Between the house, kids, husband, bills, work, and everything else that gets tossed on your plate, there always seems to be one person that gets overlooked: you!

But just because you’re up to your neck with activities and responsibilities, it doesn’t mean you need to leave yourself out of the mix. Let us help you find the time for ‘me time’ with these hints and ideas.

Alicia on “Make it a Joint Effort”

“Keeping on top of all those daily ‘must do’s’ can be a tough task. But there’s no reason for you to tackle all those responsibilities on your own! A great plan that saves time (and sanity) is to team up with your husband and switch up those family responsibilities. When it comes to our daughter Lucy and her endless array of activities, my husband Adam and I take turns with the small stuff (practices, rehearsals, and the like) but always show up together for big events like games and recitals. That way, both Adam and I can enjoy a little time to ourselves all while keeping our family buttoned up done at the same time.”

Sarah on: “Ditch the Guilt”

“Sometimes, our own worst enemy when it comes to carving out a little personal time is ourselves. Who hasn’t pushed their own needs to the side with the rationalization ‘with all that’s going on, how could I possibility take a moment for myself’? But keep in mind having a little me time now and again won’t make you any less of a super wife, mom, or employee; in fact, it’s usually quite the opposite. It’s a general rule of thumb that your mood affects those around you — whether for the better or worse! So, if you have any guilt about devoting a little time to yourself: cast it aside. It’s a mindset better left for the birds!”

Here are a few tricks to help you find (and keep) some time for ‘me time’:

#1. Bundle Up
While no amount of wishful thinking will help you escape your weekly errands and chores, there’s still a way to make all of your ‘must do’s’ work in your favor. Try to bundle all of your errands and appointments in as few clusters as possible. Not only will you save tons of time that would otherwise be wasted shuttling to and from your destinations, you’ll give your car a much needed break from all those ‘city’ miles, which as we all know, can really add up!

#2. Seize the Opportunity
Sure, we could all benefit from a little more time in the day (if not to get more done, then for a full night’s rest), but there are tricks to help you make the most of the time you already have. Try to line up some spare moments for yourself during family down time, such as when the kids are busy with after school clubs or during nap hour. And if conflicting schedules keep you from enjoying a little me time (all those practices and play dates never seem line up!) hiring a mother’s helper a few afternoons a week is sure to do the trick as well.

#3. Keep Everyone in the Know
Once you’ve managed to secure a little time for yourself, don’t forget to let your loved ones in on your personal plans as well. Discussing the details in advance and blocking the time on your family calendar will prevent you from having to ditch your plans at the last minute due to an unforeseen conflict. Then once you’re squared away with your family, kick back and relax — it’s definitely well deserved!

In the hurly burly of everyday family life, it’s easy for romance to fall by the wayside. Who has the time to plan a special evening when there are soccer matches to attend, dishes to wash, reports to write and bills to pay?

While it is important to stay on top of the household chores, we would argue that maintaining an intimate, emotional connection with your partner is even more critical to a healthy and happy home life than finishing every, single task on your plate.

Alicia on “The Importance of Dates”

“Happily ever after doesn’t just happen. It takes attention and nurturing to make a relationship work over the long term. One of the best ways to keep your relationship interesting and full is through regularly scheduled dates. They can be breakfast dates, lunch dates, or formal Saturday night dates. The important thing isn’t when, but that you set aside the time for the two of you each week to be alone and that you use that time to truly relate to one another. Pick a day and time that works for both of you and mark it in ink on the family calendar. Once you have a regular day and time set up, stick to it.”

Sarah on “Planning for Fun”

“While you are in the throes of daily life, it may seem difficult, not to mention a bit of a pain, to plan for quality time with your significant other. But a few minutes spent mapping out some fun things to do early in the week makes all the difference. My husband and I both think of ourselves as highly spontaneous people and resisted planning dates for a long time. But unfortunately that meant our date nights quickly got stuck in a rut – movie, dinner, dinner, movie…(you probably know the drill). The fact of the matter is that it’s hard to find creative, fun, memory-building things to do together at five minutes to six on Saturday night. A little planning can go a long way.”

Fan the Flames

Here are some simple ideas that might help you and your loved one keep the romance alive week to week.

#1: Share the Planning

It takes two to tango, so planning date nights cannot fall entirely on the shoulders of one person in the relationship. Once you have scheduled the standing date time, divide up planning responsibilities in a way that is roughly equal. For example, you might want to trade who comes up with the date agenda form week to week. Week one, you plan, week two, your partner plans, and so on. If both of you participate, chances are you’ll do more interesting things and ultimately get to know one another even better over time.

