product. My favorite is a FabFitFun Box, which only comes 4x/year, so I don’t feel excessive with a monthly program.
Mommy Must Have 7: A Good Book
Reading time is at a premium in my house. In the summer, I make time in the afternoons to relax by my pool with a book during nap time. Since there will be no nap time next summer (SOB!), I am working on finding a place to get my reading time in on a regular basis. When I am good with my miracle mornings I fit it in before the 7am chaos begins. Sometimes I squeeze a little in at night. I love to keep a rotation of inspirational personal development books, as well as fiction books in rotation. Typically I work though one of each at a time. Here are a few of my recent favorites
- Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
- What to Say When You Talk to Yourself by Shad Helmstetter, Ph.D
- The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
- Daring Greatly by Bene Brown
- The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- Small Great Things by Jodi Piccoult
Mommy Must Have 8: A Robot Vacuum
So let’s talk about cleaning. I know there are some people who are really on top of things. I am not one of them. My floors sometimes went a month without a vacuum, with only quick sweeps to clean up stray lunch from the floor. One Mother’s Day, I decided to ask for a robot vacuum after talking with a friend, and never looked back. This has single handedly been the best gift I have ever gotten as a mom. I can quickly pick up toys from the floor and let “boop boop” (yes we named him) vacuum while I was dishes. It’s really so nice to have a little help with the housework other than the “help” my kids provide. Do yourself a favor and get one on your Christmas, birthday or Mother’s Day list too. Or just buy it for yourself, you deserve it!
I hope you enjoyed my mommy must have list! Maybe it will spark an idea for you to think of a gift for yourself for an upcoming holiday. Or maybe you just need to take a minute to treat yourself to something for all the hard work you do. Come check me out on instagram to see all these fun things in action! Did I forget anything on my list? Tell me what your mommy must have is below!
“What to Say When You Talk to Yourself” is now on my list!
It is an AMAZING book for improving your mindset & learning positive self-talk!!