#2: Make Time to Daydream

Remember how much time you spent daydreaming about your spouse when you were dating? Remember the care and thought that both of you gave to planning fun excursions? Take the time to dream a bit about what fun things you might do together on your next date. Keep a running list of the dream date ideas you come up with in a notebook or in your journal and then make them happen!

#3: Schedule Time to Plan

Once you have some ideas of what you’d like to do on your next date, set aside some time, preferably a few days in advance, to organize the details. That way when you are together, you can concentrate on each other, not the details you forgot to handle beforehand. In addition, try to plan one detail on every date that will make your significant other feel really appreciated and loved.

You’ve no doubt got a handle on the fundamentals you’ll need for your new little one: crib, bassinet, stroller, changing table, and glider or rocking chair.

And your family and friends have probably showered you (or soon will) with sweet gifts like fashionable clothes, plush toys, DVDs, and soft blankets. But what else is essential to have in place before you head to the hospital? Trust us, there’s nothing more stressful than coming home with your new bundle of joy only to find that you don’t have what you need to care for him, her…or them!

Alicia on ‘Safety First’

‘There are so many things you could do to try and prepare for the arrival of your little bundle of joy that you could practically still be preparing when your child is applying to college. We strongly recommend focusing on the basics, like creating a safe environment. Baby proofing certainly counts as an essential. Cover those outlets, eliminate or round off hard-edged corners, put a gate in front of stairs, and lock those cabinets. Another essential is having an emergency plan and numbers handy. When was the last time you and your family ran through a fire drill, after dark? Or made sure you could find you way around with no power? The time to realize you are not as prepared as you like is not when there are little ones who are depending on you to know just that information.’

Sarah on ‘There’s No Such Thing as Perfectly Ready’

‘When my husband and I were expecting our first child, we had done what we thought was a pretty thorough job of setting up the nursery. We had a crib, changing table, diapers, clothes, soaps, lotions, a thermometer, toys, blankets — the works. But we were in for a rude awakening. The day we brought our son home from the hospital we found that the list of things we had forgotten was a mile long. You’ll get an avalanche of advice from doctors, relatives, friends, books, TV shows, and even total strangers.

So, no matter how prepared you think you are — you’re likely to fall short of the perfect mark. Rather than beating yourself up for being imperfect, focus on what is most important: providing a loving home. People worry a lot about the best way to raise a child but, at the most basic level, kids need love, time, and attention.’

The following lists cover everything you will need to have ready when you bring home baby. We’ve grouped the lists into logical shopping expeditions so you don’t have to cram it all into one day (unless, of course, that’s more fun for you!). If your family and friends are throwing you a baby shower, we recommend that you wait until it’s over to go shopping because you might be able to cross a few things off your lists.

Shopping Trip #1: The Super Store

• Diaper Genie or diaper pail
• Diaper Genie refills or a pack of garbage bags
• Baby monitor
• Night light or light dimmer
• Baby hamper
• Receiving blankets (get at least one 5 pack — you’ll use them for everything from swaddling to positioning the baby and covering yourself up while breast feeding)
• Burp cloths (we recommend at least 6 because you’re likely to go through them at the rate of 2 per day and you don’t want to have to do laundry every day)
• Bibs (we recommend at least three to have handy. And if you’re planning on bottle feeding — get ten — babies can be messy eaters!)
• Hooded towel
• Sleep positioner
• Waterproof pad for changing table
• 2 waterproof mattress pads
• Diaper caddy
• Plastic bowl for holding water (many pediatricians recommend using just water and a washcloth to clean newborn bottoms rather than wipes)
• Washcloth — get two or more sets and keep one for baths and another for diaper changes if you’re not using wipes
• Baby bathtub
• Baby brush
• 20 baby hangers
• Dishwasher basket

Shopping Trip #2: The Grocery Store

• 1 pack of diapers for newborns (don’t buy too many diapers in advance because you just won’t know what size your little one will be until he/she arrives!)
• Baby shampoo
• Baby soap
• Baby lotion
• Diaper rash ointment
• Petroleum jelly
• Baby laundry detergent
• Ziploc bags (larger sizes are great for diaper bags, smaller ones for formula)
• Bottles with caps and collars (we recommend having one or two 4 oz bottles handy even if you’re planning on breast feeding because you may want them for pumped milk).
• Extra nipples (if bottle feeding)
• Bottle brush
• Antibacterial soap (especially great for guests to wash up before holding the baby)
• Hand sanitizer
• Extra batteries (AA, AAA and D)
• Coffee! (or tea)
• 3 gallons purified water (if planning to bottle feed)

Shopping Trip #3: The Drug Store

• Baby nail clippers
• Infant nasal aspirator
• Infant thermometer (rectal or ear)
• Infant Tylenol or Motrin (make sure it’s INFANT)
• Little noses saline drops
• Infant chest ointment
• Cotton swabs
• Large cotton squares or large oval makeup pad removers (you can use these with water to wipe the baby’s bottom instead of a washcloth if you want a disposable option)
• Infant pacifier (you may want to consider getting more than one so you can keep one in the diaper bag, one in the crib, etc.)
• Safety Q-tips
• Nursing pads
• Motrin (for mom!)

Shopping Trip #4: Clothing Store

• 6 newborn sleepers or gowns (the ones that look like a sack are great)
• 10 onesies (think about getting 6 short-sleeved and 4 long-sleeved ones)
• 1 newborn cap
• 2 or 3 pants made of soft fabric — look for ones with elastic waistbands that are easy to pull on
• 4 or 5 side snap t-shirts
• 2 sweaters
• 2 or 3 all-in-one outfits
• 6 pairs of booties or socks
• Seasonally appropriate outerwear (sun hat, winter hat, mittens, coat, snow suit)

Shopping Trip #5: Miscellaneous

• Rear facing federally approved infant car seat
• Diaper bag
• Baby swing or bouncy seat
• Baby carrier or sling
• Rain guard for stroller
• Cup holder for stroller
• Books on the basics: Baby CPR, Baby first aid, Sleeping, First months
• Camera and film or extra digital card
• Thank you notes (get a few boxes!)
• Stamps

In the hurly burly of everyday family life, it’s easy for romance to fall by the wayside.

Who has the time to plan a special evening when there are soccer matches to attend, dishes to wash, reports to write and bills to pay? While it is important to stay on top of the household chores, we would argue that maintaining an intimate, emotional connection with your partner is even more critical to a healthy and happy home life than finishing every, single task on your plate.

Alicia on ‘The Importance of Dates’

‘Happily ever after doesn’t just happen. It takes attention and nurturing to make a relationship work over the long term. One of the best ways to keep your relationship interesting and full is through regularly scheduled dates. They can be breakfast dates, lunch dates, or formal Saturday night dates. The important thing isn’t when, but that you set aside the time for the two of you each week to be alone and that you use that time to truly relate to one another. Pick a day and time that works for both of you and mark it in ink on the family calendar. Once you have a regular day and time set up, stick to it.’

Sarah on ‘Planning for Fun’

‘While you are in the throes of daily life, it may seem difficult, not to mention a bit of a pain, to plan for quality time with your significant other. But a few minutes spent mapping out some fun things to do early in the week makes all the difference. My husband and I both think of ourselves as highly spontaneous people and resisted planning dates for a long time. But unfortunately that meant our date nights quickly got stuck in a rut — movie, dinner, dinner, movie…(you probably know the drill). The fact of the matter is that it’s hard to find creative, fun, memory-building things to do together at five minutes to six on Saturday night. A little planning can go a long way.’

Fan the Flames

Here are some simple ideas that might help you and your loved one keep the romance alive week to week.

#1: Share the Planning
It takes two to tango, so planning date nights cannot fall entirely on the shoulders of one person in the relationship. Once you have scheduled the standing date time, divide up planning responsibilities in a way that is roughly equal. For example, you might want to trade who comes up with the date agenda form week to week. Week one, you plan, week two, your partner plans, and so on. If both of you participate, chances are you’ll do more interesting things and ultimately get to know one another even better over time.

#2: Make Time to Daydream
Remember how much time you spent daydreaming about your spouse when you were dating? Remember the care and thought that both of you gave to planning fun excursions? Take the time to dream a bit about what fun things you might do together on your next date. Keep a running list of the dream date ideas you come up with in a otebook or in your journal and then make them happen!

#3: Schedule Time to Plan
Once you have some ideas of what you’d like to do on your next date, set aside some time, preferably a few days in advance, to organize the details. That way when you are together, you can concentrate on each other, not the details you forgot to handle beforehand. In addition, try to plan onedetail on every date that will make your significant other feel really appreciated and loved.